Remembering the Five Georgia Southern University Students Killed in a Tragic Truck Accident Last Year
In April of last year, tragedy struck the greater Atlanta community. Five Georgia Southern University nursing students died in a crash on the way to Savannah. Recently, loved ones and lawmakers gathered under the Gold Dome in Atlanta to remember these individuals taken too soon. Classmates and relatives recalled the day they received that horrible call. The ceremony was intended to honor the nursing students who perished and affirm that they will not be forgotten.
The Atlanta truck accident attorneys at Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, reported on this fatal accident back in April of 2015. We too were shocked and saddened by the loss of these young women who had dedicated themselves to the field of nursing. Now, we revisit the truck accident and the events that followed.
A Massive Chain Reaction Accident
The accident occurred on I-16 eastbound near Savannah. A tractor trailer failed to stop when traffic slowed on the interstate during the early morning hours. The truck pummeled into the line of slowed cars and other vehicles, setting off a chain reaction crash. In total, the accident involved seven vehicles, including two tractor trailers and five cars. The crash tragically killed five people, all of whom were nursing students at Georgia Southern University, and three were injured. The students had been on their way to their last day of clinical rotations.
After the accident, it was discovered that the trucking company that owned the tractor trailer which set off the chain reaction crash had several safety violations. In fact, trucking company, Total Transportation, received 266 unsafe driving violations in the two years preceding the accident. They amassed violations for speeding, using cell phones while driving, failure to follow traffic control devices, and following too closely. Despite these violations, the company had been allowed to freely operate.
Lawsuits Stemming from the Accident
The families of the nursing students killed in the accident as well as one survivor have filed lawsuits against the trucking company and trucker responsible for the crash. The lawsuits allege that the trucker failed to stop while traveling at 68 miles per hour. Despite being equipped with crash avoidance technology, the trucker did not take evasive action to prevent the crash. Instead, the vehicle slammed into the halted students. Also attached to the lawsuit is the trucker and trucking company responsible for the initial crash that caused traffic to slow. It is the hope of the families of the victims that their lawsuit and others like it will force trucking companies to improve safety and prevent accidents.
Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law: Representation for Truck Accident Victims
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, you should be eligible to seek compensation from the at-fault trucker or trucking company involved. The Truck Accident Lawyers at Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, represent accident victims across Georgia and in the Southeast. Our firm has over 39 years of experience and is committed to providing zealous representation to our injured clients. The sooner you act after your accident, the greater your chances of obtaining a full recovery. As such, it is important that you seek the assistance of a licensed lawyer as soon as possible. Call Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law, 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.