Fatal Trucking Accidents

Distracted Driving Likely Played a Role in Fatal Church Bus Accident

April 12, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Late last month, an accident between a pick-up truck and a bus resulted in 13 fatalities. According to a news report covering the tragic accident, the driver of the pick-up truck may have been texting in the moments leading up to the fatal accident.

Evidently, about 15 minutes prior to the accident, another motorist who was driving behind the pick-up truck noticed that the truck was swerving, crossing in and out of the oncoming lane of traffic. The motorist called the sheriff’s department in two neighboring counties, telling authorities that the driver should be stopped due to his dangerous driving. However, authorities did not respond in time.

The pick-up truck eventually veered into oncoming traffic, directly into the path of a church bus with 14 occupants inside. The driver of the bus was unable to avoid the truck, and the two vehicles collided head-on. Twelve of the passengers aboard the bus were pronounced dead at the scene, and another was pronounced dead a short time later at the hospital.

Financial Recovery after Serious and Fatal Truck Accidents

March 15, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Whenever anyone is injured in a serious or fatal truck accident, the injured party or their family may be eligible for monetary compensation upon a showing that the semi-truck driver’s negligence was the cause of the accident and of their injuries. In some cases, the trucking company can also be named as a party to the lawsuit.

These truck accident lawsuits require an injured party prove four main elements:

That the truck driver owed the accident victim a duty of care;
That the truck driver violated that duty of care by some action or failure to take a required action;
That the truck driver’s violation of the duty he owed to the plaintiff caused the plaintiff’s injuries; and
That the plaintiff suffered some identifiable injury.

The first and last element are generally easily met. However, the second and third elements may involve significant litigation in some cases, especially where the semi-truck driver claims that he was not at fault for the accident and that it was some other event that caused the accident victim’s injuries.

Major Truck Accident in Honduras Claims at Least 23 Lives

February 17, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Honduras, a bus accident claimed the lives of at least 23 people and injured several more. According to a national news source, the accident involved a passenger bus and a large semi-truck. Evidently, the collision occurred a few miles from the nation’s capital, when the semi-truck inexplicably drifted out of its lane and into the path of the passenger bus. Witnesses to the accident told police that the truck had been speeding and was zig-zagging in the moments before the fatal truck accident. In all, 23 people were killed and 39 more injured. Of the injured, two were in serious condition.

Authorities are currently investigating the accident and whether the driver of the semi-truck was speeding or otherwise in violation of any traffic law. A preliminary investigation determined that the driver was not under the influence of alcohol at the time, although the driver was arrested while the investigation was conducted. The results of the investigation have not yet been released.

Maryland Truck Accidents

With its central location and hundreds of miles of highways, Maryland sees thousands of trucks cross through the state each week. While most of these truck drivers are responsible professionals who take their job seriously, occasionally a truck driver bends a traffic rule, drives in an aggressive manner, or stays out on the road while too tired to safely operate their vehicle.

Truck Driver Runs Over Man Who Had Taken Shelter Under the Rig

January 11, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in California, a man was killed when he was run over by a semi-truck driver. According to one local news source covering the tragic accident, the victim, who is believed to have been homeless, took shelter under the truck to escape the rain. At the time the man crawled under the truck, no one was in the cab, so he left his wheelchair next to the truck and took shelter. However, the driver of the truck returned after a short time.

When the driver returned from running errands, he got into the cab of the truck and pulled off. He immediately realized what had happened and turned the truck around. He later explained to police that he didn’t see the man under the truck. While the article does not discuss whether the truck driver conducted a pre-trip vehicle check before pulling away, it is likely he did not because had he performed a check, it is likely he would have seen the man under the truck.

At the time of the article’s publication, the accident was still under investigation, and no citations had been issued.

Semi-Truck Drivers and the Responsibility They Owe to the Public

January 4, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Semi-truck accidents are known to be some of the most dangerous accidents, and also some of the most difficult to avoid. Unlike many other accidents, there is often little to nothing other motorists can do to avoid a semi-truck accident. This is especially the case when semi-trucks are being driven at high speeds.

To help manage the risk that semi-trucks pose on our nation’s highways, state and federal lawmakers have enacted rules and regulations for the trucking industry. For example, truck drivers must obtain a commercial driver’s license, can only drive a certain number of hours per day and per week, and depending on what they are transporting, may be required to pre-register their cargo as well as their chosen route. All these regulations are enacted to keep the general public safe, and when a semi-truck driver or trucking company fails to follow these rules, they may be held liable for any injuries caused as a result.

Chain-Reaction Accident on Expressway Claims Three Lives, Injures Several Others

Earlier this week in New York City, a semi-truck accident on the Cross Bronx Expressway killed three motorists and injured several others. According to one local news source covering the tragic accident, a semi-truck was stopped in traffic in the middle of the Expressway when another truck came from behind. The second truck failed to stop in time to avoid a collision, and it slammed into the rear of a pick-up truck that had come to a stop behind the first truck. Another passenger vehicle was also struck by the second truck.

Man Charged in Accidental Death Caused by Runaway Dump Truck

December 26, 2016 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in North Carolina, a five-year-old boy was killed when he was struck by an unattended dump truck. According to one local news report covering the tragedy, police investigating the accident believe that the truck was not properly secured when it was left unattended by the construction crew.

Evidently, the truck was parked on the side of a road in a residential neighborhood, near the top of a hill. A witness to the accident told reporters that a construction worker exited the truck, and then shortly afterward, the truck started rolling down the hill. The truck rolled for approximately 100 yards, taking down overhead power lines along the way, until it entered a resident’s driveway. The resident’s five-year-old boy was playing in the driveway and was struck by the unmanned dump truck. The young boy was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police arrested one man, whom they claim was responsible for the dump truck before it began to roll away. While the police have not disclosed the evidence they are using to make their assessment, they believe that the dump truck was not properly restrained when the construction worker exited the truck. Police are also looking into the safety record of the construction company to determine if similar violations have occurred in the past.

I-95 Truck Accident Claims Four Lives

November 16, 2016 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in South Carolina, four Maryland residents died after the vehicle in which they were riding was struck from behind by a semi-truck. According to an article in the Baltimore Sun, the victims included three siblings aged four, five, and seven, as well as another woman. Her relationship to the children is unknown.

The accident took place on Interstate 95 at around 4:00 in the morning. Evidently, the accident victims were heading southbound on I-95 in their 2001 Ford Taurus when an approaching semi-truck rear-ended them. The force from the collision pushed the car into a nearby ravine, where it struck several trees before coming to a rest. The truck also ended up in the ravine, falling on top of the car and trapping the occupants in the rear of the vehicle.

The driver and the front-seat passenger of the vehicle were able to escape, although they suffered serious injuries. However, all four people in the rear of the car were pronounced dead by emergency workers. The driver of the semi-truck suffered minor injuries. Police are still investigating the cause of the accident.

The Dangers of Metro-Area Truck Routes

October 19, 2016 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Large trucks are necessary to a city’s economy. They bring goods into the hearts of all of the nation’s largest cities, including Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. However, the small city streets in these cities are not necessarily designed to accommodate large trucks, some of which can be upwards of 70 feet long. This is especially the case in Maryland, where some streets were planned hundreds of years ago. Adding to the danger is that in many urban areas, there are large numbers of bicyclists and pedestrians who share the roadway with these large trucks.

Notwithstanding the potential difficulties of operating a large truck in an urban environment, the duty to safely operate the truck always lies with the truck’s operator. It is incumbent upon truck drivers to make sure they follow all posted traffic signs. In some cases involving negligent hiring or the absence of necessary safety equipment, liability may also extend to the trucking company. For example, if a trucking company hires a driver with a checkered driving history, and that driver then goes on to cause a fatal accident, the injured party may be able to argue that the company was negligent in vetting the driver before hiring him.

In Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., people injured in serious truck accidents have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit, seeking compensation for their injuries. In cases in which a truck accident results in a fatality, the victim’s surviving loved ones can bring a wrongful death case against the responsible parties, seeking compensation for the loss of their loved one. In either case, the assistance of a dedicated Maryland personal injury attorney is critical to a case’s success.

The Dangers of Large Trucks on City Roads

October 5, 2016 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

City streets can be difficult to navigate, even for those motorists who are driving small vehicles and who are accustomed to driving on them. However, the difficulties of traveling on city streets increase exponentially when the vehicle being driven is a large truck. For example, the driver of a large truck may have difficulty seeing pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists in his blind spot. Similarly, some smaller city streets may require a trucker to make a multi-point turn just to safely navigate his route.

Despite the difficulties truck drivers have when operating their rigs in the city, it is a critical part of their job, and they should be able to operate their vehicles safely on all roads. When a truck driver fails to take into account the size of his rig or is negligent in the operating of the vehicle, a serious injury or death can result. In these cases, a Maryland personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit may be used by the aggrieved victims to seek compensation for their injuries or losses.

Flat-Bed Truck Strikes and Kills Cyclist on City Street

Earlier this month in Chicago, a bicyclist was killed when she was struck by a flat-bed truck. According to one local news report covering the tragic accident, the young woman was riding her bicycle on the side of the road, between the truck and the curb, when the accident occurred.

Court Determines Insurance Contract in Trucking Accident Was Not Ambiguous, Finding in Insurance Company’s Favor

September 7, 2016 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, a federal court of appeals issued an opinion in a truck accident case involving a dispute between the victim’s family and the insurance company of the at-fault driver. In the case, ACE Fire Underwriters v. Romero, the court was called upon to determine the meaning of an insurance policy, and it ultimately resolved the conflict in favor of the insurance company.

The Facts of the Case

The driver of a tractor-trailer left the farm at which he worked and immediately noticed that the trailer had become detached from the truck. He made a U-turn in hopes of quickly reconnecting the trailer, but before he could do so, he was struck by another motorist. That motorist died as a result of the collision, and his family, through the executor of the deceased’s estate (Romero), sought compensation for their loss from the truck driver’s insurance policy.

Fault was not contested. However, Romero argued that the insurance contract covered up to $1 million per vehicle involved, and because there were two vehicles involved – the truck and the trailer – the total payout should be $2 million. The insurance company’s position was that the total limit for the policy was $1 million, regardless of the number of vehicles involved.