Lancaster Truck Accident: 18-Year-Old Lancaster Man Injured In Hit-And-Run Truck Accident On Ransom Road
LANCASTER, NEW YORK (November 16, 2019) – An 18-year-old man from Lancaster was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident involving a flatbed tractor trailer truck on Ransom Road.
Lancaster police are saying that the truck accident took place around 1:40 p.m. on Friday. The 18-year-old victim was hit by a lowboy trailer that was heading north on Ransom Road.
The driver that hit the victim fled the scene. Thanks to one report from an eyewitness police were able to truck down the truck driver less than a mile from the accident site on Ransom Road.
Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help the victim. Police are saying that he had “numerous internal injuries but is expected to survive.”
Authorities are saying that charges are pending against the truck driver depending on their investigation.
Liability In Lancaster Semi-Truck Accidents
According to research from the NHTSA, there are around 50,000 crashes every year with large trucks. There is typically never just one element that causes a truck accident. Based on one report from the FMCSA, “Motor vehicle crashes are complex events. Usually they involve two or more vehicles. Elements that influence the occurrence of a crash may take place hours, days, or months before the crash. They include driver training and experience, vehicle design and manufacture, highway condition and traffic signaling, and weather conditions.” Pedestrians that survive truck accidents are often left with very serious injuries including:
- Internal injuries
- Lacerations
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head injuries
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Depending on the facts of any case a truck driver or the company that they work for could be liable for a pedestrian accident. Truck drivers have a legal obligation to operate their vehicles according to the prevailing conditions of the road. This means that under adverse weather a driver should slow down. Truck drivers often make the mistake of driving the speed limit when the roads look clear. But in many circumstances there is an invisible sheet of ice on patches of the road that can make breaking nearly impossible. There is never any excuse to hit a pedestrian by the side of the road. these accidents tend to take place when drivers are not paying attention.
In the event of an accident truck drivers must remain at the scene and call for help. According to New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 600 (2)(a), “leaving the scene of an incident without reporting,” “other than for the mere failure of an operator to exhibit his or her license and insurance identification card for such vehicle or exchange the information required in such paragraph [(a) of Vehicle and Traffic Law § 600 (2)], shall constitute a class A misdemeanor….Any such violation committed by a person after such person has previously been convicted of such a violation shall constitute a class E felony.” Victims of semi-truck accidents are protected by a number of laws.
Under federal guidelines commercial trucks are required to carry at least $750,000 – $5,000,000 worth of liability coverage depending on the type of materiel the truck is transporting. These limits are put in place so that pedestrians and motorists can be adequately compensated for their injuries. Victims of semi-truck accidents are entitled to damages for lost wages, medical bills and pain and suffering. Most truck accident victims will not even fully realize the extent of their injuries until weeks or months after a collision. Unfortunately, truck companies will fight hard to deny liability for an accident or downplay the extent of a person’s injuries. A truck accident attorney can examine all of the facts of your case and let you know what your legal options are.
Investigating A Lancaster Hit-And-run Truck Accident
We at Pulvers, Pulvers & Thompson extend our thoughts and prayers to the victim of this horrific truck accident in Lancaster. Any person that may have seen what happened should reach out to the Lancaster police department at (716) 683-2800. Truck drivers need to slow down and keep an eye out for pedestrians. These types of accidents are largely avoidable and can easily be prevented with more cautious driving.
