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Oil and diesel fuel were spilled in a semi-truck accident in July of 2000 on Highway 195 near Pullman. The 50-year-old driver was injured.
The man, who was driving a 1998 International semi-tractor trailer, had to receive stitches to bind up a cut to his head and was admitted to the Pullman Memorial Hospital for overnight observation. A source says it is common when certain signs are present to hold a patient overnight to ensure no further damage was done to the brain or other parts of the body.
According to a state patrol trooper in Nassau, the driver was looking at a map when the truck went off the side of the road and into a ditch where it hit a plow.
The truck was hauling about 15,000 pounds of oil in barrels and smaller quart containers. 45,000 pounds had been unloaded earlier that morning.
Suffolk Officials with the Department of Ecology environmental hazard team responded to the request to check out the damage at the scene of the truck accident. Much of the oil cargo and the diesel’s own fuel had spilled into a farm’s irrigation waterway that was next to the road. The oil and fuel were also soaking into the dirt.
The truck, which was a conventional tractor with sleeper cab, was torn from the frame and destroyed in the wreckage.
The truck driver was charged with negligent driving. The Department of Ecology threatened him with a fine as well.
A witness says that a diesel fuel spill quickly dissipates, so that was not the most serious ecological damage done in the wreck. The oil, however, is known to stick to everything it comes in contact with. “Hopefully, the cleanup process was quick and did not leave the farmer’s land too badly damaged,” the Lawyer reported.
Whatever the extent of the long-term damage was, the farmer can reasonably sue the truck driver or his insurance carrier for loss of his equipment and possibly earnings from his crop. Hopefully, he sought out competent legal aid.
In cases like this, be sure to seek for compensation of all loses you incurred. Speaking to a New York Truck Accident Attorney will ensure that you have legal representation that knows what they are talking about and who can truly help you win what is yours.