When tractor trailers crash, there is always the potential for a great deal of destruction in addition to serious and even fatal injuries. One recent accident in Lawrence County illustrates how the damage caused by a tractor trailer accident can be even greater than usual, depending upon what the truck is carrying. In that accident, a tanker full of gasoline flipped over. After the accident, multiple roads in the area where the accident occurred were closed for many hours while emergency crews from multiple agencies worked to contain the gasoline with foam, prevent fires and explosions, and remove the wreckage from the roadway.
Fortunately, the human cost of this accident was small in comparison to what it could have been. Property damage and environmental damage were the greatest concerns associated with this particular accident. The truck driver, who was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, received only minor injuries. Officials say that more serious injuries or death could easily have resulted from a crash like this.
The accident appears to have been caused by brake failure. Because of that, this crash serves as a reminder of the potential for tractor trailer wrecks to be caused by, e.g., design defects in the manufacture of a truck or its component parts and improper truck maintenance. The construction, care, repair, and daily inspection of the trucks that are used to carry so many things on so many roads every day are all factors that can affect the accident risk associated with these trucks.
Accidents involving tractor trailers are often very serious because they are both large and heavy vehicles. Additionally, the cargo contained by some trucks, like the aforementioned tanker full of gasoline, can be very dangerous if it is released from the truck during an accident. Gasoline and other hazardous materials can cause death, serious injuries, environmental damage and property damage. Even substances that are not flammable or explosive can pollute water supplies, corrode road surfaces, or release toxic fumes.
Many Americans do not know just how often accidents involving hazardous substances occur. In the ten year time period between 2004 and 2013, over three thousand accidents occurred which involved trucks and hazardous substances. Over ninety people died, hundreds of people were hurt, and the estimated cost of property and environmental damage associated with these crashes is in excess of four hundred and fifty million dollars.
Barrett Law PLLC: Helping Mississippi Accident Victims and Their Families
Trucking accidents can cause a lot of damage, both in terms of death and serious bodily injury and in terms of property damage. When hazardous cargo is involved, there is an even greater potential for injury and loss. If you were injured or someone that you love was killed as the result of an accident involving a tractor trailer, the experienced and dedicated Mississippi Personal Injury Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC would like to help you. Please call us today, at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule your free, initial consultation.