There are many auto accidents in the state of Missouri every year. Because Missouri is located in the middle of the country, truck drivers’ driving routes regularly have them traveling through the state. It makes sense then that because Missouri highways are so highly trafficked, there will be a fair amount of traffic accidents and that many of those accidents will involve semi trucks.
Accidents involving semi trucks or big rigs can cause catastrophic injuries for accident victims, physical and emotional trauma, and can be financially draining.
If the accident was caused by the truck driver’s negligence, or some problem with the truck, its load, or another factor that is the responsibility of the trucking company, it can cost the trucking company a lot of money since they will most likely have to pay victims compensatory damages.
Trucking companies act quickly to minimize or destroy any evidence that will prove they were negligent or responsible for causing the crash. Accident victims must act quickly, too, in contacting a Missouri truck accident attorney w
ho knows how trucking companies handle these situations and can protect you your rights.
Some semi truck accidents are devastating. Others are bizarre.
When a cattle truck overturned on I-70, lanes needed to be closed for several hours.
It was a bizarre crash. On a Friday around 3:45 a.m. on Interstate 70 near the Benton Boulevard curve. The truck driver was en route to Colorado and said that all of a sudden the load he was transporting shifted and the truck overturned. After the crash the cattle began escaping and were running free.
There were 79 cattle being transported in the back of the trailer when the truck crashed. Most of the cattle were trapped by the wreckage, but one did escape and was found roaming the area. A few of the cattle were killed in the crash or needed to be put down because they were severely injured.
It took hours for authorities to wrangle the escaped cattle. Because the crash happened in the early morning hours, it was even more difficult for authorities to find cowboys who could come to the scene and help corral the animals. There was one steer that had gotten free but authorities were able to get creative in catching him by using crime tape to corral him. It was not until 7:30, when several cowboys on horseback were able to lasso him, that they got him into the trailer.
The truck driver responsible for transporting the cattle was not severely injured in the accident, but his wife was a passenger in the cab of the vehicle. She was injured and was taken to the local hospital where doctors treated her for a broken collarbone. Doctors say she will be fine but she is shaken up by the experience. She had been sleeping in the cabin when the crash happened and says it will be difficult to relax enough to fall asleep in the rig again.
The driver was cited by police for negligent driving.
The Missouri Department of Transportation has stated that it plans to seek compensation from the trucking company to cover the costs of cleanup and man hours that accumulated on Friday.
The scene was hectic and involved and many participated in the handling the aftermath of the crash. Fences needed to be put up to keep the cattle in check. Four Kansas City Fire Department trucks came to help at the scene. The trucks were used to form a makeshift pen so that the cattle could not escape. Police were just glad that more cattle did not escape and roam into the surrounding areas or cause additional crashes on the highway.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash, contact a St. Louis truck accident attorney to discuss your legal options.
