California Injury Blog
A Mountain View woman is dead after the sport utility vehicle she was driving was struck by flying concrete from a big-rig crash in Redwood City last week, according to an article in the San Mateo County Times.
Indira Gagloeva was air-lifted to Stanford University Medical Center soon after the crash the afternoon of May 19, but was pronounced dead at the hospital. Gagloeva was driving a Lexus SUV Northbound on Highway 101 when a tractor trailer rig going Southbound rammed into the median, sending chunks of concrete flying around the freeway before the rig burst into flames.
The rocks hit Gagloeva’s vehicle as well as the car that was behind her. Maria Villasenior, the driver of that Toyota sedan was not hurt. Gagloeva suffered major head trauma after a piece of concrete went right through the windshield and hit her, according to the article. Her daughter, who was also taken to hospital, suffered minor injuries.
The driver of the big rig was reportedly carrying a load of cardboard and lost control of the vehicle. The driver and his passenger got out safely. A tire from the truck also flew off and hit a building, but no one was reported hurt. The truck company owner Travis Berry told the newspaper that this was the worst accident in his company’s history. Berry said the driver, identified only as Carlos, had worked for the company only for a month. The crash is still under investigation.
The trucking company is going to have to answer a lot of questions. What kind of training did this new driver go through? Was the truck overloaded? How many hours had this driver worked? What was his level of exhaustion?
Defending lawsuits are a regular part of a trucking company’s business. That’s how common these types of accidents are. Research has shown that many companies do not monitor their drivers’ hours. As a result they end up working more than they should. A majority of big rig accidents occur because these drivers are just too tired to drive, or because they’ve overloaded their trucks, or because the companies are not maintaining the vehicles properly.
At Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys we’ve represented numerous victims of truck accidents over the last three decades. We have represented nearly a dozen people seriously injured or killed from flying debris, including tires, on our roadways. We know the challenges victims face – death, medical bills, loss of income or a disability. An accident can change your life in ways you cannot imagine.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck, big rig or any type of traffic accident, call me for a free consultation. You must act immediately because in a truck accident your statute of limitations can run out in less than six months. More importantly, the sooner your attorneys can start their investigation, the less evidence will be lost. Call us while the evidence is fresh and before you run out of time. 1-800-259-6373.