Truck Accident Attorneys

Chemical Spills / Hazardous Material Release

Over 70 percent of tanker trucks on our highways are transporting hazardous materials such as gasoline, oil and radioactive chemicals. Even small accidents or other incidents involving these vehicles can cause immeasurable damage, including injury and death to other drivers and passengers, pedestrians, and residents nearby.

Among the conditions chemical and hazardous materials spills can cause are:

  • Corneal scarring
  • Blindness
  • Burns
  • Tissue necrosis
  • Cancer
  • Respiratory illnesses
  • Neurological disorders
  • Organ failure
  • Death

State and local governments have a responsibility in protecting the health and safety of the public. As such, they need to be able to effectively respond to hazardous materials transportation emergencies. First responders, usually local police officers, have primary responsibility for the public safety. The initial steps they take can greatly influence what impact the accident will have on those in the immediate vicinity and on the community at large.

Communities with large chemical plants or with nuclear or waste disposal facilities are likelier to seek ways to reduce the risks associated with chemical spills or the release of hazardous materials on their roadways. These communities will also be more likely to have developed emergency response capabilities.

In rural communities, the fire or police department may have been assigned the additional duty of responding to a hazardous materials emergency. Large cities and urban areas are more likely to equip and train specialized units.

Statewide coordination of emergency response planning and training varies from State to State. It tends to be more developed in States that are highly industrialized, have experienced serious hazardous material incidents or are more heavily traveled. Some States, however, such as Delaware, Indiana, North Dakota and Oregon have recognized that State assistance may the best way, if not the only way, to protect rural areas in hazardous materials accidents. As a result, these States have developed statewide emergency response plans.

There are numerous Federal agencies that provide assistance for State and local hazardous materials accident emergency response efforts. The lead agency that supports local and State emergency response activities by developing and coordinating Federal emergency response plans is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Other agencies that coordinate Federal response after the fact include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the U.S. Coast Guard, now part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS), which operates the National Response Center (NRC) for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). In the event of a radiological accident, the responsibility is shared by FEMA, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Hazardous materials manufacturers also engage in their own hazardous materials emergency response efforts. In certain cases, they take steps to address the public’s and their own concerns by providing technical assistance or specialized response teams. In other cases, governmental entities that lack the resources, expertise and training to effectively deal with an accident involving hazardous materials elicit their assistance.

Emergency response capabilities provided by industries involved with hazardous materials include:

In a hazardous materials emergency, numerous industry and governmental agencies may be involved in the ensuing investigations. Representatives of the injured victims may conduct their own investigations. The cause of these hazardous material release caused by truck accidents may be due to a series of events and failures in training and performance on behalf of several individuals and responsible parties.

Successfully securing compensation for victims injured by hazardous material releases caused by truck accidents is a complex matter and requires an aggressive team of investigators and truck accident attorneys with highly specialized expertise. If you or your loved ones have been affected by an accident in which hazardous materials were released, contact us today - we may be able to help.

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