An early morning accident involving a fuel tanker shut down northbound Interstate 75 between Bee Ridge and Fruitville on August 27. According to witnesses, the tanker was heading southbound and crossed over the median, clipping a pickup truck and winding up overturned in a ditch. Nearly the entire contents of the tanker — some 7,600 gallons of gasoline — were spilled, and it took workers nine hours to clean the area and remove the tanker from the ditch.
The combination of their size and their contents makes fuel tankers both prone to accidents and capable of causing considerable devastation. Because the fuel in question can be highly volatile, its movement within the tank can lead to accidents and rollovers. Furthermore, any crash carries the risk of explosions and fire, both of which can lead to explosions involving other vehicles nearby.
Naturally, this danger poses special risk to emergency crews, who may not be able to access the crash site as quickly as desired due to the possibility of sudden explosion. In turn, this may allow a fire to spread more rapidly, and also prevents rescue workers from assisting anyone injured in the immediate vicinity of the crash. This possible chain reaction makes fuel tanker crashes among the most dangerous of road accidents.
On top of all this, fuel spillages cause environmental damage to the areas nearby. The possibility of water and soil contamination is especially problematic for local wildlife and any people living in the area. Contamination can be present for years and effects may take a long time to be fully apparent.
If you have been injured as a result of a crash involving a fuel tanker, you should seek the counsel of an experienced Florida attorney right away. Given the nature of such accidents, your injuries and losses may be severe. Meet with a respected Bradenton truck accident lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh right away.