FORT WORTH - Family members of a Venus, Texas, couple involved in a tractor-trailer crash earlier this month have filed a lawsuit against the driver of the 18-wheeler, his employers and the rig's owners based on claims that their negligence led to the wife's death and serious injuries to her husband.
On December 9, Joann Young was killed and her husband, Ross, was seriously injured when their pickup was struck by a tractor-trailer at the intersection of St. Paul Drive and U.S. 287, near Mansfield. According to police reports, truck driver Ronnie R. Tarpley, 49, disregarded a stop sign immediately before the crash. Mr. Young suffered serious head injuries and remains hospitalized in serious condition at Kindred Hospital in Fort Worth.
In addition to Mr. Tarpley, the lawsuit also includes as defendants Southwest Paper Stock Inc., Alternate Wood Fuel Transport Inc. and Service Waste Incorporated. Relatives of both Mr. and Mrs. Young filed the claim in Johnson County district court.
"The families are shocked and saddened at the death of their mother and the terrible injuries to their father," says John David Hart of the Law Offices of John David Hart in Fort Worth, who represents the families of Mr. and Mrs. Young. "What makes that sadness even greater is that this clearly didn't have to happen."
In addition to noting that Mr. Tarpley failed to yield at a stop sign before hitting the Young's truck, the police report also indicates that the brakes on Mr. Tarpley's tractor-trailer may have been either defective or not working at all.
"By law, trucking companies have an obligation to employ qualified drivers who follow the rules of the road, and to properly maintain their tractors and trailers," Mr. Hart says. "Clearly, these companies and Mr. Tarpley failed to meet their responsibilities."
The lawsuit includes a wrongful death claim filed on behalf Mr. Young and the children of Mrs. Young, and personal injury claims on behalf of Mr. Young and his children.
The Law Offices of John David Hart is a group of experienced and dedicated legal professionals working to protect the rights of people injured by the acts of others. Across the country, the firm represents people in cases of catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, dangerous drugs, automobile and truck accidents, workplace injuries and other matters.
More information is available at http://www.hartlaw.com/.
For more information on the truck crash lawsuit, please contact Alan Bentrup at 800-559-4534 or alan@legalpr.com.
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