Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog
An accident that occurred late last month involving a tractor-trailer led to a fuel spill and two additional accidents, and consequently accompanied road closures in Frederick, causing some major traffic delays.
According to Maryland State Police, the crash occurred on the ramp from westbound I-70 to westbound Route 15/340 at around 2:30 a.m., when the driver of the tractor-trailer lost control of the vehicle.
The tractor-trailer then careened off of the roadway, striking and displacing a 100 foot stretch of guardrail, before finally coming to a stop after colliding with a concrete bridge abutment above Route 351. The collision with the structure caused debris to fall into the roadway, resulting in two additional collisions on Route 351 itself.
A police spokesperson said that the impact of the crash damaged the tractor-trailer’s fuel saddle tanks, causing gallons of diesel fuel to spill onto the ramp and also onto Route 351.
No information was readily available regarding injuries to the drivers of the tractor-trailer or any of the other vehicles involved in the collisions on Route 351. The cause of the driver losing control, and other circumstances surrounding the crash, remain under investigation.
While it is not yet officially known what caused this particular accident, driver fatigue is known to be one of the main causes of trucking accidents. As professionals, truck drivers are required to adhere to specific federal and state safety regulations, which include the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. However, some trucking companies provide incentives to their drivers who deliver cargo on time or even ahead of schedule, which sometimes leads to drivers sacrificing safety for the sake of speed. When this happens, both the driver and the company that employs them should be held accountable for any injuries sustained as a result of driver exhaustion.
Unlike other traffic accidents, trucking accidents fall within a separate set of considerations. In Maryland for example, commercial truck drivers are held to specific standards under Maryland’s commercial vehicle laws. Proving that a violation of those rules took place may be enough to hold a driver liable if it leads to them becoming involved in a trucking accident. The violation could provide the basis for liability in a negligence case, which requires a showing that the person acted in a way that was not in accordance with how a reasonably prudent person would act under similar circumstances.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking accident that occurred in Maryland or Washington D.C. area, contact Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers today. We are a full service personal injury law firm with an extensive track record of success in handling truck and trucking accident cases. Our Maryland trucking accident attorneys are dedicated to representing victims of trucking accidents, and we will fight to recover the damages you deserve. Contact us today in order to schedule your free initial consultation. You can reach us through our website, or by calling 1-800-654-1949.
More Blog Posts:
Car Crashes into Tractor-Trailer on Md. I-95, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published June 27, 2013
Cause Unknown in Double Tractor-Trailer Accident on Md. I-95, Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog, published June 21, 2013