California Injury Blog
In August of 2007, Donnie parked his 3-axle Peterbilt tractor truck and 2-axle trailer in the emergency lane of the eastbound 10 Freeway in San Bernardino in order to take a rest in the sleeper cab. As a paid employee of Deep Water Transport Enterprises, Inc., this was an unlawful and dangerous place for Donnie to park his vehicle.
Tricia Noelle Tigue was traveling along the 10 in her 1993 Honda Accord, when the tire on her car went flat. She lost control of the vehicle and it swerved toward the emergency lane of the freeway, colliding with Donnie’s illegally parked truck. Her Honda burst into flames, causing the wrongful death of her and the child she was five months pregnant with.
California personal injury attorney, Brian Chase, explains, “Donnie Hardison, as an employee of Deep Water Transport Enterprises, Inc., had a duty to drive safely and to obey California Vehicle Code laws. Instead, Hardison breached every one of those duties by negligently, recklessly and illegally parking his truck in a designated emergency lane along one of the busiest freeways in southern California.”
Driver Improperly Trained by Deep Water Transport Enterprises, Inc.
The lawsuit claims that Donnie Hardison was negligent to the law by parking his truck in the emergency lane on the 10 freeway, and that this poor decision caused the collision that took the life of Tricia and her child.
Donnie’s employer, Deep Water Transport Enterprises, Inc., is responsible for its employee’s careless actions. If the employee was unaware of his illegal parking, it is the fault of the employer for not providing thorough and proper training that allows for its truck drivers to operate vehicles with utmost concern for safety.
“Interstate transport companies, such as Deep Water, have a strict duty and legal obligation to the nation’s motoring public to ensure the drivers of their trucks abide by traffic laws to avoid causing serious car accidents on today’s roadways,” said Chase. “If transport companies fail to do this, then they are just as liable as the drivers they employ.”