Question 1

What Are Some Types of Tanker Truck Accidents?

Accepted Answer

Because of the dangerous materials that are transported by tanker trucks, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has imposed strict regulations regarding their weight and the amount of materials that can be transported by a single vehicle. In addition, the FMCSA requires all tanker drivers who are transporting hazardous material to receive a tanker endorsement from the administration to ensure they have the necessary experience and knowledge to safely drive a tanker truck.

However, when drivers are inexperienced or reckless, several dangerous accidents can occur, including:

Rollovers: Tanker trucks are more prone to rollovers and spills when compared to other large trucks. When transporting liquid materials like oil, the material can slosh around within the tank, throwing off the weight distribution of the truck. If the material sloshes too much to one side, the truck may tip over and cause a massive spill and pileup.

Jackknifing: Similar to rollovers, jackknifing often occurs because the truck is overloaded or has an uneven weight. If the driver has to come to a sudden stop and brakes too quickly, the tank can come crashing forward against the truck. This causes the tank to shift to a 90-degree angle, side-swiping other vehicles. This can lead to a chain reaction, often resulting in rollovers as well as hitch failures.

Hitch Failures: Also known as runaway trailers, hitch failures occur when the tank becomes disconnected from the truck and rolls down the road on its own, causing devastating accidents, injuries, and inevitably a spill. Hitch failures can occur due to mechanical failure, jackknifing, and rollovers.

Any one of these accidents can lead to devastating injuries and costly medical bills. Despite referring to them as accidents, they are often due to negligent behavior on the part of the truck driver or trucking company.

Question 2

What Causes Spills?

Accepted Answer

The state of Wyoming has ranked eighth nationally in crude oil and natural gas protection, according to the Wyoming State Geological Survey. As a result, our state is in high demand for truck drivers to transport these hazardous materials across the country. However, the United States is currently in a trucker shortage despite the fact that we need truck drivers more than ever. Based on an analysis by the American Trucking Association (ATA), the industry could be down 100,000 drivers by 2023 and 160,000 by 2028.

Because the oil and natural gas industries are strapped for truckers, companies often push against regulations and safety standards. This can lead to them require drivers to meet strict deadlines, overload their vehicles, and disobey hours of service guidelines which are designed to keep drivers from falling asleep at the wheel. In addition, the industry often higher inexperienced drivers to meet demands. The FMCSA cites training violations as one of the most common issues in the trucking industry.

Tanker truck accidents and spills can occur due to:

Inexperienced drivers who are not properly trained or certified
Fatigue or drowsiness brought on by disobeying hours of services
Mechanical failures that were not fixed following an inspection
Improperly connected or sealed tanks
Speeding or driving recklessly to meet deadlines
Overloading a tanker truck with hazardous materials

At the end of the day, many tanker truck accidents are the result of negligent behavior, which can mean multiple parties are liable for your injuries.

Question 3

Who Is Responsible for Your Injuries?

Accepted Answer

Three main parties can have a part in a tanker truck accident: drivers, trucking companies, and mechanics.

Negligent truck drivers are often the obvious group to blame for an accident. They are expected to drive these high-powered vehicles across multiple county and state lines for long hours while obeying not just the rules of the road but federal regulations. Most should be well-trained and experienced in transporting hazardous materials, as well as being certified by the federal government. However, some are hired without proper training and choose to dismiss important regulations, such as the hours of service. If your accident was caused because the driver was fatigued, then they could be held liable for your injuries.

Alongside drivers, their parent trucking company can have a hand in your accident. Drivers are often pushed by their employers to meet tight deadlines and disobey hours of service. Additionally, companies may avoid providing proper training, hire drivers with a history of substance abuse, or fail to require detailed inspections of tanker trucks. If there is a mechanical failure on a vehicle that they ignored and an accident occurred as a result of this carelessness, the trucking company can be considered an at-fault party in your case.

However, there are scenarios where trucking companies and drivers do not hold all of the fault for an accident. Manufacturers are also expected to design and produce safe vehicles and tankers for transportation. If there is a design flaw that can cause a spill or rollover, then the manufacturer would be at fault. Similarly, mechanics and repairs shops are required to perform detailed inspection and maintenance on the vehicles. When they fail to replace a damaged component, their negligence could lead to tragic accidents.

Gillette Tanker Truck Accident Attorneys

Dangers of Tanker Spills and Rollovers in Gillette

What Are Some Types of Tanker Truck Accidents?

What Causes Spills?

Who Is Responsible for Your Injuries?

Representing Campbell County Tanker Truck Accident Victims