The U.S. Army announced that it will investigate a recent heavy-duty truck accident that resulted in the death of a specialist and injuries to five other soldiers.
Spc. Luis E. Garcia was killed in the three-vehicle accident on January 19 near Sebring, Florida, according to the statement issued by the Florida Army National Guard. The other five soldiers received treatment for their injuries at a nearby hospital and were expected to survive.
During the accident, three heavy-duty trucks, which are similar to semi-trucks and called Palletized Load Systems, crashed into each other while traveling to a training site at Avon Park. No civilians were involved.
The Department of the Army’s Safety Center is conducting the investigation. So far, there have been no changes issued with regard to how soldiers operate palletized loading systems. The 10-wheel vehicles are used to carry shipping containers and cargo.
Liability in military accidents
For the most part, military-related accident cases proceed in the same way as civilian ones do. The standards of liability are the same — an injured party must be able to prove liability on the part of the allegedly negligent party to recover compensation.
In some cases, that negligent party could be the U.S. Army, if the accident occurred as a result of negligent training or supervision in use of the vehicles.
For more information on how personal injury cases proceed, especially when a government agency is involved, work with a dedicated Bradenton attorney at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.