Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Sleep Deprivation Possible Cause of Fatal Semi Tractor-trailer Crash that Killed Maryland University Professor

November 15, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Recent news reports tying the dangers of sleep deprivation to traffic accidents involving heavy, over-the-road delivery trucks and tractor-trailers have been punctuated by actual stories of fatal and near fatal crashes between passenger vehicles and 18-wheelers. Not only do these relatively large motor carriers pose a threat to passenger cars, light trucks and minivans filled with families, pedestrians, bicycles and motorcycles can also find themselves in the crosshairs of a commercial truck and its potentially impaired driver.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers and trucking accident attorneys, I and my colleagues have seen the result of highway and urban collisions between smaller vehicles and these much more massive trucks. If a truck driver is not fit to drive, a potential accident can be lurking around the very next turn. Sleep deprivation, as well as other modes of driver impairment can increase the odds of a collision, which rarely comes out well for the occupants of a smaller passenger car.

In the case of a Maryland university professor killed in an out-of-state highway crash involving a semi, it would appear that police believed that the driver of the big rig may have been sleep deprived prior to the accident. If so, the unfortunate woman and her two injured children riding with her would be three more statistics added to the ever-growing list of tragic and unnecessary trucking accidents.

Baltimore Traffic Accident News: Maryland School Bus Involved in Crash on Route 155 in Harford County

November 8, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

While we all hope our children will not be involved in a bus-car or bus-truck collision, this is a distinct possibility. As a Baltimore trucking accident lawyer, I and my associates understand how difficult it is to care for an injured child while holding down a job and running a household. Anytime a person, young or old, is hurt in a car crash or truck wreck, the victim’s family can many times find themselves under a financial strain usually caused by mounting medical and healthcare bills.

One thing that Maryland’s parents should expect is that their kids will be safe while riding local school buses on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that passenger cars, delivery trucks and commercial big rigs share the same roads with our kids’ school buses and church shuttle vehicles. Sadly, the law of averages means that there will be an occasional traffic accident involving a school bus from time to time.

Not long ago, a school bus accident in Havre de Grace sent one person to the hospital, with a handful of others sustaining minor injuries. According to the news reports, school bus 611 was on its way to the Meadowvale Elementary School on a Friday morning when it was involved in a collision with two other passenger cars along Route 155 near Canvasback Drive.

Maryland Trucking Accident News: Worchester County Woman Critically Injured in Head-on Tractor-trailer Crash

October 31, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Baltimore auto injury attorney and trucking accident lawyer, I know that it’s important for anyone injured in a semi tractor-trailer crash not to discuss anything with the trucking company’s insurer until that victim has had time to speak with an experienced accident attorney. Whether you are a motorist, pedestrian, bicycle or motorcycle rider injured in a traffic accident, you should always consider your options.

Commercial truck accidents involving tanker trucks, automobile transporters, garbage collection vehicles, or any other kind of large motor vehicle can take a huge toll on a smaller passenger car, such as a sedan, minivan or even an SUV. Severe head and spinal trauma, broken bones and internal injuries are just some of the medical conditions that can result from a highway collision involving Kenworth, Peterbilt or Mack trucks.

Not long ago a woman and her young passenger were injured when a semi crossed over the centerline and collided head-on with the other vehicle. While the report did mention specifics, this kind of accident has been know to happen if the truck driver was drowsy as a result of not enough sleep, possibly violating the mandatory federal limit on maximum driving time on the road.

Fatal Two-Truck Crash on Maryland Route 50 Leaves One Dead, Three Critically Injured

October 23, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Serious trucking accidents; we’ve all seen them on the evening news with mangled metal, twisted vehicles and scorched pavement and crushed or burned-out cars. But what happens after a severe semi tractor-trailer crash? Once the victims have been taken to the hospital; after the fatalities have been tallied and the relatives notified of the tragedy; now the grieving begins.

As a Maryland personal injury attorney representing victims of commercial truck accidents, I understand all too well the pain and anguish that families are left with following the severe injury or death of a loved one. As Baltimore truck crash lawyers, I and my colleagues know that negligence is often a factor in these kinds of accidents.

In fact, even if a truck driver is not charged in a criminal court, the family of an 18-wheeler crash can still sue for wrongful death in a civil court. One important thing to keep in mind after such a terrible crash is not to speak with the other party’s insurer until you explore your legal options with a qualified auto injury attorney.

Recently, a multi-truck collision resulted in the death of one person and injuries to three other people. According to news reports, the crash on Rte 50 occurred on a rainy afternoon not far from Annapolis, MD, when a Penske moving van apparently left the roadway and struck another commercial truck parked on the shoulder.

Based onpolice reports, William Edward Comegys, Jr., Rigoberto Domingos-Ayala and Jose Rohas Santa-Cruz had pulled their ‘96 Izuzu box truck off to the side of the road to fix a broken windshield wiper. The truck, belonging to Ebb Tide Tent & Party Rentals, was stopped when it was hit by the westbound Penske truck just before 1pm.

The moving truck, which was being driven by Robert Frederick Lee, hit the rear of the box truck injuring the occupants of both vehicles. Emergency response personnel arrived at the scene to find Comegys suffering from life-threatening injuries. The Penske driver and the other two Ebb Tide employees — Domingos-Ayala and Santa-Cruz — reportedly suffered serious injuries in the crash.

Baltimore Commercial Trucking Injury News: Semi Hits Passenger Car on Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Traps Injured Driver

October 17, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Maryland trucking and automobile accident attorney, I have a certain amount of professional experience when it comes to understanding the implications of a serious tractor-trailer traffic accident, especially where a crash involves a smaller vehicle such as an economy car, sedan or minivan. But the size of the smaller motor vehicle makes little difference since a semi is many times more massive than any passenger vehicle.

The fact of the matter is, few if any passenger cars — whether a four-door luxury sedan or a large sport utility vehicle — can withstand the crushing force of a commercial delivery truck, 18-wheeler, tanker truck or auto carrier. The bottom line is that the occupants of a passenger car or light truck are more apt to be injured or killed in such a traffic accident.

Something else that’s important to remember is that injuries suffered in automobile accidents can be non-life threatening yet pose lingering aftereffects that can last months or years, even a lifetime, after a crash. This is why it is always important to consult a personal injury lawyer following a traffic accident, if not for yourself, then do it for your family.

Trucking Injury News: Soft Drink Delivery Truck Hits Passenger Car in Baltimore County, Maryland

October 8, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Whether the cause of a collision is defective equipment, ineffective vehicle maintenance or just plain driver error or inattention, a traffic accident between a large commercial truck and a much smaller passenger vehicle can be quite serious, to say the least.

It goes without saying that drivers of small cars and motorcycles must always be on the defensive when driving near a delivery truck or semi tractor-trailer rig, but even individuals operating larger vehicles, such as SUVs, full-size vans and pickup trucks must be wary of the dangers posed by Freightliners, Macks and Peterbilts.

Because trucking accidents can be very costly, not only in terms of physical injury or death but also financially, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) require that trucking companies carry a minimum amount of insurance. By requiring that companies maintain a high level of financial responsibility, hopefully this encourages the safe operation of their vehicles on public motorways.

Maryland Commercial Truck Accident News: Adults, Children Injured following I-270 Bus Crash in Montgomery County, MD

October 1, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The recent bus accident on Interstate 270 yesterday, which claimed the life of the driver and injured a number of passengers including many children, reminds us of the random nature of highway traffic accidents. In this instance, the commercial vehicle was a chartered bus carrying 11 people back home from a trip to Washington, D.C. As a Maryland trucking accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, our thoughts go out to the families of the victims and we all wish the survivors a speedy recovery from their injuries.

Of course, the Interstate Commerce Commission long ago instituted safety regulations to help protect both motorists and the occupants of commercial vehicles from the numerous and potentially deadly consequences of poorly maintained and operated delivery trucks, interstate buses, and 18-wheelers traveling on public roads. It’s no surprise that car accidents involving large commercial vehicles can lead to multiple fatailities.

For anyone interested, those regulations are found in the Code of Federal Regulations, which was established for the express purpose to “help reduce or prevent truck and bus accidents, fatalities and injuries.” [Refer to 49 CFR 383.1(a)]. In fact, by requiring drivers to maintain a single nationwide commercial motor vehicle driver’s license the federal government was trying to keep unqualified and potentially dangerous individuals from driving commercial motor vehicles on our highways and byways.

Baltimore Traffic Accident News: Maryland University Professor Killed in Fatal Multi-Vehicle Tractor-Trailer Crash

September 25, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Any time an individual dies it is a sad event in the lives of those who loved and respected that person. It is certainly an emotional time, even under the best of circumstances, such as death by natural causes. But for the family of someone killed in a senseless traffic accident the anger and upset can be blinding, especially when that death was likely caused by the negligence of another individual.

Regardless of the vehicles involved — car, motorcycle or trucking-related crash — these kinds of negligent accidents only serve to amplify the tragedy many times over. Truck drivers must adhere to numerous industry regulations designed for traffic safety, such as limiting a trucker’s hours on the road before a mandatory sleep break and maintaining the tractor’s and trailer’s safety systems, such as brakes.

Regardless of the reasons for a crash, spouses, children and other dependants can face an uncertain future. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my colleagues understand the difficult times ahead for the family of a fatal traffic wreck. When negligence is involved, however, it may be time to file a wrongful death suit.

Maryland Man Killed by Semi Tractor-Trailer in Fatal Dundalk, MD, Pedestrian-Truck Accident

September 19, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Baltimore injury lawyer and trucking accident attorney, I’ve observed many times the various types of severe injuries that pedestrians receive when hit by a large motor vehicle. There is no comparison between the relatively fragile and delicate features of the human body and that of a passenger car, not to mention a commercial truck such as an 18-wheeler, or big rig.

It’s a fact that trucking accidents can cause horrendous injury to the occupants of an otherwise enclosed and protective steel-bodies passenger vehicle. But when a Freightliner or Peterbilt truck hits or clips a person on foot, there is no comparison. While drivers of smaller vehicles, such as compact cars and motorcycles, can be serious hurt when struck by a massive semi, commercial box truck or tanker vehicle, pedestrians have virtually no protection from the impact.

Fatal and life-altering injuries are typically the result of a direct impact with an unprotected human body. It is because of this that over-the-road heavy haulers must be piloted by professional and well-trained drivers at the very least. Outside of driver error or negligence, poorly maintained roadways or defective vehicle equipment may also be causes of these kinds of commercial truck accidents. Whatever the cause, however, the costs are always high for the victims due to extensive and costly medical care, lost wages and unmet financial obligations following a serious injury.

Maryland Traffic Accident News: Charges Pending for Truck Driver Who Failed to Yield, Killed Bicyclist

September 10, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Late last month a Carroll County bicycle rider died when he was hit by a tractor-trailer that police said did not yield to the cyclist. As a Baltimore trucking accident attorney and personal injury lawyer serving Maryland and the Washington, D.C. area, I can attest to the fact that heavy commercial trucks and bicycles are a bad mix when it comes to traffic collisions.

The result of a bicycle-motor vehicle accident can vary widely, but it is not uncommon for a rider to fall and suffer broken bones and possible severe head injury. Even under the best of circumstances a cyclist may suffer cuts and bruises as well as road rash and other minor, yet painful bodily injuries.

A recent news story shows how dangerous and deadly a collision between a bike and a large commercial truck can be. According to reports, 51-year-old Arthur Martin Jr. of New Windsor, MD, was biking along Shepherds Mill Road on a Tuesday afternoon when a semi trailer made a right turn onto Route 75 directly in front of the cyclist.