Jacksonville, FL — Five people were injured in the New Town area of Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday, July 23, 2014, when an 18-wheeler crashed into Jacksonville Transportation Authority bus before running into the Discount Seafood at the corner of West Beaver and Rushing around five in the afternoon.
Two adults and a teenager on the bus, as well as two people inside the store sustained minor injuries.
Reports indicate that both the 18-wheeler and the JTA bus were traveling west when the initial collision occurred. Investigators are working to discover what caused the accident.
The collision into Discount Seafood did considerable damage to the building, and officials had it demolished the following day, citing safety reasons.
Discount Seafood is a staple of the community. Local resident Jennifer Yarbrough told news outlets that her 70-year old grandfather had spent 40 years building the business, worked six days a week, and had no immediate plans to retire.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
This accident isn’t bad only because people were injured, it’s bad because it destroyed a man’s livelihood. From what’s been reported in the media, Coleman Yarbrough had poured quite a bit of blood, sweat, and tears into the place, building it from the ground up.
News outlets have said that it was the 18-wheeler that crashed into the JTA bus before running into the store, so I’m assuming the truck is to blame for the accident. These sorts of accidents are always tricky, because trucking companies, with so much on the line in terms of insurance, will typically do whatever it takes to defend their bottom line, regardless of how bad it looks, or how ridiculous the case they’re defending is. With something as big as this, however, it’s hard to see how they don’t step up and try to make it right. Although it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they tried arguing that the bus were at least partially liable for the accident.
Dealing with a trucking company is always a tough proposition because they never have your best interests at heart. In these cases, it’s always best to have someone familiar with these things in your corner, looking out for you.
— Grossman Law Offices
