Posted in Personal Injury,Tennessee Accident Law,Truck Wreck on March 3, 2016
Semi-Truck Accident Reported on Interstate 65 in Nashville
A man suffered serious injuries after he was involved in an accident with a semi-truck on Interstate 65 in Nashville early Thursday morning.
According to a report by WSMV.com, the accident occurred around 1:30 a.m. near Trinity Lane when the man’s vehicle slammed into the back of a semi-truck on I-65 and then crashed into a nearby guardrail.
Metro Nashville Police officers who responded to the accident scene told reporters that the man was driving too fast when he entered the off-ramp leading off the interstate. Emergency responders transported the driver of the vehicle that struck the semi-truck to a local hospital to receive treatment for his injuries, which were described as non-life-threatening.
The accident is still under investigation, and police say that there’s no evidence that alcohol played a role in causing the crash.
What Are Common Causes of Semi-Truck Accidents?
Truck accidents are among the most dangerous types of auto accidents. Because semi-trucks and tractor-trailers can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, their weight and size means that other vehicles involved in these accidents can sustain major damage and the occupants can suffer serious injuries. Victims of truck accidents often become disabled for weeks, months, or even years and are unable to earn the paychecks their families depend on.
To help reduce your risk of being involved in a semi-truck accident, it’s helpful to understand some of their most common causes:
Safely driving a big truck requires undivided attention, alertness, and hundreds of hours of training and experience. When truck drivers are distracted, fatigued, inexperienced, unlicensed, or driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, they can make mistakes that result in deadly accidents. At Matt Hardin Law, our Nashville truck accident attorneys know how to investigate crashes and find out if truck drivers were negligent in upholding their responsibility to always engage in safe driving behaviors.
All trucks and trailers have maximum weight limits that should never be exceeded. When trucks are loaded to the point where they exceed their maximum weight limits, they can be difficult to drive and drivers may be more likely to lose control. Some trucking companies and truck drivers intentionally overload trucks in order to haul more cargo and make bigger profits, but doing so is a violation of guidelines set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and that can be considered negligent behavior—especially in the event of an accident.
A single semi-truck or tractor-trailer can rack up hundreds of thousands of miles in a single year. Driving constantly and for such long distances can put enormous wear and tear on all of the individual components on a truck—especially its brakes and tires. Truck owners, whether it’s trucking companies or drivers themselves, are responsible for making sure trucks are regularly serviced and repaired. Neglecting to schedule routine maintenance, brake replacements, and tire replacements can result in serious accidents.
At Matt Hardin Law, our Nashville truck accident lawyers know the devastation that truck crashes can cause to innocent victims and their families. In addition to facing expensive medical bills that they might not be able to afford, victims also may be unable to work temporarily or even permanently as a result of their injuries. We believe that people who were hurt through no fault of their own should never have to pay for their own medical bills and accident-related expenses out of their own pockets.
If you or someone you love was injured in a truck accident that was caused by the negligence of a truck driver, truck company, or truck owner, we want to help you recover fair compensation for the suffering it caused to you and your family. To find out how we can put our two decades of experience to work for your family, dial (615) 200-1111 or complete a free online consultation form today. We’re ready to fight for your rights to the money you deserve.
