Fatal Trucking Accidents

Driver Pleads Guilty in Tragic Truck Accident Collision Deaths

September 6, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

An Illinois trucker recently pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the accident he was involved in which left a pregnant mother, her husband, and their two children dead.

The tractor-trailer driver slammed into the back of stopped traffic on a major highway in Nebraska, instantly killing a Maryland family who was in the process of moving to California.

According to paperwork filed by the relevant County Attorney’s office, the driver agreed to a deal with prosecutors, whereby he will plead guilty to four counts of motor vehicle homicide and one count of motor vehicle homicide of an unborn fetus in exchange for prosecutors recommending an aggregate sentence of no more than 20 years.

The accident occurred when the driver failed to slow down in an area where crews were tending to an earlier fatal accident, and traffic was completely stopped. His truck plowed into the back of a Ford Mustang, which was driven by the father of the young children. The Mustang then forced the Corolla in front of him, driven by his wife, forward and then underneath the trailer of a truck that was stopped in front of her car. Both cars then burst into flames. The mother was approximately 30 weeks pregnant, and died with her husband and their two and three-year-old sons.

Multiple Truck Accident Kills Bel Air Man

August 16, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A tragic accident in Abingdon left one Bel Air man dead after an early morning three-vehicle collision in Harford County.

The collision occurred at approximately 2 a.m. The preliminary report revealed that the collision occurred when a Ford pickup truck collided with the rear of a tractor trailer, which then collided into a tanker truck. The pickup truck then caught on fire before eventually stopping behind the tractor trailer.

Police reported that they believe the pickup’s speed may have played a factor in causing the crash, as both the tanker truck and tractor trailer were traveling five to ten miles per hour due to construction in the area.

Baltimore Box Truck Driver Killed in I-95 Accident

July 29, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland State Police reported that they had identified the driver of a box truck who was killed in an accident on I-95 near the Riverside exit in Harford County Monday morning as a 21 year old man from Baltimore.

State Police said that the driver was traveling southbound on I-95 in a 2006 Sterling box truck when he lost control for unknown reasons. The accident occurred at approximately 7:50 a.m. near the Route 543 interchange, Exit 80, and no other vehicles were involved.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The man’s 25 year old female passenger was reportedly flown by Police Medevac to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center for treatment of injuries from the crash. Her condition was reported as stable shortly thereafter.

The tragedy, which occurred earlier this month, was the third highway related death in Harford County since June 21. In fact, at least three major accidents occurred on Md. I-95 alone within the span of a few weeks.

Two Maryland Residents Die in Car-Truck Crash along Interstate 95 in Harford County, MD

April 9, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The unexpected is always around the corner, especially on high-speed freeways and interstates. Here in Maryland, dense traffic and a tense rush hour driving environment can sometimes make an already dangerous situation all the more tenuous for the average driver. Even when the crush of traffic has subsided, some risks remain, while others come to the fore. No matter what the condition, driver aggression can also become a threat to everyone on the roadway.

As Baltimore personal injury attorneys and drivers ourselves, we know how a “normal” driving situation can turn deadly with just one wrong move. Operating a motor vehicle in the Baltimore area, over in the District or in one of any number of densely populated urban areas can lead to some unexpected traffic situations, some of which can result in a serious injury accident or a fatal car, truck or motorcycle crash.

Surely many of you already know of the potential danger posed to the occupants of a passenger car when a commercial delivery truck crashes into the smaller vehicle, but roadway collisions between cars themselves can be just as deadly as those involving tractor-trailers and other large commercial vehicles. Still a commercial trucking accident can precipitate some serious injuries in its wake.

Maryland Motorist Changing Tire on Interstate 695 Killed on Roadside by Passing 18-Wheeler

March 24, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As passenger car drivers and motorcycle riders, most people traveling Maryland’s highways and surface streets know how often they encounter a commercial motor vehicle on the same stretch of roadway. For most of us, the reality of having to share the road with a large and potentially dangerous 18-wheeler, big rig semi, or tractor-trailer rig is just something that we learn to accept. Until, at least, a person is involved in a traffic collision with one of these deadly machines.

As Baltimore auto accident attorneys, I and my colleagues have seen the results of multi-vehicle highway and interstate wrecks caused by a negligent trucker. The carnage wrought by these huge vehicles and very heavy trailers can be extensive, causing severe injuries to the occupants of one or more passenger vehicles in the process. As anyone who follows the news understands, roadway collisions involving large box trucks and big semi tractor-trailers can also result in multiple fatalities given the right circumstances.

Being in the wrong place at the wrong time is not something anyone, who themselves has tangled with a commercial motor carrier, would likely wish upon another individual. Not only the potential physical injuries and long-term medical complications, but also the financial and emotional toll, are something that victims of trucking-related traffic accidents suffer from most. While nobody would want to be involved in a car or motorcycle accident, being caught up in a commercial truck wreck is another experience best left to the movies or television dramas.

Maryland Trucking Accidents: Tragic Random Events that Yield Serious and Life-Altering Results

March 8, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A fair percentage of people who are involved in automobile accidents escape serious injury, perhaps with only a few bumps and bruises, and maybe a simple bone fracture or a minor cut. Unfortunately, for many others the result of a bad roadway collision can mean weeks or months in a hospital room with complications from an internal injury, extensive reconstructive surgeries or a questionable prognosis related to a closed-head injury. As Maryland automobile accident lawyers, we have come across some very tragic medical situations of people whose only mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sadly, we cannot make people well, but at least we can help the victims and their families try to recover the costs and expenses of their medical treatment and rehabilitation from those responsible for their condition. Whether one is injured on a country road or an urban street in Rockville or the District, odds are that some amount of medical expense will be paid by the victim. Recovering those costs, which may be complicated by a loss of wages while the person is in the hospital and unable to work, is of primary concern, after that of getting better, of course.

A qualified personal injury attorney should be able to bring legal knowledge and courtroom experience to bear when filing a personal injury lawsuit or, in the case of a fatal traffic accident, a wrongful death claim for the family of the deceased victim. The trouble with car, truck and motorcycle accidents is that they are equal opportunity killers. When a distracted driver ignores a stop sign and T-bones a family’s minivan, the choice of victims is usually quite random. The same can be said when the driver of a commercial delivery truck makes a fast turn and clips a bicycle rider, sending him or her to the hospital with internal injuries and brain trauma.

Federal Investigators Focus on Trucking Company for Alleged “Chameleon” Operations following Fatal Highway Accident

February 28, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a highly regulated industry, one would expect that all commercial trucking firms would follow the laws of the state, as well as federal regulations, yet it is sometimes frightening to find that some of these operations are not always run in a safe and proper fashion. By this we mean to say that, from time to time, a commercial trucking company may cut corners to the point of reduced safety of their vehicles and possibly poor choices in terms of who they choose to drive those large trucks.

Of course, anyone who reads the newspaper or watches the evening news will note from time to time that trucking-related traffic accidents can be traced back to poorly maintained vehicle equipment or questionable employee screening. As Baltimore personal injury lawyers, I and my colleagues have seen the result of accidents that may have been caused by improperly maintained vehicles or truck drivers who may have been impaired — either through drugs or alcohol, or due to drowsiness resulting from excessive service hours and insufficient sleep.

Having seen the kind of injuries inflicted on innocent victims by events surrounding bad trucking-related traffic accidents, it is not hard to understand why the government will shut a commercial firm down after many instances of safety infractions and, possibly, fatal or near-fatal car, truck or motorcycle crashes involving a big rig, semi or large commercial box truck.

Trucker Loses Control of 18-Wheeler in Frederick County Collision; Kills Two People, Injures Three

February 26, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Whether a commercial trucking accident case involves catastrophic claims, punitive damages and/or multiple defendants, a plaintiff will usually benefit from the valuable advice and skills provided by a qualified personal injury attorney experienced in trucking-related traffic collisions. Here in the Baltimore area, it’s not difficult to hear of or read about many traffic-related accidents every week. As automobile and motorcycle injury accident lawyers, I and my staff of legal professionals know first-hand the extent to which victims of these kinds of roadway collisions suffer through their pain and rehabilitee following a bad crash.

When it comes to trucking accident litigation, we understand the stress and worry that victims and their families can experience when filing a personal injury lawsuit or wrongful death claim against a large company with extensive resources at its disposal. This fact, however, does not mean that one’s claim is irrelevant or should be swept under the rug. To the contrary, truck drivers and the companies that employ them have a responsibility to the general public. And when a mistake has been made, especially one that has resulted in serious injury or death, the responsible party must answer for it.

As many people already understand, at least intrinsically, a personal injury lawsuit involving a trucking-related traffic accident differs in many ways from that of a common automobile accident case. Whereas passenger car accidents involve more much cut-and-dried elements, cases covering injuries or fatalities resulting from a commercial truck wreck require particular expertise. This is why it is always good to seek out the best possible legal representation when you or a loved one has been hurt in a serious trucking-related collision.

Auto Injury News: Maryland Mother and Daughter Die in Out-of-State Commercial Trucking Accident

February 15, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

While we hate to sound like a broken record, we feel compelled to remind anyone reading this to be particularly cautious when driving near a large commercial vehicle. It makes little difference if you live in Baltimore, Rockville, Germantown or the District, being involved in a traffic accident with a much larger commercial motor vehicle can lead to life-threatening injuries or even death. As Maryland personal injury experts, I and my legal staff have seen too many of these large-vehicle wrecks not to advise caution when approaching any 18-wheeler, gasoline tanker truck, automobile hauler, or even a municipal or charter bus.

Injuries sustained by occupants of a passenger car or light truck accident, or a motorcyclist injured by a large truck or other massive motor vehicle can be serious and extensive. From contusions and deep lacerations to multiple fractures, internal organ damage and closed-head trauma, many of the injuries received in these kinds of collisions can lead to other complications, lengthy hospital stays and even death. Head and neck injuries have been known to eventually cause severe paralysis or even paraplegia. Considering the choice between a possible lifetime of 24-hour assisted care versus allowing a big rig semi a wide berth, we know what we our choice would be.

Many traffic accidents involving trucks result from driver fatigue. In fact, a Federal Highway Administration’s study showed that fatigue makes trucking accidents all the more possible. According to experts in the field, although most individuals require more than seven hours of sleep a day to function well, the average trucker reportedly gets less than five hours on average. This is shocking, especially considering the fact that there are regulations in place designed to preclude this kind of situation. Sadly, it apparently does not always help; at any one moment all across our country, there are conceivably hundreds of truck drivers operating their vehicles while in an overly fatigued state, if not completely impaired by lack of sleep.

Baltimore Traffic Safety Update: Fog, Heavy Rain, Blizzards Present Serious Risks to Maryland Drivers

February 8, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The next time you hit a fog bank, encounter white-out blizzard conditions or get stuck in a torrential rain storm, please remember that the prudent course of action is to slow down, turn on your emergency flashers and be prepared for any and all possible accident situations. This is not always easy, even for experienced drivers like police officers, EMS drivers and truckers, but it’s a wise idea to be prepared.

As Maryland auto accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers, we have seen the results of too many car, truck and motorcycle accidents not to take seriously any circumstances that can even remotely lead to a traffic crash or roadway collision involving cars, bikes or commercial trucks. Don’t let you or a loved one become just another line in a list of highway accident statistics and please use caution when poor weather strikes.

This advice goes as much to drivers of private vehicles as it does to professional truck drivers. In fact, in many cases, a commercial truck that loses control on a slippery stretch of roadway can cause much more serious and extensive damage to people and property that any passenger car, minivan or sport utility vehicle ever could.