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Jackson, MS Trucks Carrying Hazardous Materials
Tractor-Trailer Crash Attorneys Serving Jackson, Mississippi
Hazardous materials carried by trucks can be flammable, explosive, poisonous, or radioactive. It is because of these dangers that truck drivers transporting hazardous materials should constantly drive with the utmost care and caution. All it takes is a slight collision involving a truck carrying hazardous materials to result in catastrophe. If you or a loved one has been injured by a truck carrying hazardous materials, you should call the Jackson truck accident lawyers at Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz to discuss your case. We are a large regional personal injury law firm with more than 30 years of experience representing trucking accident victims in Mississippi and throughout the South. As a result of our commitment to our clients, our firm has recovered damages in excess of $1.5 billion on behalf of injured victims and their loved ones through verdicts, settlements, and judgments.
Accidents Involving 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.
CONSULT AN NST ATTORNEY ABOUT YOUR CASE TODAY
At Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, we understand what hazardous material truck accidents can do to victims and their families physically, emotionally, and financially, and that is why we are dedicated to fighting for our clients’ rightful damages. Contact our office by calling us toll-free at 800-529-4004 or by completing our online form to schedule a free consultation with a truck accident lawyer. Let us show you why NST is the way to go.
125 South Congress St
Suite 1300
Jackson, MS 39201
Phone: 601-362-5222
Fax: 601-991-3465