Accident on I-5 Causes Big Rig to Jackknife
An accident that may have involved a drunk driver closed down two lanes along Interstate 5 in Sacramento on June 10. The South Sacramento office of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported that the accident involved a big rig double tanker transporting grain and a sedan near Florin Road around 6:45 a.m. The collision caused the big rig to jackknife. An oil spill from the big rig, as well as the accident itself, resulted in the closure of I-5’s two left lanes while the site was cleared and cleaned up.
Driver Arrested on Suspicion of DUI
The roadway was expected to remain closed for at least two hours. The driver of the sedan, 18, reportedly crashed into the big rig. He was placed under arrest by authorities on suspicion of DUI. Fortunately, no injuries occurred in the crash. The accident is being investigated to determine how it occurred.
Drunk Driving and Accidents
Because being inebriated affects the brain, vision, reflexes and judgment, a drunk driver is a menace on the roadway. Statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration point out that someone dies every 50 minutes in the United States in an accident that involves a drunk driver. Some of the types of accidents they cause include:
- Almost all wrong-way driver accidents are caused by motorists who are inebriated. In many of these cases, the driver mistakenly goes up a highway exit ramp, which places them going in the wrong direction in the fast lane.
- Rear-end accidents caused by a drunk driver are common. This is due to their slowed reflexes and inability to judge their distance from other vehicles.
- Side-swipe accidents can be the result of an inebriated driver. Because the drunk driver has trouble staying in their own lane and tends to weave in and out, it is easy for them to become involved in this type of collision.
- T-bone accidents involving drunk drivers occur because they are either speeding and can’t stop or they don’t notice the light has turned red. T-bone collisions often cause serious injuries such as broken bones and spinal cord damage.
Placing a Claim for Personal Injury Damages
When someone is injured by a drunk driver, they may want to place a personal injury claim to recover damages. Damages that can be included in a claim are:
- Medical costs that arise as a result of the accident can be claimed from the ambulance service and emergency room bills to hospitalization, surgeries and anything else associated with it. If the injury is expected to continue into the future, those costs can be factored into the settlement.
- Wages lost because the injured party was unable to work can be recovered. In many cases, the injured person will take vacation time or sick leave where they are not paid for their time off. That is recoverable too.
- Physical pain and suffering as well as psychological and emotional trauma caused by the accident can be recovered.
Sacramento Auto Accident Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento auto accident attorney. If a drunk or other negligent driver causes your injuries in a traffic accident, you have the right to claim fair compensation. Contact us at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for our free and friendly advice. An online form is available also.
Our injury lawyers will show you how they have helped others by following the links below:
Our membership in the following groups is an honor and a privilege:
Photo attribution: Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
:cd llo [615]