Three Victims Killed in Pair of Tractor-Trailer Wrecks on Highway 13, I-40 in Tennessee

At least three victims were killed, and one seriously injured, in two separate wrecks involving commercial tractor-trailers on mid-state roadways Thursday morning, January 24th. Details about the collisions, according to local updates from Fox 17 News, include:

• One 39-year-old victim from Collinwood was killed Thursday morning in a collision on State Route 13 in Wayne County. According to officials from Tennessee Highway Patrol, the crash occurred on Highway 13’s Highland Loop around 7:00 am, when cargo from a tractor-trailer transporting wood crossties (similar to those used on railroads) fell off the semi-truck and landed on the victim’s vehicle.
• At around roughly the same time Thursday morning, another fatal wreck involving two tractor-trailers occurred near Exit 152 for Bucksnort Road on Interstate 40 in Hickman County. Officials report the driver of one tractor-trailer traveling westbound on I-40 crossed the median and struck another tractor-trailer traveling in the opposite direction. The head-on collision killed the drivers of both trucks, and critically injured one passenger. THP officers closed the eastbound lanes of I-40 for several hours as part of their investigation.

Tractor-Trailer Accidents: A Need for Justice and Accountability

Our legal team at Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge expresses our condolences for all those affected by these tragedies. Days like Thursday are an unfortunate though important reminder about the devastating risks tractor-trailers and other large commercial vehicles create on our public roads and highways, as well as the need to ensure trucking companies, drivers, and other ancillary businesses take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of others.

As a nationally recognized personal injury law firm that has been serving Tennessee since 1977, we are all too familiar with the tragic repercussions of catastrophic truck accidents, serious injuries, and wrongful death. As Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers continue their investigations, they will likely pay close attention to potential safety violations, acts of negligence, and other failures which may have caused or contributed to these wrecks, including violations of trucking regulations and laws regarding:

• Proper loading and securement of cargo
• Maximum vehicle and cargo weight restrictions
• Hours-of-Service (HOS) rules and truck driver fatigue
• Regular and adequate vehicle maintenance
• Proper hiring and commercial licensing of truck drivers
• Drug and alcohol testing and impaired driving
• Distracted driving, including truck driver cell phone use
• Defective products / auto parts, including brake failure and truck tire blowout

Though it remains to be seen what transpired in these two particular wrecks, our experience in serious and fatal truck accident cases tells us it is critically important for investigators to look into these common causes – as negligence, violations, and safety failures committed by truck drivers, trucking companies, motorists, loading crews, manufacturers, and others may provide victims and families with the opportunity to seek accountability and financial compensation in the civil justice system.

Trucking Accident Claims in Tennessee

Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge has handled many cases involving serious truck accidents on Highways and Interstates across Tennessee, including I-40, I-24, and others. We have also handled cases involving many of the same circumstances related to these recent crashes, including:

• A fatal collision on I-24 involving two tractor-trailers and a sedan caused by a trucker who crossed the median of the highway. Both truck drivers were killed in the crash, and the driver of a sedan following the truck struck by the median-crossing tractor-trailer suffered critical injuries.
• A case involving a tractor-trailer which was improperly loaded by a third party company, which resulted in the tractor-trailer losing balance and overturning when going around a curve. The truck fortunately did not hit any vehicles, but the crash did result in serious injuries to the driver, who we represented in a claim against the company that improperly loaded his rig.

If you have been injured in a tractor-trailer or commercial vehicle accident, or have lost a loved one in a fatal trucking wreck, our legal team has the experience and insight to help you through these difficult times and the legal journey ahead. Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge has been voted among the nation’s “Best Law Firms” in Personal Injury by U.S. News, and has secured proven results in complex and catastrophic accident cases. Call (615) 933-2893 to speak with an attorney.