As we reported last week, there are approximately 500,000 trucking accidents in America each year, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Some of these accidents involve trucks carrying hazardous materials—as trucks weigh more than other vehicles on the road, this can be an incredibly dangerous combination in collisions.
On August 6, a three-vehicle crash at Old Hickory Boulevard involved two trucks and a car. According to the Tennessean, the car hit the back of a flatbed truck, causing it to hit a semi tanker and overturn both trucks. The flatbed truck was reportedly carrying tanks of oxygen, nitrogen, CO2 and propane, the news outlet reported.
Two people were injured in the crash—the driver of the car reportedly had to be cut out of her vehicle and transported to a hospital with severe injuries to her lower extremities. The tanker driver cut himself out of his truck and was transported to a local hospital with a possible head injury.
It reportedly took authorities several hours to clean up debris from the truck, which resulted in road closures.
WHO SHOULD I CALL FOLLOWING A TRUCK ACCIDENT?
It is estimated that about 200 accidents in the U.S. each year involved HAZMAT carriers. While this number is low, it is still alarming when these crashes occur.
Sadly, trucking accidents cause approximately 4,000 deaths each year in the U.S. Often, these accidents are the result of recklessness on the part of truck drivers. Examples of negligence can include aggressive driving, excessive speed, distracted driving or driving while fatigued.
If you are ever injured in a truck accident, or you lose a loved one to a crash, you should contact our Nashville truck accident lawyer immediately. Trucking companies often attempt to evade or shift blame for accidents caused by their negligence. We can investigate your case.
“All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” – John 1:3
Davis’ Words of Wisdom: Truck drivers are required to keep hours-of-service (HOS) logbooks.