Unfortunately, motor vehicle accidents occur every day on West Virginia roadways. Drivers are using the interstates for commuting, working, moving freight, vacationing and more. Motor vehicle accidents involving semi-trucks have the tendency to disrupt the flow of traffic or close down the road altogether; they also often cause injuries.
An accident happened around 12:30 p.m. close to the West Virginia welcome center last Friday on Interstate 81 in Berkley County. According to a sheriff’s department news release, a tractor-trailer was headed northbound on the interstate. The driver attempted to exit for the welcome center rest area but missed the exit, coming to a stop in the road. Another tractor-trailer soon crashed into the rear of the stopped truck.
Major damage occurred to the cab of the truck that rear-ended the first, stopped truck. A sleeping passenger in one of the trucks was briefly trapped then taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries. The sheriff’s report said the driver of the truck who missed the exit and stopped in the road received a citation for a stopping violation. Northbound lanes were shut down, and traffic was backed up for hours.
When it comes to motor vehicle accidents involving tractor-trailers in West Virginia, workers compensation may be available through the driver’s employer if the driver was working at the time of the accident. Injured drivers or passengers may have the right to pursue compensation from the negligent driver in an accident. A successful claim may result in monetary compensation for pain and suffering and lost wages.
Source: heraldmailmedia.com, “Double tractor-trailer crash closes I-81 for hours in W.Va.“, CJ Lovelace, Aug. 28, 2015
