Due to the size of commercial trucks, accidents involving 18-wheelers often result in serious damage. Individuals involved in trucking accidents may suffer catastrophic injuries including brain, back and spinal cord injuries. In some cases, accidents caused by commercial trucks may be fatal.
Last week, the actions of one truck driver caused a serious accident that sent four to the hospital in North Carolina. The accident occurred on Interstate 26 shortly before 8 p.m. on Oct. 5. According to the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the truck driver was traveling eastbound on the interstate. As the trailer was heading down a hill, the driver suddenly lost control of the 18-wheeler.
Instead of attempting to regain control of the truck, the driver jumped out of the vehicle, turning it loose.
When the trucker jumped out of the 18-wheeler, the vehicle crashed through a guardrail and continued down the hill on the interstate until it came to a stop more than a mile away. The incident created a trail of debris and traffic began to slow in order to avoid hitting the debris on the road.
Due to the sudden slowdown in traffic, another driver of an 18-wheeler was forced to swerve off of the road in order to avoid hitting the vehicles. However, the truck rolled over and hit a flatbed truck and a pickup truck.
Both of the drivers of the 18-wheelers were airlifted to local hospitals to receive treatment for their injuries. The drivers of the pickup truck and flatbed truck did not suffer life-threatening injuries, but they were also hospitalized.
Many individuals in North Carolina file personal injury claims when they have been injured in an accident that was caused by a negligent driver. Victims are often able to recover medical costs and compensation for their pain and suffering when these claims are settled.
However, trucking companies have their own sets of lawyers and adjusters who will do whatever it takes to minimize a company’s liability in a serious or fatal accident. For this reason, victims who have been injured in a truck accident often seek guidance from an attorney in order to aggressively pursue their personal injury claim.
Source: wistv, “Trucker jumps out of cab, wrecks close I-26 in western NC,” Oct. 6, 2011