Most traffic accidents are a surprise. They are accidents, after all, and even the most careful Calgary drivers can suddenly find themselves involved in a collision or other traffic incident.
This is not to say that drivers who make errors and cause these accidents should not be held accountable for them, of course; just because something is unintentional doesn’t mean there isn’t responsibility to assign and live up to. But accidents do happen and they are often unpredictable until hindsight sets in.Especially when you’re involved in a traffic accident and you weren’t even on the road.
That’s exactly what happened in Airdrie just off Highway 2 recently, when a southbound tractor trailer crossed over the median and the northbound lanes of traffic, went over an onramp, and crashed into a business that was part of an industrial corridor adjacent to the highways.
Three people, the driver and two workers at the building, were taken to a Calgary hospital in stable condition following the accident. Initial reports indicate that only minor injuries were sustained by those involved in the accident, though it did take emergency responders some time to extricate the driver from the twisted cab of the truck and the rubble of the building the truck rammed through.
Accidents, Businesses, and Calgary Personal Injury Law
As the tractor-trailer involved in this accident crossed the highway median and opposing lanes of traffic before crashing into the business, and there is no indication that the truck was forced off the road by another vehicle or a road hazard, it is likely that the driver of the tractor trailer will be deemed responsible for the accident, whether through a mistake, a medical condition, an equipment malfunction, or some other reason.
In most traffic accidents in the Calgary area, including the many that involve tractor-trailer rigs, any injured parties are entitled to pursue a civil case against the responsible party, seeking compensation for medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. In this case, however, the injured workers at the business involved might need to seek compensation through their employer’s WCB insurance—and the truck driver might be similarly covered for his injuries, if he were driving as a part of his employment and covered by Workers’ Compensation.
Fortunately no serious injuries appear to have occurred in this accident, but it’s important to note that any accident that occurs at your place of employment—even an unpredictable accident such as this, which does not appear to have anything to do with negligence or unsafe conditions on the part of the employer—might be the responsibility of the WCB rather than the person who caused the accident.
Contacting a Calgary Personal Injury Lawyer Following a Tractor Trailer Injury
In most tractor-trailer accidents that occur in the Calgary area, workplace complications aren’t an issue. If you or a family member has been seriously injured in such an accident and would like to consult with one of Calgary’s leading personal injury lawyers, please contact our office today.