When it comes to incidents on the roadways, many of them are very unexpected and shocking. They can involve numerous vehicles and even massive trucks making large shipments across the country. This could mean a dangerous and huge accident site along with serious injuries and severe damage.
Many residents of Louisiana likely enjoy a morning cup of coffee. However, what they probably wouldn’t expect is to see 30,000 pounds of coffee beans strewn across Interstate 12. Unfortunately that is exactly what happened following a recent truck crash.
The accident that caused the coffee to spill and the Interstate to be blocked off for clean up for most of the day involved three 18-wheelers. The 18-wheeler accident occurred at around midnight when the semi carrying the coffee rear-ended two other commercial motor vehicles that were carrying asphalt. The road was not reopened until shortly before 4:00 p.m. the next afternoon.
At this time officials are unsure of what caused the one driver to run into the other two vehicles. However, the driver of the coffee truck received a citation from officials for driving too closely.
As residents of Louisiana may be aware, accidents involving commercial motor vehicles can have treacherous results. Fortunately this accident only resulted in minor injuries. However, this doesn’t mean that the multi-vehicle accident was not caused by the negligence of one or more involved parties. If an investigation into the accident does determine that it was caused by someone’s negligence, that negligent party may be held liable for any injuries and potentially property damage suffered by the other involved parties.
Accidents that involve 18-wheelers and other vehicles operated by those with a commercial driver’s license can quickly become very complicated. These drivers are held to a higher standard of care than other drivers on the road and there is specific legislation by which they must abide. Those that are trying to recover compensation from injuries suffered in a truck crash would likely be best served by seeking guidance about their options in the situation. This could help them determine if they have a cause of action and assist them with the necessary steps that need to be taken.
Source: The Advocate, “Coffee cargo source of all day traffic snarl on I-12,” Robert Stewart, Feb. 21, 2014