The road is not the safest workplace. Wrecks happen. Truckers, who spend a ton of time on the road, are at risk for getting into wrecks, what with the many miles they log on the highway. Today we’re going to take a brief news story out of Virginia about a tractor-trailer wreck. We’ll explain what happened while also discussing several questions the article left us with from an insurance perspective.
What happened?
We don’t know too much about what happened in this particular situation, but a tractor-trailer was involved in a wreck in Virginia on Route 11, close to Interstate 81 South in mid-June. Thankfully, no injuries were reported after the crash, so it seems that nobody was hurt. However, southbound lanes of traffic were closed for a while following the wreck.
What questions do we have?
From an insurance perspective, we’ve got a few questions about this tractor-trailer accident.
- Were any other vehicles involved?
We don’t get a lot of detail about whether any other vehicles were involved in the accident. We don’t know if any other drivers were involved, or any passengers. Was it just a one-vehicle accident? If there were other vehicles involved in an accident, who was at fault?
- Was the trucker hauling a load at the time?
We’re also wondering whether the truck driver was hauling a load at the time of the wreck. Who were they driving for?
- Was there any environmental damage following the accident?
Was there any damage to the environment or any pollution that needs to be cleaned up after the wreck? Someone has to be responsible for the costs of making the environment clean again.
- How long will it take for the trucking business to operate as normal?
Losing the use of a vehicle can have a major impact on a trucking business. How long will it take before the business can get back on its feet and run normally?
What tractor-trailer insurance coverages could help?
There are several important insurance coverages to have for tractor trailers. If a wreck does happen, it’s crucial for the truck business to have the right coverage to recover from the loss. That can include…
- Auto liability.
Auto liability insurance can help cover the trucker’s legal obligations to the other driver if they’re at fault in an accident. It can also help cover legal expenses if the injured driver decides to sue.
Bodily injury liability. Helps cover the other driver’s medical bills and pain and suffering if the truck driver is at fault in the accident.
Property damage liability. Helps cover the repairs or replacement of the other driver’s vehicle if the truck driver is at fault in an accident. (It can also cover other property that’s damaged.)
- Physical damage insurance.
Physical damage insurance can help a truck business get a vehicle back on the road ASAP following a covered loss. Liability insurance doesn’t cover the truck itself, so that’s why it’s important to consider physical damage insurance.
Collision insurance. Helps cover the repairs or replacement to the truck if there’s an accident or the truck collides with something.
Comprehensive insurance. Helps cover damages to a truck that aren’t caused by an accident. For example, losses like fire, theft, vandalism, animal strike, and falling objects can be covered. (Okay, this won’t really help in the event of a wreck, but it’s still an important coverage to have.)
- Cargo insurance.
Cargo insurance helps protect the load that a trucker is hauling. It can protect against losses like fire, theft, and vandalism. Loads can be very expensive, which is why it’s important for truckers to make sure they have the right cargo insurance.
- Workers’ compensation.
Workers’ comp is the coverage that can help an injured employee if they get hurt on the job. It covers the injured employee’s medical bills and a portion of their lost wages.
- Pollution insurance.
Pollution insurance can help if a wreck happens and there’s environmental damage. The trucking business could be responsible for cleaning it up, and pollution insurance can help cover those costs.
We’re glad to see that no injuries were reported as a result of the accident. Wrecks are scary, and we’re glad that everyone was okay following this one.
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Source:
https://www.wdbj7.com/content/news/Tractor-Trailer-accident-shuts-down-traffic-on–511600942.html