Woman Killed in Truck Accident on Route 58 in Chesapeake, VA
Chesapeake, VA -- July 20, 2022, a woman was killed due to an accident where a vehicle crashed with a semi-truck on Route 58.
Investigators reported that the crash took place in the afternoon hours near Route 58 and Snowden Street.
Officials say that a tractor-trailer was going across the eastbound lanes of the highway at Snowden Street when a woman's car traveling eastbound hit the trailer.
Due to the collision, the woman sustained fatal injuries. It's unclear if anyone else was hurt. Investigators gave no additional details.
Commentary on Fatal Truck Accident on Route 58 in Chesapeake
While the exact details surrounding this crash aren't clear at this time, images of this intersection I can find seem to show traffic on Route 58 having the right-of-way. It sure sounds like the tractor-trailer here pulled into cross traffic. Maybe that isn't what happened--I certainly don't want to jump to conclusions. But even if that is what happened, my concern with a crash like this is simply that it was in Virginia. Why is that?
Put simply, Virginia is one of only a few states which uses a ridiculous standard called Contributory Negligence. It basically says a jury putting any fault on victims means they lose any claim they may have. Another driver could be 99% at fault, but that 1% of fault tanks the whole thing. For a grieving family, this is clearly a significant barrier.
But that's not to say it's an insurmountable barrier. I talk all the time about the importance of thorough investigations from professionals when it comes to commercial truck wrecks. Laws like those in Virginia only make that more crucial. Wrongdoers can be held accountable for their actions, but the facts need to be clear.
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