Earlier this week in Utah, a man died when he was involved in a head-on collision with a semi truck. According to a report by the Standard Examiner, the accident occurred on State Road 40 shortly after 5 p.m. Apparently the driver of the semi truck was driving east when he pulled into the westbound lane, attempting to pass a slow moving SUV. However, as he did pulled into the other lane, he pulled right into the path of a pickup truck that was traveling west. The semi and the pickup truck collided head on.
The semi truck, which was hauling crude oil, did not lose its cargo, but did lose one tire. The driver of the semi truck was not injured. However, the driver of the pickup truck, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident, suffered fatal injuries. There was a passenger in the pickup truck who also suffered some minor injuries, as did the driver of the SUV that the semi truck was trying to pass. All injured are expected to recover.
Head On Collisions with Semi Trucks
It’s hard to imagine a more dreadful kind of accident than a head on collision with a semi-truck. With their enormous size and weight, semi trucks can level anything in their path, and that is very often what happens when a semi truck and a smaller vehicle collide head on. It is for this reason that semi truck drivers are required to have special permits that allow them to operate commercial vehicles.
Regulating Semi Truck Drivers
Requiring semi truck drivers to carry a special driver’s license is just one of the types of regulations that state and federal government place on semi truck drivers. In fact, there are many rules and regulations that all semi drivers must follow:
- Resting requirements
- Cargo registration requirements
- Height and weight requirements
- Maintenance requirements
The bottom line is that semi truck drivers are responsible to safely operate their vehicles within the bounds of the law. When a semi truck driver fails to follow a rule or regulation, or chooses to consciously disregard a safety requirement, evidence of that negligence can be used by any accident victims to help establish civil liability for their injuries, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Have You Been Involved in a Maryland Truck Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been the victim of a Maryland truck accident, it is worth speaking to a Maryland personal injury attorney to see if you may have a case for monetary damages against the semi truck driver, the trucking company, or either’s insurance company. In many cases, Maryland accident victims are able to recover large awards to help compensate them for their injuries. At the Maryland personal injury law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, we have a dedicated group of skilled personal injury attorneys waiting to speak with you about the facts of your case. Click here, or call 410-654-3600 today to schedule a free initial consultation.
More Blog Posts:
Semi-Truck’s Tire Blows Out, Causing Serious Accident on I-70 , Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published March 19, 2014.
New Maryland Law Acts to Protect Tow-Truck Drivers from Passing Semi-Trucks, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published March 12, 2014.