Woman Killed in Bronx Tractor Trailer Accident

An SUV and two tractor trailers were involved in a deadly accident in late November. The SUV, which crashed into a tractor trailer, was subsequently hit by another tractor trailer. This caused the SUV to catch on fire. The impact and fire killed the driver, a woman, and shut down the westbound lanes of the Cross Bronx Expressway for hours.

Both drivers of the tractor trailers escaped, although the first truck was destroyed by the fire. The fire burned for hours, despite attempts to put it out, and the expressway was closed for about 12 hours total.

Rear-end accidents

Rear-end accidents are typically litigated under a theory of negligence. All drivers on the road have a duty to follow the rules of the road and avoid causing harm to others. Part of their duty involves following at a “safe” distance, where they can brake in time to avoid accidents.

There is a rebuttable presumption that when a vehicle is slowing down or stopped, the driver of the vehicle rear-ending them is at fault. In the case above, there aren’t enough details to determine why and how the SUV hit the first tractor trailer, nor whether the driver of the second tractor trailer had adequate warning to avoid hitting the SUV. However, the rebuttable presumption is that both the SUV driver and the second tractor trailer driver would be at least partially responsible for the accident.

If you’re involved in a rear-end accident, thanks to someone else’s negligence or recklessness, help is available. You may be eligible to receive compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and more. Reach out to the seasoned personal injury attorneys at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP today for a consultation.