Salvation Army Canteen Truck Totaled on Way to Help Hurricane Victims
Hurricane Laura struck Louisiana in late August, causing 17 deaths (as of this writing) and causing significant damage to the state’s power grid. Power companies serving the region estimate months of weeks with no power, despite oppressive humidity and heat. Several charities have mobilized to help with food and water, including the Salvation Army, but in early September, a canteen truck en route from New Braunfels to Lake Charles was totaled in a rollover accident on I-10. While no one was harmed, rollover accidents are among the most deadly crashes on the road, and if you have been in one, your injuries may be severe.
“Particularly Violent in Nature”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) characterizes rollover crashes as “complex” and “particularly violent in nature” because of the sheer amount of weight being transferred and the sheer mass involved as a vehicle rolls. Data shows that on average, only around 2 percent of all vehicle crashes are rollovers – but they include as many as 35 percent of all traffic deaths. While this is augmented by a lack of seatbelt use among many rollover victims, the statistics are still quite sobering.
While many rollover accident causes are the same as in any other accident, some causes do appear more often in rollovers than they might in statistics on normal accidents. For example, in a given year, nearly three-quarters of all fatal rollover accidents occurred when the speed limit on the road was 55 mph or higher. Substance abuse is another cause that occurs disproportionately in rollover crashes, with roughly half of all rollovers involving alcohol.
Multiple Theories Possible
While the majority of rollover vehicle accidents are classified as single-vehicle accidents, this does not necessarily mean that no one is potentially liable for an injured plaintiff’s harm. It is not uncommon for drivers to cause accidents and then escape injury themselves – for example, causing a driver to swerve and roll over, while simply driving past themselves. It can be difficult to establish liability in these situations, but it is far from impossible.
Another way that a “single-vehicle accident” can be the fault of another actor is in product liability cases. The Salvation Army truck rolled over after its rear right tire blew, causing it to “fishtail” and hit the median, which then caused the rollover. If the truck tire could be shown to be defective, the manufacturer or seller could be held liable for any injuries that happened in the accident. Whether by arguing a defective design, a manufacturing defect, or a failure to warn consumers about potential dangers, product liability can be the way to establish that someone was negligent and it resulted in your injury.
Contact a New Braunfels Rollover Accident Attorney
While a fundraising drive will be held to try and purchase a new truck, the primary focus for the Salvation Army has been gratitude that none of their volunteers were injured in the crash. If you have been in a rollover accident and have not been so lucky, contacting a dedicated New Braunfels rollover accident attorney from the Bettersworth Law Firm may be the first step toward getting the monetary recovery you deserve. Contact our offices today at 888-392-0039 for a free consultation.
Source:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/31/us/louisiana-hurricane-laura-damage/index.html
