A Missouri truck driver has pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of negligent homicide in Oklahoma where he reportedly caused a seven-vehicle accident that killed 10 people. The 76-year-old driver turned himself in to authorities and entered an innocent plea in Ottawa District Court, according to a news report in the Joplin Globe. The fatal accident occurred on June 26, 2009 when the truck driver who was driving a tractor trailer rig for a grocery company failed to stop or slow down for congested traffic on the Interstate 44. According to traffic investigators, the large truck struck the back of a Land Rover, causing the catastrophic chain-reaction crash.
Negligence on the part of a truck driver is a very common occurrence in many catastrophic truck accidents. In this case, investigators say the truck driver did not stop for slowing traffic and ended up rear-ending one of the vehicles, leading to the fatal crash.
Rear-end truck accidents occur when the truck is not able to brake in time. In Missouri truck accidents, we see this commonly when the truck driver is fatigued or when the truck’s brakes fail due to overloading or poor vehicle maintenance. An experienced Missouri truck accident lawyer will be able to determine whether the truck driver was driving in a tired or fatigued condition. There are federal laws that require truckers to maintain logs that show how long he or she has been behind the wheel. A skilled truck accident attorney can piece together the truck driver’s driving history for the hours, days, weeks and months leading up to the accident.
If you believe you have been seriously injured as a result of a negligent truck driver or trucking company, please contact experienced truck accident lawyer, John Page, at Page Law for a free consultation. We will fight for your rights and make sure you receive the justice and compensation you rightfully deserve. Call 866-620-5757 today.
Source:http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_266230723.html
