A highway is a busy place, with a variety of vehicles all expected to share the same roadway. Everyone driving must remain alert to the things going on around them, because it only takes one negligent driver to cause an accident that can change the lives of numerous people forever. As readers in Rome might be aware, such an accident took place on a local Georgia highway recently.
On Feb. 6, a 27-vehicle pileup on I-16 took the lives of four people and injured nine others. Investigators were back at the scene of the accident on Feb. 8 in an attempt to identify the cause of the crash. All the vehicles involved, whether damaged heavily or only slightly, are being held for examination of the contact relationships. Knowing how each vehicle involved in the accident made contact can help investigators determine the ultimate cause.
Investigators believe the fog may have been a factor in the accident, which involved 10 different collisions between cars and tractor trailers. Another factor might have been fires in the area. DOT workers had been en route to place warning signs before the crash occurred. Investigators state it could take up to a year for the investigation to be completed.
When a multi-vehicle accident of this magnitude occurs, there are many questions that must be answered. For the families of those who were injured or killed, these answers could determine if pursuing compensation for medical bills, funeral expenses or pain and suffering is an option. These families should follow the investigation carefully and examine any and all legal options available to them.
Source: 13WMAZ, “Investigators Return to I-16 Crash Scene,” Tom George, Feb. 9, 2013