Tennessee motorists traveling I-40 near Nashville were delayed for a few hours because of a semi-truck accident Aug. 8. The accident happened in the eastbound lanes near exit 218 where the freeway joins traffic headed east on Interstate 24.

The truck was eastbound on I-24 when it crossed both lanes, hit a guardrail and then went down the bank. The semi was pulling an empty flat-bed trailer. The semi hit another car in the process. Though an ambulance responded to the crash site, it wasn’t known immediately if anyone was injured. The cause of the truck accident was not immediately available.

Only one lane of eastbound I-40 was open to traffic after the accident, with vehicles backed up for several blocks. Eastbound freeway traffic resumed an hour and 20 minutes after the accident. Only one lane could be used by westbound motorists until two hours and 40 minutes after the accident. Nashville Metro Police Department and Tennessee Highway Patrol investigated the truck crash, which required three wreckers to clean up.

There are many reasons for truck accidents, including a tired driver and a semi-truck that isn’t in peak operating condition. Though injuries in this truck accidentweren’t immediately known, it is quite possible occupants of the passenger car sustained at least some injuries due to their vehicle being hit by a truck that was significantly larger than their own car. Rarely do passenger cars and their occupants escape injury when they’re hit by a truck. Any injured occupants of the car may be eligible for compensation under Tennessee’s personal injury laws. A personal injury lawyer may advise them if they have claims and seek appropriate financial damages for the victims from the responsible parties.

Source: News Channel 5, “Eastbound I-40/I-24 Merge Blocked Near Downtown“, August 08, 2013