A March 28 truck accident outside of Reeds Spring, Missouri fortunately
only resulted in injury to the truck driver. The truck driver was operating
a 1997 GMC 7500 truck and was hauling gas at the time that the accident occurred.
The Missouri Highway Patrol reported that the truck was traveling at too
high of a speed when it attempted to make a left hand turn at close to
8:00 a.m. The truck then overturned. The truck driver who resided in Stone
County was said to have suffered moderate injuries.
Commercial vehicles such as trucks are difficult to operate. Careless operation
of such vehicles cannot be tolerated. Trucks are difficult to maneuver
and may not always stop as quickly as many smaller vehicles. And the sheer
size of such vehicles can create a large number of risks for everyone
on the road.
Trucks can be particularly difficult to turn at intersections. If the driver
happens to also be traveling too fast, an accident like the one mentioned
above becomes increasingly likely.
Finally, drivers are often hauling hazardous materials such as gasoline.
Even if the truck does not collide with another vehicle, others in the
vicinity where the accident occurred are thus placed in danger by reckless
operation of such a truck.
There can be other parties responsible for
trucking accidents. For example, trucking companies may require truckers to work long hours
or set deadlines that will motivate drivers to operate vehicles at higher
speeds. Sometimes trucks are poorly maintained or overloaded as well.
Attorneys representing victims injured in truck accidents can hold both
the trucker and the trucking company accountable if either party happens
to be negligent. Attorneys can investigate the incident, recreate how
the accident occurred, negotiate for a settlement and represent injured
people at trial.
Source: KY3, “One man injured after gas truck overturns near Reeds Spring,” Sean Barnhill, March 28, 2014
