DeSoto Parish, LA — The driver of a salt water truck was injured last Saturday when a pickup truck pulled out of a driveway and directly in front of him. Arnold Fitzgerald, a resident of Tenaha, Texas, was taken to University Health Shreveport with severe head injuries.
Reports haven’t said whether Joseph Hendrix, who was driving the pickup, sustained any injuries. It’s been reported that both men were wearing seatbelts.
A spokesman for the Louisiana State Police has said it appears that alcohol may have played a role in the accident, and Hendrix was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
I think this would be a good time to talk briefly about what they call UM or uninsured motorist insurance. Despite there being a few unanswered questions, the news reports offer a fair amount of detail, so let’s take them at their word and say that this is how things happened. Mr. Hendrix, who was driving the pickup, was under the influence and pulled out in front of Mr. Fitzgerald. So, he’s liable for the accident. It’s very possible that his insurance policy won’t cover the amount of damage done to Mr. Fitzgerald’s car, as well as take care of any medical expenses he’s going to incur. In cases like these, workers often carry what they call UM insurance. Which is like purchasing extra insurance to cover whatever another party’s won’t. So instead of Mr. Hendrix’s insurance covering only a fraction of the damages then telling Mr. Fitzgerald good luck with the rest of it, Mr. Fitzgerald’s policy would step in and pay out the rest of the claim. This took place in Louisiana, so I couldn’t speak to any specific laws that might change things up there. And being in another state, it’s possible that workers’ comp could come into play somehow. I’m just laying out how things generally work in Texas.
— Grossman Law Offices
