Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Alcohol-impaired drivers are a major cause of car accidents throughout the country. Impaired drivers are extremely dangerous on the roads for a whole host of reasons. Drivers impaired by alcohol or other substances suffer from reduced levels of concentration and slower reaction times when processing their surroundings and actions. Additionally, drunk drivers suffer from poor hand-eye coordination and they are more likely to use poor judgment and experience memory loss while under the influence. These factors and other side effects of substance use greatly increase the likelihood of impaired drivers being involved in car accidents. Signs of impaired drivers on the road include but aren’t limited to, quicker than usual acceleration or deceleration, weaving across the road, erratic breaking, slow responses to traffic signals, or excessively slow driving (10 mph below the speed limit). When on the road, you should exercise extreme caution if you spot any of these signs from other drivers. In 2016, Maryland implemented stricter drunk driving laws throughout the state, including harsher penalties and an Ignition Interlock Program.

According to the news report, the fatal accident occurred in the early morning on Tuesday, October 31, when a Hyundai Accent traveling East on the East West Highway at Morse Road in the Jarrettsville area crashed head-on into a Nissan work van. State police said the driver of the Hyundai Accent died at the scene. The 51-year-old driver of the Nissan work van involved in the crash was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore. The preliminary investigation indicates that the Hyundai was traveling quickly on the East West Highway, passing multiple vehicles in a passing zone. At the same time, the van was traveling west and the vehicles collided head-on. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, police said. The road was closed for about three hours.

In 2022, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics recorded nearly 25,000 highway accidents involving hazardous materials that led to injuries, deaths, and property damage. These “hazmat” accidents often cause toxic materials to leak from the truck carrying them. Hazmat spills require significant clean-up operations on a highway. More seriously, they can cause severe injury to accident victims and residents near the spill, who may become sick after inhaling hazardous waste. Due to the high risk of injury, truck drivers must properly secure their cargo to avoid a spill. When drivers fail to exercise reasonable care, a court may require them to pay monetary damages to accident victims.

For example, a recent news article reported that five people lost their lives in a hazmat truck accident. The accident occurred on the highway as a semi-truck was traveling with about 7,500 gallons of ammonia. As the article explained, the semi-truck collided with multiple vehicles on the highway, causing it to begin leaking approximately 4,000 gallons of toxic ammonia. At least five people were airlifted to local hospitals, but they sadly died from their injuries. Additionally, 500 residents within a one-mile radius of the crash evacuated their homes due to the potential ammonia exposure.

The danger of any vehicle crash is compounded when a truck or other large vehicle is involved in the accident. Large commercial vehicles like trucks are on the road to transport heavy items over long distances. That means that trucks can become difficult to maneuver in emergency situations, preventing truck drivers from turning or stopping suddenly due to the weight of their vehicle and cargo. Even without heavy cargo or large trailers, trucks are heavy, making accidents involving them inherently dangerous. Additionally, truck drivers are under extreme pressure to spend long hours on the road, as they need to meet delivery deadlines. This can lead to exhaustion and impaired judgment on the roads. Tired drivers are more likely to make mistakes when driving, increasing the likelihood of accidents. A recent news article discussed a serious truck accident.

According to the news article, an out-of-control trailer became dislodged from the tractor around 10 am on Wednesday, August 2. The crash occurred on the highway near the New York State border according to Mahwah Mayor Jim Wysocki. During the crash, the rig split into multiple pieces, with a huge container landing on a passing SUV on the other side of the divider and thousands of lemons from the truck’s cargo spilling onto the highway. Additionally, an overhead sign was struck and had to be replaced, which kept the northbound highway closed for several hours. The driver, who’s from Ontario, Canada, said he felt the load shift, tried to correct it, and dislodged the container, according to law enforcement officials. The container then flew off of the trailer, landing on an Audi SUV, and split open, dumping hundreds of crates of lemons across the highway. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries reported with the truck driver and the SUV operator taken to a local hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening.

The danger of not wearing your seatbelt is compounded when a truck or other large vehicle is involved in the crash. That goes for people in the truck as well as others on the road. Large commercial vehicles like trucks are on the road to transport heavy items over long distances. That means that trucks can become difficult to maneuver in emergency situations, preventing truck drivers from turning or stopping suddenly due to the weight of their vehicle and cargo. Even without heavy cargo or large trailers, trucks are heavy, making accidents involving them inherently dangerous. Additionally, truck drivers are under extreme pressure to spend long hours on the road, as they need to meet delivery deadlines. This can lead to exhaustion and impaired judgment on the roads. Tired drivers are more likely to make mistakes when driving, increasing the likelihood of accidents. A recent news article discussed a serious truck accident.

According to the news article, an out-of-control semi-truck slammed into multiple condominium garage units around 7 pm on Friday, June 2. The crash occurred near the intersection between US-89 and Bear Lake Boulevard. Highway Patrol Troopers reported that the semi-truck was northbound along US-89 when it reportedly lost its breaks. As a result, the truck was unable to turn at the intersection with Bear Lake Boulevard, crashing directly onto the properties and going through several garages. Officials also reported that a 100-gallon propane tank was hit, forcing evacuations of nearby homes and businesses.

Firefighters and paramedics reported to the scene and were able to extricate a female passenger and a female driver from the truck. The passenger was flown by medical helicopter to a hospital in critical condition. The driver was transported by ambulance to a hospital in stable condition. Photos from the scene showed extensive damage to property caused by the crash. Fortunately, nobody else was injured during the crash, and law enforcement officials stated that impaired driving was not suspected.