Big Rig Cargo Spills Are an Overlooked Threat
Cargo spills aren’t something that many of us consider when we leave on a morning commute or run to the store for a gallon of milk. While many truck crashes slide under the radar, some crashes are always newsworthy; some for circumstance (a bread truck colliding with a deli truck in New Jersey, a beer truck colliding with a Frito-Lay chip truck in Florida), others for their cargo (14 million bees loosed after crash in Washington, emergency crews work to corral 2600 piglets in North Carolina).
However, tractor-trailers carry everything from foodstuffs to hazardous chemicals; the more dangerous the cargo, the higher the risk to other motorists. A recent accident in Tennessee demonstrates just how dangerous some cargo can be. A tractor-trailer overturned just a few miles from the Smelter Service Corporation carrying a pot of molten metal. The accident spilled 1500-degree liquid metal across the road, setting the truck on fire and engulfing the highway in flames.
Mt. Pleasant Police Chief Mike Hay told News 2 ABC, “Everything is stuck to the road. The asphalt was melting. Everything was so hot, everything was running. The grass was smoking. It was so hot, you had to watch where you were walking and not step in any of it.” Workers from the smelting company aided local HAZMAT crews in the cleanup effort. The asphalt was so severely damaged that the road required repaving.
Luckily, this particular accident happened when traffic was light. In heavy traffic, cargo spills create dangerous situations that can result in everything from minor fender-benders to massive multi-car pileups. Defensive driving can only do so much; there is nothing even the most careful driver can do to prepare for a river of molten metal setting an entire highway on fire.
When accidents like this happen, there is no substitute for experienced legal counsel on your side. Commercial trucking companies will do their best to avoid blame in any accident. The South Carolina commercial truck accident attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC have experience handling the complexities of commercial truck cases. If you or your loved one has been injured in an 18-wheeler accident, call 803-327-7800 or contact us today for a free consultation.
Randy is the former President of the South Carolina Association for Justice. He has been certified by the American Board of Professional Liability as a specialist in Medical Malpractice Law which is recognized by the South Carolina Bar. Randy has also been awarded the distinction of being a “Super Lawyer” 10 times in the last decade. He has over 25 years of experience helping injured people fight back against corporations, hospitals and wrong-doers.
Read more about S. Randall Hood