Woman Hit by Cement Truck at Princeton Intersection

An event happened recently that should serve as a reminder to all of us about the inherent dangers of living in an urban environment. It was a Tuesday afternoon at 4:45 when Leslie Rubin, a 62-year-old political science professor at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, stepped into a crosswalk on Washington Road in Princeton. Moments later, Ms. Rubin was dead. A cement mixer truck was making a left-hand turn on to Washington from Nassau Street and it struck the woman. First responders administered CPR, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident is currently under investigation.

Leslie Rubin leaves behind a husband of 36 years, a son, a daughter, and many heartbroken friends and coworkers.

A fully loaded cement mixer can weigh up to 66,000 pounds. That is one potentially dangerous vehicle to have on New Jersey’s roadways. The person driving such a vehicle needs to be highly trained, physically healthy, sober, and not fatigued. We don’t know that the driver had any fault in this tragedy, but in the past we’ve seen drivers act negligently and hurt pedestrians.

When someone loses a family member in an accident, they lose more than the physical being, they lose the future they would have had with the person. When you file a wrongful death claim, you can seek more than just compensation for medical bills, funeral and burial costs, and pain and suffering of the deceased before death. You can also seek compensation for the loss of future income, loss of future benefits (medical benefits, retirement benefits, etc.), loss of services the deceased performed (child care, property maintenance, etc.), and the loss of love, affection, companionship, guidance, marital consortium, and more.

No one knows when tragedy will strike. What matters most is that you have the tools to move into the future. A wrongful death settlement can never make up for the loss of a loved one, but it can help you heal and move on.

If you’ve lost someone close to you due to another party’s negligence, we’re here to help. Call the Princeton offices of Lependorf & Silverstein, P.C., for a free consultation at (609) 240-0040.