A big rig tire blowout caused an eight vehicle crash on the 57 Freeway at Chapman Ave. in Fullerton on Wednesday.
The accident happened just after 7 p.m. The driver of a big rig that was southbound on the 57 Freeway lost control after a tire blowout, causing the tractor-trailer to crash through the center divider and travel into northbound lanes. The big rig then struck a northbound Honda Accord head-on, killing that driver. Fuel from the big rig spilled across the freeway. The big rig was hauling a forklift which was launched into the air by the force of the impact and collided with three vehicles that were northbound on the 57.
The driver killed has been identified as 29-year-old Eric McEntarffer, a Fontana resident. Fire officials have reported that at least seven people were transported to local trauma centers.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Multi-Vehicle Accident – Who Pays?
In a multi-vehicle collision, there is often dispute about who is at fault for the accident. Sometimes one driver bears 100% responsibility for the all of the impacts. Sometimes more than one driver is to blame for the accident. If more than one driver is to blame, an apportionment of fault will need to be made amongst the at-fault drivers. Insurance carriers may disagree with each other about apportionment of fault. The more serious the injuries and the larger the bodily injury liability policy limit, the harder an insurance carrier will fight to minimize any fault assignable to its insured. If a big rig driver bears some degree of fault for a multi-vehicle accident, the trucking company can be expected to spend enormous sums of money defending the claim. Trucking companies will bring in an accident reconstruction expert with the goal of deflecting responsibility.
In Wednesday's 57 Freeway tractor-trailer accident, the cause of the crash certainly looks to be the fault of the big rig driver who suffered a tire blowout. The tractor-trailer's tire blowout may have resulted from poor maintenance or improper inflation. Undoubtedly, the trucking company will attempt to shift some of the blame to other drivers. The trucking company may contend that other drivers could have avoided the pileup if:
- They had been more attentive;
- They had been traveling at a slower speed; or
- They had not been following so closely.
If you or a loved one has suffered serious injury or death as the result of a multi-vehicle crash or a truck accident, you should seek the advice of an experienced truck accident attorney. You will need an accident lawyer who is prepared to invest money in your case by hiring a liability expert to reconstruct the accident and determine fault, and go up against the trucking company’s own hired guns and war chest.
McGee, Lerer and Associates is a husband and wife team of car accident lawyers with over 40 years of combined experience representing serious injury and wrongful death victims, including victims of big rig accidents.
We have five office locations: Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pasadena and Santa Monica. A lawyer at our firm is available 24-7 for a free consultation.