Indiana Injury Law Blog

A Hammond man, who struck and killed a construction worker in a drunk driving accident in northwest Indiana, has been charged with reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

Earlier this month, Robert Shannon was driving under the influence of alcohol when he sped through a construction zone, mowing down construction worker Christopher Jenkins. The impact of the accident was so severe Jenkins flew through the windshield of Sharon's car, and landed on the motorist. When the car came to a stop, Sharon got out of the car, and fled the scene on foot. He then made a call to his girlfriend who reported him to authorities.
The accident occurred in the early hours of morning. Under investigation, Shannon admitted that he had been drinking in the hours leading up to the crash.

Soon after the accident, the Indianapolis Star ran a report on the increasing number of work zone accidents and fatalities in Indiana. In 2007, there were seven fatalities and 835 injuries in Highway work zone accidents in Indiana. Those numbers had increased to 14 fatalities in 2008.

Much of this increase can be attributed to the fact that there is more construction work going on in Indiana now, than before. The availability of federal stimulus funds has meant a large number of highway projects are underway across the state. Adding to the problem is the fact that there has been very little emphasis on work zone safety and poor oversight of the contractors who are awarded highway construction projects.

When you add reckless, speeding or intoxicated motorists to this situation, it’s easy to see the risk to construction workers.

The Indiana car accident lawyers at Theodoros and Rooth help injured victims of auto and car accidents in the Lake County region, and across Indiana, recover compensation for their injuries.

A judge in Terre Haute has declared a mistrial in a civil jury trial involving a fatal log truck accident in 2007.

In November 2007, Max and Joyce Strain were traveling in a car on Indiana 63, just behind a log truck driven by Richard Fulk. The truck flipped as it negotiated a curve, and the logs scattered on to the road. Several logs landed on the Strain’s vehicle. The couple was killed instantly. In 2008, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against the trucking company that had been contracted to transport the logs, the logging company and Fulk. According to police, Fulk admitted to them soon after the accident that he had been driving between 50 and 55mph on the sharp curve, when the suggested speed at the site was 35mph. The load of logs shifted when Fulk negotiated the curve, causing the driver to lose control and the truck to overturn.

Now, a mistrial has been declared in the civil trial, because Fulk is also facing criminal charges in connection with the fatal accident. The trial will now resume only after the criminal case goes to trail in December.

Speeding is undesirable behavior for any motorist, but when you’re talking about an 18-wheeler driver who is in control of tens of thousands of pounds of cargo and a large delicately balanced trailer, such behavior can be dangerous. Often as Indiana truck accident lawyers, we notice that an accident can be the result of a combination of factors.

Log trucks are at special danger of causing injuries to other motorists when logs slip off the trailer. These logs can weigh tons, and even a single log crashing into a smaller passenger vehicle, can have a strong enough impact to crush the vehicle. The devastating power of an 18-wheeler during an accident is one of the reasons why the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration lays down such strict guidelines for cargo loads, securing of cargo, hiring of drivers, testing for drug and alcohol use, and maintenance of trucks.

The Indiana wrongful death lawyers at Theodoros and Rooth represent families of victims who have been killed by others’ negligence, and help them recover the compensation they deserve.