Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog
Last Month, Maryland State Troopers responded to an accident on I-70, caused by a semi-truck a tire blowout. According to a report by WUSA9, the accident occurred on I-70 at Route 63 just before 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Apparently, the semi-truck was heading eastbound on I-70 when one of the truck’s tires blew out, causing the driver to lose control of the truck. The truck then crashed into a construction barrier on the right side of the road before crossing all lanes of traffic and smashing into the guardrail separating east- and west-bound traffic. Ultimately, the truck came to a rest on its side in the center median of the highway. Thankfully, no other vehicles were involved in the accident.
The driver, a 37-year old man from Odenton, MD, was taken to Meritus Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries; he is expected to recover fully. As of the time the article was published, police were still investigating the cause of the accident.
Semi-Trucks and Tire Blow Outs
When a semi-truck loses a tire to a blow out, the results can be fatal. Luckily, in the accident described above, there were no other vehicles involved. However, this is not always going to be the case. In many cases, the semi-truck careens out of control and crashes into other motorists, inflicting serious damage.
In these cases, there are several parties who may be liable to the accident victim. First, the question must be asked if the truck had been properly maintained by the trucking company as well as by the truck’s driver. If tires are not properly inflated, the chances of a tire blow out increase dramatically. Maryland juries have awarded substantial awards to those injured by accidents resulting from the improper maintenance of large commercial vehicles.
Truckers and truck companies may also be liable if the truck is overloaded with cargo at he time of the accident. This can create an increased risk of tire blow out as well.
Strict Liability for Tire Manufacturers
Another party that may be liable to the victim of a semi-truck tire blowout accident is the tire manufacturer. Depending on what actually happened with the tire, it may have been due to a latent manufacturing defect. In these cases, the manufacturer of the tire may be strictly liable for any injuries caused by the faulty tire.
Do You Need a Maryland Truck Accident Attorney?
If you or a loved one has recently been involved in a serious Maryland truck accident, you should speak with an experienced and dedicated Maryland truck accident attorney as soon as possible. It may be that you are entitled to monetary damages based on the truck companies failure to maintain the truck in a safe working condition. To find out more about the laws in Maryland that allow semi-truck accident victims to recover, contact a personal injury attorney at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers. The dedicated lawyers at Lebowitz & Mzhen are ready to meet with you to discuss the facts of your case today. Click here, or call 410-654-3600 to contact Lebowitz & Mzhen.
More Blog Posts:
New Maryland Law Acts to Protect Tow-Truck Drivers from Passing Semi-Trucks, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published March 12, 2014.
Truck Driver Indicted on Five Counts After Causing an Accident that Killed Three, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published March 5, 2014.