A recent accident involving three tractor trailers and other vehicles claimed the life of a UPS truck driver. The accident occurred on Interstate 20 in Newton County. The driver of one of the trucks and his passenger got hurt in the wreck, and the driver of the third eighteen-wheeler was not injured. This accident started out with one rear-end collision, and a third truck crashed into the back of the second truck. The driver who died in the crash was driving the third truck.
Tractor trailer accidents are often both severe and fatal. Because eighteen-wheelers are so large and so heavy, any accident involving one or more of them can cause fatalities, serious injuries, and massive amounts of property damage. Unfortunately, accidents involving multiple tractor trailers can happen at any time. However, the risk of those accidents happening is higher during morning and evening commute times, when the roads are crowded with trucks and other vehicles. When trucks are traveling near each other, there are several ways that they might collide with each other. Sometimes, as happened in the accident mentioned above, one eighteen-wheeler rear-ends another and sometimes other trucks or vehicles hit with the first two trucks. These rear-end collisions often cause a lot of damage to the trucks. Also, the driver of the truck that collides with the rear of the first truck can become trapped in the cab of their truck, resulting in serious injuries or death from injuries, fire, or an explosion. Pile-up or chain reaction accidents are another way in which multiple eighteen-wheelers can collide. Side impact accidents are another possible multiple-truck accident scenario, especially when tractor trailers are driving close to each other.
Whenever there is a trucking accident, there is often a complicated set of facts. This can make it difficult for accident victims and their families to pursue claims for damages. The reason for the complexity is that trucking accidents involve more parties than the drivers and any passengers who may be at the accident scene. Some tractor trailers are driver-owned, but many others are owned by trucking companies and are covered by commercial insurance policies. The trucking company and insurance company are parties who have interests in the outcome of the accident investigation, so whenever an eighteen-wheeler gets into a wreck, the trucking company calls its insurer to notify them of the crash and the insurer often immediately dispatches a team of investigators to the accident scene.
The “accident response teams” that respond to accident scenes on behalf of insurers and trucking companies are not neutral parties. If you are ever at the scene of a trucking accident, remember that those individuals represent interests that may be contrary to yours. You are free to refuse to speak with them until you have consulted an attorney.
Barrett Law PLLC: Helping Trucking Accident Victims and Their Families Recover After Injury or Loss
If you were involved in a trucking accident, contact a Mississippi Trucking Accident Attorney right away. Your attorney will help you deal with accident investigators, and they will use their knowledge about trucking industry laws, commercial insurance policies, and truck accidents to help you pursue claims for recovery from the various parties who are responsible for your injuries or your loss. Call the dedicated and experienced Mississippi Trucking Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC today at 1 (800) 707-9577, to schedule a free, initial consultation.