The driver of a pickup entered an intersection and ran into the path of a Kootenai Electric Cooperative utility truck carrying a trailer with a backhoe. The driver of the pickup is in critical condition Kootenai Health ICU, and his passenger was also transported to the hospital in serious condition.
According to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s office, the accident happened 2:45 Wednesday, March 27, 2019, when the diver of the pickup allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign and failed to yield to the right-of-way of the KEC truck. The accident is still under investigation, but neither distracted or impaired driving seem to be a factor in the crash.
Utility Truck Accidents
Utility trucks carrying heavy equipment and large delivery trucks move in and around Coeur d’Alene and the surrounding communities. Motorists have to use caution around the heavier vehicles when can weigh as much as 25,000 pounds depending on its load.
The weight of these trucks put the other driver and car occupants at a disadvantage in a crash as the smaller vehicles take the brunt of the damage. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that in 2017, 4,100 people died in the U.S. in large truck accidents, and out of those fatalities, the occupant of the smaller cars were the victim 83 percent of the time.
Common Injuries in Larger Truck Collisions
Not only do the car occupants suffer a heavier fatality rate, they suffer about the same percentage of serious injuries when they collide with a heavier truck. These violent accidents can cause serious physical injuries with some of the more common being:
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Broken Ribs/Chest Injury
- Organ Damage
- Facial Injuries
- Deep Bruises and Lacerations
Passenger Liability
Many times, the at-fault driver is one of those seriously injured, and many questions arise when a passenger of that driver is also injured. Who will pay for the injuries to the passenger? In many cases, the passenger may be in the same family or a friend who would never think to make a claim against someone they care about.
However, most insurance policies cover injuries to anyone injured because of the insured person’s negligence. This is true even if the passenger is the spouse of the driver and is covered on the same policy. In most cases, a lawsuit doesn’t happen as the parties settle out of court. This allays some of the concerns of the injured person who doesn’t want to put a friendship in jeopardy.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you’ve been injured by the negligence of someone else, whether as a passenger of the at-fault driver or by the driver of another vehicle, you need to talk to an attorney who can help you get the compensation you need. They can work though the sticky insurance policy issues and see that your financial losses are covered.
Don’t speak to the insurance agent at least until you talk to an attorney. A knowledgeable and experienced attorney can give you good advice and evaluate your case, and at  Crary, Clark, Domanico, & Chuang, P.S., you don’t pay anything until you get paid for the insurance company.
We serve clients in Spokane, WA, Coeur d’Alene, ID, and surrounding communities and can go toe-to-toe with the insurance companies and their lawyers to get you fair compensation for your injuries. Call us at (509) 926 4900, or send us a message by clicking here.
