Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog
After a rough winter such as Maryland and the East Coast has recently experienced it is easy to say that weather is unpredictable and that drivers can be caught off guard with little recourse to prevent an accident. While trucking accidents can and do happen every week on the highways and surface streets in and near cities such as Annapolis, Frederick, Rockville and D.C. the weather is just one factor.
As Maryland trucking accident attorneys, my office understands how severe a tractor-trailer, delivery truck or commercial carrier accident can be. Many times, persons injured as a result of a truck driver’s negligence must pursue legal means to recover damages, such as medical costs, lost wages and other accident-related expenses. Of course, fatal auto accidents are the worst-case scenario for a truck-related wreck, which unfortunately no amount of compensation can make up for the tragic loss of life.
A recent editorial in the Baltimore Sun brought up the point that truck drivers should be held responsible for situations involving tractor-trailer jack-knifing. While there are many who would argue that weather conditions themselves make a jack-knife accident less avoidable, it is not unreasonable to expect that all drivers are responsible for operating their vehicles within its physical limits based on weather and road surface conditions, such as snow and ice.
The author of this editorial piece suggests that tractor-trailer drivers who cannot control their rigs on Maryland highways should be labeled as “Public Enemy No. 1.” This came out of the suggestion that some truckers are not competent to operate commercial trucks in winter weather conditions.
As the author suggests, if a truck driver is capable and responsible he or she should be able drive their rig at a speed appropriate for conditions and avoid a jack-knifing accident.
As motorists, we all must trust the abilities of these big-rig operators. But many of us have also seen the carnage created by those all-to-frequent trucking accidents in which a smaller passenger car gets hit or forced of the road by a larger and more threatening 18-wheeler.
There is no doubt that some accidents occur as a result of another person’s negligence, in which case the police investigation is crucial in determining cause and fault. Regardless of how the accident happens, if the truck driver is at fault the victim and his or her family deserve to be compensated for injuries and other losses from that crash — all the more reason to consult a trucking accident attorney to understand your options.
Truckers have choice words about jackknife cause, BaltimoreSun.com, February 15, 2010