Roger Scofield, Jr., the man involved in a March 19 accident in Prince George’s County that injured two people and killed one man apparently had traffic citations in Virginia, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Delaware. Citations included speeding, inattentive driving, careless driving, driving on a suspended license, and driving with defective breaks. He also had at least two convictions and was driving with a suspended license at the time of the March 19 accident.
A $20 million wrongful death suit has already been filed against Scofield and his employer. Scofield also faces charges of driving with a suspended license and reckless driving—and possibly, vehicular homicide. According to police, Scofield’s tractor-trailer struck a 1995 Honda Accord and then hit two other cars that were in front of the Honda. One of those two vehicles was being driven by Jose Marcos Portillo Villalta, who died at the accident scene. The drivers of the other two vehicles were injured.
According to an executive from B.K. Trucking, the company that hired Scofield to deliver bananas to Virginia on March 19, the truck driver did not know that his license was suspended and that the accident had more to do with being at a bad place at a bad time than his driving record.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, truck companies are obligated to check the driving record of all truck drivers before hiring them.
Because tractor-trailers are large in size, anyone involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer or any other kind of truck stands a good chance of being seriously injured. Truck drivers tend to have limited visibility when driving trucks and commercial truck drivers are required by law to drive only for a certain amount of hours before stopping to rest. Many accidents on the road have occurred because a truck driver was tired. In personal injury lawsuits involving a commercial truck driver, the truck company that hired the truck driver may also be found liable.
Because of this, truck companies are well-equipped to handle personal injury claims and combat them. This is way it is important if you have been injured in an accident involving a truck driver that you hire an experienced personal injury attorney right away. A skilled personal injury lawyer can make sure that all avenues of recovery are explored and all parties that can be held responsible for your accident are held liable so you don’t have to pay for your recovery.
The personal injury law firm of Lebowitz and Mzhen has the experience and knowledge to successfully represent you. We also can help you file a wrongful death claim if someone you love has been killed by a negligent truck driver. Contact Lebowitz and Mzhen for your free consultation.
Beltway Driver Piled Up Citations, Washington Post.com, April 9, 2007
Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Personal Injury, Nolo.com