Big Cedar, OK — The driver of a tractor-trailer was injured in an accident that took place in Big Cedar, Oklahoma, on Wednesday, April 8, 2015. The accident happened on Highway 259, around 10:15 in the morning.
According to local reports, Wendall Barnes was driving a 1999 Freightliner north on 259 when he realized that his brakes had cut out. Up ahead on the highway was a construction worker and in an effort to avoid hitting the man, Barnes drove his truck off the side of the road.
The truck rolled on its side, crashing into a tree. Barnes had to be extricated from the vehicle before being taken to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa. He suffered serious injuries.
The accident is currently being investigated. At this time, what caused Barnes to lose his brakes is unknown.
Scene of the Accident
View from the Road
Commentary
The brakes going out on a tractor-trailer is a pretty big deal, and if it weren’t for the driver’s quick thinking, this accident could have been much worse than it was. Typically, something like this is going to be handled through an employer’s workers’ comp policy. That’s half the reason workers’ comp exists. It pays benefits to those injured in on-the-job accidents. The other half of the reason workers’ comp exists is to protect employers from having claims brought against them from injured employees. That’s the side of the system we don’t like, but I digress…
Workers’ comp may cover employers, but it not cover third parties. If the brakes on this truck were somehow defective, and it was that that caused the accident, then the injured driver would have a claim against the manufacturer. However, this could also be the fault of someone who had performed maintenance on the vehicle. Obviously, further investigation is needed.
— Grossman Law Offices
The man in this accident is my younger brother Wendall.
We have set up a a gofundme fundraiser for him because he has 0 income now and will not be able to work for a pretty long time. His pelvis and hip were shattered and repaired, he has broken ribs, other injuries and he had internal bleeding for which he also had to receive treatment. He has hemophilia.
Is there any way that anybody can help us share his link? Please? It would be so appreciated.
Signed,
Stella Wicker
http://www.gofundme.com/WendallB-Recovery