Lewis County, ID — November 18, 2022, a car's 19-year-old passenger was seriously injured when it crashed into a tractor-trailer on Highway 95 in Lewis County.

Authorities say the incident happened around 4:00 p.m. on Highway 95 near mile marker 278. Preliminary investigation suggests a big rig was northbound on the highway when the driver turned toward Winchester Road. They reportedly failed to yield to a southbound Honda and the vehicles collided.

The car's passenger was pinned inside after the collision. Once extracted they were airlifted to an area hospital. The driver reportedly received minor injuries and was transported by ambulance. No other injuries were reported.

The crash remains under investigation. No further information is currently available.

Commentary on Lewis County Truck Accident on Hwy 95

If reports have their facts straight here it sounds like a truck driver acted negligently and turned in front of oncoming traffic. Some may think that's enough to hold that driver (and by extension his employer) responsible for those teens' injuries, but commercial truck wrecks are rarely that simple.

Crashes with big rigs aren't just a matter of the trucker owning up to a mistake, but also ensuring that his employer is held accountable too. The law has held for centuries that injuries dealt by an employee on the job may also be considered the fault of his employer.

Considering how much most trucking companies have to lose, they'll fight as hard as they can not to be found at fault that way. That might mean trying to redirect blame for a crash somewhere besides their driver, dragging their feet and making empty promises about setting things right "when their investigation is over," and in general doing whatever they can to slow or stop proceedings and dodge liability.

It's important not to underestimate a trucking company's will to protect itself and its assets; in fact, some folks have been unpleasantly surprised to learn how far things might go. I wrote about some of the steps companies take to avoid fault, as well as what victims and families can do to combat those tactics. Click below to learn more.