Among the cargo being hauled through San Antonio is hazardous materials.
18-Wheeler Hauling Condemned Vegetables Dumps Cargo on I-35 After Colliding with a Signal Truck
According to a KSAT News report, an accident involving a big rig shut traffic down for hours on I-35 this morning.
Police reported the accident occurred on I-35 Northbound near Brooke Army Medical Center at around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, February 6th. A tractor-trailer hauling potentially contaminated vegetables collided with a signal truck at the back of a sweeper convoy, causing it to roll over. The trailer and the truck were both towed, but the trailer broke open in the process, causing the cargo to spill onto the interstate. Hazmat crews came to clean up the spill around 6 a.m., but the trailer remained on the road until past 10:30 a.m., causing significant delays.
Both drivers were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Did You Know?
There were 22,765 FMCSA hazardous material incidents on highways in the United States in 2023.
Hazmat Trucking Accidents in San Antonio
18-wheeler accidents are often devastating and frequently result in severe injury or, in the worst case, death. Even more frightening are the consequences of a hazmat trucking accident.
When a hazmat truck dumps its cargo in an accident, it can not only cause severe injuries to those in the other vehicle but also to those in surrounding homes or businesses near the accident site. It’s important to know your rights if you’re hurt by a hazmat trucking accident in San Antonio.
What Kind of Materials Do Hazmat Trucks Haul?
There are 9 classes of hazardous materials, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA):
- Explosives — including anything that could explode or contribute to an explosion.
- Gases — both flammable and non-flammable toxic gases.
- Flammable Liquid — including gasoline and similar liquids.
- Flammable Solids — including activated charcoal, magnesium, sulfur, and similar substances.
- Oxidizers and Peroxides — chemicals that enhance the burning of other substances.
- Toxic Materials/Infectious Substances — rat poison and pathogens are not gas or liquid but are extremely toxic and fall in this category.
- Radioactive Material — which can affect the environment for years after the incident.
- Corrosive Substances — acid or base materials strong enough to quickly burn through other materials.
- Miscellaneous — anything that could be hazardous but does not fall into any other category. Dry ice and lithium-ion batteries are common examples.
Hazmat trucking companies are strictly regulated. But even if a hazmat truck is loaded properly, it can still spill cargo in an accident. There were 53 injuries and 11 deaths from hazardous material spills on highways last year alone, resulting in over $400,000,000 in damages.
Legal Complexities
Liability in accidents involving hazmat cargo is complicated. It may involve many parties, including:
- The driver,
- The loading company,
- The owner of the materials,
- Inspectors,
- Maintenance companies,
- and others.
There are also many complex regulations hazmat trucks are required to follow that may have been broken. All of these require expert scrutiny to determine who bears legal responsibility for injuries sustained.
Injured by Hazardous Cargo in San Antonio? Call Carabin Shaw.
You have rights after a big rig accident.
Hazmat transport companies have big teams of lawyers backing them up — you can too.
Our 18-wheeler accident attorneys have 30 years of specialized experience handling 18-wheeler accident cases, and we care. If you were hurt by hazardous cargo in an auto accident in San Antonio, call the team that puts their clients first at 800-862-1260 or use the live chat today. We look forward to serving you.
Contacting a Carabin Shaw attorney is free and does not obligate you to work with the firm.