According to the authorities, William Bradfield, the Huntington Beach truck driver who suffered a heart attack and lost control of his semi-truck to cause a multi-vehicle collision involving eight vehicles on the 405 N Freeway on Wednesday, has died. The California Highway Patrol had said that a "medical problem" played a factor in causing the Los Angeles truck accident.
The crash took place just south of Santa Monica Boulevard at around 4:36pm. Some of the people riding in the vehicles involved in the Los Angeles traffic crash sustained minor to moderate injuries.
Truck Accidents Involving Medical Conditions
While there is no way of anticipating whether someone will suddenly fall ill while driving a truck, there are certain medical conditions that can disqualify or limit a driver's ability to safely operate a big rig truck, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, loss of certain extremities, certain respiratory conditions, severe sleep apnea, epilepsy, hypertension, certain vision problems, hearing problems, mental illness, alcoholism, and drug addiction.
Trucking companies can be held liable for Los Angeles injury or wrongful death if they knew/should have known about any health issue or medical condition that could impair the driver's ability to safely drive a commercial truck but failed to take preventive action. A driver who suddenly has an epileptic fit, falls asleep, or is unable to clearly see the road and other vehicles can become a dangerous driver.
Big-rig driver in Westside crash dies of apparent heart attack, Los Angeles Times, October 27, 2010
Driver in Runaway Truck Crash Dies, October 27, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Truck Driver Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If you believe that negligence was a factor in causing the Los Angeles truck crash that your loved one or you were involved in, contact our Los Angeles, California truck accident law firm immediately.
