On June 30, 2013, The
Tampa Tribune published a breaking news story where two passengers in a van that overturned
on Sunday, June 30, 2013 on Interstate 75 in Sarasota died, while another
passenger was in critical condition.
A 28-year-old resident of Cape Coral was driving the 1994 Dodge Ram van
northbound on I-75 with seven passengers, when at 9:37 a.m.; the left
rear tire of the van blew, thereby causing the van's driver to lose
control according to troopers.
Just before the tire blew, the van was traveling north in the left lane.
Once the tire blew, the van veered across the center and right lanes where
it eventually overturned. After sliding the vehicle came to a rest on
the east shoulder of the freeway, facing east.
Two of the passengers suffered fatal injuries from the collision; it was
determined that they were wearing seatbelts. A third person who was not
wearing a seatbelt was transported to Blake Medical Center in critical
condition. The victim's name was not released.
Two more passengers were taken to Doctors Hospital in Sarasota, while one
more person was taken to Venice Regional Medical Center; both were reported
to be in serious condition according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
A 31-year-old passenger of Cape Coral was transported to Venice Regional
Medical Center in serious condition, and the 28-year-old driver, who was
also in serious condition, was taken to Blake Medical Center.
What Smith & Stallworth, Attorneys at Law Could Do
We, at Smith & Stallworth, Attorneys at Law would investigate this
case very carefully if any of the victims' family approached us for
representation. We would first look into the possibility of potential
manufacturer liability if there was a mechanical defect.
We would also consider whether there was some form of mechanic negligence
in last preparing this van which was carrying special needs individuals.
Additionally, we would also investigate whether or not the driver or other
responsible company employees properly inspected the vehicle prior to
proceeding on their journey.
Did the company have any responsibility to upgrade their transportation
vehicles? Or, train their drivers in a manner that would not cause such
a malfunction? Ultimately, there may be a lawsuit with multiple potential
defendants even though the initial reports tend to lead to an incident
absent of fault.