Wintertime on Missouri highways may present multiple challenges to drivers of vehicles, regardless of the vehicles’ sizes. The accumulation of snow and ice on the road surface requires motorists to be especially vigilant and maintain proper following distances. Sudden braking or swerving to avoid a collision in such conditions often leads to a driver losing control of his or her vehicle. In many cases, drivers of large vehicles lose control, leading to truck accidents that may result in severe injuries and fatalities

A chain reaction was recently caused on Interstate 44 when a Greyhound bus smashed into the rear of a tractor-trailer. Not many details of the sequence of events were made available, and an investigation is likely underway. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that 11 of the 55 passengers on the bus needed medical attention, but no life-threatening injuries were reported.

The initial crash was followed by multiple collisions, and the highway patrol stated that a total of about 25 vehicles were involved. These included several semi trucks and cars of various sizes. A minor spill of corrosive and flammable chemicals was caused by one of the trucks that was involved. Clearing the wrecked vehicles from the road and adjacent ditch took many hours before the road could be reopened.

In truck accidents such as this one, when the driver responsible for the initial collision is known, those injured in the initial crash may be able to pursue personal injury claims against that driver in a fairly straightforward manner. Victims who were injured in subsequent collisions may have a harder time proving that their injuries were the result of the initial crash and not the results of their own negligence for driving faster than conditions warranted. Those involved in multiple-vehicle collisions will likely benefit from discussing their options with attorneys experienced in personal injury law.

Source: stlouis.suntimes.com, “Missouri highway shut down after 25-car pileup near Rolla”, Daniel Mueller, March 1, 2015