Settlement Reached in Tragic Truck Accident that Killed Five Nursing Students

On April 22nd of last year, a fatal truck accident claimed the lives of five young nursing students from Georgia Southern University. Earlier this month, a settlement agreement was reached with four of the five families of the deceased students. According to one local news source, the exact terms of each of the settlements is not yet known, but one family will be receiving $14 million for the loss of their daughter.

The Accident

At around six in the morning on the day of the accident, seven nursing students were carpooling to a Savannah hospital for training. The students were split up in two cars and were driving on Interstate 16, when an unrelated collision up ahead of the students slowed traffic down to stop-and-go speeds. As the students’ vehicles were stopped, a truck driver came at full speed from behind and crashed into the vehicles.

The truck first made contact with a Toyota Corolla carrying three of the students. After the initial collision, the truck rolled over the Corolla, killing all three inside. Then, the truck slammed into a Ford Escape carrying four other students. The Escape was thrown into the air as a result of the collision and then rolled multiple times. Two of the occupants were ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. The driver of the Escape was trapped behind the car’s steering wheel, and she needed to be extricated by emergency responders. She was taken to the hospital but was unable to recover from her injuries. She passed away a few hours later.

In the pre-trial discovery process, it came out that the driver of the truck had previously been fired for falling asleep behind the wheel of a truck. It was also established that his employer knew this fact before the company hired him. In post-accident interviews with the driver, he admitted that he was at fault for the fatal truck accident but denied that he had fallen asleep.

According to the news report, a settlement has been reached with four of the five families involved. Negotiations are still ongoing between the family of the fifth victim and the truck driver.

Have You Been Injured in a Maryland Truck Accident?

If you or a loved one has recently been injured in a Maryland truck accident, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for all that you have endured. In addition to holding truck drivers responsible, trucking companies are responsible to hire competent and safe drivers, and they may be held liable for their negligent hiring decisions. To learn more about Maryland truck accidents, contact one of the skilled personal injury attorneys at the Maryland truck accident law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers. The skilled advocates at Lebowitz & Mzhen understand how difficult the post-accident process can be, and they do everything they can to make the process as easy for you as possible. Call 410-654-3600 today to set up a free consultation.

More Blog Posts:

Case Reversed after Lower Court Allows Jury to Hear Truck Driver Did Not Have Insurance, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published April 20, 2016.

Accident Involving Truck and Minibus Results in 12 Fatalities, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published April 6, 2016.

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