It was reported on July 25 that a West Virginia man filed a lawsuit against a transportation company after he alleged that an employee of the company caused an accident. The man also named the driver of the Hiteland Transportation truck as a defendant in the lawsuit.

The plaintiff was driving his employer’s 2010 F-250 truck in June 2015 in the southbound lanes of Interstate 79 when he came to a stop at a red light. A driver who was employed by Hiteland Transportation failed to slow down as he came to traffic, causing him to jack-knife his tractor-trailer. The tractor-trailer rear-ended the F-250 truck, causing it to be pushed into the vehicle in front of it. The man claimed that there were significant damages to all of the vehicles involved. The driver for Hiteland Transportation was cited by the local police for failing to control his vehicle and for speeding.

The complaint was filed in Harrison Circuit Court on June 14 but was moved to federal court a month later. The man who filed the claim was ultimately seeking $300,000 in compensatory damages.

Dangerous or negligent driving can cause a serious traffic accident that could leave a person with serious injuries. A personal injury attorney could investigate the accident on behalf of an injured person to gather additional evidence in the event the insurance company refuses to offer a complete settlement. The attorney could, for example, get a copy of the police report, obtain information about the driver’s speed through the vehicle’s black box or utilize expert witness testimony. If the insurance company refuses to offer an appropriate settlement, the attorney might take the matter to court.

Source: West Virginia Record, “Man sues Hiteland Transportation for car accident“, Kyla Asbury, July 25, 2017