Insane 100 Vehicle Chain Freeway Wreck Kills Two, Injures Over 120
Feb 22, 2013
Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) February 21 , 2013 – It only takes one second to change a life. This crash injured 120 and killed two.
“We’ve never seen the likes of a massive chain reaction pile-up like this one,” remarked Austin personal injury attorney Bobby Lee, of Lee, Gober and Reyna in Austin, Texas. “It was foggy, people couldn’t see where they were going and then, it happened, the first of many crashes on Interstate 10.”
It was early in the morning, and most thought the fog would dissipate before too long. It was also a holiday, and people had places to go and people to see. The first multi-car wreck happened at roughly 8:45 a.m. and was followed by a massive chain of 100 vehicles also colliding, in both east and westbound lanes of the Interstate. Two were killed as they were hit from behind by an 18-wheeler.
The several mile stretch of mangled vehicles included every imaginable form of transportation from cars to minivans and from pickup trucks to commercial vehicles. The injured were lying alongside the highway and being taken to ambulances on stretchers. Just about 120 people were taken to hospital for medical care, with the most seriously injured being taken to Houston. It took all day to clear both lanes of the debris from the mayhem.
“The police report was not clear on precisely what started this horrendous accident, meaning what touched off the first multi-car accident. The fog was definitely a factor, but they still needed to determine what else set off the rest of the collisions. There was speculation someone, possibly a big rig, rear-ended another vehicle and that it pushed it into the car in front of it and once the domino effect kicked in, it was a nightmare event,” added Lee.
In a situation such as this, filing a personal injury lawsuit becomes a major challenge to determine who was responsible for what. Final police reports, that will likely include an accident reconstruction diagram, will be crucial to sorting the whole event out and determining who was responsible for the first set of accidents that triggered the rest. “Negligence is obviously present,” suggested Lee “or there would not be 120 injured people and two dead.”
Even in a case like this one, where it is not clear what started the mess, it is imperative to make contact with a skilled personal injury lawyer. “Get up-to-date on legal issues that you may face,” said Lee. “You are entitled to compensation for your injuries, even if it takes some time to figure out who the defendants are. Never assume that you do not have any recourse because the person who caused the accident is not known at the time you talk to a lawyer. That information will be made available later.”
To learn more, visit Austin personal injury lawyer and http://www.rwleelaw.com.
Lee, Gober and Reyna
11824 Jollyville Road, Suite 302
Austin, Texas 78759
Phone: 512.478.8080
