Construction zones on Florida roadways can be confusing and difficult to navigate, especially at night. Typically, drivers are cautioned with signs, lights and cones to slow down and drive carefully. Although the work must be completed while vehicles continue to travel the roadways, the workers have a responsibility to make the area as safe as possible. If safety is compromised, accidents, serious injuries and/or death can occur. Sadly, a wrongful death may have recently occurred on a Florida roadway when a mother and daughter were killed in a construction zone crash.
The 31-year-old mother was traveling during the night with her 8-year-old daughter in a small vehicle when the accident occurred. According to reports, she crashed into the back of a dump truck. Reportedly, the dump truck was unoccupied, parked and had hazard lights on at the time of the crash. Also, reports indicate that the truck was partially parked in the open travel lane. According to authorities, unless a construction vehicle is not working, it cannot be parked in travel lanes at any time.
The collision crushed the vehicle and emergency workers had to cut both mother and daughter out of the vehicle. Both suffered serious injuries and were transferred to a hospital. Sadly, they died from their injuries.
Accidents are often complicated and difficult to process. When fatalities occur, overwhelming grief surely makes the aftermath even more difficult. Florida personal injury attorneys are available to assist victims through filing claims, understanding investigation reports and any legal options available to pursue recovery of financial losses. If negligence of another party is suspected in contributing to a collision and resulting death, a wrongful death lawsuit may be appropriate.
Source: clickorlando.com, “Mother, 8-year-old daughter killed in crash with dump truck“, Daniel Dahm, April 17, 2018