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1 dead, 33 injured in horrible Long Island wreck

On Behalf of | Dec 27, 2012 | Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents

Automobile accidents can be devastating, resulting in serious injuries and loss of life. In the state of New York, for any accident where negligence is found to be a cause, the expenses incurred by an accident victim or surviving relatives can be recovered from the negligent driver or from the insurance company covering that driver. When the accident involves multiple vehicles, though, such as the crash that occurred on Long Island on December 19, recovery may be more complicated and depends on the level of insurance that the relevant drivers have.

The fatal accident occurred on the Long Island Expressway on a recent afternoon. A tractor-trailer driven by a 42-year-old man reportedly struck several cars in the eastbound lane while traveling through the town of Shirley. According to reports, the initial collision caused several impacts, leading to the involvement of 35 vehicles in total. Three of the vehicles caught fire at the scene, including the tractor-trailer.

During the accident, 33 people were injured, and one person, a 68-year-old woman, was killed. Only one of the nonfatal injuries was considered serious, though many of those injured at the scene were taken to hospitals throughout the area for treatment. The crash remains under investigation to determine the initial cause.

If a single individual is found to have been responsible for the accident through negligence, that individual may face multiple criminal charges depending on the specifics of the crash. The responsible individual may also face several lawsuits, as those injured in the accident attempt to recover monetary damages. The family of the woman who was killed may also have a right to sue a negligent individual who caused her death by filing a wrongful death lawsuit.

Source: Yahoo! News, “Multi-vehicle crash on NY’s Long Island Expressway kills one, injures 33,” Mary Wisniewski, Dec. 19, 2012

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