Individuals called to scene following crash put lives on the line

The risk of being injured does not necessarily go away after a crash is over. The individuals called to the scene following an incident are placed at risk as they tend to the scene as well. These individuals not only include first responders but tow truck operators as well. The recent death of a tow truck driver on an Indiana road highlights this.

When he died the 59-year-old man was working underneath a bus. As he did so, it rolled down, crushing him.

The owner of the towing company he worked for said that the general public does not understand how dangerous the job is. According to her, compared to policemen, the rate of tow truck drivers being hurt or killed while working is higher.

Not all accidents resulting in injuries to tow truck drivers are due to being crushed by the vehicle they are working on. Instead, the risk is due to the behavior of other drivers on the road. The failure of drivers to move into another lane per the state’s “Move Over or Slow Down” law, can lead to a tow truck driver being struck and injured. Under that law, just as drivers are required to move their vehicles into another lane when passing emergency response vehicles, so too are they supposed to move when they see a tow truck on the edge of the road.

The reason that the truck fell onto the man in this case is unclear. As is the case in any situation when someone is killed an accident, if it is the result of the negligence of another party, a wrongful death lawsuit may be filed by the family of the person who died. Whether this will happen in this case remains to be seen.