One Person Killed in Accident Involving Two Tractor Trailers

On Friday, May 23, 2014, two tractor trailers collided in an early morning accident on the westbound side of Interstate 24. The driver of one truck was killed instantly as his truck crashed into the back end of the other truck. The impact caused the trucks to become stuck together, and the force of the collision pushed the trucks almost five hundred feet before they came to rest. Emergency cleanup crews were called to the scene to clean up diesel fuel which spilled from the wreckage, and the road was closed for a few hours so that the vehicles could be removed from the roadway.

This fatal accident calls attention to what can happen when multiple tractor trailers are involved in an accident. When even one tractor trailer is involved in a crash, the potential for large amounts of property damage and severe injuries increases dramatically. These risks are even greater when additional tractor trailers are involved, as their size and weight make for an accident of tremendous magnitude. There is a high likelihood that at least one fatality, severe injuries, and enormous amounts of property damage will result from a crash like the fatal accident described above.

While rear-end collisions involving passenger vehicles can cause damage, injury, and fatalities, rear-end collisions involving multiple tractor trailers can cause even greater losses. In a rear-end accident involving passenger vehicles, the vehicle that gets rear-ended usually sustains the most damage, and its occupants usually suffer more severe injuries than the occupants of the vehicle which collided with it. In this tractor trailer accident, the trucks got stuck together and the truck which caused the impact was so badly damaged that its driver, who died on impact, had to be extricated from the cab.

When a tractor trailer accident happens, it is important that accident victims and their families know what is likely to be happening at the accident scene so that you can take steps to protect your rights. Tractor trailers are usually owned by a trucking company and covered by a commercial insurance policy. When there is a crash, the trucking company notifies its insurer, which sends a team of investigators to the accident scene to investigate the crash. Often, these investigators will try to obtain information from accident victims and others at the scene which could be helpful to their client, the trucking company. It is important that you refrain from speaking to anyone besides the police until you are represented by counsel. Also, in speaking with police, only provide as much information as is absolutely necessary.

Trucking accidents are much different than accidents involving only passenger vehicles. Accident victims and their families should consult with a Tennessee Trucking Accident Attorney to ensure that their counsel is knowledgeable about the trucking industry, commercial insurers, the rules and regulations that govern the trucking industry, and the multiple parties which can be involved in tractor trailer accidents. The knowledgeable and experienced Memphis Trucking Accident Attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC are here to help you. We 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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