On Monday afternoon, a tanker truck overturned on I-40 in Haywood County. According to WLOS ABC News Channel 13, the wreck happened near mile marker six at about 3:00 p.m. For unknown reasons, the tanker truck, hauling sodium chlorite, overturned on the roadway. There is no word on whether or not any other vehicles were involved. I-40 had to be shut down as HAZMAT crews and officials with the North Carolina Department of Transportation worked the scene. No information has been released on the cause of this wreck.
Tanker Truck Was Hauling Toxic Chemical
Sodium Chlorite is a toxic chemical, similar to bleach, that is corrosive. There was also some concern about people breathing in vapors at a nearby rest area. No injuries were immediately reported, but traffic was backed up for more than eight hours. Eastbound lanes were the first to reopen, but the right westbound lane wasn’t open until 8:30 a.m. the following day.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), hazardous material shipments make up between four and eight percent of all shipments. This may seem like a relatively small number of shipments, but even one tanker wreck or spill can have an incredibly large impact on victims and communities. The PHMSA also reports that in 2013, North Carolina had 366 Hazmat incidents costing a total of $1,647,081 in damages.
After a Truck Accident
After any type of truck accident, victims need to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. It’s not uncommon for tanker truck drivers to haul caustic, flammable and toxic chemicals. If tanker drivers aren’t careful, everybody on the road is put at risk. Because the commercial trucking industry has additional rules and regulations to follow, you need an attorney with extensive truck accident litigation experience. An experienced lawyer can stay on top of official investigations and find out if truck drivers were violating any commercial trucking regulations at the time of the crash. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a semi truck or tanker truck, contact the skilled team at Davis Law Group, P.A. at 866-397-2897 for a free consultation today.