Investigation Underway After Truck Driver Died When Semi-Truck Exploded In Passaic County
CLIFTON, NEW JERSEY (July 22, 2024) – A truck driver has tragically died after his tractor-trailer exploded and caught fire along Route 3 in Passaic County.
Passaic County officials are saying that the accident took place on Monday morning. A semi-truck exploded and caught fire.
The blast was so powerful that it knocked over a wall and did major damage to nearby homes. Several of those homes were evacuated as a precaution.
A 55-year-old truck driver from Linden tragically died in the blast. A full investigation into the cause of the explosion remains ongoing at this time.
Liability For Clifton Truck Accidents
The trucking industry remains quite dangerous, despite many safety improvements with commercial trucks. According to the National Safety Council, “in 2022, 120,200 large trucks were involved in crashes resulting in an injury, a 2.5% increase from 2021. Since 2016, the number of trucks involved in injury crashes has increased 18% and the involvement rate per 100 million large truck miles driven has increased 5.7% to 37.” There are a number of potential causes of explosions involving trucks.
- Engine malfunctions can lead to oil leaks and cause engine fires.
- Electrical system failures can lead to sparks, which ignite flammable substances.
- Trucks regularly transport hazardous materials. When these materials are not properly stored, this could lead to an explosion.
Depending on the facts of any case, there could be numerous sources of liability for a truck explosion. The company responsible for packing a truck could potentially face liability. In particular, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. (FMCSA) sets forth regulations related to the transportation of flammable and hazardous materials. If a cargo loader violated these regulations, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. A number of steps should be taken after any truck explosion.
- Eyewitnesses should be interviewed.
- Medical records should be preserved.
- The cause of the explosion should be determined.
- An experienced truck accident attorney should be contacted.
Most explosions on commercial trucks are completely preventable. Accidents are much more likely to take place when cargo loaders cut corners in terms of safety. Sadly, though, these same entities will often do everything in their power to deny responsibility for any incident. This is why it is so important to have any incident properly investigated by skilled legal counsel.
Investigating Passaic County Truck Explosions
We at Gersowitz Libo & Korek, P.C. extend our deepest condolences to the family of the truck driver who died in this accident. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong.
Do you need more information about a Passaic County truck accident? Our team of truck accident attorneys is here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that accident victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (516) 908-9792.
