Were you or a loved one injured in a commercial vehicle accident on Interstate 20? At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, the personal injury attorneys represent crash victims who were harmed while driving the nation’s freeways.
Call our truck accident attorneys at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone call) or use the contact form to schedule a free consultation today to discuss what happened with your I-20 truck accident. Our legal team will use civil law to hold those responsible for causing the crash financially and legally accountable for negligence.
Interstate 20 (I-20) is a popular 1539-mile east-west route across America on the U.S. Interstate Highway System. The freeway system starts near Kent, Texas, traveling north East from Interstate 10, and ends at Interstate 95 in Florence, South Carolina.
The freeway route travels through large metropolitan areas, including Midland-Odessa, Fort Worth, Dallas, Shreveport, Ruston, Jackson, Meridian, Birmingham, Atlanta, Augusta, Florence, and Columbia.
A Heavily Congested Freeway
During the Eisenhower administration in 1957, Interstate 20 was added to the American Interstate Highway System to connect Texas to Eastern Louisiana. Today, I 20 throughout Texas is the longest segment at 636 miles, and the shortest segment is in South Carolina at 141 miles.
Many long-haul truckers use I-20 as a central east and west travel artery over the Mississippi River, saving thousands of miles every year. However, these truckers share the roadway with passenger vehicles, placing motorists at risk when accidents occur.
While semi-tractor-trailers represent 3% of all vehicles sharing the roadways, they are involved in 12% of all fatal accidents. The sheer size and weight of a fully-loaded commercial vehicle can be 80,000 pounds or more, compared to a passenger vehicle at about 3500 pounds.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data reveals that nearly 5000 people died on American freeways in 2018 in crashes involving semi-tractor-trailers.
Truck Accidents on Interstate 20
In the United States, most trucking accidents result from mistakes by motorists or semi-drivers. Typically, the sheer size and weight of a large commercial vehicle crashing into a passenger car can lead to catastrophic injuries and death.
The most common mistakes involved driver fatigue, drunk driving, distracted driving, speeding, poor vehicle maintenance, or lack of training. In crashes involving large 18-wheelers, the collision may result from improper cargo loading or balding tires.
Many victims who survived catastrophic trucking accidents suffer life-altering injuries, including spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injury, severe burns, disfigurement, internal injuries, broken bones, lacerations, and dismemberment (amputation).
Interstate 20 is a bustling freeway, where millions of cars, 18-wheelers, box vans, and gas tankers share eastbound and westbound lanes every day. As a result, the freeway, especially in the heavily populated metropolitan areas, are often filled with congested traffic, heavy vehicles, and adverse road conditions that contribute to a dangerous driving environment.
Below is just a tiny sampling of reported fatal crashes on Interstate-20 throughout 2020 and early 2021.
Fiery Semi-Truck Accident on Interstate 20 Kills One Person
Shreveport, Louisiana, May 2021 – Three vehicles involved in a crash ended in a fiery wreck on I-20 that killed one person. A Cato Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the collision involving two large commercial semi-tractor-trailers and a third vehicle at about 3:00 PM on the interstate near U.S. Highway 80.
Local law enforcement closed southbound lanes at Exit 3 to reduce congestion at U.S. 80 and U.S. 79 to allow responders and cleanup crews to access the crash scene. The Cato Parish Coroner’s Office pronounced one victim dead.
Blazing Collision Involves Accidental Shooting
Shreveport, Louisiana, February 2021 – Louisiana State Police reported a fiery wreck involving a semi-tractor-trailer. The Thursday morning incident occurred just before 5:15 AM near the city of Shreveport, Louisiana, at the Monique Rene Avenue/Greenwood Road intersection at I-20.
Initial reports indicate that two semi-tractor-trailers collided with each other, causing one to catch fire. Emergency medical technicians transported one of the drivers in the fiery wreck to the local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Shreveport Police Department said that one of the semi-drivers was accidentally shot in the leg by an individual attempting to rescue him from the fiery wreck. The firearm discharged when its owner hit the semi-tractor window using the firearm to gain access to the injured victim.
Fatal Wreck on I-20 Caused by Overcorrecting
Graniteville, South Carolina, April 2021 – A 63-year-old trucker crossed the middle of the road, and ran off the right lane of I-20 at Mile Marker 8, overcorrecting his vehicle and running off the left side. The incident occurred when he hit the median barrier wires before overturning.
The commercial vehicle rolled over onto its roof, trapping the semi trucker inside. The South Carolina Department of Transportation contacted the Aiken County Coroner’s Office, which responded to the scene and pronounced the accident victim dead from blunt force injuries. Law enforcement continues to investigate the case, and a toxicology analysis is still pending.
Semi-Tractor-Trailer Catches Fire Shutting Down Interstate 20
Kaufman County, Texas – A large commercial semi-tractor trailer caught fire while traveling through north Texas. The 18-wheeler was loaded with chemicals.
State police closed a portion of eastbound Interstate 20 due to flames and smoke.
Fatal Collision Involving Four Semi-Tractor-Trailers and a Pickup
Carroll County, Georgia – First responders arrived at a four-semi-tractor-trailer accident on I-20, where two people died in the fatal wreck. Initial reports indicated that the crash occurred shortly after 6:00 PM near Georgia Hwy 113 near Mile Marker 24 in the eastbound lane in Carroll County.
The Georgia State Police stated that one semi-tractor rear-ended another tractor-trailer that drove over a silver pickup. The semi crushed the silver pickup and then struck a third truck. The third 18-wheeler collided with another 18-wheeler.
The 53-year-old pickup driver and his 51-year-old passenger, both from Louisiana, were pronounced dead in the wreck.
Shreveport Tanker Truck Hits Bridge Railing
Shreveport, Louisiana, December 2020 – An early investigation revealed that a Peterbilt 18-wheeler traveled westbound on I-20 west of Arcadia when it drifted out of the eastbound lanes, overturned, and ignited.
The report indicates that the 42-year-old trucker operating a tanker transport truck drifted from the eastbound lane and struck a concrete bridge railing before overturning.
After striking the bridge railing, the damaged tanker truck spilled its contents, ignited, and became engulfed in flames. State police closed all westbound lanes for hours until the investigation into the fiery wreck was completed and cleanup crews cleared the area.
Wreck Involving Three 18-Wheelers Shut Down I-20 in Harrison County
Harrison County, Texas, June 2021 – The Texas Department of Public Safety and Hallsville Fire Department responded to an East Texas crash involving three semi-tractor-trailers on westbound I-20 between Marshall and Hallsville.
The crash caused a standstill of all westbound traffic near the east Texas state line until the scene could be cleared. Initially, investigators believe that distracted driving and congested traffic led to the crash.
Crash on Eastbound I-20 Ties Up Traffic Near State Line
Augusta, Georgia, June 2021 – At 4:40 PM, South Carolina Highway Patrol responded to a truck crash occurring on the eastbound I-20, leading to a slowdown of congested traffic. The initial report indicates that a tow truck was moving a truck involved in a crash to the side of the road in a construction zone.
Leaking Propane Incinerates Tanker Truck on Interstate 20
Bessemer, Alabama, June 2021 – Just after noon, Alabama law enforcement Highway Patrol responded to a fiery 18-wheeler accident involving a propane tanker truck. When arriving at the scene, officers saw the truck hauling propane engulfed in flames.
Police shut down the right shoulder and lane of I-20 until cleanup crews clear the area. Updated reports from the Highway Patrol indicate that no one sustained injuries during the fire.
Box Truck and Passenger Car Crash in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia, June 2021 – The Georgia Department of Transportation reported an accident occurring on Interstate 20 across the westbound lane near Boulevard in Atlanta. The crash involved a passenger vehicle and a commercial box truck that blocked the road for hours.
Lexington County SC Fatal Truck Accident Kills Driver
Lexington County, SC, September 2020 – South Carolina Highway Patrol responded to an accident scene during rush hour on I-20 in the westbound lane. The crash occurred when a semi-truck ran off the road and crashed into a column supporting the overpass.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation said that the 44-year-old semi-truck driver was the only occupant in the 18-Wheeler and was restrained in his seatbelt when the incident occurred. Officials pronounced the trucker dead at the scene.
Hire a Truck Accident Attorney to Resolve Your Personal Injury Claim
Were you, or a loved one, injured in a traffic accident on Interstate 20? Was the crash the result of carelessness, distracted driving, fatigue, drunk driving, improper braking, or shifting cargo?
At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, our semi-truck driver negligence attorneys can help you pursue your financial claim to ensure you are compensated for your damages. Call us at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone call) or use the contact form today to schedule a free consultation.
Is your loved one the victim of wrongful death caused by a truck accident? Surviving family members who lost a loved one in a semi-truck accident can seek financial compensation by filing a wrongful death lawsuit.
Our law firm accepts all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis arrangement. This agreement ensures that you will owe us nothing if we cannot obtain compensation for your damages.
All confidential or sensitive information you share with our law office remains private through an attorney-client relationship. Act quickly before the statute of limitations in your case expires.
