In November of last year, three people died in Cheyenne, Wyoming after being struck by a FedEx tractor-trailer. A minivan carrying three passengers had been travelling on Interstate 80 when a FedEx tractor-trailer heading westbound entered the median. The FedEx trailer travelled through a cable barrier and struck an eastbound minivan. The FedEx trailer then hit partially hit another minivan head-on.
The two passengers in the second minivan, who had been wearing their seatbelts, suffered fatal injuries. Another passenger in the back, who had been seated in a wheelchair, was flown to a Denver medical facility, but died from his injuries. Emergency officials also took the driver and passenger of the Freightliner tractor-trailer to the hospital for treatment. . Both were treated and released from the hospital.
Following the crash caused by the FedEx tractor-trailer, the Wyoming Highway Patrol conducted an investigation to determine if mechanical failure on the Freightliner contributed to the cause of the crash. Laramie County District Attorney’s Office has stated that it will not be pursuing criminal charges in connection with the FedEx truck accident.
Family Brings Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against FedEx, Bridgestone
Several months after the deadly crash, the family of the woman and her son, both of whom died in the crash, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit in connection with the head-on collision caused by the FedEx tractor-trailer. The family has filed the wrongful death lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Wyoming and has named various companies as defendants, including Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations and its subsidiaries, FedEx Ground Package Systems and a company called CLR Transportation.
According to the lawsuit, “Bridgestone’s tire was in a defective, dangerous condition at the time of its sale.” FedEx or CLR allegedly purchased the “defective tire” and installed it on the driver’s side of the tractor-trailer operated by FedEx. It also claims that two months before the accident, the passenger-side tire on the truck also allegedly failed.
The lawsuit claims that Bridgestone should have had a system in place to result in the replacement of both tires. In addition, the complaint alleges that FedEx and CLR are also liable because they allegedly chose not to replace both front tires when the passenger side tire failed. According to the complaint, this represented an indifference to public safety. The family seeks damages “substantially in excess of $75,000.”
Contact our Houston Accident Lawyers at 1-888-603-3636
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident involving a negligent FedEx or other mail carrier driver, a Houston truck accident attorney may be able to help you recover damages for your injuries.
Contact the truck accident attorneys at Zehl & Associates today for a free consultation. You can either call us at 1-888-603-3636 or visit one of our offices located in Houston and Austin.