(SEATTLE) – Two separate legal actions have been filed on behalf of a motorcyclist who hit and was catastrophically injured by a Mack dump truck driver pulling a pup trailer who made an illegal U-Turn while working on the $158 million dollar I-5 construction project near Centralia.

A $20-million dollar Notice of Claim was sent by Bernard Law Group, PLLC to the Washington Department of Transportation (WDOT).? This morning, Scarsella Bros. was served with a separate lawsuit.

Though safety roads adjacent to the I-5 and Exit 82 on-ramp were constructed and in place for use by all construction vehicles, the Scarsella Bros. dump truck driver chose instead to take a shortcut through inadequately placed barriers onto the I-5 on-ramp where he did a U-turn blocking the entire I-5 on-ramp.??Without any warning of the truck ahead blocking the road, motorcyclist Scott Bliss hit the truck as he was lawfully merging onto I-5. 

According to attorney Viivi Vanderslice, “There is no indication that Scott? will ever regain consciousness.? We know he has sustained severe brain damage, so when and if Scott wakes up, he will have lifelong impairments.”

According to attorney Vanderslice, WDOT and Scarsella Bros. Construction had a duty to "ensure that all safety procedures on the worksite were followed.? It appears the driver had completed his last dump for the day and was in a hurry to leave.”

Vanderslice and Bernard say the lawsuit is necessary because “WDOT and Scarsella Bros., and their insurance companies, have virtually ignored the victim.? We find that reprehensible. So now we plan to let a jury decide how Mr. Bliss will be cared for, for the rest of his life.”

Attorney Kirk Bernard notes there have been?many preventable safety-related injuries and deaths due to road construction recently. Perhaps like the others, this tragedy was 100% preventable if Scarsella Bros. and their employees would have just adhered to their own safety plan.”

Mr. Bliss’ partner of 8-years, and now guardian, Cheryl Aton, has been a constant at his bedside. “She just waits and prays for him to wake up,” Vanderslice said.

Contact:
4injured
900 Aurora Avenue North
Suite 100
Seattle, WA 98109
[email protected]
http://www.4injured.com/