Defective Trailer Breaks Loose From Pickup Truck and Kills Pennsylvania Woman
According to news sources, a deadly crash occurred on Route 19 in North Strabane, Pennsylvania when a trailer broke loose from a pickup truck striking a car and killing a woman. A utility trailer broke loose from a pickup truck as it was headed south on Route 19 causing the trailer to bounce over the medial strip landing on a car in the passing lane headed north. The car then caught fire and two woman who were in the front seat were killed and a young girl, 3 or 4 years old, was in the back seat. (news article)
Michelle Kott, 36, of Ellsworth was killed.
Many crashes involving trailers stem from basic mistakes such as failing to engage a locking device when hitching a trailer and often operators and drivers neglect a series of precautions any one of which might have prevented such a deadly, catastrophic tragedy.
A Master lock company which makes hitches and other towing equipment surveyed more than 300 trailer owners in 2006 and found that most were lacking in knowledge of basic safety and proper towing procedures and few have had any real training or instruction. Fewer than half properly attach their trailer safety chains the survey found. Adding to the risk is the growing number of trailers on the road. The number of light duty trailers registered in the United States rose from 10.6 million in 1990 to 15.9 million in 2005 according to the Federal Highway Administration. In all 50 states one only need a basic driver’s license in order to tow a small to medium size trailer. Basically, there is no law enforcement program that requires a person towing a trailer to have any special training. The result is a lot of ignorance, carelessness and catastrophic injuries and deaths.
In many cases, the experienced trailer defect lawyers of Reiff and Bily have found that there are obvious violations of safety codes that are related to securing, lighting, braking and inspection requirements. Tragically, Michelle Kott’s story is not unique. We express our heartfelt condolences to the family of Michelle Kott and the others injured in this accident and sincerely hope that state officials and investigators do a thorough job investigating this horrific and catastrophic accident that may have been easily preventable.
Accidents caused by poor maintenance, lack of maintenance or inadequate supervision are an unfortunate reality and this recent accident highlights the significant dangers involved when using or operating trailers in an improper fashion. The wrongdoers must be held accountable for the carelessness and negligence resulting in the injuries and deaths that they have caused.
If you or a loved one has been catastrophically injured or killed as a result of a defective trailer accident, please contact the experienced defective trailer lawyers at the Philadelphia law firm of Reiff and Bily for a free consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.
