A woman from Golden Gate Estates, Florida has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Department of Transportation and contractors of a highway, claiming they are responsible for her husband’s sport utility vehicle accident and subsequent death.
The woman’s husband died in 2009 on a stretch of Interstate 75 in Florida that was under construction. The man hit a patch of uneven pavement in his 2002 Land Rover, which caused him to overcorrect his steering, sending him across multiple lanes of traffic where he then collided with steel cables in the median. The vehicle flipped over a number of times. The man was not wearing his seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle, where he suffered fatal injuries.
The woman’s suit blames both the DOT and three contractors for failing to warn motorists that the stretch of road was hazardous due to the road-widening project. In addition to the uneven pavement, the woman also claims both parties showed negligence by either misplacing warning signs, or using indicators that were either confusing or faulty. The workers also did not lower the speed limit in the construction zone to a safe rate of speed, the lawsuit claims.
She said both parties knew the stretch of road was hazardous because there were previous accidents at that location before the man’s death. The suit also names numerous other defendants tied in with the project.
The woman’s lawyer has dug up information about previous accidents at the site, which would help in court proceedings. And, the lawyer could possibly obtain more via subpoenas and the exchange of information by attorneys.
The woman is seeking compensation for all expenses tied in with her husband’s death, including lost earnings and cost of his medical and funeral expenses.
Source: Naples News, “Estates woman sues state, I-75 contractors over husband’s death in wreck,” Aisling Swift, Oct. 16, 2011
