Personal Injury Law

Massive 22-vehicle crash injures 9

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

Rain soaked roads and a hydroplaning car are being blamed for triggering a chain reaction Missouri car accident on I-70 in Columbia that ultimately involved 22 separate vehicles and sent nine people to the hospital.

Many of the details are not yet available as investigators are still trying to determine the exact sequence of events. An injury accident of this size with so many collisions could take weeks of investigation before all the facts are known, but the Columbia Police Department has issued a statement with their preliminary findings.

According to the CPD, the pileup began in the westbound lanes when a Pontiac Grand Prix began to hydroplane and spin out of control. The Grand Prix hit a guardrail before returning to the roadway where it was hit by a Dodge truck. As other cars slowed to avoid the accident, a tractor-trailer hit a stopped car setting off another chain reaction of collisions.

Nine people were taken to the hospital and three of them were described as having serious injuries.

While the rainy conditions seemed to play a role in this Columbia injury accident, weather is not seen as a legal defense in crashes like these. Drivers still must be in control of their vehicles regardless of wet or icy conditions just like they are responsible for their cars when the weather is nice.

When dangerous driving conditions arise, there are several simple steps to take that can greatly reduce your risk of being involved in an accident. Make sure your headlights and wipers are in good working condition at all times and use them when it starts to rain. Being able to see the road ahead and making sure other drivers can see you is an important factor in these situations. Also, give plenty of extra space between your car and the vehicles ahead of you. So often these chain reaction crashes are the result of drivers following too closely, especially on slick roads. Finally, if you don't feel comfortable driving in the current conditions, pull over at the next exit. It's not worth putting yourself or others in danger when you can wait 20 minutes for the worst part of a storm to blow over.

Even if you are a responsible behind the wheel, that doesn't mean you are completely safe from other negligent drivers. If you have been the victim of injury due to someone else's negligence, it is in your best interest to contact a Missouri personal injury lawyer to make sure your rights as an accident victim are protected.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on August 22, 2010 (boomark / email).