Articles Posted in Fatal Trucking Accidents

Automobile accidents involving larger vehicles such as trucks and pickups can be devastating. The mass, speed, and size of larger vehicles increase the severity of collisions, often turning accidents into fatal incidents. Many people have a basic understanding of the risks associated with driving near larger vehicles, such as pickup trucks, but not many people just how dangerous these crashes have become. According to the statistical analysis organization Policy Advice, truck accidents have increased by 52% since 2009, and 74% of all fatal passenger vehicle accidents include large trucks. A local news article discussed a recent fatal Maryland crash involving a truck.

According to the local news article about the fatal Maryland truck crash, the accident occurred in the afternoon on Sunday, February 5, 2024, resulting in three dead and two injured. According to authorities, a Ford F-600 Super Duty pickup truck struck the rear of a Honda Civic that had two adults and two children in it. The mother and two children in the Honda were killed and the other adult in the car was taken to a nearby hospital to have his injuries treated. The driver of the Ford was taken to the hospital for minor injuries according to the police.

What Makes Truck Accidents so Dangerous?

Accidents involving pickups, trucks, busses, and other large-sized vehicles such as SUVs are more dangerous than other types of collisions for a number of reasons. Busses, especially very heavy ones such as passenger buses inherently result in more serious accidents when they are involved in crashes due to their weight, size, and speed. These features similarly make accidents involving SUVs more dangerous, as SUVs tend to be larger than sedans and other standard automobiles. Additionally, the conditions that many large vehicle drivers, such as greyhound truck operators, operate under force them to drive extreme distances, resulting in fatigue. Further, large emergency response trucks, such as fire trucks, are often driving at extremely high speeds and operating under different driving rules than ordinary traffic, creating more opportunities for accidents. Finally, commercial trucks also carry heavy cargo, complicating truck crashes and accidents.

The danger of any vehicle accident is likely to be more severe when a truck or other large vehicle is involved in the crash. Large-sized commercial vehicles like trucks are on the road to transport heavy items and cargo 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.

What Makes Semi Trucks So Accident-Prone?

Even without heavy cargo or large trailers, trucks are heavy, making crashes involving them inherently more dangerous than accidents involving smaller automobiles. 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. The large size of trucks and other commercial vehicles can also inhibit the driver’s view, leading to more blind spots on the vehicle. A recent news article discussed a fatal multi-truck accident.

According to the news article, a dump truck rear-ended another dump truck, causing a collision with a third dump truck on January 3, 2024, around 12:15 pm in the afternoon. The Trenton Police Department stated that the preliminary investigation revealed that there was one fatality and the other two dump truck drivers were being treated for minor injuries at Capital Health Regional Medical Center. Law enforcement officers stated that no other vehicles were involved in the crash. The Trenton Police Department was alerted to the issue when the Trenton Radio Room 9-1-1 operators began receiving multiple calls regarding a multi-dump truck crash on Route 129 between Cass Street and Lalor Street. The Trenton Police, Trenton Fire Department, TEMS, and Paramedics were dispatched to the scene. Around 12:26 pm the Trenton Fire Department reported an extended rescue operation at the scene, and a person was reported extricated from the dump truck crash around 12:30 pm.

Crashes involving commercial vehicles and large automobiles such as trucks or campers are inherently more dangerous than other types of collisions for a number of reasons. Trucks, especially very heavy ones such as logging trucks or fire trucks result in more serious accidents when they are involved in crashes. Additionally, the conditions that many truck drivers operate under force them to drive extreme distances, resulting in fatigue. Further, large emergency response trucks, such as fire trucks, are often driving at extremely high speeds and operating under different driving rules than ordinary traffic, creating more opportunities for accidents. Finally, commercial trucks are also potentially carrying hazardous cargo, complicating truck crashes and accidents. While many people intuitively understand the greater risks involved in truck accidents, they may not know that according to the statistical analysis organization Policy Advice, truck accidents have increased by 52% since 2009, and 74% of all fatal passenger vehicle accidents include a large truck. A recent news article discussed a local fatal logging truck crash.

According to the news article about a recent logging truck crash, the fatal accident occurred on Friday, December 1, and new details have recently emerged about the conditions that fueled the incident. According to the Washington State Patrol, a 76-year-old Hoquiam man was killed in the accident on Friday on SR 101 near Hensel Road. Additional details were released over the weekend following the fatal Friday automobile accident in Humptulips. In the official law enforcement report, officials state that a 66-year-old Hoquiam man was driving a log truck and trailer traveling on SR 101. When the 76-year-old man in a 2002 Subaru Legacy stopped to turn left, the log truck driver attempted to pass the Subaru Legacy on the left, striking the Subaru, rolling over and on top of the vehicle, killing the Subaru driver. The roadway was blocked for over eight hours as a result of the collision. Officials state that the cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Does Negligence on My Part Affect My Maryland Case?

Contributory Negligence is a legal concept that can prevent plaintiffs from receiving recovery for injuries resulting from a crash if their negligence contributed to the accident to any degree. Even if the negligence of the operator of another vehicle is in large part responsible for the accident, if the plaintiff was negligent at all, it is possible they will not be able to recover compensation. In Maryland, contributory negligence is generally interpreted very broadly, allowing extremely minor negligence by the plaintiff in personal injury cases to defeat even very strong claims.

According to the National Safety Council, at least 42 people lost their lives in Maryland truck accidents in 2021. Given their typical size compared to a standard car, large tractor-trailers and other trucks can cause serious accidents. Fatal truck accidents often take a severe emotional and financial toll on the deceased victim’s family. Pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible party can help the deceased victim’s family recover compensation for their harm.

As a recent news article reported, a man lost his life in a Baltimore County, Maryland truck accident. The man was driving a Nissan Altima at an intersection near I-95 when a tractor-trailed rear-ended his car. Sadly, he died at the scene. His passenger was transported to the hospital for his injuries. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

What Are the Elements of a Maryland Wrongful Death Claim?

If your loved one has died in a Maryland truck accident, you may consider bringing a wrongful death claim against the responsible driver. In Maryland, a wrongful death claim provides an avenue for redress when the deceased is not alive to sue the party responsible for their death. Instead, a deceased person’s family members can file a wrongful death claim so long as the deceased could have sued the defendant. As a result, the elements of a wrongful death claim are similar to those in a typical negligence lawsuit. To hold a truck driver liable for wrongful death, the deceased victim’s family must prove the driver owed the deceased a duty of care, breached that duty by acting carelessly or failing to act, caused the fatal truck accident in question, and that the victim died as a consequence. If the judge or jury finds the truck driver liable, the driver must pay damages to the victim’s family in the form of monetary compensation.

According to a recent news article, a man and a woman were killed after their car crashed into a fire truck that was responding to a local emergency. Just after midnight on Wednesday, September 5, at South Avalon Boulevard and East Compton Boulevard, two people in a PT Cruiser crashed into the fire truck. Surveillance footage shows the moment of the collision as the PT Cruiser impacted the fire truck. Initially, witnesses believed that street racing was the cause of the crash, but family members of the deceased stated that they were being chased at the time of the crash. Officials have stated that speed was a factor in the crash. Four firefighters were inside the truck at the time of the collision and were taken to the hospital with non-critical injuries. The fire truck was on the way to a traffic collision at the time of the crash.

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.

What Are the Car Insurance Requirements in Maryland?

Maryland maintains minimum insurance requirements for drivers in the state. Minimum insurance requirements are designed to ensure sufficient compensation is available to victims of car accidents should it be required. As a result, Maryland drivers are required to purchase at least $30,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person, $60,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per accident, and $15,000 in property damage liability coverage.

Due to the size of a typical truck, Maryland truck accidents often result in serious injuries or fatalities. These consequences are all the more dire when a truck driver intentionally hits someone. Many truck drivers understand that their vehicles would cause life-threatening injuries to anyone they hit. When a truck driver intentionally strikes another person, they act with disregard for another person’s life. After these senseless accidents occur, the victim or the victim’s loved ones may sue the driver under Maryland personal injury law.

As a recent news article tragically reported, a man died after another man allegedly hit him deliberately with a tri-axle dump truck. According to local investigators in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, the incident occurred in the evening on a local road. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he passed away from his injuries. Police arrested the truck driver and charged him with third-degree murder, homicide by vehicle, and other offenses.

What Damages Can You Pursue in an Intentional Truck Accident?

After an intentional Maryland truck accident, a victim or their loved ones may bring a negligence lawsuit to recover damages against the responsible driver. In a negligence lawsuit, a plaintiff can seek two main types of damages. The first and most common are compensatory damages, which place the victim in the same position they were in before the accident. Compensatory damages can include economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages are easier to quantify and often include lost future earnings, hospital bills, and medical expenses. Non-economic damages intend to compensate the plaintiff for harm that is harder to quantify with a specific dollar amount. Emotional harm, such as pain and suffering, is a primary example.

While many people intuitively understand the greater risks involved in heavy truck accidents, they may not know that according to the statistical analysis organization Policy Advice, truck accidents have increased by 52% since 2009, and 74% of all fatal passenger vehicle accidents include large trucks.

Are Truck Accidents Responsible for More Deaths Than Car Accidents?

Crashes involving trucks, campers, and other large-sized vehicles are more dangerous than other types of collisions for a number of reasons. Trucks, especially very heavy ones such as semi-trucks inherently result in more serious accidents when they are involved in crashes due to their weight, size, and speed. Additionally, the conditions that many truck drivers operate under force them to drive extreme distances, resulting in fatigue. Further, large emergency response trucks, such as fire trucks, are often driving at extremely high speeds and operating under different driving rules than ordinary traffic, creating more opportunities for accidents. Finally, commercial trucks are also potentially carrying heavy cargo, complicating truck crashes and accidents. A recent news article discussed a local fatal truck accident.

According to the news article about a fatal truck crash, the accident occurred in January 2023 and resulted in a massive six-vehicle collision. According to investigators, the commercial truck driver who was responsible for the fiery crash was “actively using the TikTok application” when the collision occurred. A report released by the Arizona Department of Public Safety found that the driver, a 36-year-old man, failed to stop for traffic, and wedged two passenger vehicles into a second commercial truck, which then lurched forward and hit two other cars. Traffic at the time was already congested due to a prior incident. The truck driver stated that he “received a message on his electronic work tablet and acknowledged the message” according to a news report. He further stated that when he looked up traffic was stopped and he could not stop his truck in time to avoid the collision.

Shoulder lanes are emergency stopping lanes that are reserved by the verge of a road and on the right side of the road. Shoulder lanes are typically not used by moving traffic, but instead used in the event of an emergency, such as a vehicle malfunctioning or becoming disabled. In some cases, tow providers may be en route to assist a driver of a disabled vehicle, or working on moving a disabled vehicle from the shoulder. Shoulder lanes also may be used by emergency vehicles, such as an ambulance or police cars, in order to bypass traffic. However, in some unfortunate incidents, shoulder lanes may become the scene of accidents.

According to a recent news report, a 22-year-old was fatally struck by a vehicle on I-95 in Maryland. A vehicle drove on the right side of the shoulder and struck a pedestrian who was outside of their tractor-trailer on the shoulder. The vehicle was disabled and parked on the shoulder with hazard lights on. It is unclear what caused the driver to travel out of lane three onto the shoulder.

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety data found that among drivers who do not comply with Move Over laws at all times, 42 percent thought the behavior was somewhat or not dangerous at all to roadside emergency workers. In some instances, these shoulder lane accidents may occur because of distracted driving.

A recent news article discussed a local fatal fire truck crash. According to the news article about a recent fire truck crash, the fatal accident occurred in December 2021 and new details have recently emerged about the conditions that fueled the incident. The 23-ton fire truck left a devastating path of destruction behind it. The fire truck was speeding and ran a red light when it crashed into a car, continuing on before knocking a pedestrian into a building, killing her. The building collapsed shortly after.

The building collapse trapped a car, killing both the driver and the passenger. A 323-page report on the incident outlined multiple contributing factors to the crash. (1) The fire department is suffering from acute staffing shortages, (2) there is a lack of training for drivers, and (3) there were communication failures in the lead-up to the crash. The report mentioned that at the time, it was not against department policy to run red lights or go above the speed limit. Fire department policy has been updated to require fire trucks to stop at red lights.

What Makes Truck Accidents so Danegrous?

Crashes involving large-sized vehicles such as trucks or campers are inherently more dangerous than other types of collisions for a number of reasons. Trucks, especially very heavy ones such as fire trucks or semi-trucks result in more serious accidents when they are involved in crashes. Additionally, the conditions that many truck drivers operate under force them to drive extreme distances, resulting in fatigue. Further, large emergency response trucks, such as fire trucks, are often driving at extremely high speeds and operating under different driving rules than ordinary traffic, creating more opportunities for accidents. Finally, commercial trucks are also potentially carrying hazardous cargo, complicating truck crashes and accidents. While many people intuitively understand the greater risks involved in truck accidents, they may not know that according to the statistical analysis organization Policy Advice, truck accidents have increased by 52% since 2009, and 74% of all fatal passenger vehicle accidents include a large truck.

When driving next to a semi-truck, it may be common to feel nervous – to grip the wheel tighter, speed up, slow down, or change lanes to avoid being directly next to the truck. This may be for good reason, because of the very large size of the vehicles for one. In addition, the semi-trucks we see every day on the road also may be transporting hazardous materials.

The Hazardous Material Transportation Act of 1975 empowered the Secretary of Transportation to designate hazardous materials as “any particular quantity of form” of a material that “may pose an unreasonable risk to health and safety or property” (https://www.osha.gov/trucking-industry/transporting-hazardous-materials). Additionally, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Uniform Safety Act of 1990 requires the Secretary of Transportation to regulate the safe transport of hazardous materials in intrastate, interstate, and foreign commerce. All drivers who are transporting hazardous materials are required to undergo training and follow protocols while transporting these materials to ensure safety. Although these protocols and regulations are in place, accidents may still occur and can have devasting impacts. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has also identified different hazardous materials, requiring that a vehicle transporting such materials display a clearly visible card around the trailer to ensure that other drivers on the road are aware.

A recent report revealed the dangers. According to the news report, two people died after a fatal crash on US-12 in Berrien County, Michigan. The driver of a liquid-propane hauler was traveling eastbound when the driver crossed the median and struck a gasoline hauler head-on. Although some liquid propane leaked from the truck, it was quickly contained. The driver of the liquid-propane hauler was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the gasoline hauler was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Initial investigations revealed that both drivers appeared to be wearing seatbelts, although the cause of the accident is still being investigated.

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