As a Baltimore auto injury attorney and trucking accident lawyer, I know that it’s important for anyone injured in a semi tractor-trailer crash not to discuss anything with the trucking company’s insurer until that victim has had time to speak with an experienced accident attorney. Whether you are a motorist, pedestrian, bicycle or motorcycle rider injured in a traffic accident, you should always consider your options.
Commercial truck accidents involving tanker trucks, automobile transporters, garbage collection vehicles, or any other kind of large motor vehicle can take a huge toll on a smaller passenger car, such as a sedan, minivan or even an SUV. Severe head and spinal trauma, broken bones and internal injuries are just some of the medical conditions that can result from a highway collision involving Kenworth, Peterbilt or Mack trucks.
Not long ago a woman and her young passenger were injured when a semi crossed over the centerline and collided head-on with the other vehicle. While the report did mention specifics, this kind of accident has been know to happen if the truck driver was drowsy as a result of not enough sleep, possibly violating the mandatory federal limit on maximum driving time on the road.
According to reports, the accident happened on a Friday afternoon along a stretch of Route 113 near Newark, MD. A local resident, 33-year-old Emily Timmons, was heading southbound in her ‘02 Dodge Caravan just before 5pm in the afternoon when an approaching tractor-trailer, driven by 46-year-old Mark T. Brittingham, reportedly crossed the double yellow hitting the minivan head-on.
Maryland State Police stated that the big rig, ‘96 International truck, hit the woman’s vehicle causing life-threatening injures to the passenger car driver. Timmons was treated at the scene and then flown by Maryland State Police helicopter to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Wicomico County. According to the news article, the woman was still in critical condition more than four days later. Her 7-year-old passenger was hurt but was apparently in slightly better condition having been transported to PRMC via ambulance for injuries that authorities believed were not life threatening.
According to news reports, the driver of the 18-wheeler was treated at the scene and released. At the time of the article, he had been charged only with negligent driving.
Cops & Courts, MDCoastDispatch.com, October 1, 2010