18 Wheeler Crashes and Explodes
Last week outside Dallas, officials shut down I-35 East for hours to battle the huge blaze started when an 18-wheeler crashed and exploded. According to witnesses, the tanker truck driver jumped from the cab before it burst into flame, but in almost no time, the entire truck became an inferno. Two people from adjacent vehicles were transported by CareFlite for burn treatment.
Law enforcement urged onlookers to stay back because of the extreme heat from the blaze. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
18 Wheelers and Explosions
Any vehicle can catch on fire after an accident. Semi-trucks might not be any more likely to explode than any other vehicle, but when they do, the damage is much bigger.
Obviously, they’re larger than passenger vehicles, so even if they’re not carrying a load, there’s more fuel for a blaze. They have larger gas tanks, so any combustion happens on a larger scale. Big trucks often carry flammable cargo, and some of it is toxic or hazardous.
18-wheeler accidents that lead to explosions might be caused by the following:
- Fatigued drivers
- Distracted driving (texting, searching for an alternative route etc.)
- Poorly balanced or overweight loads
- Poorly maintained equipment
- Vehicle manufacturer defects
- Driver drug or alcohol consumption
- Bad weather
- Road defects
- Other drivers
Sometimes 18 wheeler explosions happen because a driver swerves to miss one vehicle, loses control and rolls or crashes into another. Other times, passenger vehicles cause problems by not giving them enough room to stop or slow.
Injuries From 18 Wheeler Explosions
If there’s a collision involved, individuals could receive all the same injury types you see from regular vehicle accidents. They might have head injuries, broken bones, back injuries, damaged internal organs, cuts and bruises and a host of other wound types.
The difference is, because semi-trucks are so much bigger and heavier, the injuries tend to be more severe. Passenger vehicle occupants are more likely to spend more time in the hospital and, tragically, more likely to die.
With an 18-wheeler explosion, people don’t have to be actually hit by the tractor-trailer rig to become injured. Explosions can have a concussive force and quickly spread to surrounding areas, causing burns and other injuries.
Burn Injuries from 18 Wheeler Explosions
If you accidentally spill hot coffee on your leg or your heat styling tools get too close to your skin, you might face several days of discomfort while your skin heals, but you’re not likely to face long term effects. With a vehicle explosion, there’s spilled combustible fuel, hot metal, synthetic materials that melt to skin and a range of other factors that cause deep tissue damage or third degree burns that require repeat medical interventions to heal. Your lungs might receive damage from the fumes. Your mind and emotions may never be the same because of what you experienced.
Car accidents that involve explosions cause deep trauma. If you were injured in this type of accident, you need legal representation that can help you through what’s ahead. Schedule a free consultation to talk to a Monsour Law Firm attorney today.
