Tennessee mother killed in truck accident

A 54-year-old Tennessee mother and grandmother died after been hit by a garbage truck at 9.30 a.m. on a recent Friday morning. It is reported that the driver of the garbage truck stopped at a red traffic light. When the light changed to green, he turned right at the intersection.  At this point, the victim was busy crossing the road and was in the crosswalk when the truck hit her. The truck driver was put on administrative leave without pay after the truck accident and will not be allowed to drive a city vehicle until the city physician has cleared him.

The accident is currently under investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. A spokesman for the city indicated that the city is cooperating with the authorities. Currently, the investigators are waiting for the toxicology reports of both victim and the truck driver.

The victim’s son has indicated that he plans to file a wrongful death claim against the city. By filing a lawsuit, he hopes to obtain answers, especially from the video footage of the traffic cameras near the intersection. He is of the opinion that the video footage is the only evidence showing what really happened.

In Tennessee, a wrongful death claim may be filed by the surviving family of a deceased victim of a truck accident, based upon evidence of negligence. In this case, the court may award monetary damages to the son and his children should it be proven that negligence was the root cause of the accident. A successfully litigated wrongful death claim may assist the family of the deceased to better cope with the unexpected expenses, such as funeral and burial costs and other monetary losses.

Source: wjhl.com, “Family of woman killed by trash truck in crosswalk to sue Johnson City“, Feb. 6, 2015