Accidents Involving Live Animal Cargo in Mississippi

Sometimes, trucking accidents cause additional risks to people and property because of the cargo that they are carrying. One recent accident in Mississippi involved an 18-wheeler that was transporting cattle. The accident occurred when the driver of the truck encountered difficulty in navigating a turn. During the crash, the truck tipped over, killing some cows and turning approximately one hundred others loose onto the interstate.

The interstate was closed for about five hours after the accident occurred, as authorities rounded up the loose cattle and got them back onto the truck. Many of the cows were able to be located and successfully reloaded. At least one cow was injured when it was struck by another vehicle. Some of the cows remained at large for quite some time after the accident.

Many trucks carrying livestock navigate American highways every day. Many of the animals that ride on those trucks are part of our food supply. They are raised on farms and then transported to factories for processing. Truck drivers who transport livestock must adhere to specific regulations from both the United States Department of Agriculture and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that are designed to get the animals safely to their destination while minimizing the risk to the public as they travel over the road. Unfortunately, accidents involving livestock transport vehicles do occur, posing a risk to both human and animal lives.

Accidents involving animal transport vehicles can be caused by many different things. Driver fatigue, excessive speed, improperly maintained equipment, failure to negotiate a curve, slippery roads, shifting weight due to movement of the animals, or a poor judgment call by either the truck driver or the driver of another vehicle are just some of the ways in which these crashes occur. When a wreck involving an animal transport vehicle happens, the driver and some or all of the animals on board the vehicle can be injured or killed. If animals become entrapped in the wreckage, they may perish if the truck catches fire. If the animals are released from the vehicle as the result of the accident, they are in danger of being struck by other vehicles. These subsequent collisions can cause injury, property damage, and even death for the drivers of those other vehicles, their passengers, and the animals.

If you are driving in an area where an animal transport vehicle accident has occurred, be alert for the presence of animals in or near the roadway. If you see an animal that has wandered into the road, try to avoid hitting it if you can do so safely. If the animal appears too quickly and it is not safe to try to avoid a collision, try to hit the animal at an angle in order to push it away from the car instead of tossing it upwards and onto the vehicle, as is likely to occur if you hit it head-on.

Giddens Law Firm, P.A.: Representing Mississippi Trucking Accident Plaintiffs

Trucking accidents can present complicated factual scenarios and cause immense amounts of bodily injury and property damage. If you have been injured in a Mississippi trucking accident, the Mississippi Trucking Accident Attorneys at the Giddens Law Firm, P.A. are here to help you recover for your injuries, damage, or losses. Trucking companies have attorneys working hard on their behalf, and a trucking accident attorney is a strong and knowledgeable ally who can help you navigate every stage of your trucking accident case from start to finish. Please call our office today, at (601) 355-2022, to learn more.