Victim of 2019 NH Motorcycle Crash Sues RMV

Motorcycle Accidents

A Massachusetts man severely injured in a 2019 crash in New Hampshire that killed seven members of his motorcycle club has filed a lawsuit against the Massachusetts Registrar of Motor Vehicles for allegedly failing to suspend the driver’s license of the man charged in connection with the crash.

Joshua Morin, of Dalton, alleges in his lawsuit filed last week in Berkshire Superior Court that the agency acted willfully, wantonly or recklessly when it failed to process thousands of license suspensions and revocations reported from out-of-state, The Berkshire Eagle reported.

That failure allowed Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, whose license had been suspended in Connecticut after an operating under the influence charge, to continue driving, according to the lawsuit.

More on the Tragic NH Crash

Truck Driver’s Trial In Fatal Biker Crash Expected In July

‘Fallen Seven’ Who Died in Tragic NH Crash Remembered, 1 Year On

Truck Accidents Are Becoming More Severe

Truck Accidents

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the average cost of a commercial truck accident in which one person is injured is $148, 279. If more than one person is injured in a trucking accident, the costs rise exponentially to $7,2 million. This number does not include the rising costs of truck repairs and liability claims. As accidents become more frequent, claim costs are almost twice as likely to exceed $100,000.

Trucks carry 80% of the nation’s cargo, but there are more trucks on the road today than ever before. The number of truck accidents has increased along with the number of fatalities on the highways. Large truck crashes accounted for 11% of all motor vehicle accident deaths in 2018. According to the American Trucking Association, commercial trucks were involved in 59% more accidents per mile in 2017 than in 2010, despite newer technology and better regulations. In addition, the number of people who died in large truck crashes in 2018 was 31% higher than in 2009, when the rate was at its lowest since 1975, when statistics on fatal crashes began.

Wrongful Death vs. Medical Malpractice

Medical Malpractice

If it can be proven that your injury or the death of your loved one was due to the negligence of a healthcare provider solely, you may have a case for malpractice and can recover damages.

No one should have to lose a loved one and no amount of money can replace them. In some situations, the death of a loved one can be caused by the negligence of a third party. Filing a claim against a negligent party can help hold them accountable for their actions and give you and your family the compensation you deserve.

Depending on your unique situation, there are different types of claims that can be filed. It is important to understand the difference between wrongful death and medical malpractice, as well as how they are similar. Not all wrongful death cases involve medical malpractice while some malpractice claims can lead to wrongful death lawsuits.

Family awarded $730 million in wrongful death of East Texas woman

Wrongful Death

The surviving children of a 73-year-old East Texas woman killed in a 2016 crash were awarded $730 million Monday by a Titus County jury in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Toni Combest was driving from one church service to another on Feb. 21, 2016, when she was killed on the White Oak bridge near Mount Pleasant by a nearly 200,000-pound “Super-Load” escorted by front and back pilot escort vehicles.

The lawsuit for negligence causing wrongful death was filed against the trucking company and the employing companies of the front and rear escort vehicles.

Landstar Ranger, the trucking company, and S&M Pilot Service, the employer of the rear escort driver settled prior to trial for $50 million and $1 million, respectively. The case against 2A Pilot Cars, the employer of the front escort vehicle, went to trial and lasted about a week.

Brent Goudarzi of Goudarzi & Young in Longview and Gilmer represented the family in the lawsuit. Nelson Roach of Roach Langston Bruno also tried the case with Goudarzi.

“Yesterday, a proud jury in Titus County awarded our clients $730 million,” Goudarzi said Tuesday morning. “That jury stood up against the entire industry and is going to force them to affect changes. They’re going to make roads in Texas, and specifically all over East Texas, safer.”

Accident victim’s family wins $42M from trucking company

Truck Accidents

A landmark court case could change the way the trucking industry protects your family on the road.

WUSA9’s series of reports on deadly crashes known as “underride accidents” began in 2017. Now, the largest ever verdict against a trucking company for one of those underride accidents is exposing how the industry secretly fought new safety features for more than a decade — despite knowing the risks.

A side underride accident killed 16-year-old Riley Hein on a New Mexico interstate in 2015. Riley’s car careened off an embankment and ended up lodged underneath the side of a trailer manufactured by Utility Manufacturing Company.

“The truck driver drug his car for a half a mile until it caught on fire and Riley burned to death,” Riley’s father, Eric, said.