Posted in Car Accident,Personal Injury,Tennessee Accident Law,Truck Wreck on December 7, 2015
Two Semi-Truck Accidents Reported in Rutherford County on Monday
Two separate accidents in Rutherford County involving semi-trucks were reported to police on Monday, with one causing a man to suffer fatal injuries.
According to a report by wkrn.com, the first accident happened in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Interstate 24 East near the Medical Center Parkway exit just before 12:30 p.m., when a semi-truck overturned and blocked all lanes of traffic.
An initial investigation into the accident indicated that two vehicles may have been drag racing on the interstate and contributed to the truck flipping over onto its side. All traffic was rerouted away from the accident scene until the wreckage was cleaned up and all lanes reopened around 5 p.m.
The second accident occurred in La Vergne, Tennessee, when a man was run over by his own truck while checking its tires.
WKRN.com reports that this accident occurred on Waldron Road near I-24 around 2:30 p.m. Investigators say that the man had exited his vehicle to check its tires when he noticed something wrong, but the truck began moving and ran over him.
He was transported to a local hospital in Smyrna, Tennessee, to receive treatment, but he was later pronounced dead.
What Makes Semi-Truck Accidents So Dangerous?
Car accidents happen on a daily basis throughout Middle Tennessee, but when traffic accident involves a semi-truck, the results can affect not just the people who were injured, but also thousands of commuters who may experience significant delays. Semi-truck accidents have the potential to not only cause serious injuries to drivers and passengers of other vehicles that are involved, but they can also force local police and highway response units to close highways and interstates for hours or even days depending on the amount of damage or debris the accident caused.
Semi-truck accidents are both dangerous and disruptive due to the following factors:
While the majority of semi-trucks carry standard consumer and industrial goods that pose no risk, some carry cargo that can be extremely hazardous to the driver or other motorists if they are released onto the road or into the air. Things like toxic chemicals, flammable or explosive gases, and corrosive materials are all hauled by semi-trucks on a daily basis, and they can be spilled from their containment vessels during accidents.
When a collision occurs, physics dictates which vehicle incurs the most damage. Vehicles that larger and have more mass and size generally incur far less damage than smaller vehicles. Semi-trucks can outweigh standard passenger vehicles—even large SUVs—by more than 70,000 pounds, making them several times heavier than most vehicles on roadways in Middle Tennessee and also several times more dangerous during accidents.
Another aspect of physics involved in traffic accidents is speed and momentum. With passenger vehicles, anti-lock brakes mean that high speeds can be reduced significantly in a short amount of time. But with tractor-trailers, the distance to stop or slow down is much longer due to the weight of the vehicle, meaning that many truck accidents occur at relatively high speeds, which generates even more force and puts drivers and passengers even more at risk of suffering injuries.
Because of their ability to quickly move commercial and consumer goods from place to place, semi-trucks play a vital role in the nation’s economy and the economy of Tennessee as a state. But the very thing that makes them effective—their size—also makes them more dangerous to other motorists during accidents. That’s why it’s so important for drivers of both passenger vehicles and semi-trucks to be aware of these risks and to always drive with caution and alertness.
If you or someone you love was injured in a truck accident caused by a negligent driver, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your medical bills and lost wages. To find out how the Murfreesboro truck accident attorneys at Matt Hardin Law can assist your family during this time, dial (615) 200-1111 or complete a free online consultation form today.
