Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Commercial truck wrecks end up taking the lives of many Marylanders every year. Even more people are injured as a result of delivery truck and tractor-trailer accidents in cities like Gaithersburg, Washington, D.C., and Annapolis. As Baltimore personal injury attorneys, I and my colleagues understand the pain and suffering that victims and their families experience following the aftermath of a serious trucking accident.

We’ve spoken of this before, but the feeling of safety that people have when it comes to professional drivers of commercial vehicles may be a bit misplaced, especially when we hear of accidents like the one that occurred a little while back in Baltimore. These kinds of accidents can cause severe trauma to the victim, in the form of head and neck injuries, internal bleeding and compound fractures of the arms and legs.

Many times the extent of the injuries can result in the individual’s death, either at the scene of the traffic collision or later in the hospital due to complications from those multiple injuries. In the case of last month’s fatal Baltimore bus-pedestrian crash, the victim was hit while walking in a crosswalk during the late afternoon.

According to news reports, Cindy Feldstein was walking across the street near the intersection of Park Heights and Slade Avenues around 5:30pm on a Saturday afternoon when she was hit by a when she was struck by a Maryland Transit Administration passenger bus.

According to Baltimore County police, Feldstein was transported to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, however doctors apparently could not save the woman and she was pronounced dead at the hospital. Feldstein was reportedly a secretary and public information officer for the county medical examiner’s office. No additional details were given in the news report regarding the bus or driver involved in the accident.

Certain commercial vehicle crashes can result from defective vehicle equipment -- such as braking systems, steering components or other safety-related systems -- that may have failed at a critical moment. There was no mention of equipment failure in relation to this accident.

Police search for help in fatal hit-and-run, BaltimoreSun.com, February 15, 2011

Medical examiner spokeswoman killed by MTA bus, BaltimoreSun.com, February 14, 2011

Whether it’s a Mack, International, Peterbilt or Freightliner, commercial trucks such as these large and heavy 18-wheel rigs can cause tragic accidents resulting in serious bodily injury and significant property damage. Most drivers already know, simply from the shear size of semi tractor-trailers, that these vehicles should be given a wide berth. Even so, hundreds of motor vehicle accidents happen every year in Maryland due to collisions between passenger cars and large trucks.

As Baltimore automobile accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers, I and my staff have an intimate knowledge of the carnage that an out-of-control big rig can cause to a smaller motor vehicles, such as sedans, SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks, and especially pedestrians, motorcycles and scooters. Serious traffic accidents that are caused by the negligent action of a truck driver can end up costing lives, or at the very least, the livelihoods of those persons who are critically injured as a result of the traffic accident.

Here in Baltimore, not to mention other busy urban centers throughout Maryland, car drivers and motorcyclists must exercise a great deal of caution when traveling near industrialized areas of the city. The large trucks that travel in and around these commercial zones can weigh as much at 80,000 pounds, including the trailer. That’s more mass than two dozen minivans all headed in the same direction.

It’s no surprise that even larger passenger vehicles, such as SUVs, limousines and pickup trucks are no match for a fully-loaded big rig. In the event of a crash between a loaded 18-wheeler and a family minivan, the semi would likely crush the passenger vehicle, injuring many of the occupants riding inside, or possibly killing some of them, if not all.

As a Maryland injury attorney representing victims of car, truck and motorcycle accidents, I have seen and heard gut-wrenching stories of motorists severely injured in tractor-trailer collisions, gasoline tanker accidents, and multi-vehicle trucking wrecks. Any individual who is caught in such a horrendous accident resulting from a truck driver’s possible negligent actions should speak with a qualified injury attorney to better understand their rights.

Statistics have shown that injuries resulting from trucking-related traffic accidents can be many times more serious and life-threatening than those sustained in car-to-car crashes. Some of the common types of bodily injury following a truck accident include neck and head trauma, spinal cord injuries, broken bones and other serious injures that can lead to permanent and many times painful disability.

Continue reading " Negligent Driving by Commercial Truckers Can Result in Injuries or Fatalities on Maryland Roadways and Interstates " »

As a Maryland personal injury attorney who represents victims of trucking-related crashes, I understand the various factors that contribute to serious tractor-trailer collisions with passenger cars, minivans and sport utility vehicles. As anyone who has been involved in a traffic wreck with an 18-wheeler knows, the force of such an accident can severely injure or even kill the occupants of the smaller motor vehicle.

Here in Baltimore and other cities and towns across our state, these kinds of car-truck crashes happen fairly often. Similarly, delivery truck and motorcycle wrecks are also common, especially in congested urban areas, as are bicycle-related injury accidents.

In many cases, trucking-related traffic accidents can result in cuts and bruises at one end of the spectrum, while broken arms, crushed tibias, and fractured vertebrae are a examples of more serious bodily injury. Of course, some of the worst would be traumatic brain injury and spinal cord damage. These last two can result in a lifetime filled with multiple surgeries, continuous therapies and even around-the-clock nursing care.

Fatalities are not uncommon, especially when one considers the weight difference between a fully loaded cross-country big rig and a 3,000-pound minivan. Occupants in these smaller vehicles are at much greater risk of being killed when struck by a large tractor-trailer than if their vehicle is hit by another passenger car or light truck.

A percentage of commercial truck crashes can be traced to fatigue, which has become somewhat of a hot-button topic in traffic safety circles. Nearly as dangerous as drunken driving, drowsy driving presents the same threat to the road-going public since the end result -- a trucking-related accident -- can be just as deadly as that caused by impairment as a result of alcohol or prescription drug use.

Drowsy driving can lead to numerous traffic violations -- running a red light, ignoring a red signal, failure to yield and speeding – all of which can lead to an accident. In an effort to reduce the number of fatigue-related trucking accidents the federal government has regulations in place that limit the number of hours a truck driver can spend on the road before taking a break, as well as other requirements.

Continue reading " Maryland Commercial Trucking Injury Update: Relating Traffic Accidents to Federal Regulations for Hours of Service " »

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?

A news article we saw a while back indicated not only the deadly nature of commercial trucking wrecks, but also pointed out the frequency with which such crashes occur. According to reports, two drivers were killed by 18-wheelers in completely separate instances in the same county just hours apart from each other.

Based on news articles, Maryland State Police reported the two fatal tractor-trailer accidents in Caroline County over one weekend. Based on police information, one crash happened on a Saturday evening in Ridgely, MD. According to the news, 19-year-old Chad Clark of Denton died when he apparently failed to obey a stop sign at the intersection of Rte 404 and Downes Station Rd. As a result, Clark's pickup was hit by a semi being operated by 49-year-old Timothy Crook of Centerville, MD. During that crash, police reported that the 18-wheeler was forced down a nearby embankment when it came to rest. The trucker came away with only minor injuries.

The next day in a second deadly crash, a vehicle reportedly driven by 55-year-old Sharon Ross of Federalsburg, MD, hit a big rig after the woman apparently failed to stop at a red traffic signal at Bloomingdale Ave. and Rte 313. The passenger car struck the side of the tractor trailer and reportedly became lodged underneath the commercial vehicle driven by 42-year-old John Dickenson.

Police reports indicated that the car was then dragged more than 100 yeards down the road before coming to rest. Sadly, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver only had minor injuries following the crash.

Deadly Weekend on Caroline County Roads, WBOC.com, December 19, 2010

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.

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