Most people in Pennsylvania recognize that all accidents have the potential to be catastrophic. Serious injuries such as traumatic brain injury and spinal injuries can be difficult to recover from. In the worst cases individuals involved sustain such severe injuries that they lead to their death. This is particularly true when one of the vehicles involved in the accident is a tractor-trailer.

A tractor-trailer caused a chain-reaction car accident earlier this month. The accident occurred on Route 33 on a stretch located in Hamilton Township. The 2003 Freightliner truck hit a 2012 Kia head-on after first hitting a guardrail meant to slow down or stop the vehicle and crossing to the opposite side of the highway. The collision caused the truck to roll over.

After the first collision, the Kia was hit again, this time from behind, by a Subaru driven by a 74-year-old woman. The force of this crash caused the Kia to be pushed into the guardrail.

The final collision occurred when a Volkswagen Jetta ran into the undercarriage of the tractor-trailer that had rolled over.

Despite wearing a seat belt, as a result of the accident, sadly the driver of the Kia died. The 24-year-old man driving the truck that first hit the Kia was injured, as was the woman driving the Subaru. Both of the injured parties were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident. The man driving the Volkswagen was uninjured.

In situations like this, it is not uncommon for the loved ones of the deceased to seek financial compensation for the individual's death via a wrongful death lawsuit. This civil lawsuit cannot undo the tragedy that has occurred, but it may make it easier for those left behind to move forward with their lives.

Source: LeHighValleyLive.com, "Route 33 accident in Monroe County kills one driver, hurts two – UPDATE," Tony Rhodin, Nov. 21, 2011