Southbound I-35 Closed Following Tractor-Trailer Accident

The southbound lanes of Interstate 35 were shut down for two hours on Tuesday following an accident between a car and a tractor-trailer.  The accident, which occured around 11:45 Tuesday monring, left the car pinned beneath the truck.  According to rescue officials two adults and one child were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Thankfully, it appears the injuries from the accident are minor. The Kansas City Personal Injury attorneys at Roswold Law Group know serious injuries can be sustained when a passenger vehicle is involved in a motor vehicle crash with a semi truck.  Kansas and Missouri trucking accidents are different from other accidents because the tremendous difference in size and weight of the two types of vehicles often leave accident victims with devastating injuries.  Kansas and Missouri drivers should use extra caution when sharing the road with tractor-trailers.

Common causes of trucking accidents include fatigue, weight and size of the tractor-trailer, and maneuvering difficulties. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has reported that in 2008 there were 4,008 fatal injuries arising out of semi truck accidents and 69% of those deaths involved the occupants of passenger vehicles as semi trucks often have extra protection. What accounts for these differences? Trucks, which have an 80,000 pound legal weight limit are much larger than the average car, which generally only reaches 5,000 pounds. For more information on this topic, read "Commercial Trucking Accidents."