Onlookers watch as truck sets ablaze and 33 people are injured

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Semi-trucks -- especially ones with their trailers in tow -- are large and heavy vehicles. These large and heavy vehicles commonly transport goods across the country, often beginning or ending their journey on New Jersey highways. The large size and weight of these vehicles are an important and dangerous factor in a truck accident due to the potential catastrophic damage the vehicles can cause when they collide with another vehicle. Earlier this week on a highway near New Jersey, a semi-truck that was hauling a trailer was involved in a catastrophic chain-reaction accident. The semi-truck reportedly lost control while traveling in heavy traffic. When the semi-truck lost control, the vehicle initially crashed into several vehicles in almost the same instant. The initial collisions caused a chain reaction of collisions that ultimately involved approximately one dozen vehicles. Of the dozen vehicles involved in the accident, three of the vehicles including the semi-truck caught on fire as a result of the collisions. Extensive personal injury was also an unfortunate result of the multi-vehicle accident. In total, the chain reaction caused one fatality and 33 incidents of personal injury. The factors that caused the semi-truck to lose control and ultimately cause a multi-vehicle accident were not identified during the initial investigation of the accident. The truck accident remains under investigation by local authorities. The results of the accident investigation can be crucial to the potential damages claims by those that have been injured. Catastrophic collisions, which range in personal injury from non-life threatening to fatal injuries, can require experienced legal knowledge to ensure an accident victim receives the financial compensation they are due and often need to recover. Source: New Jersey Herald, "Truck causes NY traffic pileup; 1 dead, 33 hurt," Frank Eltman, Dec 19, 2012