Dump Truck Accidents

Driver Dies in Single-vehicle Dump Truck Crash in Prince George’s County

October 30, 2024 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Large commercial vehicles can do a lot of damage in a traffic accident, wrecking passenger cars and other trucks, and possibly injuring or killing multiple victims. Due to the extreme weight of many semi tractor-trailers and other large commercial trucks, the occupants of relatively smaller passenger cars can be severely or fatally injured even in vehicles with advanced safety features. Riding in an airbag-equipped vehicle and wearing safety belts may not always protect passengers whose vehicle is crushed between two massive commercial trucks during a highway collision.

That said, passenger car occupants are not the only ones at risk in a serious commercial truck wreck; truck drivers themselves can often be hurt or killed as a result of a bad tractor-trailer collision, or even a crash involving a smaller commercial truck. In mid-August this past summer, a single-vehicle trucking accident in the Carriage Hill area of Prince George’s County ended with the driver dying at the scene after the dump truck he was operating left the roadway and drove into a stand of trees.

Even without heavy cargo, a large commercial vehicle like a dump truck still has a great deal of mass. Hitting a fixed object, such as an overpass abutment or large-diameter tree can cause the cab of the vehicle to be crushed by the rear-most portion of the truck during the collision. While truck cabs are designed to withstand crashes of some magnitude, if the vehicle’s speed is high enough, the structure may not be able to fully protect the occupants. Once cargo or a utility trailer has been added into the equation the forces involved in a high-speed trucking accident can easily result in a fatal outcome.

Multi-Vehicle Maryland Dump Truck Crash Leaves Three Hospitalized

March 15, 2024 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to a recent news article, three people were injured and a road in Germantown, Maryland was closed after a three-vehicle crash on Friday, March 1, 2024. According to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services, one of the vehicles involved was a dump truck. Officials stated that the crash occurred on Frederick Road and Snowden Farm Parkway around 4 pm, shutting down the roads until approximately 8:30 pm. One of the vehicles crashed into a tree and a person had to be extricated, officials said. Three people, including a teen and an adult, were transported to a hospital. The northbound lanes of Frederick Road from Clarksburg Road to Snowden Farm Parkway were closed as officials responded to the incident. According to officials, a utility pole on the road was damaged during the incident.

How Important Is Seatbelt Use?

The danger of not wearing your seatbelt is compounded when a truck or other large vehicle is involved in the crash. That goes for people in the truck as well as others on the road. Large commercial vehicles like trucks are on the road to transport heavy items over long distances. That means that trucks can become difficult to maneuver under the best of circumstances. This danger is compounded in emergency situations, preventing truck drivers from turning or stopping suddenly due to the weight of their vehicle and cargo. Even without heavy cargo or large trailers, trucks are heavy, making accidents involving them inherently more dangerous than collisions between two smaller vehicles. Additionally, truck drivers are under extreme pressure to spend long hours on the road, as they often need to meet delivery or cargo deadlines. This can lead to exhaustion and impaired judgment on the roads. Tired drivers are more likely to make mistakes when driving, increasing the likelihood of accidents.

Maryland maintains minimum insurance requirements for drivers in the state. Minimum insurance requirements are designed to ensure sufficient compensation is available to victims of car accidents should it be required. As a result, Maryland drivers are required to purchase at least $30,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person, $60,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per accident, and $15,000 in property damage liability coverage.

Vehicle Brake Failure Could Result in a Maryland Product Liability Claim

August 11, 2021 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Large vehicles, especially commercial trucks, are often more susceptible to car accidents because of their size and the dexterity required by drivers to operate them. Because they require more space for turns, backing up, or just generally traveling along any stretch of road, accidents can take place for a variety of reasons. If the truck driver cannot see you because of the size of the truck, or if the vehicle is operated negligently, for example, the likelihood of an accident is amplified.

Sometimes, however, mechanical failures that have nothing to do with a truck driver’s negligence or lack of care can take place and result in major accidents. When these mechanical or structural failures happen, they can be deadly when combined with a negligent truck driver operating tricky road conditions.

According to a news report, a dump truck collided with two cars, which led to three people being transported to a local hospital for treatment. Images from the scene show that the truck careened downhill and violently crashed into a stone wall before coming to a rest on the other side of the wall. The truck had extensive frontal damage.

Liability After a Left-Turn Accident in Maryland

July 31, 2021 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Left turns are one of the most dangerous driving maneuvers a motorist can make on the road. Although liability often turns on the person making the left-hand turn, there are certain situations where the left-hand driver may not be responsible for the accident. However, regardless of liability, Maryland left-hand turn accidents often result in serious injuries and property damage. After a left-hand turn in a car or truck accident, victims or their loved ones should contact an attorney to discuss their rights to compensation.

How Common Are Left-Turn Accidents in Maryland?

The Maryland Department of Transportation reports that over 50% of all accidents in the state involve a collision between a vehicle making a left turn and an oncoming vehicle. Most of these accidents occur at an intersection and often involve a driver engaging in some negligent driving. The most common reasons for left-hand turns include:

Speeding motorists

Vicarious Liability in Maryland Truck Accident Cases

January 6, 2021 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Vicarious liability refers to the liability of a person or entity for another person’s wrongful actions. In a Maryland truck accident case, a person or entity may be liable for an employee’s actions or another individual in some circumstances. The person or entity being held responsible may be liable based on the relationship between the person or entity and the person who acted wrongfully. Vicarious liability does not require wrongdoing on the part of the defendant and is based only on the relationship between the defendant and the wrongful actor.

What Is Vicarious Liability?

Vicarious liability often arises in the context of an employer being sued for an employee’s negligent acts. An employer might be liable based on the employer-employee relationship if the employee who acted wrongfully was acting within the scope of the employee’s employment. Vicarious liability is based on the idea that the employer hired the employee and is responsible for the employee’s actions carried out in furtherance of the employer’s business and authorized by the employer. In some cases, an employer may be liable even where the employee is personally immune from suit.

Recovering after a Maryland Dump Truck Accident

June 5, 2020 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Each time a motorist gets behind the wheel, they expect to encounter certain risks. Most of the time, these risks are manageable, and drivers can often avoid an accident by taking certain precautions. However, dump trucks and other large construction vehicles can pose a serious and unavoidable threat to many Maryland motorists. For example, in 2018, dump truck accidents comprised over eight percent of all fatal truck accidents. This amounted to 380 fatalities caused by dump trucks. Indeed, according to a local news report, just last month, the driver of a dump truck lost control of the vehicle and ended up crashing into a ditch. While the driver of the truck died as a result of the injuries he sustained in the accident, no other vehicles or pedestrians were injured.

Dump truck drivers have an obligation to take the necessary precautions to prevent accidents. This duty extends not only to operating the truck in a safe manner, but also to ensure that the truck is loaded in a safe manner, to prevent load spillage. Indeed, a significant number of dump-truck related accidents involve debris falling from the truck onto the road.

Dump truck drivers, however, are not the only ones who could face responsibility for a truck accident. Under the theory of vicarious liability, a truck driver’s employer may also be on the hook for damages, depending on the situation. Typically, to establish an employer’s liability, an accident victim must show that the accident occurred within the scope of the truck driver’s employment. Doing so can significantly increase the likelihood that an accident victim will be fully compensated for their injuries.

Damages Available in Maryland Truck Accident Cases

September 12, 2019 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

When a loved one is injured a Maryland truck accident, the challenges can be overwhelming. The financial, physical, and emotional burden can be enormous, both for victims and their families. Financial compensation from a personal injury lawsuit can help alleviate some of these burdens.

In Maryland personal injury cases, different damages may be available to victims and their families depending on the specifics of the case. Plaintiffs in Maryland accident claims may able to recover compensation for medical expenses, mental suffering, wage losses, and other damages. The plaintiff has the burden to prove damages in the case. Generally, damages can be divided into two types: special and general damages.

Special damages normally include economic damages, such as past and future medical bills, loss of wages, diminished earning capacity, and others. General damages normally refer to non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. Apart from special and general damages, punitive, or exemplary, damages are available in some cases. Punitive damages are intended to punish the defendant for his or her conduct and also to act as a deterrent to others. To be awarded punitive damages, a plaintiff has to prove, by clear and convincing evidence, that the defendant had actual knowledge of the wrongful act at issue.

Maryland Truck Accidents Caused by Dangerous Roads

May 21, 2019 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Many Maryland truck accidents have multiple causes. Of course, the majority of truck accidents are caused at least in part by a driver’s negligence. However, a significant number of these accidents also involve either poorly maintained or defectively designed roads.

Traditionally, states were immune from lawsuits brought by citizens who were injured due to the negligence of a government employee. However, under the Maryland Tort Claims Act (MTCA), much of the state’s governmental immunity is waived. Of course, there are specific procedural requirements that must be strictly adhered to when pursuing a claim against a government entity, and there may also be a cap on the maximum amount of damages that can be obtained.

One issue that frequently comes up in Maryland truck accidents is the government’s potential liability for poorly designed roadways. In a 2011 case, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals held that the state government is not entitled to immunity in a claim alleging the negligent construction of a bridge. Specifically, the plaintiff in that case argued that the government was negligent when it failed to install a barrier that was necessary to make the bridge safe.

Trucking Accidents Result in High Number of Fatalities in Maryland

May 24, 2018 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland truck accidents are more common than most people believe. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Transportation Safety Board (NHTSB) conduct periodic studies that analyze the cause and number of accidents occurring in each state in a given year. Both entities report on which type of vehicle is most likely to be involved in an accident and what the resulting damages are. The studies are periodically released as they are conducted.

The most recent report compiled data from 2016 and was published in May 2018. Some startling key findings were that despite stricter standards and more extensive training, truck accidents have been increasing since 2015. In fact, there has been a 5.4 percent increase in individuals killed in large truck accidents from the last study.

For the purposes of the study, a large truck includes any medium or heavy truck, not including buses or motor homes. The gross weight of the vehicles in this study was over 10,000 pounds. On average, dump trucks can carry over 30,000 pounds.

Filing a Personal Injury Claim after a Maryland Truck Accident

May 17, 2018 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland has some of the most highly trafficked highways on the East Coast, due to its proximity to several major cities. The likelihood of an accident on a Maryland highway is an unfortunate risk for those traveling through Maryland. Regardless of whether a person is involved in a small fender-bender or a more serious Maryland truck accident, it is important that drivers are aware of their rights and remedies.

While it may be tempting to avoid calling law enforcement after a minor accident, it is very important that motorists report their accident. In some instances, it may be advisable to report it to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration as well.

A person who suffers an injury or property damage will likely report their accident to their insurance company, but that may not actually cover all of their damages. In these instances, a person should consider contacting a Maryland personal injury attorney and filing a lawsuit to recover compensation for their injuries. In most personal injury cases, a person has to file their claim within three years, but there are some exceptions that would require a claim to be filed earlier.