You’ve probably seen them on the road: big trucks with enormous cylindrical canisters. Every year, these trucks cover millions of miles in Alabama, carrying resources like oil and gas, cement, and even milk. However, when a tanker truck causes a crash, the resulting injuries can be catastrophic – especially if the truck is carrying hazardous materials.
In this article, our experienced truck accident lawyers outline what you should do after a crash with a tanker truck.
Why Are Tanker Trucks So Dangerous?
Alabama’s oil and gas industry plays an important role in our economy. It employs roughly 86,400 people, including thousands of people who specialize in the transportation and warehousing of natural gas and oil. This also means that our state sees a higher volume of tanker trucks on our roads.
We rely on oil and natural gas every day, but when something goes wrong in transit, these resources can literally add fuel to the fire. According to federal crash data, 63% of our nation’s fatal hazmat crashes involve oil and gas releases. In nonfatal truck wrecks, the number drops to 45%.
“Every year, these trucks cover millions of miles in Alabama, carrying resources like oil and gas, cement, and even milk. However, when a tanker truck causes a crash, the resulting injuries can be catastrophic – especially if the truck is carrying hazardous materials.”
Furthermore, tankers are slower and less agile than a passenger vehicle. They have larger blind spots which can make driving in adverse conditions difficult and dangerous. And, with rigid demands for speedy delivery, it’s not uncommon for drivers to spend more time on the road than they should just to make their deadlines. Unfortunately, these inherently risky elements and negligent driving behaviors can lead to devastating accidents on the road.
RELATED BLOG ARTICLE: Who Pays When Delivery Trucks Cause Injuries?
Hurt by a Tanker Truck? Here’s What You Need to Do
After a crash, emotions run high. While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, you need to take a deep breath and act decisively. Here are a few steps we recommend victims take to protect themselves and their legal claims, should they choose to file one.
Make Sure Everyone Is Safe and Call the Police
At the crash scene, the most important thing to do is make sure everyone involved is safe. Tanker trucks carry a phenomenal amount of cargo. When these vehicles, which can weigh 30 times more than the average car, collide with your vehicle, the results can be terrifying.
You should always call 911 after a crash, and ask for an ambulance and the police. Cooperate with the police and medical personnel when they arrive. The police report and medical records generated by the call will only help your case down the road.
Collect Evidence if You Can
It’s not always possible, but if you can, take photos at the scene of the accident. You don’t need a fancy camera to take meaningful photos; cell phone images of your car, the tanker truck, the road, and any debris will be helpful.
You should also collect the names of the other drivers, any witnesses, and other people involved in the crash investigation. Their testimony may help you prove the truck driver’s negligence.
Go to the Doctor
Whether you are taken to the emergency room in an ambulance or walk away without bumps and bruises, it’s critical that you seek medical attention after an incident with a tanker truck. Sometimes, internal injuries get missed because they’re not as obvious as a broken bone or gashed forehead. Don’t drag out your recovery by delaying medical treatment.
Just as importantly, medical records are essential to your legal claims. They can connect your injuries to the accident, document your disabilities, and can help your lawyer calculate your damages.
Call a Truck Crash Lawyer
At Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys, we’ve been helping victims of truck crashes for over 30 years. We understand how emotionally and financially devastating truck accidents and their aftermath can be for victims. When you need to secure your financial future, filing a suit is a good option.
However, trucking companies are notorious for doing whatever it takes to keep victims from getting the compensation they deserve. To ensure that you get a fair settlement, you should call an experienced truck crash attorney right away.
RELATED BLOG ARTICLE: What Every Crash Victim Needs to Know About Truck Technology
Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys: Fighting For Alabama Victims of Tanker Truck Crashes and Across the Gulf Coast
Our big truck lawyers believe that victims deserve fair compensation for their injuries. That’s why we fight with tenacity and grit to make sure victims understand their right and options, and aren’t cheated out of a penny.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a crash with a tanker truck, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free, no-risk case evaluation. To speak with one of our experienced, compassionate attorneys, fill out our convenient online contact form or call our offices at 251-888-8888.
Resources
Fatality facts 2017: Large trucks (2018, December). IIHS-HLDI. Retrieved from https://www.iihs.org/topics/fatality-statistics/detail/large-trucks
Large Truck and Bus Crash Facts 2017 (2019, May). Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Retrieved from https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcsa.dot.gov/files/docs/safety/data-and-statistics/461861/ltcbf-2017-final-5-6-2019.pdf
Natural gas and oil: Fuel Alabama (2017, July). API. Retrieved from https://www.api.org/~/media/Files/Policy/Jobs/Economics-Nat-Gas-Oil/API_OilEconomy_Alabama.pdf
The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.
Andy is the owner and CEO of Citrin Law Firm, P.C. He founded the firm in 1995 with the goal of helping injured people put their lives back together. His passion for protecting injured people has only grown since he opened the doors of Andy Citrin Injury Attorneys, and he has a history of winning numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients.