Garbage Truck Accidents

In September 2023, an Elton man died after a collision with a garbage truck. The garbage truck was stopped on the right shoulder of U.S. 165 in Allen Parish. Kevin Todd Miller was driving his pickup truck on U.S. 165 at around 7:30 in the evening, and when he saw the garbage truck by the side of the road, he swerved left, but he was unable to avoid a collision. Terrance Dewayne Dartez, who was a passenger in Miller’s truck, died as a result of injuries sustained in the collision. He was 33 years old. No additional news reports have been published, so there have been no public announcements about legal actions arising from the accident. For example, it is unclear why the truck was stopped at the side of the road at that time. If police and insurance companies determine that Miller could have prevented the accident by avoiding distractions or driving more slowly, then Dartez’s family may be able to make a wrongful death claim against Miller or his insurance company. The parish could also be liable if it failed to remove a disabled garbage truck in a timely manner or if the garbage truck driver stopped the truck in a dangerous place without good reason. If you got injured in a collision between your car and a garbage truck, contact a Houma car accident lawyer.

The Dangers of Garbage Trucks

Garbage trucks are big, noisy, and stinky, but so are many other kinds of trucks. Despite this, the dangers associated with 18-wheelers are very different from those associated with garbage trucks. Big rig trucks tend to drive on the highway, where traffic goes at high speeds, and vehicles make few stops. The dangers are that 18-wheelers take a lot of time and distance to stop and that a huge truck can easily cause a multi-vehicle pileup. By contrast, garbage trucks follow their routes through populous residential neighborhoods, stopping in front of every house. Therefore, they can easily run afoul of pedestrians and bicycles, not to mention a car getting in or out of a driveway. Likewise, if waste management workers are too hasty in emptying trash bins into the truck, they might accidentally leave trash or empty bins in the street, creating a hazard.

Accidents where a car strikes a garbage truck are more common than those where a garbage truck strikes a car. In other words, distracted driving is often the cause of garbage truck accidents. Since most trash pickups happen between 4:00 and 8:00 in the morning, alcohol or drug intoxication plays a role in many collisions between a car and a garbage truck.

Car Accident Lawyer Near Me

A car accident lawyer can help you recover your accident-related financial losses after a car accident where a garbage truck collided with your car or you were a passenger in a car that hit a garbage truck. Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey in Houma, Louisiana, to set up a consultation about your case.

Sources

https://www.kplctv.com/2023/09/12/elton-man-crash-with-garbage-truck/