According to the Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Analysis Division, 31 percent of large truck accidents in 2009 were caused by truck driver-related factors including speeding, distracted driving and failing to maintain the proper lane. Commercial trucking accidents contribute to an average of 4,000 fatalities each year.
If you are the victim of a truck accident it is important to have an experienced truck accident attorney in Clayton County who can get the proper compensation.
Materials transported in trucks are classified as hazardous if they contain certain characteristics. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies four hazardous waste properties:
- Corrosiveness level: includes acids or bases capable of corroding metal containers
- Reactivity: includes materials that are unstable (they can explode or release harmful fumes) under normal conditions
- Toxicity: includes materials that are harmful when ingested or absorbed
- Ignitability: includes materials that can cause fires or are spontaneously combustible
Federal regulations categorize hazardous materials (HAZMAT) transported by trucks into nine classes:
- Class 1: Explosives (dynamite, fireworks, ammunition, explosive devices)
- Class 2: Gases (propane, helium)
- Class 3: Flammable liquid and combustible liquid (gasoline)
- Class 4: Flammable solid (white phosphorus, sodium)
- Class 5: Oxidizers and organic peroxide (ammonium nitrate)
- Class 6: Toxic poison and infections substances (potassium cyanide, anthrax)
- Class 7: Radioactive materials (uranium)
- Class 8: Corrosive materials (battery fluid)
- Class 9: Miscellaneous materials that do not fit into the other eight classes
If you or someone you know has been hurt by a distracted truck driver, meet with a truck accident lawyer at Shane Smith Law. We can assist in every stage of the case including obtaining the available evidence.