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!