Indifference to highway safety tears North Carolina family apart

He was a hard-working family man. He and his wife loved to hike and camp. A longtime truck driver, the North Carolina man had always insisted that his big rig and trailers were properly maintained and safe.

His death was the result of a motor vehicle accident caused by indifference to safety, traffic laws and proper maintenance of vehicle equipment.

The North Carolina dad and husband was driving home in his bright red pick-up one day late in 2014 on U.S. 311. Coming from the opposite direction was a pick-up hauling a gooseneck trailer carrying a heavy load: an excavator and a wood chipper.

The trailer’s owner knew that its brakes didn’t work, but chose not to fix them. The driver of the rig was behind the wheel with a suspended license, but chose to drive anyway.

The combination proved to be deadly for the family man headed home from work.

Traffic ahead of the defective rig stopped to allow a driver to make a left-hand turn. The driver with the suspended license slammed on the pick-up’s brakes, but because the heavy trailer had no brakes, its momentum from behind was powerful.

The driver swerved across the center line to avoid the stopped traffic, but the maneuver put the defective rig directly in front of the oncoming vehicle driven by the family man. The two pick-ups slammed into each other head on.

The family man suffered catastrophic injuries, but he hung on for seven weeks.

His death has left members of his grief-stricken family feeling lost.

“I just don’t feel like living anymore,” said his wife. “The family feeling is not there. You don’t know until you’re in my situation, when you’ve lost a spouse.”

“My family has been ruined,” his daughter said.

No price can be placed on their grief.

In similar circumstances, many families pursue compensation from the negligent driver; not because the compensation will ease their pain, but because it adds to the price the careless driver has to pay for the damage done.

A compassionate attorney experienced in wrongful death litigation can help you pursue justice.