Tennessee Trucking Accidents Involving More Than One Tractor Trailer Truck

By Thomas Greer | March 13, 2014

Any accident that involves a tractor trailer can cause a greater amount of property damage and injuries than your average car accident.  Undoubtedly, the size and weight of tractor trailers, as well as the way that they are made, create the potential for very serious accidents. When two or more tractor trailers collide, the results can be devastating.

Accidents involving multiple tractor trailers can happen at any time, but the risk for such an accident is highest during morning and evening commute times (i.e., when roads are the most crowded). There are several types of ways that tractor trailers can collide with each other. Sometimes, one truck rear-ends another. Depending upon the speed at which the trucks were traveling and their weight, rear-end collisions can be extremely damaging to the trucks. Even worse, the driver may become trapped inside the cab of their truck.  Rear-end accidents can be fatal, either as a result of injuries sustained in the crash or from being trapped in the cab during a fire or explosion. Earlier this month, icy roads caused many traffic accidents across Tennessee, including a chain-reaction accident that involved four tractor trailers and eight other vehicles. Side impacts are also possible, when tractor trailers drive in close proximity to one another.

Trucking accidents can create complicated sets of facts which may make it difficult for accident victims to pursue their claims for damages. If you have been in an accident involving one or more tractor trailers, it is important that you understand what happens when this type of accident occurs. Tractor trailers are usually owned by trucking companies and covered by commercial insurance policies. This creates a situation where there are multiple parties who could be held liable for various portions of the injuries and/or damages caused by the accident. When a tractor trailer gets in a wreck, the trucking company calls its insurer to tell them that there has been an accident. The insurer sends out a team of investigators to examine the accident scene.

The investigators who are employed by the trucking companies try to speak to as many of the people who were at the scene of an accident as they can. Remember that the investigators are not neutral parties. They are employed by the trucking company and/or its insurer, so they do not have your best interest in mind. You may choose to refuse to speak with investigators at the scene of the crash, until you have had the opportunity to speak with an attorney about the accident. It is a good idea to contact a Tennessee trucking accident attorney as soon as you can after you are involved in a tractor trailer accident. Your attorney can help you deal with the accident investigators, and can use their knowledge about commercial insurance policies, trucking industry laws, and trucking accidents to help you pursue recovery from the various parties who are responsible for your injuries.

If you or someone that you love has been injured or killed in a trucking accident, it is important that you speak with an attorney right away. The experienced Memphis truck accident lawyers at Bailey & Greer, PLLC will sit down with you to learn about your case, explain your options, and help you decide how to proceed. To learn more, call us at 901-680-9777 to schedule a time to discuss your case.  At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.

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