Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Dump Truck Rear-Ends Montgomery County Bus, Injuring Ten

April 22, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Montgomery County, an accident between a dump truck and a county bus sent 10 people to the hospital with various injuries. According to one local news report, the accident took place about five miles away from Silver Spring in the White Oak area.

Evidently, around two o’clock in the afternoon at New Hampshire Avenue and Tracey Drive, a dump truck crashed into the back of the county bus, which was carrying a total of 16 passengers and a driver. After the accident, emergency crews ended up taking nine adults and one child to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Both drivers were not injured in the accident.

A police investigation is underway, but at this point it seems as though the dump truck rear-ended the bus while the bus was stopped. Authorities are not sure why the dump truck was unable to or did not stop in time.

Virginia School Bus Driver Charged After Accident with Dump Truck

April 15, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Nottoway County, Virginia, a school bus driver was charged with reckless driving after he was involved in a serious collision with an oncoming dump truck. According to one local news report, the accident occurred at around 3:50 in the afternoon while the bus was taking students home. Twelve students were onboard the bus at the time of the accident.

Evidently, the school bus was heading north on Route 614 when it unexpectedly drifted out of its lane and into the eastbound lanes of Route 460, directly into the path of a Peterbilt dump truck. All 12 students, the driver, and one aide aboard the school bus were fine, suffering only minor injuries. However, the driver of the dump truck was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, as was his 12-year-old passenger.

“Professional” Drivers and Accident Liability in Maryland

School bus drivers, like truck drivers, taxi drivers, and any other motorist who is paid to operate a motor vehicle, have a duty to their passengers as well as others on the road. While the specifics of this accident are not known, it seems reasonable to think that the driver of the bus was somehow distracted in the moments immediately preceding the accident.

Maryland Student Killed in Rear-End Truck Accident

April 8, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

At the end of last month, a 15-year-old 10th-grader was killed after her mother’s car was rear-ended by a truck on a Maryland road. According to a local news report, the teenager was a passenger in her mother’s Toyota Camry. Evidently, her mother was traveling north on Route 413 when she stopped to make a left turn. As she was making the left into a driveway, a 2006 Freightliner commercial vehicle rear-ended her. The truck was registered to a home delivery company. An initial investigation revealed that the truck did not stop when it should have and subsequently rear-ended the Toyota, which then went on to hit a Dodge traveling in the opposite direction.

The young girl was taken to a Salisbury, Maryland hospital and was tragically pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Her mother is still in critical condition. The driver of the Dodge was treated at a hospital but was released because her injuries were not life-threatening. The driver and passenger in the truck were also released and did not seem to suffer any serious injury as well.

A preliminary investigation did not find alcohol to be a contributing factor to the accident. The State’s Attorney’s office is still awaiting the rest of the findings from the investigation to determine whether they will be pressing charges.

Prince George’s County Dump Truck Accident Results in Fatality

April 1, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month, a Ford Truck and a dump truck collided near Moores Road, resulting in one fatality. A Maryland news report stated that the accident occurred in Prince George’s County in Brandywine, Maryland. Apparently, right after rush hour Maryland State Police responded to a call about a serious accident. Police officials explained that when they arrived they found that two drivers had been seriously injured.

An investigation revealed that the man who was driving the Ford truck was proceeding west on Moores Road. Evidently, he was in the process of crossing the northbound lane. The other driver, who was traveling in a dump truck, was driving down the northbound lane. The dump truck ended up hitting the Ford’s driver’s side. Emergency personnel immediately transported both injured individuals to Southern Maryland Hospital. Unfortunately, the driver of the Ford truck was pronounced dead by the emergency room physician.

Maryland’s Winter Weather Partially Responsible for Cattle Truck Accident

March 27, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, during one of the several snow storms that swept through Maryland, a truck carrying 93 head of cattle toppled over after it slid off the road. According to a report by the Washington Times, the accident occurred on Interstate 81 near the interchange with Route 40, not far from Hagerstown.

Evidently, no one was hurt in the accident, however, it is not clear if any of the cattle were injured. Two lanes of traffic remained closed for several hours while another truck came to the scene to transport the shaken-up animals.

Reports indicate that, at the time of the accident, there was about six inches of snow that had recently fallen. Some parts of Western Maryland saw as much as 9.5 inches of snow during the same storm.

Sixty-Two People Injured in Amtrak Crash Amidst Calls For Better Railroad Safety

March 19, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in North Carolina, an accident between a large truck and an Amtrak train sent 62 people to the hospital with minor injuries. According to a local Washington DC news source, the accident occurred near Halifax, North Carolina.

Evidently, a large semi-truck was traveling with an escort vehicle when the truck got struck attempting to maneuver across the tracks. It seems that the truck driver was attempting to make a turn over the tracks when the truck got stuck and couldn’t free itself. Roughly 15-20 minutes later, an Amtrak train with 212 passengers and eight crew members aboard slammed into the immobilized truck. In all, 62 people were sent to the hospital with minor injuries.

As more information was discovered about the crash, it seems that the truck driver had access to a number to call when such unusual situations arise on or near railroad tracks. The number, if he had called it, would have alerted the train’s conductor that there was a problem ahead and likely would have avoided the accident. As it turns out, the number was posted at the very crossing where the truck got stuck.

Hazmat Called To Clean Up After Tanker Trailer Overturns on I-95 in Beltsville

March 12, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, a tanker trailer overturned on Interstate 95, blocking all southbound lanes and two northbound lanes for several hours while emergency workers cleared the scene. According to an article by the Washington Post, the accident took place on I-95 South near Route 200, in Beltsville.

Evidently, the truck was heading south when another driver was speeding in and out of traffic. Somehow, the truck lost control and tipped over, perpendicular to the roadway. This caused all southbound lanes to be blocked, as well as two of the northbound lanes. In addition, the tanker-truck began to leak bio-diesel fuel all over the highway. It is estimated that by the time the wreck was completely cleaned up over 1,000 gallons of bio-diesel was spilled onto the roadway.

One driver was cited for his involvement in the accident. He is a 23-year-old man from Laurel, Maryland. Police cited him for failure to control speed to avoid a collision and reckless driving. It is unclear if the truck driver will also face any criminal charges for his role in the accident.

Two Injured in Unusual Perry Hall Semi-Truck Accident

March 4, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week, two residents of Baltimore County were injured when a semi-truck came crashing through the back side of their Perry Hall home. According to one local news report, the semi-truck was cut off by another driver and ended up veering out of his lane of travel to avoid what would have been a certain collision.

The truck lost control and ran up onto the sidewalk. From there, it crashed through a nearby fence and through the back yard of a home, eventually crashing through the rear of the home. It left an 8 x 10 foot hole in the side of the residents’ home. Inspectors have since determined that the home is unsafe to reside in.

The homeowners and their four children (and one dog) were all home at the time, but thankfully not near the site of the collision. No one inside the home was injured. However, one of the resident told reporters that “The whole house shook for about five seconds. . . . It literally felt like a massive earthquake.”

Maryland Truck Driver Facing Criminal Charges for 2013 Fatal Accident

February 25, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Maryland truck driver is scheduled to plead guilty to several charges stemming from the fatal 2013 accident that took three Fredericksburg residents’ lives. According to one local news report, the court had scheduled a four-day trial to determine whether the truck driver was criminally responsible for the deaths of the three individuals, but the man’s attorney notified the court that he will likely plead guilty instead.

Evidently, back in 2013, the truck driver rear-ended a Toyota Camry on State Route 3. The accident occurred as the Toyota was stopped at a red traffic signal. The accident involved 10 vehicles total, after the Camry and the truck spun out and collided with other nearby cars and trucks.

The Toyota had five passengers in it. The three in the back seat were killed immediately as a result of the high-impact collision, while the front seat passenger and the driver were both hospitalized. Thankfully, they both pulled through after being provided emergency medical care.

Truck Accident Victim Permitted to Name Trucking Company and Vehicle Owner in Personal Injury Lawsuit

February 18, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this year in a California appellate court, a plaintiff’s case was allowed to continue over objections from several defendants after the plaintiff was involved in a serious tractor-trailer accident. According to court documents, the plaintiff was riding in the sleeper cabin of the tractor-trailer when the driver got into an accident. The plaintiff suffered serious injuries as a result.

The plaintiff then sought financial damages from the driver of the truck, the truck’s owner, and the owner of the trailer that the truck was towing at the time.

At Trial Two Defendants Are Excused Based on a Lack of Vicarious Liability

The trial court accepted the argument of both the trucking company as well as the trailer owner that they should not be held vicariously liable for the actions of the truck driver. This was based largely on the fact that the actual driver of the truck was merely an independent contractor, rather than a benefited employee.