Single-truck Accidents

Truck Accidents Often Have Multiple Causes, and Potentially Multiple Responsible Parties

March 22, 2017 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Large trucks are complex machines with many interacting systems. When any one of a truck’s systems breaks down, the driver of the truck may lose control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of causing an accident. In some cases, a driver’s own conduct may overburden a particular system, causing it to give in under the excess pressure. It is for this reason that truck accidents are rarely as cut-and-dry as they seem in the immediate aftermath of the accident.

In fact, many truck accidents have multiple causes that only become apparent after an in-depth investigation is conducted. In some cases, it is the combination of several smaller errors or break-downs that allow for a situation where an accident can occur. For example, it is incredibly important for truck drivers to operate their vehicle in a safe manner. However, it is also important for drivers to ensure that all equipment is in proper working condition. Otherwise, even the stress from normal operation can have tragic results.

Logging Truck Flips Over on Highway, Spilling Cargo

November 11, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in West Virginia, a single-truck accident involving a logging truck caused significant delays and seriously injured the truck’s driver. According to one local news source covering the incident, the accident occurred on the highway as the truck driver was attempting to make a right-hand turn at an intersection.

Evidently, as the truck began to make the turn, both the cab and the trailer flipped over onto their sides. The large logs on the truck were spilled across the highway. The logs remained in the road until emergency crews were able to bring heavy equipment out to remove them.

Police believe that excessive speed was the main contributing factor in the accident and have issued citations for failure to maintain control and for maintaining defective equipment. Police likely did not issue a citation for speeding because no one was present at the scene of the accident to confirm their suspicions that the truck driver was speeding at the time of the accident.

Truck in Prince George’s County Crashes Through Barrier and Falls Off Overpass; Driver Dies as a Result

October 19, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month near Washington, D.C., one man died when the semi-truck he was operating crashed through a barrier and then fell off an overpass, killing him instantly. According to one local news source, the accident occurred on the Suitland Parkway in Prince George’s County, on a Friday early in the morning before rush hour traffic began.

Evidently, the truck driver was operating a vehicle that was full of reams of paper. At some point along the Outer Loop of the Beltway, the driver lost control of the truck, and it crashed through a guardrail and off an overpass. The truck itself sustained major damage, and the driver was killed on impact. Thankfully, no other vehicles or people were involved in the accident. Police are not sure what caused the driver to lose control of the truck, but an investigation is underway, and detectives are looking into potential causes.

Common Causes of Maryland Truck Accidents

While most accidents are the result of some kind of driver error, that error is not always known in the minutes, hours, or even days following the accident. In some cases, months-long investigations must be completed before the truth comes out.

Student on His Way to School in Creskill Killed When Struck by Semi-Truck

June 25, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Cresskill, a middle-school student was struck and killed by a semi-truck as he was riding his bike to school. According to one local news source, the tragic accident took place in the morning hours on Grant Avenue.

Evidently, the driver of the semi-truck was making a left turn onto Grant Avenue when he struck the student, who was riding his bike at the time. The student was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency workers. The cause of death was listed as blunt-force trauma to the head.

A crossing guard who witnessed the accident told reporters that she first noticed the truck because she thought it couldn’t make the turn onto Grant Avenue. Then, she said she heard the truck’s driver screaming “Oh my God! Oh my God!” She then discovered that the young boy had been hit. The same crossing guard told reporters that “it was just a tragic accident” and that “nobody should be blamed.” However, she also told reporters that she had scolded the young boy earlier in the week for riding his bike too fast while on his way to school.

Truck Overturns on Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County, Spilling Load of Potatoes on the Highway

June 18, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Prince George’s County, a semi-truck overturned and spilled its load of potatoes all over the Capital Beltway, causing major delays and injuring the driver. According to one local news source, the accident took place early on a Wednesday morning on the Capital Beltway, right before Pennsylvania Avenue in Forestville.

Evidently, the driver of the truck sustained a major injury to his arm and was flown to Shock Trauma in Baltimore. The accident also resulted in one lane of the Beltway being closed for most of the morning rush hour. Also inside the truck’s cab was a pit-bull belonging to the truck’s driver. She has yet to be found.

Police investigating the accident told reporters that it looks as though the driver of the truck may have fallen asleep prior to the accident. However, the investigation into the cause of the accident is still ongoing. Charges against the driver may later be filed, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Truck Overturns on Maryland Bay Bridge, Injuring One

May 29, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, a tractor-trailer overturned, injuring one man and blocking traffic for several hours. According to one local news source, the accident occurred on the westward span of the bridge and blocked traffic for about six hours as emergency workers cleaned up the wreckage.

Evidently, the accident occurred around 2:45 in the afternoon, when after tipping over the truck became wedged between the railings of the bridge, completely blocking all lanes of traffic. Those on the bridge at the time of the accident were escorted by police all the way to the front of the bridge and then allowed to proceed over the eastern section of the bridge.

After the truck toppled over, emergency crews needed to upright the truck to get it off the bridge. However, once they started to do so, fuel started leaking from the truck’s tanks. Thankfully, any fuel that spilled was able to be controlled by the roadside crews, and no fuel spilled into the Bay.

Box Truck Discovered on Side of Road, Flipped Over

December 24, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Hollywood, Maryland, police and rescue workers responded to calls of an overturned box truck on the side of the highway. According to a report by one local news source, the accident occurred on Three Notch Road, a bit north of Airport View Drive, in Hollywood.

Evidently, the driver of the truck told responding authorities that there was some kind of mechanical failure that forced the truck off the road. Luckily, there were no other vehicles involved in the accident, and no one was seriously injured as a result of the truck overturning. It is unclear if the driver of the truck was cited for any traffic violation.

Overturned Trucks

One of the many dangers of large trucks is their propensity to flip over easily. It appears from the driver’s statement in the accident above that mechanical failure was responsible for the roll-over in that case. However, there are myriad other reasons that a truck may roll over, including:

Truck Wreck Results in Spilled Fuel on Maryland Highway

December 17, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in Maryland Heights, a tank truck flipped over on the highway, spilling thousands of gallons of fuel onto the road. According to a report by one local news source, the accident occurred around 9:30 in the morning on Maryland Heights Expressway north of Creve Coeur Mill Road.

Evidently, another tank truck overturned at around the same time on Highway 270, requiring emergency responders to triage the two accidents. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured in either of the two potentially catastrophic accidents. Police are still conducting an investigation into how the accidents may have occurred.

Trucks with Dangerous Loads

Trucks carry almost anything one can imagine across the country. On occasion, a trucking company will have the need to transport hazardous, flammable, or otherwise dangerous materials on the nation’s highways.
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Huge Beam Falls Off Semi-Truck in Washington State

November 21, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Everett, Washington, an 86-foot beam fell off the back of a semi-truck as the truck was making a left turn. According to a report by one local news source, the 55-ton beam fell off the truck on a Thursday afternoon around 4:30 in the afternoon and remained on the road for approximately nine hours until emergency crews were able to remove it.

Evidently, the truck driver was almost to his destination when he made a left turn and the beam fell off the back of the semi-truck. There is no indication as to how the beam was secured on the truck, or how it came off the back of the truck. Luckily, no one was hurt when the beam fell off the truck.

Police are currently investigating the cause of the accident. Thus far into the investigation, they do not believe that drugs or alcohol were involved.

Truck Driver Killed When Trailer Detaches from Truck

June 13, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Arbutus, Maryland, a truck driver was killed when the trailer he was towing inexplicably detached from the truck and sent the truck careening over a bridge embankment. According to a report by WBALTV 11, the truck driver was heading south on Interstate 95 near the Patapsco River bridge around 11:30 in the morning when the trailer he was towing became detached from the truck.

The truck driver lost control of the truck and crashed into the side of the bridge embankment, going right over it. The truck fell to the ground and landed in a park below before it caught fire. The truck driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. He was the only person in the truck, and no other people were injured in the accident.

Police are not sure what caused the trailer to separate from the truck, and they are investigating the accident in hopes of finding out more information. Investigators are unsure how fast the truck was traveling when the trailer separated from the truck.