Crestline, OH — A man was critically injured after his vehicle was hit by a garbage truck in Crestline, Ohio, on Wednesday, January 21, 2015. The accident took place on Ohio 598 at the intersection of CR 330, around 7:45 in the morning.
Police identified Gregory Moore as the driver of a FedEx minivan who was hit by a garbage truck that failed to stop at a stop sign. The force of the collision pushed Moore’s vehicle into a utility pole before it came to a stop in the intersection. Emergency workers transported him to Mansfield OhioHealth MedCentral Hospital.
Doctors had to amputate Moore’s left arm.
Moore is being hailed as a hero, as he was backing coaching the girls basketball team at New Washington Buckeye Central just days after the accident occurred.
The driver of the garbage truck was identified as Gerald Cotsmire. It’s not clear if Cotsmire was cited by police for the accident.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
It’s amazing that this accident didn’t turn out as badly as it could have, and that Moore has been able to make such a fast recovery. Accidents like this are typically handled a bit different, as they happen when the victim is on the job, but don’t happen because of a co-worker, or some situation at their job. They’re caused by a third party, and third party’s aren’t going to be covered by an employer’s workers’ comp policy. That means the victim is going to be eligible for workers’ comp benefits, but at the same time is going to have grounds to bring a claim against the person responsible for the accident. Which in this case is going to be the driver of the garbage, who was incredibly negligent in failing to stop at a stop sign. Under normal circumstances, an employee wouldn’t be able to bring a claim against his employer, as that’s forbidden under the typical workers’ comp employer/employee agreement. But again, the inclusion of a third party in this case changes things up some.
— Grossman Law Offices
