COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA — Francis Hedrick was identified as the man that was seriously hurt after a tractor-trailer accident that happened in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Tuesday, November 25th, 2014. The news article released by Omaha Online said that the accident happened around 5:30 Friday afternoon.
80-year-old Francis Hedrick was hurt when the Ford F-150 pickup truck he was driving and a flatbed truck collided in the 22300 block of Pioneer Trail. Authorities think that the flatbed truck was backing out of a driveway when it reversed into the path of Hedrick’s pickup truck.
Hedrick was flown by helicopter to Nebraska Medical Center where he was being treated for unspecified injuries. The driver of the flatbed truck was identified as 32-year-old Travis Tyson, who was ticketed for failure to yield and unsafe backing after the crash.
Iowa State Police are still going over the details of the crash at this time.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary:
Just from the news report, I have quite a few questions whose answers may seem innocuous or inconsequential, but in the grand scheme of things, could alter the scope of this accident investigation and what happens after. First of all, was this truck owned and operated by a business, or was it a privately owned vehicle? If this truck was owned by a business, dealing with the insurance company could be a real struggle, even though the driver of the truck was cited for two infractions after the accident. Many people would assume that a ticket issued to an offending driver spells an automatic win when dealing with the insurance companies, but in my experience, this is just simply not the case. If the truck is owned by a business, you can bet that the company is going to do everything it can to protect itself from any kind of financial damage, which is exactly what an accident caused by their driver represents. What I’m trying to get across is, no matter how good a case looks, with citations, and corroborating witnesses, victims need to expect, and prepare for a difficult struggle. Going it alone has cost more than one person a lot more than a great deal of effort.
— Grossman Law Offices