News reports have an 18-wheeler flipping and spilling hydrochloric acid in Harris County this morning. Such spills by commercial vehicles have been frequent recently in Texas with more than 6 such events reported in the last several months.
The cleanup required by hazmat crews is not insubstantial due not only to the dangers of the chemical stilled but if not cleaned appropriately the roadway becomes a death trap to unsuspecting motorists due to the road being akin to driving on ice.
Every day in the U.S. more than 800,000 trucks take the road carrying hazardous material, primarily gas and diesel fuel. Of those trucks, about 5,000 of which will be involved in non fatal accidents, in which hazardous material may still and over half of those trucks are carrying flammable cargo at the time of the truck wreck.
While the number of fatalities from hazardous material carrying trucks is a relatively small number, the cost to communities of clean up and traffic delay is significant.
Costs estimates vary depending on author but when calculation of traffic delay costs and cleanup costs with hazardous material spills can run as high as tens of thousands, depending on the type of substance stilled.
Whole the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations have special rules and requirements for trucks carrying hazardous material on our highways the cost to the community affected, in clean up and delays to the motoring public are not inconsequential even if no injury is sustained in the 18-wheeler accident.
Greg Baumgartner is an 18-wheeler accident lawyer in Texas, and the Baumgartner Firm has successfully prosecuted truck accident lawsuits for over 20 years.
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