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A tractor trailer fire is possible in any tractor trailer accident under certain conditions. When a tractor trailer fire does occur, it is usually a catastrophic event that causes serious injury or death to truck drivers, motor vehicle drivers and passengers, and all other people in the area. Statistics reveal that five thousand lives are lost every year and 140,000 people endure serious injuries from tractor trailer accidents, including those that involve a tractor trailer fire.
In some cases, truck driver or truck company negligence is responsible for tractor trailer fire accidents. When this is the case, victims may be eligible to seek compensation for their losses. In a tractor trailer fire lawsuit, victims or their families may be able to recover damages including medical expenses, loss of income, property damage, and psychological suffering.
Information about tractor trailer fire reveals that large trucks are less likely to cause or catch on fire due to a fuel tank rupture than passenger cars are. This is because tractor trailers and other large trucks use diesel fuel instead of regular gasoline. Diesel fuel resists ignition more so than regular gasoline because it has a higher flash point (the temperature at which it will ignite). Because a typical tractor trailer carries about one hundred gallons of diesel fuel, when this gas does ignite it can cause a colossal tractor trailer fire. In general, a large source of energy is necessary to ignite diesel fuel and cause a tractor trailer fire.
When a tractor trailer is carrying flammable materials, there is a much greater risk of a tractor trailer fire in the event of an accident. If a truck’s fuel tank ruptures, this flammable material is usually more than enough to trigger a tractor trailer fire.
The battery box is the most likely ignition source for a diesel tractor trailer fire in a rollover or collision accident. The combination of a fuel tank rupture and a crushed, or otherwise damaged battery, is likely to cause a tractor trailer fire in an accident. There are battery locations which are more dangerous in terms of a tractor trailer fire. When the battery is placed inside the frame rails or behind the cab in front of the fifth wheel, a tractor trailer fire is much more likely to occur in a collision or rollover accident. If batteries cannot be moved to a safer location, batteries can be placed in a heavy gauge steel box in order to reduce the risks of a tractor trailer fire. Cigarette smoking also poses and increased risk of tractor trailer fire.
The federal government has established a special agency that is responsible for implementing policies intended to reduce the number of tractor trailer and other large truck accidents. Truck companies and drivers are required to comply with all safety laws in order to reduce or eliminate the risks of a tractor trailer fire or other serious accident. If compliance is not achieved or any negligence on behalf of the truck company or its employers occurs and a tractor trailer fire ensues, these parties can be held liable for any damages that are caused. If you are interested in learning more about tractor trailer fire cases, you may wish to contact a knowledgeable and well qualified attorney.
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