There are a lot of things to love about Calgary, but the best thing about our city is the people. Calgarians are always ready to lend a hand when they see someone in need—it’s one of the reasons we’re proud to show up to work every day and serve the people of Calgary as plaintiff-only personal injury lawyers. We help those who have been hurt in car accidents, by medical malpractice, and other situations where someone else’s negligence caused them serious injuries.
It isn’t just Calgary lawyers like us who like to lend a hand after a car accident. Everyday Calgary citizens often rise to the occasion, pulling over to provide assistance when they see an accident occur or spot a stranded vehicle and driver by the side of the road. While the impulse to help is a good one, pulling over on a highway or a busy street and getting out of your vehicle is actually very dangerous, as one recent Calgary car accident tragically reminds us.
Semi-Truck Claims Two Calgary Lives in Series of Highway Accidents
Some time before 1:30 in the morning on Thursday, December 29, a semi-truck heading northbound on the QEII highway near Innisfall lost control, crossing the center median and crashing into the ditch on the west side of the highway. The driver was able to exit the vehicle, and a Calgary woman pulled over to the side of the highway to offer assistance. While both the driver of the semi and the passerby were out of their vehicles, another semi-truck came down the highway and struck debris from the initial accident, causing that truck to lose control as well.
The second semi-truck also went off the side of the highway, striking the first truck’s driver and the Calgary woman who had stopped to help, both were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
The high speeds of highway travel always make car and truck accidents on highways more high-risk than those on Calgary’s streets and avenues. Pedestrians—anyone on foot and outside the protections of a motor vehicle—also tend to have more serious injuries and a higher risk of a fatality when they are struck by a vehicle. Combining the high speeds of the highway and the vulnerability of pedestrians makes these side-of-the-highway accidents especially dangerous. In this case, the danger was unfortunately borne out in the deaths of two Calgary residents.
Whether or not a wrongful death suit would be appropriate in this case is impossible to say; every accident is unique and the legal circumstances around it are complex. What is certain is that standing on the side of the highway is dangerous, even if your intentions are good. If you see a stranded motorist, contacting Calgary emergency services and remaining in your vehicle is the best thing you can do for all concerned. If you feel comfortable regarding your personal safety no one is seriously injured, you can take stranded drivers and passengers to the next highway exit while waiting for the Calgary Police and/or other responders to arrive. Exiting your vehicle is likely to create another accident victim, though, and that won’t help anyone.
Your Calgary Personal Injury Lawyer Cares About You
If you or a family member has been involved in a car accident in the Calgary area, you don’t have to face it alone. Help is just a phone call or email away—reach out and contact a Calgary personal injury lawyer who cares.