Texas Woman Killed in Tractor-Trailer Accident

3 min read time
Tractor Trailer

A woman was killed in Reeves County, Texas, on Jan. 9 after being hit head-on by a tractor-trailer, News West 9 reported. The semi truck’s 55-year-old driver, Esteban Padilla-Mena of Whittier, California, was carrying a passenger while driving east along Interstate 10. The vehicle crossed the center median and entered the westbound lane, where it struck the car of 44-year-old Wajma Popal of The Colony, Texas. After striking the Nissan Altima, the tractor-trailer rolled and struck another semi truck that was traveling behind Popal.

Popal was declared dead at the scene, while the occupants of both trucks were uninjured. In 2018, the most recent year for which data is available, the Texas Department of Transportation counted 465 fatal crashes involving tractor-trailers. That is up from 433 the year prior.

When a loved one is killed in a motor vehicle collision, you may be faced with a debilitating financial drain. Hospital and funeral expenses are among the most common costs you are likely to be faced with as the relative of a crash victim. As the next of kin, you may be entitled to compensation for these damages as well as the pain and suffering you and your loved one suffered as a result of the vehicle accident.

Recovering these sums, however, usually means dealing with an insurance company whose bottom line is always profit. As a result, it will try to deny you the full value of what you are legally entitled to. Without an attorney on your side to inform you of your rights and navigate the legal territory, you will likely be left with a fraction of what you are owed — if anything at all.

Fight back against the insurance companies by hiring a law firm with over 35 years of experience with personal injury cases. Morgan & Morgan has recovered over $20 billion in damages for our clients, and we are ready to fight for you. To see what you may be entitled to, fill out a free case evaluation.

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