Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Maryland Trucking Accident Update: Traffic Collisions between Passenger Cars and Semi Tractor-trailers Can Be Deadly

March 9, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

There’s no arguing against the laws of physics when it comes to serious traffic accidents. Here in Maryland, passenger car occupants as well as motorcyclists are killed on an uncomfortably frequent basis when caught in a collision with semi tractor-trailer rigs. It’s a known fact that smaller, less substantial motor vehicles — such as sedans, economy car, and minivans and SUVs — are no match for those larger and more massive commercial vehicles.

As Baltimore auto accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, I and my staff understand the physical pain and financial burden that a serious trucking accident can bring upon an auto accident victim and his family. Not only do the injuries from a car-truck collision sometimes take months to heal, if ever, but the cost of medial treatment and rehabilitation can run into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

From just this fact, it is always advisable to avoid 18-wheelers as much as possible when traveling on Maryland’s roadways. Although there is really no way to predict when an accident may occur, tangling with a big rig or commercial delivery truck can sometimes cause serious injuries. The shear mass of these large trucks also raises the possibility of fatalities depending, of course, on the circumstances. But why take the chance?

Maryland Traffic Safety: Fatal Highway Accidents Caused by Ineffective Tractor-trailer Under-ride Guards

March 1, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The next time you’re out on the road, this story might make you think twice about following an 18-wheeler. While most people may associate fatal trucking-related traffic accidents with a smaller car, minivan or SUV being struck by a much larger and heavier semi tractor-trailer rig or commercial delivery truck, hundreds of people nationwide die every year as a result of passenger cars running into the rear of semi trailers.

As Baltimore auto accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers, we understand how severe these so-called under-ride accidents can be. And without the proper under-ride protection on the rear end of a long-haul trailer, the occupants in the passenger car can easily be decapitated during the collision. Fatal traffic crashes of this sort don’t necessarily have to be high-speed incidents either.

At the very least, cuts, bruises and broken bones are possible as a result of an under-ride collision. Worse still, neck and spinal injury can occur, as can traumatic brain injury. Depending on the circumstances, some individuals who survive this type of wreck can be paralyzed and require weeks or months of physical therapy to bring them back to something approaching a normal life.

Families of victims can end up suffering financially long after their loved one has been hurt or killed. This is especially true when the victim is a primary wage earning for the family. The news today indicates that the under-ride prevention methods and structures used on many tractor-trailers may prove inadequate when they are actually needed in a crash. Poorly designed parts or incorrectly installed components could result in a much more serious outcome for a drive hitting the back of a trailer.

According to the news, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducted tests using a properly-fitted under-ride preventer on a semi trailer and found that federal standards for these rear under-ride guards should be made stricter. Based on video shown by various news outlets, it appears that the IIHS has a point.

In one of the IIHS videos, a Chevy Malibu impacts the rear of a tractor-trailer at 35mph. Even though the Malibu has a 5-star safety ranking from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the semi trailer is fitted with a conforming under-ride guard, the front seat passengers could likely have been killed as a result that crash. As the reporter states, hitting a brick wall would actually be safer.

Maryland Trucking Accident News: Rogue Truck Driver Leads Police on Multi-State Chase

February 23, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland authorities in Washington County, MD, as well as those in several other states, have lodged charges against the out-of-state truck driver who led police on a multi-state chase. While no injuries were reported in this instance, any time a commercial truck is used in a manner not intended for safe highway travel, innocent motorists can be put at risk. If a chase ensues when innocent drivers are around, people can and do get hurt as a result.

As Baltimore injury lawyers serving the residents of Maryland and Washington, D.C., we have heard countless stories of injury accidents involving passenger cars and 18-wheelers or motorcycles and commercial deliver trucks. While federal regulations such as 49 CFR Part 395, which puts limits on when and how long commercial truckers can operate their vehicles, endeavor to control the actions of law-abiding drivers, those who feel they are outside the law can be the cause of severe traffic accidents.

When a commercial truck driver, operating either a large box truck or the heavier and more massive 18-wheeler, acts in a negligent manner, lives can be put at risk. Traffic accidents caused by an errant semi tractor-trailer can result in multiple vehicle collisions, during which head, neck and internal injuries can result.

Maryland Injury Accident News: Driver Dies in Head-on Crash with 18-Wheel Rig

February 16, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Maryland automobile accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, we speak from experience when we say that traffic accidents involving passenger cars and commercial trucks hardly ever end in favor of the smaller vehicle. With a gross weight on the order of 20 tons or more, a fully loaded semi tractor-trailer rig has as much mass as nearly 10 sport utility vehicles (SUVs), which makes any kind of highway accident a deadly proposition for the average motorist in a family car.

Furthermore, if a passenger car hasn’t much chance, then one can only imagine what the odds are for an economy car or motorcycle that tangles with a 18-wheeler on the expressway or undivided rural road. Needless to say, every passenger car and light truck driver should pay extremely careful attention whenever passing a tractor-trailer rig or other commercial truck. The watchword here is caution.

Even though we try to be careful, accidents continue to happen. A case in point is a crash that happened not long ago when a minivan crossed over the centerline and struck a tanker truck driven by a Baltimore truck driver. The crash happened just after 11am on a Tuesday morning and resulted in the death of the driver of the Chrysler Town and Country, 50-year-old Richard Baker.

Maryland Injury Accident News: Baltimore Trucker Dies in Fatal Semi Crash along I-695 in Towson

February 7, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Anytime a person is killed as a result of a traffic accident there is always a lingering question of whether things could have truned out differently depending on the circumstances. Many fatal car, truck and motorcycle wrecks seem so senseless when the families of the victims look back on the incident. Although the reasons are not always clear, certain things may be obvious, such as speed too fast for weather conditions, poorly maintained tires or impropoerly designed safety equipment and driver fatigue.

How important is it to get to one’s destination fast if the alternative is not getting there at all? Sad but true, a certain percentage of these deadly collisions could probably have been avoided if something had not occurred or a certain fateful choice had never been made.

As a Maryland personal injury attorney, we often hear victims’ families ask these kind of after-the-fact questions with little hope of knowing for certain if their loved one could have avoided the tragedy altogether. One known cause of commercial truck accidents is driver fatigue, whcih has been a constant source of concern for police and regulatory agencies for decades. This is why there exists federal regulations limiting hours of service. In fact, 49 CFR Part 395 puts limits on when and how long commercial trucker may operate their vehicles.

Baltimore Trucking Accident News: Maryland Trucker Cited for Excessive Speed in I-95 Semi Crash

January 31, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Recently there has been some more discussion about the so-called “sweatshop” workplace conditions that over-the-road truckers must endure as part of their job hauling goods and materials across the nation. Long hours and tight deadlines have been blamed for numerous accidents here in Maryland as well as other states.

As a Baltimore trucking accident attorney and personal injury lawyer, my work of this area of accident law exposes me to a myriad of horror stories ranging from minor truck-passenger car accidents to fatal semi tractor-trailer wrecks. In many cases, excessive speed is a major factor in the collision. Even if it didn’t cause the initial accident, high speed coupled with the huge size and mass of these large 18-wheelers makes most any traffic accident worse.

Occupants of passenger cars struck by such a massive vehicle can be left with serious and life-threatening injuries that can linger for years and ruin a person’s quality of life. The costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation following a tragic highway trucking accident can hobble families struggling to survive in this uncertain economy, placing stress on family members and fracturing the very fabric of a formerly happy home.

Tractor-trailer Crashes into Passenger Cars, Causing Multi-vehicle Accident on I-68 in Allegany County

January 24, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Most people realize that traffic accidents involving 18-wheel big rigs can cause massive traffic delays due to the shear size of these motor vehicles. But for the same reason that traffic can become inexorably snarled during rush hour, these over-the-road commercial trucks can cause extremely severe property damage and bodily harm.

As Maryland automobile accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, I and my staff have the experience to know how a single, seemingly simple lapse in concentration or judgment can lead to a terrible highway wreck that could leave an individual or family with grave medical complications. No one should be surprised by the frequency of such accidents in and around cities like Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Hagerstown and Bowie.

Not long ago, Cumberland police and emergency services responded to the scene of a traffic collision along a stretch of interstate 68 where a semi driver apparently lost control of his rig and hit another vehicle, which then caused several other vehicles to be hit. While nobody died as a result of this particular tractor-trailer crash, there have been instances where motorists have been killed by such an event.

In this case, the crash occurred just before 5pm near Exit 43A on I-68 when a semi-tractor and trailer operated by 72-year-old Robert Guinn swerved from the center lane of the eastbound roadway and hit a 2006 Kia SUV in the left lane, sending that vehicle up and over the jersey barrier and into westbound traffic.

According to police at the time of the news article, investigators had not settled on a likely reason for why Guinn’s truck went out of control in the first place. Such events can sometimes be attributed to driver error, while at other times there could be a possibility of defective vehicle equipment, such as a damaged or malfunctioning steering component or a blown-out tire possibly resulting from improper maintenance.

Baltimore Auto Injury News: Maryland Driver Dies in Accident after Tow Truck Backs into Traffic

January 15, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Baltimore personal injury attorneys and auto accident lawyers, we cannot stress enough the multidute of dangers faced by Maryland drivers on virtually a daily basis. Even in the most seemingly innocuous traffic situations a fatal accident can occur without warning. Injury accidents and fatal car and truck crashes happen with alarming frequency throughout the state; please use extreme caution at all times, if not for your own sake, at least for that of your family.

A deadly car-truck crash occurred not long ago that showed what can happen when fate conspires to do someone harm. It’s difficult to say whethr or not the victim of this particular crash could have avoided the traffic accident altogether, however the tragic outcome was one that no family would ever want a loved one to experience. According to news reports, police were still investigating the accident a couple days after the fatal wreck.

Based on reports, a commercial flatbed tow truck — a 2004 International — was partially blocking one of the southbound lanes along a stretch of Crain Highway (US 301) near the intersection of Holly Lane. At about 8pm, the truck driver apparently attempted to maneuver the truck into the northbound side of the roadway, Maryland State Police stated. At that moment, a southbound 2007 Toyota Camry driven by 73-year-old Stanley Harten Wallace of Waldorf, MD, crashed into the tow truck around 8pm.

Maryland Trucking Accident News: Experts Say Maximum Driving Hours Still Killing Too Many People

January 7, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The death last August of a Maryland university professor on an Ohio expressway has raised the question of commercial truck drivers’ ability to function well under the currently legal federally regulated hours of service. It was the untimely death of Stevenson University professor Susan Slattery and numerous other traffic accidents involving commercial truck and passenger vehicles — such as minivan, sedans, SUVs and motorcycles — that has people like Joan Claybrook, former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), looking long and hard at the current rules.

As a Baltimore trucking accident lawyer and personal injury attorney, I have heard dozens of heartrending stories involving families who have lost loved ones in traffic wrecks due to another person’s negligence. According to a news report, the federal regulations governing the number of hours a truck driver may be one the road could also be to blame for thousands of deaths each year.

To some, semi tractor-trailers are simply rolling time bombs that claim nearly a dozen lives every day across the United States. And it’s most likely true, according to some, that of the dozens of 18-wheelers a driver meets on the road every hour may be operated by a trucker who has been driving for more than the 12 hours. In fact, there is no way for other motorists to know whether or not a commercial driver has been on the road for only five or as much as 15 hours.

Claybrook herself has reportedly been an advocate for reducing the hours truckers can drive for a while now. Known as “Hours of Service,” federal regulations state that truckers can drive no longer than 11 hours with 10 hours off for rest. But these rules could change as early as 2011, now that there have been some successful lawsuits carried out by safety groups.

As a result, the federal government is now carefully reviewing the question of how many hours a trucker could more safely drive in any given shift. Given the possibility of proposed changes to the current rules governing hours of service, a change in the law could be implemented no later than next summer.

Some would say that it couldn’t come soon enough, what with driver fatigue being blamed for as much as 40 percent of fatal trucking-related accidents; claiming about 5000 lives across the nation every year.

Maryland Driver Dies in Baltimore County Traffic Accident; Delivery Truck Ran Red Light, Hit Car

December 31, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

When a commercial truck, such as a box truck, tanker or semi tractor-trailer crashes into or hits a much smaller passenger car the result can be very serious. As Maryland personal injury lawyers and trucking accident attorneys, we know how a moment of thoughtlessness or inattentiveness can lead to a lifetime of pain and suffering. In the worst cases, such a simple and seemingly minor distraction can end up causing a fatal car, truck or motorcycle accident.

These kinds of traffic collisions happen rather frequently, which doesn’t make them any less important or somber considering the potentially tragic aftermath. Young families have been known to lose one or both parents in a single heartbreaking car crash. Wives and mothers have lost husbands and children in the blink of an eye. Still other victims have seen their savings dwindle to near nothingness from the extensive medical and financial costs of a terrible motor vehicle wreck.

Trying to understand the reasons for these senseless occurrences doesn’t make them go away, but it does help a family cope. Wrongful death, however, is never easy to reconcile and many times requires the help of a knowledgeable attorney. Not long ago an elderly gentleman was tragically killed in Essex when a commercial truck ran a red light an struck his car on a Tuesday afternoon.