International Tractor Trailer Collides With Tow Truck On I-70

A 2008 international tractor trailer struck a 2002 international tow truck on eastbound Interstate 70 in Callaway County on May 22, 2012. The accident occurred at 7:00am on that day.

Harold W. Brown of Olathe, Kansas was driving the International Tractor Trailer eastbound on I-70. Dramane Doumbia of New York City, New York was also traveling eastbound on I-70 at the same time. An unidentified vehicle was on the shoulder of the Interstate for unknown reasons at the time both of the vehicles were traveling eastbound. Brown attempted to swerve his vehicle in order to avoid striking the unidentified vehicle. Brown overcorrected on his turn and ended up striking Doumbia’s vehicle. Brown’s tractor trailer sustained total damage due to the accident an Doumbia’s vehicle sustained only minor damages.

Both Doumbia and Brown were injured as a result of the accident. Callaway County Sheriff’s Office subsequently responded to the accident and both drivers were sent to University Hospital in Columbia, Missouri for medical treatment.

Over-correction, or when a driver will steer a vehicle in an opposite direction from which they were originally turning to the point where it often causes the car to skid out of control, is a common cause of vehicle accidents even in Missouri. A 2009 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showed that over-correction played a part in over 80% of run-off-road crashes that occurred in that time period. The NHTSA has also noted that over-correction is a very common response from drivers in a panic situation: after steering the vehicle in one sudden direction, drivers will often instinctively try to steer the vehicle in an extreme, opposite direction to regain control. When considering that large trucks in particular handle much more differently than a smaller vehicle, the potential for a loss of vehicle control during an over-correction is much greater. A truck driver over-correcting can cause a Missouri truck accident that could lead to serious or fatal injuries.

In addition to the issue of a truck-driver over-correcting when causing an accident, it is also possible that the victim of a Missouri truck driver accident may be a fellow Missouri truck driver. Missouri truck accident suits that involve two employed truck drivers are more complicated than truck accident suits that only involve a single employed truck driver. Under the legal theory of “Respondeat Superior,” a Missouri court of law may hold that an employer is responsible for the actions of employees if the employee was acting within the duties and responsibilities of their employment. The test for determining this kind of relationship is very fact-specific and can be very complex as well. Victims of a Missouri truck accident should contact a Missouri truck accident lawyer for advice even if they are also employed truck drivers. Lawsuits like these can be quite complex and a Missouri truck accident lawyer can best address the needs of the injured parties.

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