Jackson, MS Trucks Carrying Hazardous Materials

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) provides nine classes for hazardous materials: explosives, gases, flammable and combustible liquid, flammable solid materials that are dangerous when wet, oxidizer and organic peroxide, poison, radioactive, corrosive, and miscellaneous. These materials are transported daily. In 2016, there were over 88,000 hazardous materials carriers nationwide, according to the FMCSA.

You will need to establish the truck driver’s negligence – which could range from speeding to drunk driving – when pursuing damages after a trucking accident since the State of Mississippi places the burden of proof on the plaintiff. Establishing negligence requires you to prove that your injuries were caused by the trucker’s breach of a duty of reasonable care that they owed you. Under federal law, a truck driver must possess a hazmat safety permit in order to transport hazardous materials, so not having one could hold a truck driver liable. If the truck driver’s negligence occurred during the course and scope of employment, the trucking company may be held vicariously liable for the driver’s negligence. Depending on the facts, direct liability could fall on the employer for actions like negligent hiring, negligent supervision, or negligent training.

It goes without saying that evidence is crucial to proving your case if you were injured in a trucking accident in Jackson or Hinds County. You can do this by photographing the scene of the crash and obtaining contact information of witnesses at the scene. Obtaining a copy of the police report regarding your accident from the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office (located at 407 East Pascagoula Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39201) can bolster your claim – as can obtaining documentation of your injuries from the medical facility that tended to your injuries. Retaining an experienced attorney in the Jackson, MS, area can provide assistance in your endeavors. For example, a lawyer can take steps to prevent spoliation of evidence in an attempt to have potentially vital evidence preserved by the trucking company instead of wrongfully destroyed.

After a collision with a truck carrying hazardous materials, you may be left with critical injuries that render you unable to work and require you to undergo extensive physical therapy at a medical facility like Methodist Rehabilitation Center at 1350 East Woodrow Wilson, Jackson, Mississippi 39216. Losing a source of income and acquiring new debt, especially at the same time, can be overwhelming and nerve-racking. If a trucker’s negligence caused you to suffer those injuries, you may be entitled to compensatory damages for your injuries and losses. For your lost wages and medical bills, you may be awarded economic damages. If you have experienced loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, or disfigurement, non-economic damages may be awarded to you.

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