Fatal Accident on Todd Road Kills Out-of-State Truck Driver
A fatal accident killed a truck driver in Santa Rosa on September 19 after he exited his semi and was in the roadway when he was struck by a dump truck and pickup. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office identified the deceased as a 59-year-old man from Keller, Texas. The accident happened on Todd Road, close to Moorland Avenue, near Highway 101, at around 5:45 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
Trucker Was Struck by Two Vehicles in Fatal Accident
Investigators with the CHP think the truck driver was either crawling or hunched over in the road when a dump truck going eastbound struck him. The impact threw the trucker onto an opposing lane where he was struck again by a westbound Chevy pickup. Both of the drivers who struck the trucker remained at the accident scene and were cooperating with investigators.
Authorities Trying to Determine Why Truck Driver Was in the Roadway
Emergency responders came to the fatal accident scene, where the trucker was pronounced dead. According to investigators, they are still trying to find out why the driver was hunched over in the roadway. His big rig was found a long distance from where he was struck.
Anyone With Information About the Fatal Crash Asked to Contact Authorities
Investigators are trying to determine where the driver was from and what his destination was before his fatal accident. Anyone who might have information on the accident is encouraged to call (707) 588-1400 to speak with CHP investigators.
Recovering Compensation After a Wrongful Death
When someone dies in an accident caused by another individual or entity, the immediate family members (spouse and children) may be able to file a wrongful death claim to recover damages. Compensation can be sought in the following areas:
- It is possible to recover the funeral and burial expenses for your loved one.
- Income the deceased loved one would have earned until retirement age can be recovered, including their pension and insurance benefits, tips, bonuses and other monies. If the individual was self-employed, tax records and other documents can establish income.
- The spouse of the deceased can recover the loss of emotional support, love and consortium that the decedent provided.
- The family children can recover compensation for the loss of nurturing and guidance that their deceased parent provided.
- Loss of inheritance might be recoverable in cases where beneficiaries would have inherited a larger amount if the decedent had lived.
- The recovery of compensation for the loss of household services includes areas where the decedent provided help. They can include caring for children, lawn, garden or auto care, tax preparation and others.
Losing a loved one is stressful at any time, but much more difficult when they were lost because of an accident. An accident attorney can relieve the burden of obtaining compensation for you from your shoulders when the fatal accident was due to another’s negligence. By recovering compensation, the family will still grieve; however, they will not have to worry about the financial burden and can perhaps obtain a sense of justice for the loss.
California Truck Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a California truck accident lawyer. When your loved one died due to negligence by another, the surviving family members may be able to recover compensation. It won’t alleviate their pain and sense of loss, of course, but can help them avoid the financial burden. Call us for free and friendly advice at (916) 921-6400. You can also either contact us online or by using our free long-distance number at (800) 404-5400.
You can discover how others have obtained the compensation they deserved following an accident with the help of our injury lawyers at the following links:
The Top 1 Percent and Million Dollar Advocates are two of the groups we belong to as California members.
Photo attribution: Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay
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