Citrus Heights Truck Driver killed in Oregon Fatal Accident
A crash on southbound Interstate 5 at 3:30 in the morning killed a semi-truck driver on September 12. The accident happened in the vicinity of Gold Hill, Oregon. According to the Oregon State Police, the driver was a 21-year-old man from Citrus Heights, California. He was identified as Pavlo Hryzhuk. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by EMS personnel. The International Box Truck Hryzhuk drove was carrying electronics. Early investigative reports say that the truck hit a large guardrail section after drifting right on the roadway. The vehicle then fell from the bridge, landing on the road below. Some lanes of I-5 were closed to traffic as the accident was being cleared. The family has established a GoFundMe page to help with burial expenses.
Guardrails
Guardrails are an important part of road safety. They are meant to absorb the energy of an impact by a vehicle and divert it away from a more dangerous situation. The size and weight of the vehicle has a strong influence on the effectiveness of guardrails. The guardrail is made up of the anchoring system, guardrail face, posts, and end terminal. It is the end terminal that absorbs the impact and slows the vehicle. If this mechanism is not available, the vehicle may continue on its path and hit other obstacles such as a tree, fence or plunge into a ravine or off a bridge. Federal government agencies staunchly recommend that all guardrails be checked periodically to see if they meet current standards.
Guardrail Policies
The Federal Highway Administration, which oversees the construction, preservation, and maintenance of the nation’s highways, has issued policies that control safety hardware on the road. Such hardware should be in compliance with the standards found in the Cooperative Highway Research Program or the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware, issued by the government. When an attorney discovers that such standards are not followed, it is possible to file a government claim against the local agency in charge.
How to Deal With Grief
Grief is an important emotion and one that differs from one person to another. Regardless of how you express your grief, one facet seen in most cases is the overwhelming physical and emotional toll it takes on those left behind. In some cases, it is compounded by a sudden accident that results in the demise of a loved one. In others, the deceased is young, and their death is unexpected. Those family members who are left behind find themselves unable to eat or rest and experience feelings of anger due to the unjust nature of the event.
One of the first things a family needs to do is make sure they are taking care of themselves. Some families set up a special support system that includes talking about what happened and making sure that everyone is eating and resting as they should. End-of-life duties are often divided so that they don’t fall to a single person to handle. Dealing with grief is difficult, but it is something that is necessary. Relying on one another and obtaining professional help are ways to do this. Sometimes, families feel that filing a wrongful death lawsuit not only helps with burial and support issues, but it also brings them a measure of justice against the at-fault party. Your attorney will help you decide if this is right for you and, if the lawsuit involves a government agency, will make sure all documents are filed within the specified time limit.
What an Attorney Can Do for You
We are always available to Northern California residents whenever and wherever an accident happens to give them our insight into what they should do going forward, free of charge. It is important to examine how the accident happened and what or who was at fault. In some cases, the causative agent might be due to driver error, while in others it might be an aging infrastructure, lack of signage or non-functioning traffic lights.
A big problem on highways is the lack of guardrails. In some cases, the guardrails have been present for many years and are showing signs of disrepair or failure to abide by today’s standards. If the driver was overly fatigued, the attorney may review the trucker’s schedule to see if his or her employer was following rest protocols for truckers. Also, the truck will be checked to see if maintenance schedules were being followed. Our investigative team delves into this and checks the police report for accuracy. If witnesses are present, we interview them for their take on what happened. Once this information is gathered, our lawyers will structure a strong case that supports the findings.
Citrus Heights Wrongful Death Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Citrus Heights wrongful death lawyer. When a family member was killed due to some kind of negligence, you can file a wrongful death claim against the at-fault party. Call me for free and friendly advice at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. You can also contact me online.
I’ve helped clients in Citrus Heights since 1982 with car accidents, brain injuries, and motorcycle crashes.
I am a proud member of the following organizations:
Learn about my practice on the following pages:
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/condolences-trauerkarte-letters-3991589/
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