Wrongful Death Lawsuit Follows Fatal Semi-Truck Accident

Steve Laird of Fort Worth, TX has filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Melissa Hinkle. The lawsuit claims that the Texas state highway department and others negligently contributed to the wrongful death of Ms. Hinkle’s 13-year-old son, Casey Hinkle, and 63-year-old father, Gervious Dale Hinkle. Ms. Hinkle was also injured in the semi-truck accident and has received extensive medical treatments, according to the lawsuit. Even though her visible injuries are fading, the emotional damage she suffered from losing her only son and her father may never heal.

The accident took place on a stretch of Interstate 35, which was undergoing repairs six miles south of Gainesville. Mrs. Hinkle’s Ford Explorer was hit by a semi-truck as it entered the construction zone. The lawsuit claims that the repair work "created a traffic jam that backed up for miles" prior to the wreck.

Ms. Hinkle is suing five parties, including the driver of the truck, the company for which the driver worked, the company that had the contract to perform the construction work on the interstate bridge, and the Texas Department of Transportation. The lawsuit alleges that the construction company, KKM Construction, Inc., caused a traffic jam which backed up interstate traffic for miles at the time of the accident. Randy Crume, the driver of the truck, was driving too fast as he entered the construction area, causing him to crash into Hinkle’s SUV. Mr. Laird said:

"Ms. Hinkle is filing this lawsuit with the hope that it will bring change and prevent something like this tragedy from happening to another family. Every defendant in this case had a hand in these unnecessary deaths, and we intend to make sure they are held accountable. This has to stop before more innocent people are killed. What makes it so tragic is that it was preventable. The Texas Department of Transportation didn’t have an adequate safety traffic control plan in place which allowed for these accidents to happen.”

Trucking accidents cause thousands of catastrophic and devastating injuries and deaths each year, resulting in lawsuits which can often take an extended time to settle.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an auto accident, consult an attorney who specializes in this area of the law; protect your legal rights and preserve the evidence resulting from the accident. It is extremely frustrating to negotiate with an insurance company, and, in my humble opinion, a lawyer is always necessary to hold an insurance company fully accountable and achieve a fair settlement. If you can’t locate such a specialist, I recommend two valuable alternatives. Visit InjuryBoard.com and click on "Law Firms", then click on your state. You will, almost immediately, find the InjuryBoard specialist in your state. Or, you can visit Lawsuit Financial, highlight "plaintiffs" on the home page, and click on "Lawsuit Financial Attorney Referral Program". Complete an easy application or call a toll free number and we will have a specialist in your area within 24-48 hours.

But what if you are injured or disabled? What if you continue to miss work or have lost your job? What if you have mounting medical bills, mortgage payments, household bills, or even worse – funeral expenses? The financial strain not only seriously impacts your life, it also impacts your case. A financially desperate plaintiff is not in a favorable position regarding settlement negotiations; this person will often settle for too little, too soon. So, how do you survive – financially while you wait for a trial or a settlement?

Lawsuit Financial is an auto accident lawsuit funding specialist and will provide a complimentary evaluation of your case. If you have been in an auto accident and have an attorney handling the case, lawsuit funding can assist you and your attorney. Do not resolve your case for less than full value because of pressing financial need; ease your financial burden and give your attorney the time needed to obtain full value on your case.