Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog
Trucking accidents, especially on the interstate, can be horrendous events. Occupants of passenger cars, SUVs and light pickup trucks can be severely injured if their vehicle is hit by a semi truck, such as a Peterbuilt, Kenworth or International long-haul commercial truck. As a Maryland injury law firm, my staff has helped numerous individuals who have been hurt in traffic accidents involving large, big-rig tractor-trailers.
This is not to say that truck drivers themselves do not become injured as well. With a dozen or more tons of cargo on the trailer behind the truck cab, an over-the-road trucker can easily be hurt or killed in a high-speed crash or even medium-speed trucking accidents. A news article highlighted what can happen when two trucks collide on the expressway.
According to news reports, there was a double tractor-trailer crash just north of the Maryland border in mid-December that injured the drivers of both rigs. The accident, which occurred around 2am on I-78 in Delaware County, PA, apparently tied up traffic for hours.
Based on police reports, a truck driven by Baltimore resident Joe Craig was parked along the shoulder of the interstate. Craig had reportedly stopped to look at a map when another semi truck apparently lost control and clipped the front of the Maryland man’s trator-trailer. The out-of-control rig then careened down a 30-foot embankment. In the process, the truck tore off about 200 feet of safety guard rail on the roadside before rolling down the hill. It was unknown if the cause was due to defective vehicle equipment.
Before emergency crews arrived, Craig helped the other driver to safety. He reportedly said that he thought the man had died in the accident, which threw debris all around the crash site. Fortunately, neither of the drivers was seriously injured, although the driver who lost control was taken to a local hospital with reportedly non-life threatening injuries.
Double Tractor Trailer Accident Along Interstate 78 Injures One, Closes Right Lane, Fox43.com, December 15, 2009