Last month in a horrific accident out of Kentucky, a couple driving a Ford Focus was pinned underneath a semi-truck after getting into an accident with the truck and being crushed against a cement barrier. According to a report by ABC News, the accident happened on I-75 in Boone County.
When emergency crews arrived the wreckage was bad. One emergency worker noted that, upon arriving on the scene, “You couldn’t even tell what kind of car it was.” The door of the car had to be cut off in order for emergency crews to extricate the couple.
Miraculously, no one was fatally injured. The couple was life-flighted to the nearest hospital with non-life-threatening injuries; one occupant suffered a broken arm and the other a gash to the head. The driver of the semi-truck was uninjured.
At the time the article was published, police were still investigating the cause of the accident. However, it is believed that winter driving conditions played a large part in the accident.
Winter Weather Causing Many More Truck Accidents
This winter has been one for the record books. It seems that every other week there is some kind of weather pattern that wreaks havoc on Maryland roads. With the poor weather conditions and slick roads come an increased danger that a serious semi-truck accident, like the one described above, can happen.
Maryland Truck Drivers’ Duty to Exercise Due Car
Maryland law requires that all semi-truck drivers operate their vehicle with a certain amount of care. When a driver exercises less care that they should and causes an accident, that driver is being legally negligent. When negligent truck semi-drivers cause an accident that results in property damage or bodily injury to another, that victim is entitled to monetary relief from the negligent driver.
Determining Whether a Truck Driver Was Negligent
In Maryland negligence cases, the most important thing for the accident victim to establish is that the truck driver was negligent. This can be done through a number of different ways.
In cases where the accident occurred during winter driving conditions, the speed at which the semi-truck was traveling at the time of the accident can establish negligence. This is the case even if the semi-truck driver was not traveling at a speed that is above the posted speed limit. In many cases, juries have found that a driver traveling under the speed limit was still negligent because they were driving too fast for the conditions.
Have You been Involved in a Maryland Semi-Truck Accident?
If you or a loved one has been involved in a Maryland truck accident, you should speak to an experienced Maryland truck accident attorney as soon as possible. Depending on how the accident occurred and whether the semi-truck driver can be found legally negligent, you may be eligible for a monetary award to compensate you for your injuries or loss. Click here, or call 410-645-3600 to speak to a dedicated Maryland personal injury attorney.
More Blog Posts:
Pennsylvania Truck Driver Killed When His Tractor Trailer Runs Off the Road, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published January 20, 2014.
Two-Truck Accident on Christmas Eve Leaves One Dead in Virginia, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published January 13, 2014.