O'Connor Law

Hazardous materials are one of the negative side-effects of our post-industrialized society. From wastewater sludge to byproducts of fuel refining to used paint stripper, every industry produces or uses toxic chemicals on a daily basis. And sooner or later these chemicals have to be moved from where they are produced to where they are used or disposed of, and, as with all freight, most of these wastes are transported by large truck.

Unfortunately, when a truck leaves one industrial facility en route another facility or disposal site, it travels on the same highways you use and drives through your town and your community. Once out on the highway, hazardous material, or hazmat, trucks are subject to the same potential causes for accidents as other large trucks, including:

• Overloading
• Driver fatigue
• Improper maintenance
• Aggressive driving encouraged by unrealistic delivery schedules

And when hazmat trucks are in an accident, they are 50% more likely to spill their cargo than non-hazmat trucks, according to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration statistics. In addition, although most hazardous materials are produced and used in urban areas, rural highways were the site of over 70 % of crashes involving hazmat trucks.

If your community has suffered as a result of a hazmat truck accident, contact the experienced truck accident attorneys at Michael J. O'Connor & Associates, LLC.