In the last few years, our law firm has handled a number of wrongful death cases where a dump truck ran over a bicyclist. The truck drivers claim they did not see the bicycle rider, but this is not a justifiable excuse.
What is Minnesota Law When a Dump Truck Driver Says He Did Not See the Bicyclist He Killed?
The Minnesota Commercial Driver’s Manual, Section 2.4.2, states:
It’s important to know what’s going on behind and to the sides. Check your mirrors regularly.
In one of our wrongful death cases a 52,000-pound dump truck failed to yield the right of way during a right turn and hit a cyclist in the bike lane. The cyclist, a young, talented woman, died at the scene. The driver said he did not see her, and the company that owned the truck claimed the cyclist was at fault. The family hired our law firm, and attorney Fred Pritzker was the lead lawyer on the case. He immediately hired accident reconstruction specialists to prove that the truck driver was at fault.
Our forensic engineers found that:
- The bicyclist who was killed was readily visible prior to and during the turn;
- The dump truck driver failed to yield the right of way, and to carefully look for the cyclist prior to and during the turn;
- His turn was unreasonably dangerous and caused the collision.
Understandably, little information has been release regarding the facts surrounding the tragic death last Friday.
Truck Driver and Construction Company Possibly at Fault
A tragic accident involving a dump truck and bicycle resulted in the death of a man from Gaylord, Minnesota. The truck was owned by a contractor working on a road construction project near the scene of the accident.