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The dangers of truck accidents that involve hazardous materials

On Behalf of | Mar 10, 2018 | admiralty & maritime law

Louisiana residents have seen them — big semi-trailers with hazardous materials signs plastered all over them. Ever think of what would happen if these big rigs were involved in truck accidents? Know someone who has been injured in an accident carrying hazardous materials? The outcomes can be pretty devastating.

Coming in contact with hazardous materials without the proper safety equipment can cause a person to experience serious health issues or even death. This is why the federal government has set very strict regulations regarding the transporting of such materials via highway shipping containers. For starters, in order to be able to transport such cargo, the carrier and the moving equipment must be officially registered and signed off to do so. If an accident occurs and the carrier lacks this registration, significant legal consequences will likely follow.

Along with making sure vehicles are properly registered, trucks have to be properly labeled for the type of hazardous material it is carrying. This way, if anything happens, what is inside the vehicle is easy to identify and the correct actions by responders can be taken. The cargo also has to be secured in a specific way in order to help prevent accidents from occurring.

There are too many regulations regarding the transportation of hazardous materials than can be listed in this forum. At the end of the day, truck accidents in Louisiana that involve hazardous materials, and injuries or deaths of victims, will be investigated to see if any regulation violations occurred. If anything is found, whether in the form of a violation or negligence, victims or — in the event of fatality — their surviving family members may be able to successfully pursue compensation for their losses in civil court.

Source: fmcsa.dot.gov, “How to Comply with Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations“, Accessed on March 8, 2018