A terrible truck accident on I-70 east of Columbia shut down the westbound lanes for 13 hours and left one person dead and eight seriously injured. The closure of the highway was necessary because the crash involved three semi-trucks and eight other vehicles. Photos from the scene show the carnage of mangled vehicles strewn across the westbound lanes.

According to the Missouri State Patrol, the first truck was eastbound when it crossed the median, struck a car in the westbound lane, cutting it in half. The driver of this vehicle died, and a chain reaction crash involving two more semi-trucks and the other seven vehicles. 

This type of truck accident illustrates why you would want an attorney. With three large trucks and eight other vehicles, there could be at least 11 insurance companies and their attorneys involved, and there could be more.

Because it is unclear why the first truck crossed the median and triggered this massive accident, a detailed investigation will be necessary to determine if it was driver error, mechanical failure, or some other issue related to the truck.

For instance, if a tire or other suspension piece failed, it could have caused the driver to lose control and run into the other lane. If the truck was owned by one entity, leased by another entity and maintained by a third entity, all of those insurance companies will be competing to place the responsibility somewhere else.

There could even be issues with other elements of the truck, as the trailer could be leased from yet another entity and there could be questions of whether the trailer was properly loaded, which may have exacerbated other mechanical failures.

In addition, there may be a limited insurance pool to fund damage compensation, and late claims could find there is less than adequate compensation remaining.

KMOV.com, “I-70 near Warrenton reopens 13 hours after fatal accident,” September 10, 2014