Because there are so many crude oil refineries in Louisiana, large tanker trucks are hardly an uncommon sight on both major highways and some minor local roads in the Pelican State. Driving a fully loaded tanker truck is much more challenging than driving a standard passenger car, and the professionals who operate these massive machines must be specially trained before getting out on the road and remain responsible behind the wheel at all times.
If you were recently injured in a wreck caused by a tanker driver’s negligence, you may have grounds to demand civil compensation not just from the trucker themselves, but potentially from other parties affiliated with them. No matter how your tanker truck accident in Prairieville happened or who is to blame for it, you should think twice before trying to file suit without first seeking the help of an experienced truck accident lawyer from Tomeny | Best.
How Negligence Can Lead to Tanker Truck Crashes
Many of the reckless and careless acts that can lead to a traffic accident involving any type of vehicle can also lead to wrecks involving tanker trucks in Prairieville. This includes overtly illegal things like speeding and drunk driving to simply irresponsible behaviors like driving while distracted. However, one unique hazard associated with tanker trucks, in particular, is the increased danger of the truck becoming unbalanced due to an unexpected load shift.
More specifically, the fact that tanker trucks have liquid or gaseous cargo means that there is no way to secure that cargo within its container while the truck transporting it is in motion, so the shifting of that cargo during a sharp turn or a sudden slam on the brakes may affect the truck’s momentum and direction much more than solid cargo would. On top of that, the ever-present risk of fires and explosions in crashes involving flammable and volatile materials can make even low-speed tanker truck accidents extremely dangerous.
Holding the Right People Accountable for Damages
Most of the time, the person most directly at fault for a tanker truck crash in Prairieville is the tanker truck driver since they are the one with the greatest duty of care to act carefully behind the wheel to avoid injuring other people on the road with them. With that said, it is also often possible to hold trucking companies vicariously liable for incidents like this if negligence by one of their employees was the main reason for the wreck happening in the first place.
In other situations, partial or primary fault for this sort of accident may lie with a mechanic who failed to ensure a tanker truck was in safe working order prior to transit, a manufacturer who produced defective truck components, or even a supplier who failed to correctly fill or seal the tank attached to a tanker truck. Guidance from capable legal counsel can be key to identifying everyone who played a role in causing a specific injury and to holding them all accountable for that injury’s consequences.
Contact a Prairieville Attorney for Help After a Tanker Truck Accident
Tanker trucks play an essential role in the country’s oil and gas industry, not to mention several other industries that require valuable materials to be transported in non-solid forms. As important as they are, though, there is no excuse for tanker trucks to be operated in reckless or careless ways, especially if that leads to other people suffering life-altering injuries.
A qualified truck accident lawyer from Tomeny | Best can be the steadfast ally you need to get fair compensation following a tanker truck accident in Prairieville. Call today for a free consultation.
