The causes of some accidents are never determined. The causes of other collisions are obvious. In some cases, the cause must be inferred or determined after an extensive investigation by law enforcement agencies. A recent multi-vehicle collision on I-24 in Paducah does not appear to have an obvious cause, but the accident reports provide a strong basis for an inferential conclusion about how and why the accident occurred.
The accident
According to police reports, a Cadillac Escalade was merging onto I-24 when it hit the passenger side of a passing dump truck that was heading west. The dump truck then struck a Chevrolet Suburban and rolled over. The truck landed in the median and spilled its load of gravel. The Suburban rolled down the embankment at the side of the westbound freeway lane.
Injuries
The female driver of the Suburban and her two passengers, one of whom was a three-month-old infant, were taken to Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital, all with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the dump truck required assisted rescue by members of the Paducah Fire Department. After he was removed from his truck, he was taken to Lourdes Hospital and then moved to an out-of-state hospital. The condition of the driver of the Cadillac was not mentioned by police.
Liability
As mentioned above, the cause of this accident is not obvious, but a useful clue was provided by the impact point of the Cadillac and the dump truck. The police report says that the Cadillac struck the passenger side of the truck. In all likelihood, the Cadillac was on the entrance ramp close to the right-hand driving lane of the freeway, and the driver failed to slow down and yield the right-of-way to the truck. The failure of the driver of the Cadillac to yield to a vehicle in the main driving lane is a violation of Kentucky law. No other traffic violations can be deduced from the facts reported by the police, and neither alcohol nor drugs has been mentioned as a contributing factor.
Anyone who has been injured or lost a loved one in a similar accident may wish to consider pursuing a claim for damages from the party at fault. A consultation with an experienced accident attorney can ensure that such efforts are off to a good start. A skilled accident attorney can provide a helpful evaluation of the evidence and an estimate of the likelihood of recovering damages for medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering.
