Accident on County Road Involves Pickup and Tanker Truck
A major injury was reported in Woodland on April 21 when a pickup collided with a tanker truck. The accident happened around 10:50 a.m. along County Road 18C just east of State Route 113 between Coil Lane and Churchill Downs Avenue. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) incident report, the Dodge Ram and tanker truck did not block the roadway after the collision. However, a major injury was reported to one of the people involved. At least one of the vehicles had to be removed by a tow truck. The accident is under investigation to determine how it occurred and assign fault.
Accidents Involving a Tanker Truck
Any time an accident with a smaller vehicle involves a big truck, serious injuries often occur. However, it can be especially dangerous when tanker trucks are involved because they often transport hazardous materials. Burns are a possible result of the explosive cargo some of these trucks transport. In addition, tanker truck accidents can result in a leak of flammable liquids, endangering nearby communities as well as the people in the vehicles involved.
Reasons That Tanker Truck Accidents Occur
Accidents involving tanker trucks often occur for the following reasons:
- Inexperienced drivers
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Transporting a partial tank of material
- Brake problems are a major cause of truck accidents
- Shoddy maintenance
- Defective auto parts
Common Substances Transported by a Tanker Truck
Substances carried by a tanker truck include:
- Industrial chemicals
- Gasoline
- Diesel fuel
- Liquid sugar, molasses or wine
- Ethanol
- Cooking oils such as palm, peanut, soy and sunflower
- Radioactive materials
- Pesticides
- Food-grade pharmaceuticals
- Milk
- Gasses
Dangers of Some Cargo Transported by Tanker Trucks
An accident involving a tanker truck can pose a fire risk, depending on the cargo. Many tankers carry flammable liquids. Burns suffered in an accident with this type of cargo can lead to extensive hospitalization. Scarring and disfigurement are possible as a result of burns.
- Life-threatening chemical burns can occur. Many substances are caustic and result in burns.
- Whenever a tanker truck is involved in an accident, leaks are likely, and some dangerous products require Hazmat crews to perform clean up to avoid exposure to others, such as motorists as well as businesses and residents living nearby. Additionally, contamination of the ground and water sources can result from spills.
- In other instances, a tanker truck accident can lead to an explosion. Damage to nearby houses, businesses or vehicles can occur as a result, and evacuation of the area is necessary if this danger exists.
- Tanker trucks carry radioactive substances on U.S. highways, which are dangerous due to the way they affect humans.
Getting Compensation After an Accident With a Tanker Truck
Financial hardship and inability to work can result from an injury caused by a tanker truck accident. The compensation that follows may be recoverable when you place a claim:
- All of your medical expenses
- Future medical expenses if your injury is ongoing
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional and psychological trauma
- Loss of earnings in the future
- Scarring and disfigurement
Transport of Hazardous Materials – Government Regulations
In an effort to prevent injuries caused by transporting hazardous materials, the government has established rules. These include securing the materials properly and sealing them carefully. Drivers must be alerted to the risk by using warning labels on a truck transporting hazardous materials. Before every trip, each truck must be inspected to ensure its safety.
Woodland Truck Accident Lawyer
I am Ed Smith, a Woodland truck accident lawyer. If you were injured by a negligent tanker truck driver, call for our free and friendly advice at (530) 392-9400 or (800) 404-5400 to find out if you can claim compensation to recover your medical costs and other losses. You can also reach us online.
We are pleased to be members of the associations that follow, which shows how hard our injury lawyers work to obtain fair compensation for our clients:
Look over the links that follow to see how we’ve handled truck accident claims:
Photo attribution: Image by sandid from Pixabay
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