Hazardous Material Spills
Some trucks on the road are hauling hazardous materials, including toxic substances or fuel. Any collision with one of these rigs can result in a spill, leading to fires or massive injuries. Entire communities are affected when a truck carrying toxic chemicals rolls over or explodes. Contact a law firm with deep experience in truck accidents. At Snyder Heitman, we can help document the full extent of any injuries and negotiate compensation with the trucker or their employer.
Why Hazardous Material Spills Are So Dangerous
Truckers need a special permit before they can haul hazardous materials. In fact, the federal government sets various regulations, including mandatory training every three years. Any collision can lead to a breach and a toxic spill, so the more stringent requirements make sense.
Injuries are often serious and hard to treat:
- Chemical burns. If the material catches on fire, it can easily engulf the occupants of any other vehicle nearby. Sometimes the chemicals even splash on pedestrians or bystanders, causing chemical burns.
- Bystanders and motorists absorb toxic chemicals through inhalation or direct contact with their skin. Once the toxic chemicals enter the bloodstream, they can damage critical organs like the kidneys. Complications from poisoning might not show up for a day or two.
- Respiratory illnesses. Our clients might inhale toxic chemicals and injure their lungs, leading to permanent respiratory injury.
- Brain damage. Toxic chemicals can lead to brain injury, which is hard to treat. Depending on the areas of the brain which are injured, a person could struggle with impaired speech, memory, or movement.
These injuries often require extended time in the hospital for monitoring and treatment. Chemical burns, for example, can lead to disfiguring scars which impair a person’s ability to take care of themselves. They can require lengthy physical therapy, occupational therapy, and mental health counseling.
Call our office to discuss your legal options. We can investigate the chemical spill to determine who is liable for your injuries. Our firm has developed experience gauging the dollar value of a claim, and we can negotiate compensation for job loss, loss of earning capacity, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and pain and suffering.
We will also fully evaluate who is legally responsible for the injuries. Although a negligent trucker is often at fault, other defendants include the trucking company or the chemical manufacturer. Identifying the correct defendant saves our clients time and money.
Schedule a Consultation Today
The lawyers at Snyder Heitman know that trucking companies vigorously defend themselves from any allegations that are responsible for an accident. Toxic spills regularly make the news, with hundreds of people impacted. These are often “mass tort” events, and anyone affected by this type of crash must hire the right law firm.
Contact us to speak with an experienced Greenville truck accident lawyer about your accident. We can swing into action to request important evidence or documentation. We can also help you fully document the severity of your injuries. Our firm serves Upstate South Carolina, Spartanburg, and nearby communities.
Source:
osha.gov/trucking-industry/transporting-hazardous-materials