Three people were injured after a tanker truck carrying 6, 000 gallons of whey rear-ended a car on a Wisconsin highway. The recent accident occurred on Wisconsin 141 in Oconto County. According to the police report, a car turned onto highway 141 at the town of Stiles when it was rear-ended by the tanker truck that was coming from Saputo Cheese in Lena.
Both the car and the tanker went into a ditch alongside the highway, and the 6, 000 gallons of whey spilled into the ditch. All three people injured in the car were rescued by the Lena Fire Department, but no one sustained life threatening injuries. The whey was cleaned up from the highway the next day, and traffic was narrowed to one lane for hours. Additionally, there have not been any citations issued for the accident.
Wisconsin Trucking Accidents
In 2013, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation reported 118, 254 accidents on state roadways. Of those accidents, 7, 087 crashes were attributed to large trucks and other commercial vehicles. Last year alone, truck accidents caused 2, 140 injuries and 85 deaths. This year, statistics are on par to meet or even surpass the number of injuries and deaths sustained in truck accidents for 2014.
Wisconsin tracks driver-related contributing circumstances for trucking accidents that occur within the state. Truck driver-related accidents occur for a number of reasons, but the top contributing causes include:
- Inattentive driving;
- Failure to control a vehicle;
- Failure to yield the right of way;
- Speeding;
- Improper turning;
- Following too close;
- Unsafe backing up;
- Improper overtaking of another vehicle;
- Disregarding traffic signs and signals; and
- Impaired driving.
Compensation for Trucking Accidents
Due to the large disparity in weight and force between a commercial truck and other vehicles on the road, trucking accidents often result in more serious injuries or death than a typical car accident. A fully loaded tractor trailer can weigh more than 25 times that of a passenger car. As a result, over 90 percent of the time an injured or killed victim belongs to a passenger car and not a large truck.
If you have been injured in a trucking accident you may have a claim for compensation against a driver of a truck, a trucking company, contractors, employers, and any insurance companies involved. Damages for a trucking accident can include:
- Medical bills;
- Lost wages;
- Disability;
- Pain and suffering;
- Wrongful death; and
- Funeral expenses.
Consult a Wisconsin Trucking Accident Attorney
If you or someone that you know has been injured in an accident with a tractor trailer or other commercial truck in Appleton, Green Bay, Oshkosh, or the surrounding area, let the experienced personal injury attorneys at [[title]] help. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our Green Bay personal injury attorneys or Appleton personal injury attorneys.