Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Trucking accidents come in a variety of types, from single-vehicle and rollover wrecks to multi-vehicle and fatal collisions. No matter what the circumstances, being caught up in commercial truck crash while riding in a smaller passenger vehicle is hardly an enviable position in which to find oneself. We won’t even enter into a conversation of a pedestrian, bicyclist or motorcycle rider injured by a semi tractor-trailer or other large commercial vehicle.

Any driver who has been on the road for even a short time will understand the feeling of intimidation that a large tractor-trailer rig imparts to the occupants of smaller passenger cars, minivans and even large sport utility vehicles. Frankly, at 50,000 pounds of vehicle and cargo, the average 18-wheeler represents a huge amount of mass when compared to a relatively tiny sedan or economy car.

While freight forwarders and other delivery vehicles carry heavy loads, steel haulers and scrap trucks can be some of the heavier-laden vehicles on the interstates. If one is looking for one of the more deadly loads on our roadways, look no further than the ubiquitous tanker truck. While these are also quite heavy, big rigs pulling trailer filled with caustic chemicals or flammable liquids chemicals have the added danger of losing their contents in the event of a bad traffic accident.

Continue reading "Cecil County, MD, Trucking Accident News: Semi Tanker Truck Rolls Over, Spills 3000+ Gallons of Fuel" »

It’s certainly part of human nature to be suspicious of individuals and companies who repeatedly operate in a manner detrimental to the public good. Of course, circumstances must be considered, but it is common for many of the public to be all too willing to give accused persons or corporate entities benefit of the doubt before all the facts are in.

Here in the U.S., an individual is considered innocent until proven guilty, but at the same time it is the job of prosecutors and plaintiffs’ lawyers to investigate the facts to find evidence proving that the defendant(s) are guilty or responsible for the violation of law with which they have been charged. Sadly, not only do the wheels of justice sometimes turn slowly, they can also be derailed even after a verdict is brought down against a defendant.

At our firm, as experienced Maryland personal injury lawyers, we have seen examples of companies and individuals who have been able to avoid paying their penance for various offenses against individual citizens as well as the state. Not long ago, we came across a news item that illustrates what can happen when a company that has been found guilty of wrongdoing in a court of law is able to avoid the full punishment of the law through various means. While car accidents and motorcyle wrecks take their toll on motorists, trucking-related crashes can cause some serious carnage.

Continue reading "Maryland Trucking Injury Accident News: Trucking Fleet Operator Guilty of Violations Avoids Penalties through Bankruptcy" »

Sustaining bodily injury as a result of any kind of city or highway traffic accident can be both physically and psychologically traumatic. Car accidents, boating mishaps, motorcycle wrecks and bus collisions can all prove injurious to an individual given the right circumstances. Some of the most serious and deadly traffic accidents are caused by commercial trucks, such as construction vehicles, semi tractor-trailers, large delivery box trucks and even smaller, but heavily-laden commercial work trucks.

In any case, being injured as a result of another party’s negligence may be reason to file a personal injury lawsuit or claim against the negligent individual or individuals. In the case of trucking crashes, the fault -- as initially determined by the local law enforcement agency -- may lie with the driver of the vehicle, or it may be the fault of the trucking carrier or even a third party, such as a maintenance or repair facility. Naturally, the job of determining which parties should be named in a personal injury suit is typically too much for the average person, especially if that person is incapacitated by the accident.

Finally, injury as a result of a traffic accident involving a large commercial vehicle can be due to a poorly designed or manufactured part or component. Historically, it is not uncommon for motorcycle, truck and car accidents to be caused by incorrectly manufactured tires, steering components and braking systems. Lawsuits stemming from these kinds of car and truck collisions are also known as product liability claims; they can be tied to an injury accident -- or in cases of fatal wrecks, may be related to a wrongful death lawsuit.

Because commercial trucking companies conduct the majority of their business operations on public roads -- and in close proximity to other vehicles carrying individuals and families -- federal and state governments have established numerous laws, legal statutes and industry guidelines to regulate certain critical aspects of these firms’ business conduct that may affect the public adversely should those practices be overlooked or ignored to the detriment of public safety.

Continue reading "Maryland Car and Truck Injury Update: Trucking-related Injury Accidents, Their Causes and Prevention" »

For many people the law can sometimes be confusing, and many times frustrating, when they see the wheels of justice turning at what seems a glacial pace; occasionally it appears that legal decisions take a step backwards as well. Some of the more difficult legal decisions are made on issues so divisive that there seems to be no middle ground, yet the law can provide remedies for everyone from time to time.

Slow or not, the results of court cases don’t always please all parties. As Maryland personal injury lawyers representing victims of automobile, trucking and motorcycle accidents, every month we ourselves read about cases that make us scratch our heads. The good news is that the appeals process is available in nearly all instances when a party feels that their point of view was fully understood or valued as much as they may have hoped.

A situation has been brewing down south that on the face of it seems to pit public safety against the individual rights of an employee to keep and perform his job without prejudice from his employer. Frankly, this is a tough legal issue the outcome of which will likely rile more than a few individuals once a decision is reached.

The case in question involves a commercial trucker who self-reported that he had an alcohol abuse problem. According to news articles, following that announcement the driver’s employer took the man off the fleet’s list of permanent drivers. As this obviously directly affected the man’s ability to earn a living, a suit was filed on the man’s behalf by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against his employer citing violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Continue reading "Maryland Trucking-accident Injury News: U.S. District Court Weighs Employee Rights against Public Safety" »

As many people in the personal injury area have spoken of numerous times, both here and elsewhere on the Web, the trucking industry has not exactly been a paragon of safety or vigorous self regulation. In fact, as many may already know, some truckers and commercial trucking companies have gone out of their way to flout the law, as well as state and federal regulators in an effort to cut costs, improve profits and avoid fines and penalties for unlawful acts.

That said, we agree that these violators likely represent a small fraction of the trucking industry as a whole; however, such a statement may be cold comfort to families of victims killed or seriously injured in tractor-trailer collisions. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, we understand how much pain and suffering can be meted out by a 80,000-pound semi tractor-trailer rig whose driver may have negligently caused to crash into a smaller passenger vehicle.

As an aside, we will remind our readers that being caught up in a trucking-related crash can prove to be a harrowing and sometimes fatal occurrence. Many a Maryland motorist has been trapped in a crushed vehicle, perhaps one that has caught fire as a result of a collision with a big rig or commercial delivery truck, and had to wait helplessly for emergency responders to arrive and rescue them.

Sadly, some victims never make it to safety and die at the scene of a terrible traffic wreck. Others, having been rescued and transported to a local hospital, were likely injured so severely that months of physical therapy would be necessary to return them to some semblance of a normal life. Permanent injuries to the spinal cord, as well as traumatic brain injury, can leave an individual a mere shadow of their former self; their families crushed by the lose of a vibrant soul and haunted by ever-mounting medical bills and rehabilitation costs.

The point here is to remind that some truck drivers put time and money ahead of safety. The practice of disabling a truck’s front brakes to incrementally improve fuel mileage is one such example. While there are likely many more safety violations that occur daily, a recent report caught our attention, showing how far a driver can go to save a buck.

According to a news article, a trucker on the East Coast modified the license plate holder on his tractor as part of an effort to avoid paying crossing tolls on various bridges in the area, until one Saturday morning. Based on reports, 36-year-old Nelson Vaquiz was caught by a sharp-eyed Port Authority cop when he apparently drove through the E-Z Pass lane early on a Saturday morning with a load of iron pipes. According to reports, the trucker did not have an electronic toll collection device on the truck, thereby avoiding a $65 toll.

Based on police reports, Vaquiz allegedly altered the front license plate so that he could pull a cable and hide the numbers when passing through toll areas. By doing so, the cameras that are set up to photograph the license plates of toll violators would not be able to read the front plate. As for the rear plate, Vaquiz allegedly bent trailer plate so far upwards that the cameras could not record that one either.

Police said that the trucker had set up a cable to retract the front plate when passing by the toll plaza security cameras; once past the area, the driver apparently returned the plate to its normal position. Once stopped by police, the man was charged with theft of service, as well as possession of burglar tools and eluding. The trucker’s Peterbilt rig was also impounded.

The driver had other previous violations, according to news reports, that included speeding, possessing a radar detector, operating an un-inspected vehicle, not observing traffic signals, not maintaining a logbook, as well as failure to secure a load. According to news reports, so-called “fare-beating” at gateless toll plazas is a growing problem for the Port Authority, with some drivers toting up nearly $30,000 in tolls and fines.

Trucker uses license plate trick to avoid NY tolls, Fleetowner.com, October 19, 2011

Trucking accidents around Maryland and throughout the nation in general take the lives of many thousands of innocent people every year. While most truckers are conscientious individuals, there are a few bad actors behind the wheels of these large, 18-wheeler commercial vehicles; essentially 25-ton missiles plying our roadways. Sadly, even the most diligent truck driver can be fooled into thinking that road conditions are not as bad as they really are.

Especially in winter time, whether driving on the roads around Annapolis, Rockville, the District, or Howie, MD, bad weather conditions can coat the road surface with slick snow, black ice, or slippery sleet. Any of these situations, as well as a dozen more, can lead to a serious traffic accident involving not just one vehicle, but sometimes two, tree or more.

As Baltimore auto accident attorneys and Maryland personal injury lawyers, we know how much property damage and bodily injury can be wrought by a jack-knifed semi tractor-trailer. Even the best drivers can be caught unaware when a winter storm blows in and makes our highways and surface streets virtual ice skating rinks. In fact, as has already happened this season, winter weather forecasts have been the precursor to numerous traffic problems, including closed roads, multi-vehicle collisions and occasional fatal commercial trucking-related wrecks.

According to news articles, there has been a discussion of fitting U.S. Postal Service (USPS) delivery vehicles with weather collection and transmission equipment to aid in the forecasting and reporting of real-time road conditions in certain geographical areas. Aside from this kind of preventative measure, it’s important to understand that some commercial truck drivers simply don’t make allowances for bad weather conditions.

Continue reading "Maryland Trucking Injury News: Helping Increase Truckers’ Awareness of Dangerous Weather Conditions" »

As ubiquitous as public transportation is in cities such as Annapolis, Gaithersburg, Rockville and Washington, D.C., it’s difficult to say that every mode of public transport is safe, or otherwise free from danger of personal injury. From taxis, limousines and airport shuttles to city buses and commuter trains, the public travels many hundreds of thousands of miles daily all around the United States. Here in Baltimore, we have our fair share of traffic and rail accidents, some of which claim innocent lives.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers representing individuals injured in car, truck and motorcycle crashes, we live with the knowledge that not everyone who hails a cab, boards a subway train or steps foot onto a bus is going to be home for dinner come the end of the day. Accidents happen on a regular basis; be they traffic collisions, nursing home mishaps, on-the-job injuries or deadly pedestrian and bicycle accidents.

Many truck and automobile wrecks happen as a result of several unexpected events occurring at the same time; such collisions can not be anticipated even though the individual events may have been preventable. Drinking and driving is one such preventable activity that everyone “knows” should be avoided, however human nature what it is, there are no end of alcohol-related traffic incidents every day in this country.

Continue reading "Maryland Commercial Driving Accident News: Bus Heading to Baltimore Causes Fatal Chain-reaction Crash, Three Dead" »

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" »

It’s easy to assume that riding on public transportation -- such as commuter trains, city buses and taxi cabs -- is safe and free of any significant dangers; but that notion couldn’t be farther from reality. The fact is when boarding any public or private motor vehicle, the danger of a highway collision or roadway accident is ever-present. Now, when it comes to school buses carting their precious cargo around every morning and afternoon, the caveats go double for these conveyances.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys serving the residents of Baltimore, Rockville, Frederick and Washington, D.C., we know all too well how a traffic wreck can affect the lives of numerous individuals riding on a bus. Unfortunately, living in densely packed urban areas, many people must rely on public transportation; just as our children must also rely on school buses to transport them safely from home to school and back again.

As commuters on city buses and commuter railways, we acknowledge that the operators of these modes of transport are for the most part trained professionals who are dedicated to their jobs, with one of their primary goals being the safety and well being of their passengers.

For parents of elementary school children, it’s understandable that the daily routine of sending one’s kids off to school can lull one into a sense of security and trust in the safety of these large yellow boxes, however accidents can and do happen; and they don’t discriminate as to who will become the next victim.

Continue reading "Maryland Commercial Vehicle Accident News: Kids Injured after Drunk Truck Driver Hits School Bus" »

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" »

As personal injury lawyers in Maryland, I and my colleagues have felt the anguish of family members and relatives whose loved one has been taken from them in fatal car accident, truck collision or motorcycle wreck. Nothing anyone can say or do will bring that person back following a deadly traffic accident, yet it is our job to help families attain some amount of closure through legal means.

Wrongful death lawsuits are common when a person has died as a result of another driver’s negligence or willful breaking of the law. Especially in cases where the victim was the sole financial provider for his or her family, there is little alternative to the lost income to pay for the necessary living expenses, and likely medical bills related to the accident that claimed the life of that individual. If only to offset the lost future earning power, not to mention the loss of comfort and companionship, a wrongful death suit is often brought against the negligent party.

Many times, in the case of a fatal or even severe injury-related accident, police and local prosecutors will attempt to bring a negligent driver to justice in the way of criminal charges. In such cases, that person can end up being sent to jail for months or years, depending on the extent of the damage, injury or pain inflicted on others.

For those people who consciously and with malice attempt to injure or kill another person or persons, the law can be quite harsh; yet for the families of the victims, even the criminal justice system seems to come up short and emotions run high. We were certainly reminded of this not long ago when the sentencing phase of a criminal trial came to a conclusion.

Continue reading "Baltimore Commercial Vehicle Accident News: Maryland Truck Driver Gets 12 Years for Fatal DUI Wreck" »

Considering the damage and injury that can occur as a result of a traffic collision between a semi tractor-trailer rig and a much smaller family minivan, sport utility vehicle or economy car, it’s very important that the individuals who operate these behemoths be properly trained and licensed.

Without a doubt, commercial trucks are everywhere one looks in Baltimore, Rockville, Gaithersburg and Washington, D.C. As an important part of this nation’s flow of commerce, large trucks are a necessary evil, to put it bluntly. Of course, most truckers are careful professionals who take their jobs quite seriously. However, as with any industry, there are bad apples in the bunch.

With all these vehicles -- 18-wheelers, contractor vehicles, box trucks and delivery vans -- there is always the potential for a trucking-related traffic accident no matter where you are. Pedestrians and bicycle riders are also not immune to the dangers presented by thoughtless or inattentive truck drivers, especially in busy urban areas where bike, foot vehicle traffic share the same roads.

Being involved in a serious car accidents and truck collisions can be frightening enough, but once injured due to a commercial trucking accident, one must usually face the task of both physical and financial recovery. Sad to say, obtaining justice following a truck accident in Maryland may be difficult. Because they are usually associated with large businesses, commercial truck carriers usually have extensive legal resources that help them to avoid large payouts.

As mentioned, there are always some bad drivers out there, but it is important to remember that Maryland trucking firms can be held liable for employing negligent truckers who cause a serious roadway injury accident or fatal trucking collision. In these types of situations, as Maryland personal injury lawyers, it is our job to represent the victims or the victim’s families in order to gain some compensation for their loss.

The insurance companies that represent trucking firms typically try very hard to limit how much they will pay for any insurance claim. It’s not uncommon for the victims of such highway wrecks to actually be accused by the insurance company of causing the accident.

Continue reading "Baltimore Trucking Injury Update: Maryland Truck Owners Have a Responsibility to Not Employ Negligent Drivers" »