After a church bus crashed into an SUV and a tractor-trailer this afternoon
on Interstate 40 in Jefferson County, Tennessee, at least eight people
were killed and 14 people were injured, according to an article in the
Knoxville News Sentinel. The individuals who were killed included six
people on the bus, one person in the SUV and the person who was driving
the tractor-trailer.
The bus, which had 18 people on board, was traveling eastbound on the I-40
when the vehicle experienced a blowout of its left-front tire, according
the news story. This caused the bus to cross the median, clip the SUV
(which was a Tahoe) and then hit the tractor-trailer. Both of the other
vehicles were traveling westbound at the time. The accident resulted in
the tractor-trailer catching fire and the bus turning on its side. Another
newspaper reported that the passengers on the bus were individuals from
the Front Street Baptist Church in Statesville. These passengers were
coming home from a fall jubilee trip. According to the Knoxville News
Sentinel, a total of 11 people were said to have been checked into the
Tennessee Medical Center, with four of those patients being transported
by medical helicopter.
Motor vehicle accidents have the potential to be deadly, especially when
they involve large vehicles such as buses and commercial trucks. According
to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's latest released
data on traffic fatalities, 946 people were killed in traffic accidents in Tennessee in 2011. There
are also many more individuals who survive such accidents with serious
injuries each year.
Auto accidents can be caused by a number of different factors. Sometimes,
they are caused by negligent drivers. In other cases, they can be caused
by defective auto parts, trucking companies that are not following safety
regulations, improper signage on the roadways or other causes. When someone
is injured or killed in an accident that was caused by someone else's
negligence, that victim has the right to seek compensation through a claim
or a lawsuit. At The Bowlin Law Firm, our Morristown personal injury attorneys
can provide you with aggressive legal representation in your efforts to
recover compensation for your losses. Our
personal injury law firm handles cases related to
car accidents,
truck accidents and other types of motor vehicle accidents.
Contact us today!