Two people were injured and another was killed in a devastating accident. All three victims were employees of the West Virginia Parkways Authority who were apparently on the job at the time of the wreck. However, this does not prevent the surviving victims or the deceased man’s surviving family from pursuing compensation on their behalf.
The three men’s WVPA vehicles were parked along the roadway on I-77 shortly before 4 p.m. All three of the men were standing outside of the cars when, for reasons that are still not clear, a tractor-trailer veered out of its lane and struck the two vehicles. The men were also hit.
The eldest of the three, a 32-year-old man, suffered fatal injuries and died while still at the scene of the accident. His co-workers — 19 and 21 years old — were seriously injured and transported to a hospital. They were listed in critical but stable condition at last update. The only person who escaped the wreck unscathed was the tractor-trailer driver, a 52-year-old man.
Although personal injury and wrongful death claims are usually not permissible for injuries or deaths that occur while on the job, there is an exception. If the accident was caused by a third-party’s negligence — such as a tractor-trailer driver — rather than through normal work duties, then these types of suits are often appropriate. West Virginia families may take comfort in the knowledge that, after a wreck like this, they can still achieve compensation on behalf of their loved ones through the civil claims process.
