One person was killed and another injured in an unusual accident involving a garbage truck in Bradenton.
According to a report released by the Florida Highway Patrol, the accident occurred at approximately 12:40 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22. The driver of the garbage truck was a 24-year-old man, and his passenger was a 47-year-old man. The truck rolled over while attempting to navigate a left turn on to State Road 64 near Lena Road, but then rolled over, injuring the driver and killing the passenger.
After the truck rolled over to its side, it hit the concrete curb and a utility pole. Neither the driver nor the passenger were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident.
Additional information was not immediately available about the accident.
Liability in accidents involving municipal vehicles
Liability can be tricky when the accidents involve municipal vehicles. There are some circumstances in which the driver could be considered liable for accidents, while in other cases the municipality could be considered liable through the legal principle of vicarious liability. This principle states that the actions of an employee are the same, in essence, as those of the employer.
There is the potential that victims of accidents involving municipal vehicles (even single-vehicle accidents) could file a personal injury or wrongful death claim against the municipality in question, if there was any negligence on the part of the city or the driver.
For more information about how vicarious liability works and how it can influence accident cases involving municipal vehicles and employees, contact an experienced Bradenton, FL personal injury lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh.