A serious truck accident happened in our St. Louis semi truck accident attorneys’ own backyard Feb. 1. According to an article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a truck ran off the road and overturned around 9:15 a.m. that day. No other vehicles were involved in the one-truck accident, but a fuel tank ruptured, causing an explosion visible that the East St. Louis Fire Department safely put out. Emergency workers spent an hour getting the truck’s driver, 35-year-old Ladon A. Trigg of St. Louis, out of his truck’s cab. He was hospitalized at St. Louis University Hospital, with injuries described as serious when emergency workers helped him away from the scene.
According to the Illinois State Police, Trigg was driving a Freightliner Truck Tractor laden with trash when he crashed his truck just east of where I-64 meets Interstates 55 and 70. They said he took the curve too fast, causing him to run off the side of the road, hit a guardrail and overturn. Illinois law enforcement may charge him with a traffic infraction or a crime. Although the injuries were not extensive, the crash shut down the eastbound side of the highway until about 3:30 and the eastbound I-64 ramp until at least 6 p.m. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency came to the scene to help Illinois officials dispose of the spilled diesel and hydraulic equipment. A witness told the newspaper that he saw a smoke ball to into the air and that the cab was caved in.
As a southern Illinois tractor-trailer accident lawyer, I’m glad that no more injuries were reported, and wish Trigg the best luck in his recovery. Given that the crash happened at 9:15 a.m., around the end of morning rush hour, it could easily have hurt random innocent southern Illinois commuters — or even killed them. In fact, the fact that no other motorists were involved is also a bit of luck for Trigg and the trucking company that employs him. The article doesn’t give a final ruling on the cause of the crash, but it does say the Illinois state police believe Trigg crashed because he took the curve too fast. If this is the case, he, and possibly his employer, would have been legally responsible for any injuries or deaths that could have resulted.
Based in St. Louis and Belleville, Ill., the Lowe Law Firm represents people throughout Missouri and southern Illinois who were seriously injured in a crash with a large commercial truck. Our Missouri tanker truck accident attorneys have extensive experience handling the serious legal, medical and insurance issues involved in a major truck crash. Because trucking accidents pit huge trucks against smaller private vehicles, they can cause very serious disabilities in crash survivors. Because crashes are a routine part of doing business for trucking companies, they can also be complicated quickly by multiple insurance policies and arguments about liability. We protect our clients’ rights in these disputes and help them recover the money they need to cover medical costs, lost income and fair compensation for devastating, often permanent injuries.
If you or someone you love was involved in a crash with a large truck, you should call the Lowe Law Firm right away. To set up a free, confidential case evaluation, please contact us through our Web site or call 1-877-678-3400 today.
