Posted in News on June 25, 2013
Driving a vehicle can include many situations that can quickly become dangerous. Changing lanes is one of those times when a driver needs to be very cautious and aware of what is going on in front and behind their vehicle. When changing lanes with a truck in view a driver has to realize that truck may not see them very well, and also that it takes a truck much longer to suddenly slow down than a car.
On June 16 in the late afternoon there was an accident on Highway I-90 near 303. A SUV and a semi truck were both going the same direction in side by side lanes. The semi was on the left side and the SUV was on the right side. The SUV decided to get into the semi’s lane by cutting in front of it suddenly, and the semi then hit the SUV from behind. The people in the SUV were sent to the hospital with injuries. The semi driver was uninjured in the crash. State patrol ticketed the SUV driver for driving carelessly.
Sometimes it is not clear who is at fault. At times both drivers can be at fault in an accident. The laws vary by state when it comes to recovery of damages if there is not an obvious party at fault in a personal injury claim. In Montana law there is something called comparative negligence. This means that in a situation when both drivers are at fault any damages awarded by the court are adjusted depending on the percentage of fault of the driver asserting the claim.
A truck accident is often more serious due to the large size of the semi and the greater impact in a crash. In an accident involving a lane change sometimes it in unclear who is at fault. Knowing all of the options in a personal injury claim can help a Montana resident recover damages for injuries suffered.
Source: ktvq.com, “UPDATE: two hospitalized after car struck by semi,” Jamie Leary, June 16, 2013