Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog
In a recent traffic accident, a dump truck let out about 100 gallons of fuel onto Ash Street. According to the Metro West Daily News, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is still waiting to do an investigation into the accident scene to see just how much damage was done.
“Once we get in there, we’ll have a better sense of what the situation is,” said MassDEP Spokesman Ed Coletta.
Our Boston accident lawyers understand that this accident could have been prevented with a little more caution. It all happened when the driver of the dump truck crossed over into the left lane and slammed right into a wooded area just before 11:300 a.m. According to Ken Clark, the Hopkinton Fire Chief, the truck slammed into a number of trees. One of those trees caused some serious damage to the 132-gallon diesel fuel tank. Fuel wound up spilling everywhere.
The driver of the truck was transported to Milford Regional Medical Center where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Firefighters who responded to the accident tried to catch the fuel using an inflatable pool-like collection device. Luckily, the accident didn’t happen near any sensitive environment areas, but officials want to make sure that none of the fuel is going to affect any of the well systems nearby.
The truth of the matter is that there’s no getting around large trucks. They carry critical commodities, including fuel. Unfortunately, these trucks also work to deliver some serious accident risks. Most times, other travelers, such as those in passenger vehicles, those on bicycles and those on foot, don’t stand a chance against these large vehicles. That’s why you have to be extra cautious when driving around these vehicles.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were close to 4,000 people who were killed in the U.S. in traffic accidents involving large trucks in 2010, There were also another 80,000 people who were injured in these kinds of accidents. And it doesn’t look like it’s getting better any time soon. From 2009 to 2010, there was an increase in the number of these fatal accidents by close to10 percent.
More than 75 percent of the people who were killed in these accidents were in fact the occupants of the other vehicles that were involved.
In the state of Massachusetts, there were close to 100 large trucks involved in fatal accidents in 2010. Many of these trucking accidents could have been avoided with safer driving habits. Our trucking accident lawyers are reminding you that these trucks don’t operate like the vehicles that you and I drive. We have to allow them more space and much more consideration. Our safety often depends upon it.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a trucking accident, contact Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for assistance. Call today for a free and confidential consultation at (617) 777-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Gasoline Truck Crashes on I-95, Fuel-Soaked Roads Shutdown, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, July 17, 2012
Tougher Exams to Reduce Risks of Trucking Accidents in Plymouth County and Elsewhere, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, May 1, 2012