Trucking Crashes Stay in News: $63 Million Settlement in Focus

On Behalf of | Oct 15, 2010 | Truck Accidents |

Commercial truck accidents have recently grabbed the attention of many folks in San Antonio and the rest of the Southwest. Undoubtedly, the most captivating story has been the $62.7 million settlement resulting from a fatal semi-truck accident.

Sleep-Deprived Trucker’s Crash Settlement

On June 26, 2009, many frustrated drivers sat in slow-moving traffic while responders diverted vehicles around an accident on the Oklahoma Turnpike. Frustration quickly changed to panic when from behind a tractor-trailer plowed into the traffic, killing 10 people and seriously injuring six others.

The cause of the accident was trucker Donald Creed’s driver fatigue, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Creed, 76, who suffers from sleep apnea, was operating his big rig for the tenth consecutive hour, after getting a measly five hours of sleep before his shift.

The 63-million-dollar settlement will be shared by the survivors of eight of the victims, who brought wrongful death claims – the other two families who lost a loved one settled their lawsuits separately. The survivors sued Creed and his employer, Associated Wholesale Grocers, for failure to properly train and supervise.

San Antonio Commercial-Truck Accidents

A few days ago, a South Bexar County accident leaked hundreds of gallons of flammable liquid onto Applewhite Road. The driver of a FedEx commercial truck overcorrected and flipped the truck on its side near Loop 1604. No lives were lost, but the road was closed for several hours for cleanup.

Earlier this week, the northbound lanes of I-35 were shut down after a tractor-trailer ended up on its side, its cargo littering the expressway. No news source has yet reported the cause and the consequences.

Sources: Dallas Morning News WOAI.com KENS5.com