Washington Tanker Truck Accident Lawyers

Tanker Trucks Can Be Vulnerable to Rollovers Cargo tank rollovers as among the most serious crashes involving vehicles transporting hazardous materials because they may kill or seriously injure drivers, release their harmful cargo, and require highway closures.

Liquid Surge Can Affect Stability Unlike solid freight, liquid moves more freely inside a tank as a truck accelerates, stops, turns, or changes lanes. This movement is often described as “surge” or “slosh.”

The effect can be especially significant when a tank is only partially full. According to the FMCSA, 63% of the cargo-tank rollover crashes examined in one study involved partial loads.

Hazardous Cargo Can Make a Crash More Dangerous Not every tanker carries hazardous material, but some carry gasoline, diesel fuel, propane, industrial chemicals, corrosive substances, or hazardous gases. When one of those tankers is damaged in a collision, the danger may extend far beyond the initial impact. A release can expose motorists, first responders, nearby residents, and the environment to toxic substances.

For an injury case, investigators may need to determine not only how the crash happened but exactly what the tanker was carrying and whether exposure to the cargo caused additional injuries.

Tanker Drivers and Carriers Have Specialized Safety Responsibilities Driving a cargo tank can require knowledge and qualifications beyond those needed for many other commercial vehicles.

Federal regulations establish a specific tank-vehicle endorsement for commercial drivers. Drivers transporting qualifying hazardous materials can also need a hazardous materials endorsement, and federal guidance explains that additional material-specific training may be required for hazmat employees.

When investigating a serious crash, questions may include whether the driver had the proper qualifications, whether appropriate hazmat training was provided, whether the driver understood the characteristics of the cargo, and whether company policies prepared the driver to operate the tanker safely.

FMCSA research has found that driver error played a role in approximately 78% of cargo-tank rollovers studied. Factors can include excessive speed through curves, distraction, fatigue, improper steering corrections, or allowing wheels to leave the roadway.

But the driver is not necessarily the only person responsible. Sometimes they can even be victims of others’ negligence as well. Company scheduling, training, vehicle design, tank condition, maintenance, and loading practices may also contribute.

Cargo Tanks Require Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance A tanker crash may result from more than poor driving. Cargo tanks themselves are subject to specialized federal requirements governing their manufacture, repair, testing, inspection, maintenance, and operation.

If a tank ruptures or leaks after a collision, a trucking lawyer may need to determine whether the damage was unavoidable or whether improper inspection, maintenance, repair, or tank condition made the release worse.

Records can reveal when required tests were performed, whether defects had previously been identified, who repaired the tank, and whether it should have remained in service.

Loading and Unloading Can Create Additional Liability Questions Tanker operations frequently involve businesses outside the motor carrier. For example, refineries, chemical plants, distribution facilities, or other shippers may load the tank before the driver leaves.

Improper loading can create weight or balance problems. Filling a tank incorrectly may also affect how liquid behaves in transit. When hazardous materials are involved, shipping papers, placards, emergency-response information, packaging requirements, and product identification can become important.

Federal hazardous material guidance requires emergency response information accompanying covered shipments to identify matters such as the material’s health hazards, fire or spill response procedures, and preliminary first-aid measures.

A thorough investigation therefore asks who prepared the load, what was put into the tank, how much was loaded, what information was given to the driver, and whether everyone involved followed applicable safety requirements.