Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

As mentioned here on several previous occasions, the causes of commercial trucking accidents are numerous and varied. According to a 2002 study conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), almost 5,000 people died in fatal trucking accidents across the U.S. In all, about 130,000 people were injured in trucking-related collisions on public roads. This is an amazing statistic, if only because commercial vehicle accidents account for just three percent of injury-related traffic wrecks.

What this shows is that of all motor vehicle collisions, those crashes that involve an 18-wheeler or commercial delivery truck typically result in some of the most serious injuries of any motor vehicle accident. The size and weight disparity between tractor-trailer rigs and everyday passenger cars and minivans is enormous, not to mention when a motorcycle is involved in an accident with a truck. That is why victims of these kinds of trucking-related traffic crashes face potentially serious challenges, such as prolonged recovery times and possible permanent disability due to head and spinal cord injuries.

Some of the more common causes for heavy truck accidents include driver error, mechanical failures, poor driving conditions, bad road design and traffic signal failures. There is also a preponderance of truck accidents stemming from brake system or tire failures. For example, some truckers or fleet owners will depower a truck’s front brakes to reduce brake wear and save on cost. This kind of illegal modification can cause a semi tractor-trailer rig to jackknife during emergency braking and result in loss of control. Should a driver also improperly hitch the tractor-trailer combination, this risk of a jackknife situation is made worse.

Although the reasons were not yet known at the time of the news article mentioned below, police were carrying out an investigation into why a single-vehicle commercial truck accident occurred one Thursday morning in Harford County. Based on police reports, 56-year-old Thomas Wingrove was operating his 2003 Freightliner tractor-trailer rig southbound along a stretch of Rte 1 just south of Vale Rd. when he apparently lost control of the truck, which then crossed all northbound traffic lanes.

The 18-wheeler then traveled off the roadway and into an adjacent wooded area, according to Maryland State Police. A resident of Lansdowne, MD, Wingrove reportedly sustained multiple injuries during the accident and was transported by helicopter to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. At the time of the news article he was listed in stable condition and police were conducting an investigation.

Man flown out after accident on bypass, ExploreHarford.com, February 4, 2011

From the headlines these days, it sometimes may be forgotten that there are many qualified commercial truck drivers who take traffic safety very seriously. This should not come as a surprise, since most every trucker values his job and needs to keep it in order to support himself and his family. That said, there is also a small percentage of bad drivers on the road whose first thought may not be the safety and welfare of the driving public.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers and trucking accident attorneys, I and my colleagues know how easily an 18-wheeler can become a dangerous missile in the wrong hands. Even as a relatively slow-moving vehicle, these 30- to 40-ton behemoths can pose a huge danger on the road. This why we have laws such as the “hours-of-service” regulations (49 CFR Part 395) that put limits on when and how long a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) driver may operate his or her vehicle.

Whether you live or work in Cumberland, Hagerstown, Frederick or Washington, D.C., as a commuter you and your passengers are almost constantly exposed to potential injury from these tractor-trailer rigs and commercial delivery trucks.

With the advent of cellphones, many citizens are now reporting poor driving behavior and calling the police when they observe a truck driver operating his or her vehicle in an erratic or dangerous manner. More than one life has probably been saved thanks to concerned individuals out there.

Important too, because a traffic accident involving a commercial interstate hauler can result in serious injuries such as deep cuts and lacerations, broken ribs, fractured legs and arms, spinal cord injuries and closed-head trauma. In the worst cases, passenger car occupants have died because of the negligent actions of one person behind the wheel of a deadly machine.

According to news reports, at least one other driver observed a commercial truck being driven erratically prior to a multi-vehicle crash along a stretch of I-80. That driver said it was just a matter of time before the suspect trucker caused a major accident. Police reports indicate that numerous other truckers were talking by radio as they watched a driver for Webster Trucking apparently swerving all over the road. Most of the other truck drivers on the road that day said that they tried to avoid getting too close for fear of an accident.

Continue reading " Truck Driver Headed North Through Maryland Crashes into Semi-Tractor-Trailer Rig Parked on Roadside " »

To some people there is nothing quite so scary as the thought of being burned alive. While most people likely consider a house fire as one of the most frightening events, an automobile fire can be extremely terrifying and many times more dangerous because of the smaller space and the increased chances of the occupants being trapped in the vehicle following a serious traffic crash.

As a Maryland trucking accident attorney, I wouldn’t be the least surprised to learn that a healthy number of drivers in Baltimore, Frederick and Rockville, MD, do their best to steer clear of commercial tanker trucks carrying gasoline, fuel oil, propane as well as other flammable and potentially explosive substances. Although car fires are relatively few and far between when compared to the total number of highway collisions every year, those odds can be increased whenever a tank truck carrying flammable cargo is involved.

According to a news report a while back, a propane tanker crashed and overturned along a stretch of Interstate 70 in Mount Airy, MD. The accident, which took place on a Sunday morning a little east of Md 27, resulted in the roadway being closed off for nearly six hours as emergency responders and hazmat crews worked to clean up the crash site. Fortunately, no one was hurt in this particular instance, which is amazing in itself.

Based on police reports, the truck was hauling more than 8,000 gallons of liquid propane gas (LPG) when its driver apparently lost control of the vehicle. Reports indicate that 42-year-old James Hooper was operating the tanker as it traveled east on I-70 near exit 68 when the vehicle’s back wheels reportedly veered onto the gassy median adjacent to the roadway. This sudden change caused Hooper to loose control and the truck turned onto its side.

During the crash, the tanker slid on its side for approximately 300 feet before coming to rest against the guard rail in the center median. According to police, no liquid propane leaked from the tanker and no other vehicles were involved. Authorities did say that Hooper and his passenger, 55-year-old Glenn Novack, were both injured during the accident. The two men were taken to separate hospitals, where they were each treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

No specific cause, such as defective equipment or driver error, was given at the time of the news report, however an investigation by the state police was ongoing with assistance from the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division and the Maryland Department of the Environment. Other agencies responding to the scene that day were the Mount Airy volunteer fire company, Lisbon fire company, Howard County Police Department, Carroll County Sheriff's Office and the Maryland State Police.

POLICE: Propane tanker overturns on I-70, CarrollCountyTimes.com, January 17, 2011

When it comes to being injured due to a traffic accident or other motor vehicle collision, it’s not unusual for people to assume that public transportation, such as commuter trains and city buses, is safe and that the operators of those conveyances are trained professionals dedicated to performing their jobs with the safety and well being of their passengers foremost in the minds. Similarly, as parents, we expect that our children are going to be safe once they step aboard a school bus every morning.

As passengers on public transport, we all must put our faith in the people running that bus line, railroad or airline. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world and traffic accidents do occur -- and more than we would like. As Maryland personal injury lawyers and commercial trucking, automobile and motorcycle accident attorneys, we understand the expectation of safety that every parent must feel regarding school bus safety.

A story that caught our eye a little while ago points up how close to tragedy many people come from time to time. According to news articles, a school bus driver was charged for her part in a traffic accident on a stretch of Rte 1. Based on state police reports, 53-year-old Brenda Gosch was driving a 2007 Blue Bird school bus on a Friday morning around 8:30 when she attempted to turn onto a side road.

Apparently due to driver error, the bus turned in front of an oncoming tractor-trailer rig driven by a 45-year-old Maryland trucker, Paul Clauson. The semi tanker driver could not avoid hitting the school bus, which thankfully was unoccupied except for the driver. The tanker was reportedly half-full of fuel at the time of the collision, however no spillage occurred and there was no fire.

Emergency responders arriving on the scene likely tended to the two drivers. Clauson’s injuries were reportedly minor and he was transported to Milford Memorial Hospital for back strain. Gosch, who was uninjured, was charged by police for failing to yield the right of way to the Clauson’s 2004 Kenworth.

State police investigators were still looking into the accident at the time of the news report and there was no mention given as to any other causes for the accident. Although driver error was cited as the cause in this instance, defective equipment is always a possibility in bus or truck crashes depending on the particular circumstances surrounding the accident.

UPDATE: School bus driver charged in crash, WGMD.com, January 14, 2011