A grieving widow in Ohio recently filed legal action against Praxair, alleging careless driving by their truck driver caused her husband’s death.

Along with their four surviving children, the woman alleges the negligent actions of the Praxair truck driver and his associate had caused unreasonably dangerous driving conditions, which compromised the safety of her husband and other motorists.

Plaintiff Samantha N. filed this truck accident lawsuit on behalf of the late James N., who was allegedly a victim of the growing statistic of big truck accidents.

Over the past 20 years, the number of big truck accidents has reportedly increased by 20 percent, with the majority of truck drivers leaving the accident unharmed due to the massive size of 18 wheelers. Drivers of smaller passenger vehicles are not as lucky, with many of them suffering serious injuries or even death.

According to the truck accident lawsuit, James had been driving to work at 4:22 A.M. on SR 60 in Morgan Township, Ohio. James was driving northwest bound on the road and had unexpectedly struck the Praxair truck when it was obstructing his lane of traffic, Samantha claims.

Truck driver Charles Haynes and passenger Robert Tuttle had been operating the truck at the time and were reportedly reversing the large vehicle in a dangerous manner on SR 60, according to the complaint.

During this alleged improper reverse, Haynes was utilizing a private drive and caused the truck to face southwest on SR 60. This reportedly caused the entirety of the northwest lane to be blocked, which ultimately caused the collision with James.

The truck accident occurred on Nov. 5, 2018, with James being unable to properly respond to the truck that was unexpectedly blocking his lane. James died from fatal truck accident injuries.

Samantha opted to file legal action against Praxair after discovering the truck driver’s negligence, which allegedly contributed to her husband’s death.

Overview of Big Truck Accident Statistics

There are approximately 500,000 truck accidents that occur every year in the United States, with about 5,000 of them being fatal and 100,000 involving serious injuries.

Due to the severe difference in size between semi trucks and passenger vehicles, the possibility of death is higher for passenger vehicles. Trucks weight 20 to 30 times more than passenger vehicles, and require wider births and more ground clearance.

Approximately 4,102 people died in big truck accidents in 2017, with 17 percent of these deaths being truck occupants. As dangerous as these collisions are for passenger vehicles, truck drivers also face significant risk in these situations.

According to the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, 761 truck drivers died in the United States in 2015, which made up a quarter of all work related deaths of 2014.

There are a number of factors that can contribute to vehicle collisions, including factors out of the driver’s control like snow, ice, or other bad weather conditions. Semi truck accidents are preventable in cases of human error, with many of these cases involving negligent actions like careless or reckless driving.

This was allegedly the case with James, with Samantha alleging her husband’s death was directly caused by the negligence of the Praxair truck drivers. Samantha is seeking compensation for wrongful death, along with any other relevant damages.

This Truck Accident Lawsuit is Case No. 2:19-cv-01071-GCS-EPD, in the Court of Common Pleas, Morgan County, Ohio.