Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

As motorists we are all tested and licensed by the state of Maryland before we can legally operate a motor vehicle on public roads. This is reasonable and as a matter of tradition and the law, completely acceptable considering the dangers that an unqualified driver could pose on the streets of Rockville, Howie, Columbia and Washington, D.C. By extension, it is no surprise that drivers of commercial motor vehicles have an ever stricter set of hurdles to clear before being granted their commercial driver’s license (CDL).

Anyone who disagrees with the added regulatory requirements imposed on operators of 18-wheelers, semi tractor-trailers, commercial box trucks, and even city bus drivers, should consider the heady responsibility of driving a 30-plus-ton, multi-wheeled behemoth on a public road. At nearly 20 times the mass of an average passenger car, a long-haul semi rig can easily become an almost unstoppable and indiscriminate killing machine if driven recklessly on an expressway or city street.

As Maryland trucking accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, I and my colleagues are keenly aware of the potential for bodily harm or death from one of these vehicles when its driver is caught unaware or even actively negligent in his or her operation of that 18-wheeler. And this goes for being in or working around even a stationary truck.

Continue reading "Maryland Auto Accident News: Truck Driver Killed in Auto Hauler Accident in Baltimore County" »

Whenever, wherever a person passes away it can certainly be a sad event for the friends and relatives of that individual. A death in the family can thrust lives into turmoil and shake some people's faith to the core; and this can happen under the most normal of circumstances, much less in the aftermath of a seemingly senseless and random traffic accident. When a person dies as a result of a car or motorcycle accident, the many ask the question, Is no one safe from the indiscriminate hand of fate?

As a Maryland personal injury attorney, I understand how the days and weeks following the death of a loved one can be a confusing and emotional time. Even under the best circumstances, such as the passing of an elderly relative by natural causes, we wonder if anything else could have been done. Certainly, as is the case of many roadway collisions, the victim’s family has even more questions; why did this happen, who is to blame, how can we cope with our loss?

In the wake of a serious and fatal car wreck or commercial truck accident, the family’s anger and upset can be blinding, especially in those instances where the loved one’s death was likely a result of certain negligent actions of another individual. A little while ago, we ran across a news item concerning the criminal aspect of a fatal trucking-related accident that happened back in 2010.

Continue reading "Maryland Personal Injury News: Trucker Who Killed Maryland University Professor Gets 5 Years in Jail" »

As professionals operating massive and potentially dangerous motor vehicles on public roads, truckers and the commercial fleet operators that employ them have both a moral and legal responsibility to the driving public. The firms are required to maintain their trucks to federal standards and to operate them safely on the nation’s highways. Unfortunately, with so many commercial vehicles plying the roads, there are bound to be more than a few poor drivers and some less-than-scrupulous trucking firms.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers representing victims of car, truck and motorcycle accidents, we know all too well the damage and harm that even a single semi tractor-trailer or large delivery truck can do to a passenger car, minivan or sport utility vehicle. Needless to say, the occupants of these smaller vehicles can receive serious and sometimes fatal injuries as a result of a commercial trucking wreck.

During a car-truck collision, the extent of bodily injury can range from lacerations and broken bones to internal injuries and closed-head trauma. Depending on the circumstances and other factors, vehicle fires can also erupt threatening any occupant who happens to be trapped inside the passenger car. As one might imagine, many traffic accidents involving large trucks -- such as Peterbilts, Macks and Kenworths -- can cause fatal injuries as well.

When the negligent party is found to be the trucker or company that employed him or her, it is likely that the victim or his family may seek to file a personal injury claim against those negligent parties. According to recent news reports, a Maryland trucking firm that was deemed to be a hazard to public safety was ordered to shut down its operations by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Continue reading "Baltimore Traffic Injury News: Maryland Commercial Trucking Company Ordered to Cease Operations following Fatal Traffic Collision" »

Anyone who has survived in a serious car, truck or motorcycle accident knows too well the pain and discomfort resulting from a traffic collision. Here in Baltimore County and surrounding areas, such as Wicomico, Charles and Washington, D.C., automobile and trucking-related wrecks have become an unfortunate part of our mobile lifestyle. Whether one is a daily commuter, a parent shuttling kids to and from school, or a business person calling on customers around the state, the danger of a severe or fatal car crash is ever-present.

As Maryland trucking accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers, I and my legal staff are trained to represent the victims of traffic accidents, as well as families who may have lost a loved one in a fatal car or truck wreck. As drivers ourselves, one thing we all know is that there is little alternative to the freedom that a passenger car, truck or minivan provides individuals and families.

Since road accidents happen with alarming frequency in this state, it is quite possible that someone you know has already been involved in a crash, or will be sometime during their life. For most people, a fatal truck, car or motorcycle collision is unlikely, but an injury accident is a distinct possibility given the law of averages. Sadly, when a crash does take the life of another driver, it is sometimes difficult to assess blame.

In some cases, police may cite the other driver for a basic traffic violation, which the victim’s family may believe was due to carelessness or extreme negligence. It has been noted on numerous occasions that some drivers who cause a fatal accident are not required to appear in court as a result of his or her error in judgment, even though another individual may be dead as a result. Many times, the law allows these motorists to simply pay the fine by mail and never once step into a courtroom to answer for their mistake.

Continue reading "Baltimore Trucking Accident News: Maryland Legislator Continues Push for Mandatory Court Appearances in Fatal Traffic Wrecks" »

For most of the drivers here in Maryland and Washington, D.C., maintaining the safety of oneself and one’s vehicle occupants involves more than a modicum of active participation. In short, to survive in this part of the country a drive must, out of necessity, watch out for the other guy.

What this means for the average passenger car, light truck and motorcycle rider is to be certain that your vehicle is well-maintained, tuned up and mechanically safe and sound. We won’t go into a discussion on the dangers of defective vehicle equipment here, but suffice it to say that a percentage of roadway wrecks are sometimes found to be a result of poorly designed safety components and other critical systems, such as steering and braking systems (an area of law known as Products Liability).

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my legal staff understand the causes of many traffic accidents and how easily a quiet Sunday drive can turn into a serious and sometimes life-threatening event. Keeping a vehicle in good running condition is a basic requirement for safe driving. This goes as much for automobiles as it does for commercial trucks, usually more so.

Speaking of trucking-related accidents, one cannot argue with the laws of physics when it comes to serious traffic accidents involving semi tractor-trailers, such as Kenworths, Peterbilts, and Mack Trucks; not to mention large box trucks and rather heavy and extremely dangerous tanker trucks.

Many passenger car occupants, not to mention motorcyclists, are killed on a tragically frequent basis when they become caught involved in a crash with a commercial delivery vehicle or 18-wheeler. Those smaller, lighter and less substantial motor vehicles are hardly a match for a fully loaded semi, commuter bus or dump truck. Injuries from car-truck collision can take months or years to recover from, both physically and financially, which makes prevention a no-brainer.

Continue reading "Baltimore Trucking Accident Update: Thoughts on Decreasing Fatal and Injury-related Maryland Truck-Car Collisions" »

When a child dies there are no words of consolation for the victim’s family. And so it goes without saying that when a baby -- a young infant -- passes away as a result of a traffic collision, the sadness and grief felt by all concerned is sometimes too much to bear. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, representing the parents of a minor child killed as a result of another person’s negligence is both humbling and heartrending.

Any accident that causes a death, by its very nature, is a tragedy; but automobile wrecks that take lives and injure people are especially deadly and many times preventable. The fact that car, truck and motorcycle collisions can typically be prevented, or the effects lessened, makes any serious injury or fatality that much more distressing to everyone involved.

Children, of all people, are the most innocent among us. To most any reasonable individual, it is a sad and tragic event when a young child is critically injured or killed in a passenger car or commercial trucking accident. For the parents, siblings and other relative, losing a young family member is horrible beyond words.

And, while no amount of money or compensation can bring back that young life or relieve the personal torment and anguish, parents and/or guardians who have lost a child to the negligent actions of another individual have a right to recover damages for the loss of that child. This includes the loss of their child's affection or love.

Continue reading "Baltimore Trucking Accident News: Baby Dies in Car Fire after Maryland Trucker Hits Passenger Car" »

Even by mid-month, this past August was shaping up to be the the worst 30-day period for fatal car, truck and motorcycle crashes in the D.C. area. According to news reports, by the 15th of the month almost 20 fatal traffic wrecks had been recorded, many of them involving commercial trucks.

As Baltimore auto accident lawyers and Maryland personal injury attorneys, we hear about numerous roadway collisions on a regular basis. Not only do these violent and sometimes fatal car and truck crashes injure dozens of people across the state every week, a percentage of these motor vehicle wrecks involve deaths. Even those individuals who survive the worst of these collisions can end up suffering for months or years from the deleterious effects of a vehicle-to-vehicle impact.

Broken bones including simple and compound fractures, as well as internal bleeding and damaged organs, can result from a broad-side or head-on collision. Many times, life threatening injuries, such as closed-head trauma and sometimes irreversible spinal damage may be sustained by the driver or passengers of a smaller vehicle when struck by a large commercial box truck, delivery vehicle or semi tractor-trailer rig.

No amount of money can bring back a lost loved one, but the compensation returned to a victim’s family can hopefully pay for the extensive medical bills and potential lost wages that result when a bread-winner is killed in a senseless car, truck or pedestrian traffic accident.

Continue reading "Washington, D.C., Injury News: August, One of the District’s Deadliest Months for Fatal Traffic Accidents" »

It goes without saying that commercial trucks can cause horrendous injuries in the event of a traffic accident with a passenger vehicle such as a sedan, minivan, SUV or pickup truck. But just consider the effect that a similar crash -- involving a delivery truck, 18-wheel semi or dump truck -- might have on a pedestrian or motorcyclist involved in traffic collision.

Considering that the relatively protected occupants of these smaller motor vehicles can still receive terrible injuries or even be killed outright in a commercial trucking accident, imagine how small the chances for survival would be for a person on foot, riding a bicycle or traveling on a moped, scooter or full-size motorcycle involved in a similar roadway collision.

As Baltimore automobile accident attorneys and Washington, D.C., personal injury lawyers, we represent numerous clients from around the state of Maryland and the District. We understand all too well the deadly force that a 20-ton tractor-trailer can impart to a much smaller, 3,000-pound passenger vehicle

Commercial drivers have much the same responsibilities as other non-professional drivers on the road. But they also have the duty to maintain and operate their vehicles per federal regulations, all of which have been designed to help keep the public safe from injury or death due to negligence or other careless actions.

While it is common to see news stories about 18-wheel tractor-trailer rigs -- such as Peterbilts and Freightliners -- that go out of control on the interstate and causing untold misery, other commercial vehicles can cause injury or untimely death when not driven correctly or with the public welfare in mind.

A recent news item caught our attention in regard to the latter of these scenarios. According to reports, a resident of Pasadena, MD, came forward and admitted to police that it was his vehicle that struck and fatally injured 77-year-old Richard Oles last January. Based on police reports, the hit-and-run traffic accident took place in the early morning hours of January 27, at which time Oles was hit by the Ford F-350 fitted with a snow plow and driven by 21-year-old Maximilian Bode.

Continue reading "Baltimore Commercial Truck Accident News: Snowplow Driver Pleads Guilty to Hitting Pedestrian on Roadway" »

A commercial work truck carrying several people went out of control in a local neighborhood not long ago fatally injuring the driver and causing serious injury to the vehicle’s two other occupants. As Maryland personal injury attorneys and auto accident lawyers, I and my legal staff know all too well the potential dangers that commercial trucking accidents pose in densely populated areas such as Frederick, Rockville, Gaithersburg and Washington, D.C.

It is the responsibility of every truck owner and driver to maintain the safety of individuals riding inside a motor vehicle, not to mention the safety of any innocent bystanders or other drivers who may be close by. In this particular case, no definitive reason was given at the time of the news report as to the cause of the fatal motor vehicle crash.

While driver error may have played a part, there always remains the question of faulty safety equipment, such as the brakes or steering components, or perhaps poor maintenance procedures. Defective equipment or poorly followed maintenance procedures can in some cases lead to a third party being named in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit.

According to police reports, this recent truck wreck occurred just before noon on a Wednesday in Baltimore County around the Lutherville-Timonium area. According to police, patrolmen responded to reports of a Ford F-350 work truck that had crashed into a tree near Meadowcroft Ct. and Dulaney Valley Rd.

Continue reading "Baltimore Commercial Trucking Accident News: Man Dies, Others Injured in Work Truck Crash" »

Traffic collisions can occur in a myriad of ways. And as varied as car, truck and motorcycle accidents are, the injuries sustained in these wrecks range from minor to severe. How people are injured, or killed, can also be affected by numerous factors, including being hit by debris thrown through the windshield, striking a hard surface within the vehicle upon impact, being tossed about (usually when a seatbelt has failed or not been used), being ejected from the vehicle during a rollover accident.

As Baltimore trucking accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers, our job is to help victims of automobile, truck and pedestrian accidents recover medical expenses, lost wages and other costs associated with a highway wreck or urban traffic collision. In some cases, when the victim has died as a result of the crash and is no longer able to speak from himself, we assist the victim’s family in recovering damages due to wrongful death.

Not long ago, an 70-year-old retired gentleman lost his life following a traffic accident along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Anne Arundel County. According to news reports, the victim was former sportswriter, Harry Blauvelt, who had worked for numerous news agencies over the years. Sadly, the history of the Bay Bridge caught up with this individual as it has with others before him.

Based on reports, Blauvelt was apparently returning home to Kent Island on Monday morning around 10:30am when his Honda experienced some kind of mechanical problem along the center span. There is no breakdown lane, which makes for an extremely dangerous situation whenever a car or truck becomes disabled on the two-lane bridge.

Just as Blauvelt was getting out of his stalled vehicle to investigate the trouble, a 2003 International commercial truck slammed into the rear of the man’s car and threw him over an adjacent barrier wall into the water 50 feet below the roadway.

Continue reading "Anne Arundel Injury News: Maryland Man Dies in Fatal Commercial Truck Accident on Bay Bridge" »

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

As Maryland automobile accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, we speak from experience when we say that traffic accidents involving passenger cars and commercial trucks hardly ever end in favor of the smaller vehicle. With a gross weight on the order of 20 tons or more, a fully loaded semi tractor-trailer rig has as much mass as nearly 10 sport utility vehicles (SUVs), which makes any kind of highway accident a deadly proposition for the average motorist in a family car.

Furthermore, if a passenger car hasn’t much chance, then one can only imagine what the odds are for an economy car or motorcycle that tangles with a 18-wheeler on the expressway or undivided rural road. Needless to say, every passenger car and light truck driver should pay extremely careful attention whenever passing a tractor-trailer rig or other commercial truck. The watchword here is caution.

Even though we try to be careful, accidents continue to happen. A case in point is a crash that happened not long ago when a minivan crossed over the centerline and struck a tanker truck driven by a Baltimore truck driver. The crash happened just after 11am on a Tuesday morning and resulted in the death of the driver of the Chrysler Town and Country, 50-year-old Richard Baker.

According to police, Baker was headed west along a stretch of Rte 9 when for some reason his minivan crossed the centerline. In cases like this, driver error is usually suspected, however there have been instances where defective vehicle equipment, such as faulty steering components or poorly maintained tires may have been a factor. Police were apparently still investigating the crash at the time of the article.

Based on news reports, the collision resulted in a fire that damaged both vehicles. Not long after the crash, police arriving on the scene pulled Baker from his vehicle and attempted to revive him. Their attempts unfortunately failed and the man died from his injuries at the crash site.

The driver of the 2005 Mac tractor-trailer truck, 55-year-old George Cherrey of Baltimore, MD, was attended to at the scene by emergency responders for minor injuries and then transported to Beebe Medical Center where he was treated and subsequently released. According to police, the roadway was closed for approximately three hours due to the severity of the accident and the subsequent investigation by police.

UPDATED BREAKING NEWS: Route 9 crash leaves Georgetown man dead, WGMD.com, January 11, 2011

Anytime a person is killed as a result of a traffic accident there is always a lingering question of whether things could have truned out differently depending on the circumstances. Many fatal car, truck and motorcycle wrecks seem so senseless when the families of the victims look back on the incident. Although the reasons are not always clear, certain things may be obvious, such as speed too fast for weather conditions, poorly maintained tires or impropoerly designed safety equipment and driver fatigue.

How important is it to get to one’s destination fast if the alternative is not getting there at all? Sad but true, a certain percentage of these deadly collisions could probably have been avoided if something had not occurred or a certain fateful choice had never been made.

As a Maryland personal injury attorney, we often hear victims’ families ask these kind of after-the-fact questions with little hope of knowing for certain if their loved one could have avoided the tragedy altogether. One known cause of commercial truck accidents is driver fatigue, whcih has been a constant source of concern for police and regulatory agencies for decades. This is why there exists federal regulations limiting hours of service. In fact, 49 CFR Part 395 puts limits on when and how long commercial trucker may operate their vehicles.

While trucking accidents usually result in the occupants of a second, smaller passenger car being hurt or killed, there are cases were the trucker himself is the victim of an 18-wheeler accident. And while these vehicles provide the operator with a fair amount of protection in the cab, injuries do occur and death is always a possibility.

Such was the case not long ago when a truck driver from the Baltimore area lost control of his rig on a stretch of Interstate 695 in Towson, plowing into an abandoned minivan on the shoulder, and then bursting into flames against the sound wall next to the roadway. According to news reports, 39-year-old Russell William Lewis died at the scene, though it was not known if he died from the crash or the subsequent flames that engulfed the tractor portion of the rig after the tractor-trailer overturned.

According to Maryland State Police, Lewis was likely traveling along the inner loop of I-695 around 4:30am when his semi carrying a load of calcium carbonate veered off the roadway and smashed into the unoccupied minivan.

At the time of the news article, Maryland State Police did not believe that speed was a factor in the fatal accident, however they were looking into the possibility that the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel prior to the wreck. Similarly, authorities had not yet ruled out the possibility that Lewis may have experienced a medical emergency.

Driver killed in early morning crash on I-695 in Towson, ABC2News.com, January 4, 2011

Recently there has been some more discussion about the so-called “sweatshop” workplace conditions that over-the-road truckers must endure as part of their job hauling goods and materials across the nation. Long hours and tight deadlines have been blamed for numerous accidents here in Maryland as well as other states.

As a Baltimore trucking accident attorney and personal injury lawyer, my work of this area of accident law exposes me to a myriad of horror stories ranging from minor truck-passenger car accidents to fatal semi tractor-trailer wrecks. In many cases, excessive speed is a major factor in the collision. Even if it didn’t cause the initial accident, high speed coupled with the huge size and mass of these large 18-wheelers makes most any traffic accident worse.

Occupants of passenger cars struck by such a massive vehicle can be left with serious and life-threatening injuries that can linger for years and ruin a person’s quality of life. The costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation following a tragic highway trucking accident can hobble families struggling to survive in this uncertain economy, placing stress on family members and fracturing the very fabric of a formerly happy home.

With all this in the balance, it would appear that getting parts, foodstuffs or toys to market should take a backseat to the health and safety of the innocent people riding next to these semi trucks. Yet every day more motorists are killed or injured as a result of truck driver fatigue, inattention or haste.

Such may have been the case in a crash that occurred not long ago on I-95. According to news reports, the accident happened just before noon when the driver of a tractor-trailer apparently lost control of his rig on the ramp from Interstate 95 to Rte 1. Based on police reports, the truck driven by 32-year-old Leon Buckley of Maryland hit the guardrail and overturned onto the southbound lanes of Rte 1.

State troopers arriving on the scene found the truck lying on its side. An investigation reportedly showed that Buckley was operating the 2006 Volvo tractor-trailer at an excessive speed when the vehicle hit the guardrail alongside the expressway ramp around 11:55am. Defective equipment was not mentioned in the news report, and the driver was apparently cited by police for traveling at an unsafe speed. No injuries were reported.

UPDATE: Crash near Christiana Mall cleared – Rt 1 open, WGMD.com, December 2, 2010

As Baltimore personal injury attorneys and auto accident lawyers, we cannot stress enough the multidute of dangers faced by Maryland drivers on virtually a daily basis. Even in the most seemingly innocuous traffic situations a fatal accident can occur without warning. Injury accidents and fatal car and truck crashes happen with alarming frequency throughout the state; please use extreme caution at all times, if not for your own sake, at least for that of your family.

A deadly car-truck crash occurred not long ago that showed what can happen when fate conspires to do someone harm. It’s difficult to say whethr or not the victim of this particular crash could have avoided the traffic accident altogether, however the tragic outcome was one that no family would ever want a loved one to experience. According to news reports, police were still investigating the accident a couple days after the fatal wreck.

Based on reports, a commercial flatbed tow truck -- a 2004 International -- was partially blocking one of the southbound lanes along a stretch of Crain Highway (US 301) near the intersection of Holly Lane. At about 8pm, the truck driver apparently attempted to maneuver the truck into the northbound side of the roadway, Maryland State Police stated. At that moment, a southbound 2007 Toyota Camry driven by 73-year-old Stanley Harten Wallace of Waldorf, MD, crashed into the tow truck around 8pm.

The force of the impact caused Wallace to be ejected from his vehicle, resulting in fatal injuries. Police reported that the tow truck driver, 35-year-old Jared Wingate of Hyattsville, was not injured in the accident. Court records indicated that Wingate had previously recently been charged with driving a motor vehicle with suspended registration and then failed to appear for a court hearing in late September of last year.

Man dies in crash, SoMDNews.com, December 1, 2010

The death last August of a Maryland university professor on an Ohio expressway has raised the question of commercial truck drivers’ ability to function well under the currently legal federally regulated hours of service. It was the untimely death of Stevenson University professor Susan Slattery and numerous other traffic accidents involving commercial truck and passenger vehicles -- such as minivan, sedans, SUVs and motorcycles -- that has people like Joan Claybrook, former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), looking long and hard at the current rules.

As a Baltimore trucking accident lawyer and personal injury attorney, I have heard dozens of heartrending stories involving families who have lost loved ones in traffic wrecks due to another person’s negligence. According to a news report, the federal regulations governing the number of hours a truck driver may be one the road could also be to blame for thousands of deaths each year.

To some, semi tractor-trailers are simply rolling time bombs that claim nearly a dozen lives every day across the United States. And it’s most likely true, according to some, that of the dozens of 18-wheelers a driver meets on the road every hour may be operated by a trucker who has been driving for more than the 12 hours. In fact, there is no way for other motorists to know whether or not a commercial driver has been on the road for only five or as much as 15 hours.

Claybrook herself has reportedly been an advocate for reducing the hours truckers can drive for a while now. Known as “Hours of Service,” federal regulations state that truckers can drive no longer than 11 hours with 10 hours off for rest. But these rules could change as early as 2011, now that there have been some successful lawsuits carried out by safety groups.

As a result, the federal government is now carefully reviewing the question of how many hours a trucker could more safely drive in any given shift. Given the possibility of proposed changes to the current rules governing hours of service, a change in the law could be implemented no later than next summer.

Some would say that it couldn’t come soon enough, what with driver fatigue being blamed for as much as 40 percent of fatal trucking-related accidents; claiming about 5000 lives across the nation every year.

Continue reading "Maryland Trucking Accident News: Experts Say Maximum Driving Hours Still Killing Too Many People" »

When a commercial truck, such as a box truck, tanker or semi tractor-trailer crashes into or hits a much smaller passenger car the result can be very serious. As Maryland personal injury lawyers and trucking accident attorneys, we know how a moment of thoughtlessness or inattentiveness can lead to a lifetime of pain and suffering. In the worst cases, such a simple and seemingly minor distraction can end up causing a fatal car, truck or motorcycle accident.

These kinds of traffic collisions happen rather frequently, which doesn’t make them any less important or somber considering the potentially tragic aftermath. Young families have been known to lose one or both parents in a single heartbreaking car crash. Wives and mothers have lost husbands and children in the blink of an eye. Still other victims have seen their savings dwindle to near nothingness from the extensive medical and financial costs of a terrible motor vehicle wreck.

Trying to understand the reasons for these senseless occurrences doesn’t make them go away, but it does help a family cope. Wrongful death, however, is never easy to reconcile and many times requires the help of a knowledgeable attorney. Not long ago an elderly gentleman was tragically killed in Essex when a commercial truck ran a red light an struck his car on a Tuesday afternoon.

According to reports, the fatal accident happened in Baltimore County at the intersection of Eastern Blvd and Stemmers Run Rd. The 82-year-old driver was heading southbound on Stemmers Run in a Chevy station wagon when the box truck failed to stop and slammed into the man’s vehicle.

The truck, which was traveling westbound on Eastern Boulevard, was being driven by a 51-year-old delivery driver. The crash occurred around 2:30pm in the afternoon and also involved a Ford Focus, which was following the Chevy at the time of the crash. The driver of the Ford, a middle-aged woman, was apparently treated at the scene and then transported to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

82-year-old man killed in Essex crash with delivery truck, BaltimoreSun.com, December 7, 2010

For most Maryland drivers, being safe on the road can means watching out for the other guy and making sure your car, truck or motorcycle is mechanically sound and well maintained. As a Baltimore auto accident lawyer and personal injury attorney, I understand the reasons why we all should give our personal vehicles the special attention they deserve in order to run right and keep us safe in case of an accident.

That said, everyone -- drivers and passengers alike -- must remember that the commercial vehicles in which we travel from time to time can be a major source of traffic injuries and potential fatalities. It goes without saying that we have little control over or knowledge of the quality of maintenance that these vehicle receive prior to riding in them.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), those large-capacity passenger vans that we all see taking church members, school athletic teams and retirees to and from various events could be more dangerous than any of us imagine. Based on a combination of factors, these vehicles apparently have a higher than average propensity for rollover accidents than most other types of passenger cars.

In fact, the NHTSA has issued a number of warnings regarding large 15-passenger vans. The reason is that these vehicles, often operated by commercial transportation companies, do not have the handling capabilities that lower-slung passenger cars do. The driver of such a vehicle must understand the limitations of these vehicles, which means gaining the necessary experience through training and operating these large vans on a regular basis.

Because 15-passenger vans have a typically higher center of gravity, they are much more apt to roll over during an emergency maneuver at highway speeds. This deadly characteristic is made even worse if the van’s tires are under-inflated, someone has installed defective parts, or if the vehicle itself is loaded beyond its rated capacity.

The sad part of all this is that many of these vehicles also do not have full lap and shoulder belts for all passengers -- and many passengers simply choose not to use the safety belts that are there. As a result, any accident -- not the least of which a dangerous and potentially fatal rollover crash -- can have a tragic outcome for the occupants. The convenience of these vehicles makes them a quick choice for transporting groups of people, but there apparently remains a great risk to passengers especially if the proper safety precautions are not followed.

15-passenger vans, improperly inflated tires and no seat belts ~ a deadly combination, TheVindicator.com, December 15, 2010

Commercial and delivery truck accidents, like many traffic crashes on Maryland roadways, can range in severity from mild to tragically fatal. Unlike automobile and motorcycle wrecks, a trucking accident can maim or kill many people due to the size and mass of these larger motor vehicles.

As a Baltimore auto accident lawyer and personal injury attorney, I have the skills and training to represent the victims of these types of traffic collisions in Fredrick, Hagerstown, Cumberland and other towns and cities throughout Maryland. In cases of fatal trucking wrecks, a victim’s family can be left with massive medical bills, not to mention lost wages following a breadwinner’s untimely death.

Single-vehicle traffic accidents, while not uncommon, can still result in the severe injury or death of the driver. Due to the shear size of a semi tractor-trailer, truck drivers can be killed in a crash when the load in the trailer becomes a projectile itself. Whether the accident is due to another driver’s negligence or defective vehicle equipment, such as improperly maintained tires, brakes or other critical automotive component, the results can be devastating.

Such was the case a while back when the driver of an 18-wheeler was killed on the Capital Beltway’s inner loop. According to police reports, 49-year-old Jeffrey Todd Meade died when his semi overturned on the roadway. Police believe that the truck driver may have attempted to swerve his tractor-trailer to avoid hitting another vehicle stopped in the roadway.

The accident, which tied up traffic for several hours, occurred just before the Old Georgetown Road exit at around 5am just prior to the Monday morning commute. Based on news reports, Maryland State police believe the driver of a passenger car may have been stopped in the Beltway’s active lanes prior to the accident. That man, 28-year-old Romolio James of Germantown, MD, was taken to Suburban Hospital with serious injuries as a result of the crash.

Virginia Man Dead after Tractor Trailer Overturned on Beltway, Patch.com, October 18, 2010

Tractor-trailer crash makes mess of Beltway traffic, WTOPNews.com, October 18, 2010

Wherever you live, truck, car and motorcycle accidents are probably a common occurrence. Because we live in a mobile society, automobile collisions are sadly a fact of life, and while people might feel safer living out in the countryside, it’s not necessarily urban traffic accidents that result in fatalities, but rural crashes as well.

As a Baltimore trucking accident lawyer, I understand the reasons for car and truck accidents here in the Baltimore area and elsewhere across Maryland. It’s important to note that the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined a while back that driving in the countryside is no safer than driving in urban areas. In fact, the risk of a fatal car or truck crash in rural areas is nearly 40 percent higher than in our cities.

Part of the reason for this is due to the higher average speeds on rural roads, which can result in nearly two-times more chance of serious injury than in an urban setting. This, coupled with the fact that it typically takes longer for EMS personnel to respond to a crash out in the country, makes it more likely that you will survive a typical in-city traffic accident versus in one out in a rural area.

Not long ago, a man was killed in a traffic accident between a minivan and a commercial big rig along Rte. 13 in Somerset County. According to new accounts, Maryland State Police from the Princess Anne barrack reported a fatal crash on a Thursday evening when a Chevrolet Venture failed to yield to a ‘03 Peterbilt tractor-trailer rig. The 18-wheeler, which was going north along Rte 13 near Camp Road, hit the minivan when it turned left in front of the truck.

The force of the collision, which occurred at around 7:17pm, sent the minivan off the roadway and caused it to roll over several times. In the process 26-year-old Marino Cordova, who was seated in the backseat, was ejected from the vehicle as it rolled. Emergency responders arriving at the crash site pronounced Cordova dead at the scene.

At the time of the news report, police were still investigating the accident and driver negligence could have been the possible cause. Reports show that Velasquez was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center reportedly for non-life-threatening injuries.

SOMERSET: Man killed in Route 13 crash, DelmarvaNow.com, October 1, 2010