Jonesboro Trucks Carrying Hazardous Materials

It is important for truck drivers to be alert and cognizant at all times when driving because one moment of inattention can result in catastrophe. For example, let us say you are driving on Interstate 555 through Jonesboro on a rainy day. To your right is a tanker truck. The truck driver is changing the radio station instead of paying attention to their truck and the road. The wet road conditions cause the truck to jackknife and collide with your vehicle. The accident leaves you with broken bones, lacerations, and chemical burns caused by the hazardous material the truck was carrying.

In the aforementioned example, the truck driver will likely be found liable, but that is not guaranteed. In order to recover compensatory damages, such as medical bills, lost wages, loss of consortium, and disfigurement, from the truck driver, you have to establish the truck driver’s negligence by showing that they owed you a duty of reasonable care, breached that duty, and caused you to sustain injuries. While you may be able to also hold the truck driver’s employer liable as well, most trucking companies do not immediately concede liability, and some will even hide or allow incriminating evidence to be destroyed – making it tougher to hold them liable. Time is of the essence in terms of properly investigating a complex trucking accident case.

An experienced 18-wheeler accident attorney in the Jonesboro area can assist you in holding the defendant truck driver and trucking company liable for negligence. Transporting hazardous materials – materials that may be radioactive, poisonous, flammable, corrosive, or explosive – requires a truck driver to maintain a hazmat safety permit per federal law, so a knowledgeable lawyer would know to check for proper licensing. In addition, an attorney could explore whether the employer could be held vicariously liable for the negligent actions of the truck driver that occurred within the course and scope of employment or directly liable due to negligent hiring, negligent training, or negligent supervision.