fbpx
"Our Mission is to protect, advocate, and care
for each client when they need it the most."
GET YOUR FREE CONSULTATION

What If a Truck Carrying Hazardous Materials Gets into a Wreck?

Published on Apr 11, 2019 at 8:16 am in Truck Accident.
What If a Truck Carrying Hazardous Materials Gets into a Wreck?

Truck accidents often cause a lot of damage, especially when the truck is an 18-wheeler and crashes while traveling at high speeds. In these situations, they can easily harm others on the road with them. However, the accident can increase significantly in danger if the truck is carrying hazardous materials—substances that can harm people and the environment around them. These injuries can be life-altering or even fatal.

What Kind of Hazardous Materials Do Trucks Carry?

Trucks can transport a number of types of hazardous materials. When they are traveling with these, the truck needs to be marked as carrying dangerous substances. The classes include explosives, flammable liquid, gases, corrosives, radioactive materials, poison, flammable solids, and oxidizers.

If trucks carrying these dangerous materials are in an accident, there’s a chance the materials could spill or leave the truck, which would expose people to them and will require professional cleanup.

In some cases, the driver can make a mistake that results in a collision. They can be distracted, speeding, or fall asleep at the wheel. When a driver runs off the road or the truck rolls over, the materials can become dislodged.

But it’s also important to remember that trucking companies are supposed to ensure that their vehicles can safely deliver these hazardous materials to their locations. This means the trucks need to have regular inspections to check that all the systems are working properly. Then, there’s the process of loading the materials. If they are improperly secured, then they can shift around the truck while in transit. When this happens, there’s a greater chance of the materials causing an accident or falling out of the truck.

If you’ve been injured in a truck accident involving hazardous materials, your personal injury attorney will look carefully into your case to find out what went wrong and who was at fault.

What Kind of Threats Do Hazardous Materials Pose?

Because the types of hazardous materials are different, the injuries they can cause vary. However, the common factor between the injuries is that they’re serious. They will need professional care and could have permanent consequences.

Exposure to certain substances could cause chemical burns, poisoning, and exposure to chemicals that cause cancer. Some of the materials can explode in certain accidents, which can cause serious burn injuries that could possibly result in a disability or loss of limb. Truck accident injuries are painful enough on their own, but adding a hazardous material can make the situation more life-threatening.

Some of the materials may threaten those in proximity to where the accident happened. People who live near the accident may be exposed without even knowing there was any danger. The chemicals that leak into the ground can also disrupt the environment and affect the water. These aren’t cleanups that can happen overnight. Once certain areas are contaminated, then they can affect it for a long time.

These injuries are all devastating and were preventable. When people didn’t take the proper measures to keep hazardous materials safe, the burden of affording the damages shouldn’t be on your shoulders. You deserve to be able to recover without worrying about financial matters. Your focus should be on adjusting to your new normal and healing. We’ll make sure that you won’t have to worry about making payments, affording treatment like physical therapy, or how you’re going to put food on the table.

Get Justice with the Law Office of Todd. W. Burris

When you’re a victim of a terrible accident, it may feel like you have no where to turn. But there is help out there for you. The Law Office of Todd W. Burris can help citizens of Lexington and the greater Kentucky area. We believe in fighting for those who were wrongfully injured and need help.

If a trucking company was responsible for the neglect, you may be nervous about filing a claim against them. But we’re not intimidated by larger companies. We’ll show that their negligence caused your injuries and fight to get you the settlement you’re owed. Give us a call today and we’ll set up a consultation of your case.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice. Viewing does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Prior case results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

© 2024 Law Office of Todd W. Burris, PLLC | All Rights Reserved. Legal InSites - Law Firm Digital Marketing