A car truck accident in Florida that left four Spanish tourists dead has resulted in their families filing a lawsuit against the truck driver and his employer.

On March 5, four women were killed when their Nissan Rogue was hit from behind by an Isuzu truck carrying portable toilets. Even though they were trying to turn left in a northbound lane, the truck launched their vehicle into the southbound lane, where the Rogue was then hit by a motor home driven by a visitor from Alaska, according to the Miami Herald.

Carlos Manso Blanco was the driver of the truck that rear-ended the Rogue. He received a citation for careless driving, but the Florida Highway Patrol has not released the traffic homicide report for the car truck accident.

Manso Blanco is employed by Discount Rock and Sand of Marathon, Fla. Manso Blanco reportedly had received three traffic tickets from December 2016 to December 2017. Because he had been cited for driving with an expired license and for running a stop sign, the attorney representing the women’s families said that the conduct of Manso Blanco’s employer “was equivalent to manslaughter,” the Miami Herald reports.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers who investigated the crash said that the impact to the Rogue was so severe that it would not have mattered whether the women were wearing seatbelts or not. No one was going to survive such a horrific impact.

The Rogue was such a twisted piece of metal that for several hours, those working the scene thought there were only three victims. The fourth victim finally was found deep inside the wrecked vehicle.

The four women were 30 to 31 years old. They were friends from Spain who were visiting the Florida Keys.

The families of the four women have filed a lawsuit alleging Manso Blanco and his employer, Discount Rock and Sand, were negligent in causing the women’s deaths.

Car Truck Accidents Incite Negligence Lawsuits

The Florida car truck accident is one of thousands that occur every year. More than 500,000 accidents occur in the U.S. annually that involve an 18-wheeler truck. Nearly 5,000 include a fatality. More than 100,000 people are injured, most often, seriously.

U.S. law mandates that every 18-wheeler semi-truck is covered by a commercial insurance policy. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires a certain level of minimum coverage for a semi and its driver that is much higher than that of passenger vehicles.

It’s not unusual for a company that holds the truck’s policy to encourage the victims of a car truck accident to settle quickly. However, there are many reasons not to rush to a settlement if you are the victim.

When involved in a serious car truck accident, it takes time for the victim to realize the real extent of his or her injuries. Even injuries that are diagnosed and treated might not heal the way they should because of unforeseen complications.

Victims who have physically healed are still apt to suffer some type of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the very thought of returning to the driver’s seat or to the passenger’s seat of a regular vehicle.

If you have been involved in a car truck accident, you could benefit from speaking with an attorney who can help you navigate the legal system.