Fatal Lakewood Trucking Accident on I-70: Our New Mexico Trucking Accident Lawyer Explains
Yesterday evening there was a deadly semi tractor trailer trucking accident involving at least 28 vehicles on I-70 in Lakewood, Colorado. This is near Denver. It appears that there was slowed or stopped traffic and the large tractor trailer truck rear ended the end of that traffic. This resulted in a violent collision which quickly was set ablaze. A massive fire and burnout area can be seen in the videos online and news articles, and the area of burned out vehicles is massive. Police have arrested the truck driver who may be charged with criminally negligent homicide. While drugs and alcohol do not appear to be the cause of the crash, apparently there was a YouTube video being shot about the traffic and the large semi tractor trailer is seen traveling at speeds over 80 MPH and colliding with the traffic. Police have not disclosed the number of fatalities yet and are still trying to assess the loss of life and injuries given the large extent of this crash.
Here at the Mark Caruso, our New Mexico trucking accident lawyer and our entire staff express sincere condolences for everyone who has been affected by this tragedy. It is not clear who the victims were or where the victims were from, but if we can be of any assistance please call for a FREE consultation with our experienced trucking accident lawyers and trained staff. We have experts who are able to begin investigating what happened to protect your rights. Call us whether you live in New Mexico, Colorado, California, Texas, or anywhere else and might have been impacted by this trucking accident for your free consultation by dialing (505) 308-1556.
Initial Impressions of Liability in the Fatal Lakewood Trucking Accident
It does not matter what state you are from. The law throughout the United States is pretty well settled that a vehicle which rear-ends another vehicle is likely responsible for the crash. Some states make it automatic with a rebuttable presumption, and other states require a showing of negligence by the victims. But generally speaking, any vehicle that rear ends another vehicle is likely the cause of the subject accident. There are very few exceptions to this rule, such as the driver ahead stepped on his brakes or another vehicle stopped abruptly.
Here, it does not appear any exceptions would apply. There is allegedly video evidence that the semi tractor trailer causing the fatal Lakewood Colorado trucking accident was traveling at or above 80 MPH and rear ended slower moving or stopped traffic. While the speed limit on I-70 fluctuates and it is not clear in what speed zone the crash occurred, the maximum speed limit in Colorado is 75 MPH. It is simply the truth that the speed limit on I-70 is not 80 MPH, and the truck causing the crash was likely speeding which could also be the cause of the collision.
There was some discussion in the news articles that there could have been mechanical problems with the truck. This is still not the province of the victims, meaning it is still the responsibility of the truck driver and trucking company to inspect and keep their vehicle in reasonable repair. Thus, the truck driver may be able to avoid criminal action, but there could still be civil liability.
One possible defense could be that the truck driver was experiencing a medical emergency that was not previously known to him or her. This could be a heart attack and he or she has no history of heart problems. If the truck driver was experiencing a heart attack or another medical emergency while driving his or her vehicle, it may explain why he or she was not able to break. However, this was not immediately provided in the news reports that this was the case.
Injured or Lost a Loved One in the Fatal Lakewood Trucking Accident? Call our New Mexico Trucking Accident Attorney
If you have lost a loved one in this horrific crash on Interstate 70 in Lakewood, Colorado, please call the Mark Caruso by dialing (505) 308-1556 to schedule a FREE consultation with one of our experienced New Mexico trucking accident lawyers. We would meet and discuss with you your rights, specifically if you were a resident of New Mexico, and we can ensure that you are properly represented by a skilled trucking accident lawyer like our lawyer Mark Caruso, Esq. You can also contact us on our website through the easy to use and convenient Contact box located by clicking here.
