TRUCKING ACCIDENTS

Tanker Truck Accidents in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs Tanker Truck Accident Law Firm

Tanker trucks are frequently used to transport hazardous materials. Every day, these trucks, which are sometimes loaded with explosive materials, pass by commuters. Tanker trucks carrying various loads may be encountered as you travel on Interstate 25, Powers Blvd, or Woodmen Ave..

If these massive tanker trucks, like other big rigs and tractor-trailers, collide with other cars, they can cause catastrophic injuries. Any truck accident involving a tanker truck that breaches the tanker and allows hazardous materials to escape can result in additional injuries.

Tanker truck accidents can be more dangerous than regular commercial truck accidents due to the hazardous loads. Burns and smoke inhalation injuries are common among those injured in tanker truck accidents. Treatment for these injuries can be costly, and victims may never fully recover. 

When you’re hurt in a tanker truck accident, you’re probably worried about the future. You’re concerned about your health and well-being. You are concerned about how your life may alter. The bills pile up rapidly, and you’re not sure how you’ll pay them all. Fortunately, assistance is available.

Our truck accident lawyers know exactly how to bring a successful truck accident claim. The problem a lot of victims run into is hiring a so called truck accident attorney who does not actually handle trucking accident claims on a regular basis.

A traditional personal injury attorney is not capable of handling a truck accident case, especially truck accident lawsuits. Truck drivers must be held accountable, along with the trucking companies that employ negligent drivers.

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If you or a loved one was injured in a tanker truck accident in or around Colorado Springs, you may be entitled to compensation. Consult a Colorado Springs truck accident lawyer about your individual situation.

Your tanker truck accident lawyer will work immediately to identify all potential sources of liability and aggressively pursue those responsible for the trucking accident in order to get maximum compensation. While your truck accident lawyer is working tirelessly on your behalf, you may devote your time and energy to your physical and emotional recuperation.

This article gives a general overview of such instances and the considerations that go into obtaining compensation in a Colorado Springs trucking accident.

TANKER TRUCKS POSE SPECIAL RISKS

Tanker trucks transport over a quarter of all freight in the United States. Unlike their tractor-trailer cousins, which carry a variety of loads, these cars are only employed for certain sorts of freight.

Tanker trucks usually transport the following:

  • Fuel
  • Hydrogen
  • Propane
  • Nitrogen
  • Wastewater
  • Toxic chemicals
  • Fertilizer
  • Agricultural waste

While not all cargo transported by tanker trucks is dangerous, it is frequently so. Tanker trucks, by virtue of their sheer size and weight, also pose the same dangers as other commercial trucks. The toxic substance adds to the intensity and devastation of the accident.

TOXIC EMISSIONS

Some chemicals may create difficulties even if they do not come into touch with the human body. For certain hazardous vapors, inhaling the deadly compounds is all it takes to cause serious damage and long-term health issues.

Because the fumes are often odorless and colorless, many victims are unaware that they have been injured. Truck drivers must take extraordinary care.

It might take weeks for serious symptoms like:

  • Eye irritation
  • Coughing
  • Vomiting
  • Swelling to appear

These symptoms may emerge immediately or may take time to manifest if you breath particularly harmful gases. It’s important to get therapy after being exposed to such substances in order to determine how you’ve been affected and to guarantee a complete recovery.

LEAKING OF CHEMICALS

When a tanker truck is involved in an accident, the cargo hold may be damaged. This damage might result in a hole or a crack in the tanker, allowing deadly chemicals to spill out into the ground or into the air.

Depending on the sort of chemical leaking and where it is leaking, it might hurt not just individuals engaged in the accident, but also others who live and work nearby.

If you are stuck or unable to flee the site of a tanker truck accident, call 911 immediately. When a chemical leaks, it might result in a life-threatening scenario. It’s possible that the chemical may come into touch with your skin, resulting in severe chemical burns.

If you are in the proximity of the accident, you may also be hurt. As a consequence of the accident, you may suffer lasting deformity, infection, tissue damage, muscle damage, or other illnesses or diseases, depending on the kind of chemical.

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

Some tanker truck loads have the potential to catch fire. When a tanker truck is involved in an accident, the volatile cargo may be exposed to heat or other circumstances that might result in an explosion. The car or other things on the site may catch fire, posing a life-threatening scenario for anybody trapped inside.

When a tanker truck explodes, it puts additional people at danger of being injured or killed. Surviving victims are likely to have significant injuries that will need lifelong medical care and attention.

Serious Injuries that are common

A tanker truck accident may result in severe and even deadly injuries.

The following are the most frequent injuries:

  • Broken bones
  • Burns
  • Concussions and traumatic brain injuries
  • Toxic chemicals and gases
  • Amputation
  • Paralysis

Your problems may just be beginning after being injured in a tanker truck accident. You may never completely heal depending on the nature and severity of your injury.

While this is unfortunate, it means you will not only have to adapt to a new way of life, but you will also have significant medical expenses to pay. You may also be unable to work in the same capacity as before, limiting your ability to generate money to meet your financial obligations.

Finding an experienced Colorado Springs tanker truck accident lawyer can assist you in obtaining the compensation you want to cover the costs of your recovery. While you concentrate on the important task of monitoring your health and rehabilitation, your truck accident lawyer may work tirelessly to hold the irresponsible party accountable and collect the most compensation possible so you don’t have to worry about paying your costs.

LIABILITY FOR A COLORADO SPRINGS TANKER TRUCK ACCIDENT

In order to ensure that the correct people are held responsible in your Colorado Springs tanker truck case, your attorney will need to undertake a thorough investigation.

This may need the involvement of accident reconstruction specialists for tanker trucks. These specialists’ goal is to pinpoint the exact cause of your accident so that your legal team can hold the guilty party accountable.

It may be important to hire tanker truck accident reconstruction specialists to figure out who is to blame for your accident—and there may be more than one party.

DRIVER OF A TRUCK

In each car collision, the most apparent place to begin is with the driver.

A driver may cause or contribute to your accident for a variety of reasons, including:

  • Speeding
  • Driving too fast for the road conditions
  • Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  • Distracted driving
  • Drowsy driving
  • Running a red light or stop sign
  • Failure to stop at railroad crossings
  • Whether you’re a truck owner or a truck driver’s boss

Your accident might potentially be caused by the car’s owner or the firm that hires the truck driver. If the truck owner failed to maintain the car correctly and there was a fault that contributed to the accident, they may be held liable.

You may hold a truck employer liable if he or she performed the same thing or was negligent in some other manner. Employers of truck drivers are expected to properly recruit and train their drivers.

Even if the truck driver was the direct cause of the accident, their trucking company is often held liable as well. If a trucking firm employs a driver without conducting a comprehensive background check or providing proper training, they may be held liable for the accident in which you were injured.

A SHIPPING FIRM

The cargo is sometimes loaded into a tanker truck by the shipping firm. It’s possible that if it’s not loaded properly, weight movements in the trailer will cause it to roll over.

Because of the intense impact induced by the rollover, this sort of collision often includes many cars and may result in explosions and flames.

TRUCKING COMPANY IN CHARGE OF MAINTENANCE

Even if there is no immediate concern, tanker trucks must be maintained on a regular basis. This preventive maintenance ensures that problems are identified and resolved before a tanker truck hits the road, possibly resulting in a fatal tragedy.

A maintenance business might be held liable for the accident if it fails to properly maintain the car and repair any issues. For instance, if a maintenance professional over-inflates a tire and it blows out while driving, the maintenance firm may be held accountable.

MANUFACTURER OF TRUCKS

Tanker trucks feature a lot of moving elements that have to function together flawlessly in order for the car to be safe. When a car is improperly manufactured or a component malfunctions, the commercial truck manufacturer may be held liable for your injuries.

When a component fails, the maker of the part may be held accountable. Because commercial truck manufacturers do not build every component, both the car manufacturer and the part maker may be held liable. Liability in the instance of a manufacturing flaw may be complicated, and determining the specific cause will need a thorough investigation.

COLLECTING COMPENSATION IN A COLORADO SPRINGS TANKER TRUCK ACCIDENT – Trucking Accident Attorneys

Your injuries from a Colorado Springs tanker truck collision might be serious. They have the potential to change your life forever. To maintain your everyday activities, you may need continual medical treatment.

A knowledgeable Colorado Springs tanker truck accident lawyer may assist you in obtaining compensation to offset your considerable medical expenses.

Your commercial truck accident lawyer may also seek compensation for the following:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional discomfort
  • Income loss
  • Earning potential loss
  • Loss of friendship
  • Loss of pleasure of life
  • Medical expenditures both now and in the future
  • The expense of rehabilitation

A lawsuit is probably the last thing on your mind after a tanker truck collision. However, you may have to pay for medical treatment for the rest of your life, which is not inexpensive.

Medical expenditures are, in fact, the number one reason Americans file for bankruptcy each year. Working with experienced tanker truck accident attorneys in Colorado Springs may help you avoid becoming a statistic.

There is a Limited Time to File a Lawsuit in Colorado Springs for a Tanker Truck Accident.

Every state has a statute of limitations on how long an accident victim may sue the person who caused their injuries. The time limit in Colorado Springs is three years from the date of the accident, according to Colorado law.

Many victims of tanker truck accidents may not consider suing the at-fault party immediately soon. Their first priority is, understandably, their health and well-being. However, do not put off contacting an attorney to discuss your legal alternatives for obtaining compensation. If you do not file within the statute of limitations, you will almost certainly lose your right to compensation.

Starting this approach as soon as feasible can also increase your chances of success. Having an attorney on your side might make it a lot simpler to get started.

JEREMY D. EARLE, JD IS A TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYER

Consider the following scenarios if you are involved in a tanker truck accident:

  • Multiple operations
  • Time away from work
  • Hospital stays
  • Doctor appointments
  • Prescription drug expenditures
  • In-facility rehabilitation
  • In-home care

Dealing with all of these issues, on top of wondering about how you’ll pay your medical costs and other expenditures, may be exhausting. You may have an expert assist you in pursuing compensation from those responsible for the accident if you get legal advice as soon as possible.

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