A Sharon, Pennsylvania resident was killed when he was crushed to death between two separate trucks. The accident occurred at a loading dock while the deceased man was closing the door of his truck.
The driver of the other truck at the same time reportedly shifted gears on the truck, felt his foot slip from the brake pedal and noted that the truck drifted slightly backwards and felt the bumper of the two trucks touch. After pulling the truck forward, and then noticed that the first driver staggered out from between the two trucks and collapsed. Though police, fire and ambulance crews were summoned to the scene, attempts to revive the deceased man were unsuccessful.
It was claimed by the other truck driver that the two individuals had performed this task on hundreds of occasions. Unfortunately, possibly due to a mistake by the other driver or a malfunction of the truck, the performance of this task ended tragically.
Though this is not what we typically think of as being a truck accident, these sorts of accidents at loading docks are common. Trucks are cumbersome, difficult to negotiate in small areas, and have a number of blind spots that make it difficult for truck drivers to see when backing up or turning corners.
It doesn’t matter that the same procedure was performed successfully on many prior occasions. It is entirely foreseeable that a dock worker is being placed in a position of danger when unloading trucks in this matter. One mistake can result in a fatality.
The above incident will obviously require investigation. Should a lawsuit be filed, attorneys for the family of the deceased man may raise allegations against the other truck driver, the employers, the manufacturer of the truck or possible other parties.
Truck accidents are often not simple in nature, and that’s why an accurate determination as to what occurred must be made.
Source: Sharon Herald, “Man dies in loading dock accident,” by Nancy Lowry, May 28, 2013