During the morning commute on Thursday, May 5, drivers noticed a FedEx double tractor-trailer weaving in out and out of its lane on I-24 West in Nashville. According to eyewitnesses, the truck hit at least one vehicle in traffic, which set off a chain reaction that left passenger vehicles scattered across the highway.
Truck accident victims are rarely this lucky
Despite the serious nature of the crash, no one was killed. However, the accident illustrates just how dangerous big trucks can be on the road. One vehicle, driven by Sergeant Richard Crosson, became wedged beneath the 18-wheeler and was dragged up the road. Another vehicle became engulfed in flames after the driver was pulled from the wreckage.
ABC News 2 Nashville reported, “The driver of the now-burned car suffered non-life threatening injuries to his head and leg. Three others were also taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Everyone has since been released. Travis Plotzer with the Tennessee Highway Patrol said the driver of the FedEx truck was later cited for fatigue.”
We’ve written before about the industry conditions that lead to fatigued commercial truck drivers. It’s a persistent problem, and one that has yet to see a good solution, even though driver alertness monitoring systems are widely available. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration “conservatively estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year. This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in monetary losses. These figures may be the tip of the iceberg, since currently it is difficult to attribute crashes to sleepiness.”
Risk can be reduce, but not eliminated
There are steps that you can take to prevent accidents on the road. At Rocky McElhaney Law Firm, we have adopted the American Associate for Justice’s Safe Driving Policy, and work reduce distractions and keep our employees and their families safe. Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent other drivers from making poor decisions, which is all the more likely in a fatigued state. All we can do is give commercial trucks a wide berth and practice defensive driving.
Unfortunately, accidents happen. When they do, the experienced Nashville commercial truck accident attorneys at Rocky McElhaney Law Firm can evaluate your case and help get you the compensation you deserve for, injuries, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Call 615.246.5549 or contact us today for a free consultation at our Nashville, Gallatin or Knoxville office.
