CARROLL COUNTY, Missouri—Danny Baxter, 72, was seriously injured after the semi-truck he was driving overturned on Route U at the intersection with US-65 around 9:20 a.m. on September 14, 2022.
According to initial reports, Baxter was traveling eastbound on Route U when his truck veered off the road and rolled over. Police reports note that Baxter was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.
Baxter was flown to Liberty Hospital for emergency treatment. His current condition remains unknown.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash. No further details were made immediately available.
Rollover accidents are serious crashes that leave people seriously injured or killed. Further investigation will be needed
The details of this rollover are sparse. However, we cannot automatically fault Baxter for the overturning of his semi-truck. Instead, further investigation of the accident may reveal that Baxter’s truck had experienced mechanical issues just before the crash, making this accident preventable and, ultimately, out of Baxter’s control.
If not maintained properly, semi-trucks can suffer from breakdowns with serious consequences to drivers and trucking companies. Some issues leading to mechanical failure in semi-trucks include steering system failures, tire blowouts, and even malfunctioning driver assistance technology. These systems are critical to the functioning of the semi-truck and the safety of the driver, so failure to perform regular upkeep on a semi-truck may actually be considered negligence.
Commercial trucking companies are responsible for the routine maintenance of their semi-trucks. Often, trucking companies contract with a repair shop to perform repairs on the various systems within the trucks. In this case, if Baxter’s semi-truck was not well-maintained or if the repair shop had failed in its duty to ensure the semi-truck was in working condition, then Baxter may have a claim against both his employer and the repair shop for his severe injuries.
Of course, we cannot know with certainty whether Baxter’s accident was the result of any negligent third party and further information will need to be available before any conclusions can be formed.
