The family of Lauren Perdriau Ward is suing truck driver Gabriel Manzur Vera and his employer Randazzo Enterprises for her California wrongful death. Ward, a 47-year-old bicyclist, died last month when her bicycle collided with the large truck.
According to Ward's family, Vera was negligent when he drove his semi-truck directly into Ward's path without warning and that not only did this violate her right-of-way, but also it caused her death. Ward's husband and two children are seeking compensation for economic and non-economic damages. and they would like their California truck accident lawsuit to go to a jury.
Meantime, the California Highway Patrol has issued a report finding that Vera was not at fault in the deadly collision. According to the CHP, Ward, who was riding her bicycle to the big rig's "immediate left" in the same right lane of the road, "unsafely turned." She and her bicycle then dropped in front of the truck's second axle. However, the Ward family's California tractor-trailer crash lawyer says that there are experts, including scientists, who disagree with the CHP's findings.
This is not the first time that Randazzo and Vera have been sued over a fatal truck collision. In March, they settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the parents of John Myslin, who was killed in 2007 bicycle accident for $1.5 million. Police also did not find Vera at fault for this California 26-wheeler truck accident. Also, in 2003 Vera was involved in a fatal truck accident with Annette McDaniel, who drove into opposite lanes and crashed head-on into his vehicle.
Department of Motor Vehicles and court records show that over the last 12 years, Vera has been involved in a number of truck crashes. He was not found to be at fault in many of them. He also has received moving violations.
Trucking companies are responsible for making sure that they hire and retain safe and experienced drivers to manage their large trucks. Failure to do so can be grounds for a California truck crash lawsuit if someone gets hurt or dies. Even if a trucker is not found criminally liable for a large truck accident, he/she can still be held liable in civil court.
Family of Los Altos Hills cyclist files wrongful death suit against trucker, demolition company, Mercury News, December 22, 2010
$1.5 million settlement reached in death of Santa Cruz cyclist, teacher John Myslin, Santa Cruz Sentinel, November 17, 2010
Trucker was in three fatal crashes, All Business, November 18, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
