Experiencing the need to cough while you are driving might seem harmless enough, but that isn’t always so. There is a chance that while you are coughing you will lose control of your vehicle or that you won’t see an obstacle in your way. For one truck driver, a coughing fit led to a multi-vehicle accident on a Florida interstate.
The accident occurred around 2:30 a.m., when the 60-year-old driver began coughing. He lost control of his semi-truck and collided with the concrete barrier. When his tractor-trailer hit the barrier, the lumber he was hauling spilled across I-4.
Three vehicles, including an ambulance, were unable to avoid the spilled lumber. One driver ran over a board and flipped her vehicle several times. The ambulance responding to the crash struck the boards before it was struck by a Dodge Charger.
The man driving the Charger had minor injuries, but refused treatment. The woman in the vehicle that flipped and a passenger were taken to the hospital for treatment.
The driver of the semi-truck was given a ticket for careless driving, but wasn’t injured in the truck accident.
The two women who were taken to the hospital in this accident may be able to seek compensation for their injuries. If you were injured in a trucking accident, you have the right to seek compensation for your injuries. Obtaining advice from an experienced Florida personal injury attorney may help you understand the types of claims you can make for your injuries. If you are awarded compensation, you will likely enjoy some relief from the financial burden caused by the accident.
Source: Orlando Sentinel, “Cops: Truck driver’s coughing leads to wreck, I-4 traffic jam” Tiffany Walden, Jan. 24, 2014