11 Hurt When Tractor Trailer Lost Brakes Slammed Into 9 Vehicles

Tractor Trailer Accidents in West Virginia are More Common than you Think

You never think it will happen to you, sitting at a traffic light waiting for your light to turn green when you suddenly hear a series of large bangs, look into your rearview mirror and see cars flying everywhere and a large semi headed your way.  What do you do?  Under most circumstances, you don’t have much time to react if any.  That was the case this past week when 11 people were injured due to the faulty brakes of a truck owned and operated by a West Virginia company, Hinkle Trucking out of Pendleton County.

“I heard noises that caught my attention from behind,” reported Michael West to WPXI News after the accident.  “I heard bang, bang, bang,” he stated.  “I think I was the third car that got hit and I hit the car in front of me.”

Faulty Large Truck Brakes Cause 9 Car Pile Up

The driver of the truck reported to authorities that as he was exiting off Interstate 376, his brakes failed.  That failure caused him to crash into a series of cars, including striking two women in their 70s who received serious injuries.

What do you do if you are involved in an accident where a tractor trailer loses control of their vehicle, either because of faulty brakes or something else?  The obvious answer is using your defensive driving skills and get your vehicle out of the way.  But what if you are a sitting duck at a stop light with nowhere to go?

A Tractor Trailer Accident Attorney can Help!

After you have been involved in an accident with a trucking company owned vehicle, there are a number of issues that need to be addressed for your claim.  As with any commercial carrier, there are a large number of rules and regulations that must be followed.  Drivers must be certified to drive that vehicle, haul that particular load and the trucks must meet rigorous standards, especially if they carry heavier loads.

This particular trucking company has been cited numerous times in the past for violations, including 5 traffic light violations, 7 speeding violations and that is only in the past 24 months and does not include any unknown truck specific violations that could have led to this accident.

Accidents involving tractor trailers are generally more tragic.  The injuries in these types of accident are more severe and recent statistics have shown that one of every nine traffic deaths involve a large truck.  This only makes truck accident cases more unique and creates a situation where it is even more important to make the right decisions when filing a truck accident claim.

Contact Your Large Truck Accident Lawyer As Soon As Possible

If you or a loved one has been in an accident involving a tractor-trailer or other large truck, we can help get your questions answered and get you on the right path to recovery.