Three members of a Middletown family were killed on Friday, February 21, when a semitruck driven by Todd Bowling went through a cable barrier on Interstate 75 into oncoming traffic near Moraine, Ohio, in the area of the Heidelberg Distributing Co. facility. Bowling’s tractor trailer crossed from the northbound lane into the southbound lane and struck another vehicle. Betty Davis, 57, Amanda Kidwell, 36, and Brayden Jennings, 6, were all killed in the accident. A fourth passenger in their vehicle, 8-year-old Adriana Sanchez, was also critically injured. Law enforcement is still investigating the incident and no charges have been filed at this point.
The importance of early legal representation
Injury victims and family members of those who passed away do not want to think about legal representation at any point, let alone immediately after tragedy. Unfortunately, time is important in these types of cases and family members should hire an attorney quickly for a number of reasons.
In a previous blog post Finding And Preserving Evidence After A Truck Accident Or Car Crash – Part III we discussed the importance of early involvement in commercial vehicle crash cases. In serious crash cases – especially truck or bus accidents – the company and its insurance carrier often deploys a team of investigators knows as a rapid response team to the scene in the days following the crash. The investigators attempt to speak with police officers, witnesses, and reconstruct the accident. At Rittgers Rittgers & Nakajima, we work immediately to insure we preserve critical evidence through our own accident reconstructionist (former law enforcement agent) and make critical contact with the local police and any witness to the crash.
Furthermore, truck and buses are equipped with black box recording devices, GPS monitoring and occasionally video cameras inside and outside of the vehicle. Drivers often have personally electronic devices that need similar downloads and must be preserved quickly. It is difficult to prove texting and driving, but the earlier a lawyer works to answer critical questions, the better. To ensure that we get as much evidence as we possibly can about a crash, as soon as we are retained in serious injury and truck accident cases, we immediately send out preservation letters to the trucking company and at-fault driver to preserve their cell phone; their vehicle for a joint inspection; and all black box, video cameras and GPS monitoring devices on the vehicle.
Consultation with Rittgers Rittgers & Nakajima
We are accustomed to handling commercial cases throughout the country and handled a Middletown commercial vehicle wrongful death case a few years ago against an out-of-state driver. The case settled confidentially for a substantial amount and was put in trust for a young boy who lost his mother in the crash.
We offer free consultations in person and offer the phone. We also frequently accept attorney referrals for lawyers who want to partner with a law firm that has proven results and the resources to fight large corporations and insurance companies.