Mississippi Trucking Accident Attorney Talks About Accidents Involving Power Lines
Recently, a section of Hewes Avenue in Gulfport was closed for a few hours after a dump truck hit a power pole. The crash caused intermittent power outages in the area near the accident scene, but service got fully restored to most customers within three hours after the incident. As the power company worked to make repairs, police kept the area near the crash scene closed to protect everyone’s safety.
Any vehicle could potentially get into a collision with a power pole. Power lines run along streets all across America, and power poles line the roads almost everywhere we go. It is essential that drivers know how to keep themselves and their passengers safe in the event that they hit a power pole because accidents involving power poles are situations in which what you are likely to think is the right thing to do could be dangerous and deadly.
For example, most people, after getting into a car accident would get out of the vehicle as soon as possible if they were physically able to do so. However, if your car hits a utility pole or collides with a tree or other object that brings a power line down, getting out of your vehicle is usually the wrong thing to do. There are a few situations in which getting out is the better choice, but in most cases, drivers should stay in their vehicle and instruct their passengers to do the same until they get told that the power line has been de-energized.
Drivers need to know that a downed power line is not necessarily a dead power line. If you get in a car accident that takes down a power line, stay in your vehicle until the utility de-energizes the line. Getting out of the car could result in death by electrocution as electricity from the downed power line travels through your body.
It is safe to use your cell phone while you are in your car, so call for help right away. If you can open your window, do so, and shout to warn any people that you see nearby to stay away from the area. Some wrecks involving power poles cause drivers and passengers to have to make risky choices. If your vehicle is on fire or you smell gasoline, you might have to take a risk by exiting the vehicle in an attempt to avoid death by fire or explosion. To give yourself and your passengers the best chance of getting out of the situation alive, hop out of your car with both feet hitting the ground at the same time while every other part of your body does not touch the vehicle. Instruct your passengers to do the same. Similarly, hop with both feet together to get yourself as far away from the source of the electricity as you possibly can.
Barrett Law PLLC: Help and Hope for the Victims of Mississippi Trucking Accidents
Accidents involving trucks and power lines can cause serious injury, death, and property damage. To learn about how you can file a claim for damages that you sustained as the result of a Mississippi truck crash, call the knowledgeable Mississippi Trucking Accident Attorney at Barrett Law PLLC, at 1 (800) 707-9577 today.
