Worcester residents have likely heard by now that the famous actor and comedian Tracy Morgan has suffered very serious injuries in a car accident. The circumstances surrounding the crash serve to illustrate some important legal points for any accident victims.
Morgan and several other passengers were traveling on the freeway in a chauffeured limo bus after a tour date. A Wal-Mart tractor trailer behind them was being driven by a company employee, a man in his mid-thirties, who had allegedly not slept in over 24 hours. When Morgan’s vehicle and other traffic slowed down in front of the truck, the driver failed to take note and crashed into the limo.
The rear-end collision flipped Morgan’s vehicle upside down and triggered a multi-vehicle accident. One of Morgan’s colleagues was killed and two others, along with Morgan, were taken to the hospital in critical condition. Morgan reportedly suffered a broken leg and several other broken bones. The truck driver was not harmed in the auto accident, but he now faces criminal charges, including vehicular homicide.
An important point to note is that someone who gets behind the wheel without adequate sleep can be considered a negligent driver, just like a drunk driver or one who is texting and driving. If it seems like a trivial matter that everyone does from time to time, consider that drowsy driving leads to over 100,000 car collisions per year and over 1,500 fatalities, according to one federal agency.
Another fact of which accident victims in Worcester should be aware is that rear-end accidents are almost always the fault of drivers who hit the car in front of them. Drivers need to pay attention to traffic in front of them and leave ample stopping distance. Those drivers who do not will likely bear liability for any damages that result from their negligence.
