Revisiting One of the Largest Car Accidents in American History – East Tennessee’s McMinn County 100-Car Pileup
Although many Tennessee drivers and residents have heard about the 1990 100-car pileup on Tennessee’s I-75 in McMinn County, after nearly 35 years, it still bears repeating. Indeed, the massive multi-car collision is one of the largest in America’s history, and serves as an example of how the lives of dozens of people can be changed in an instant. According to local news reports, the massive accident occurred on a stretch of highway that is traversed every day, but became the site of a historical catastrophe on December 11, 1990. At around 9:10 a.m. that morning close to the exit to Calhoun, Tennessee, a thick fog clung to the air on I-75, causing a semi-truck driver to slow down. However, a second semi-truck driver following behind did not see the first driver slow, and that driver crashed into the first semi-truck. This caused a chain reaction that involved 99 cars altogether, and stretched a contiguous half mile on the highway. In the end, 42 individuals were injured as a result of the horrific multiple-car accident, and 12 people tragically died.
In the aftermath of the multi-car accident, investigations revealed that the thick fog was caused by the Hiwassee River, but may have been exacerbated by emissions from the nearby Bowater Paper Plant. The National Transportation Safety Board placed blame on the individual drivers for the collision, stating that they were driving too fast to effectively stop. In 1994, Bowater settled lawsuits in connection with the collision in the amount of $10 million, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation settled lawsuits in the amount of $800,000. As a result of the massive accident, the strip of highway was named a “fog advisory zone” and additional fog detection systems were put in place. Since that time, there has not been a massive accident like the 100-car pileup in 1990.
Legal Rights and Options for Victims of Negligent Car Accidents in Tennessee
Revisiting the massive 1990 pileup on Tennessee’s I-75 brings an important question to the forefront: what rights and options do Tennessee car accident victims have under Tennessee civil personal injury laws? Fortunately, under Tennessee personal injury laws, victims of negligent car and truck accidents in Tennessee may be entitled to compensation for their injuries and losses caused by negligent drivers. In order to determine whether you may have a case for compensation under Tennessee personal injury laws, it is best to speak with an experienced Tennessee personal injury car accident lawyer as soon as possible.
The experienced Tennessee car accident lawyers at the law firm Fox Farley Willis & Burnette, PLLC are here to help victims of car negligent car accidents in Tennessee get compensation due to them for their injuries and losses. Contact the experienced Tennessee personal injury car accident lawyers at Fox Farley Willis & Burnette, PLLC and speak to a lawyer about your case now.
Source:
wbir.com/article/news/history/one-of-the-largest-traffic-accidents-occurred-in-east-tennessee/51-cf35f7a4-706c-4b1d-a71f-ea281d60dcfc
