Articles Posted in Truck Accidents

A Maryland woman narrowly escaped tragedy when her car was struck by a tractor-trailer, and forced off of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge last Friday.

Maryland Transportation Authority police reported that a young woman was driving a 2007 Chrysler Sebring which was hit by a tractor-trailer and knocked into the bay 40 feet below. Police said the car ended up in about 8 feet of water. The woman managed to escape the submerged vehicle and swim to safety. After she reached safety, the woman was transported to Maryland Shock Trauma for treatment, and was released the following day.

Three vehicles were reportedly involved in the collision. According to reports, the driver of the truck and the individuals in the third vehicle were not injured.

The company for whom the driver was working at the time of the accident later released a statement, stating that they were glad to hear that no serious injuries occurred as a result of the crash, and that they intend to cooperate fully with Maryland State and U.S. Transportation authorities as they conduct their usual investigations.

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Earlier this week, at around 3:25 in the afternoon, a serious collision occurred at the 1 mile marker on Interstate 81 near the Maryland-West Virginia state line, resulting in traffic delays.

According to the Maryland State Police, a car was traveling southbound and suddenly lost control for an unknown reason, striking the center guardrail before coming back across both lanes and hitting a Mack truck.

The driver of the car was flown to the Shock Trauma Center for treatment by helicopter. The driver of the Mack Truck and his passenger were transported to a local medical center by ambulance.

The southbound lanes of Interstate 81 were shut down for a period of time in order for the helicopter to be able to land. One lane remained closed for two more hours as the investigation of the accident continued. The incident remains under investigation, and charges are reportedly pending.

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An accident that occurred late last month involving a tractor-trailer led to a fuel spill and two additional accidents, and consequently accompanied road closures in Frederick, causing some major traffic delays.

According to Maryland State Police, the crash occurred on the ramp from westbound I-70 to westbound Route 15/340 at around 2:30 a.m., when the driver of the tractor-trailer lost control of the vehicle.

The tractor-trailer then careened off of the roadway, striking and displacing a 100 foot stretch of guardrail, before finally coming to a stop after colliding with a concrete bridge abutment above Route 351. The collision with the structure caused debris to fall into the roadway, resulting in two additional collisions on Route 351 itself.

A police spokesperson said that the impact of the crash damaged the tractor-trailer’s fuel saddle tanks, causing gallons of diesel fuel to spill onto the ramp and also onto Route 351.

No information was readily available regarding injuries to the drivers of the tractor-trailer or any of the other vehicles involved in the collisions on Route 351. The cause of the driver losing control, and other circumstances surrounding the crash, remain under investigation.

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A tragic accident that happened early Wednesday morning on Interstate 95 left one individual dead, and a truck driver undoubtedly shaken up.

The accident occurred near the Intercounty Connector in Beltsville, when one car traveling northbound on I-95 crossed over into the southbound lanes and crashed into a tractor-trailer. As the images in the article show, the car was left almost completely decimated, and tragically the driver was killed. No other injuries were reported.

A second car was discovered nearby in the grassy median, but it is unknown whether that car was involved in the accident. Police reported that the driver of the tractor-trailer remained at the scene to cooperate with investigators.

While the cause of the accident remains unknown, investigators believe that the driver of the car was most likely at fault.

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Maryland State Police have reported that a man remains hospitalized after his car was hit by not one, but two tractor-trailer trucks on Interstate 95 in Baltimore County last week.

The circumstances surrounding the terrible accident remain unclear. What is known is that the victim was driving southbound on I-95 in Halethorpe, when he suddenly slowed or stopped his vehicle. His car was then hit by two separate tractor-trailers. Details have not been reported regarding the manner of the collision. One of the tractor-trailers, which was reportedly carrying hospital linens, fell onto its side, causing it to spill fuel onto the roadway.

State Troopers reported that the 50 year old victim remains at Shock Trauma, where he was taken following Thursday morning’s accident. State officials had initially reported that the man died, but later revised reports to reflect that he is currently being hospitalized. Both of the truck drivers involved in the collision refused treatment at the scene.

The cause of the accident, and nature of circumstances surrounding the collision, remain under investigation.

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According to reports, an 18 year old Maryland boy passed away shortly after a serious accident that he was involved in Tuesday morning.

It happened Tuesday morning on MD Route 194, north of the Devilbiss Bridge Road. Police have reported that another driver, a 22 year old young woman, was traveling northbound on Route 194, when she allegedly began to unintentionally veer toward the center of the roadway.

The 18 year old young man, who was traveling southbound on the other side of the road, made a sudden sharp right turn in order to avoid colliding with the woman’s car. Then, he over corrected in steering the vehicle left, forcing his vehicle into oncoming traffic, and causing a collision with a truck.

The young man was seriously injured and, after being transported to Shock Trauma, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

The driver of the truck and his passenger were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

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An accident that occurred in Florida last month provides an illustrative example of the extensive damage that large trucks can cause, and the difficulties sometimes faced in negligence cases.

The accident occurred when the driver of a red Mercedes allegedly ran a red light, causing her car to crash into a semi truck carrying a full load of Coca Cola products. Due to the impact of the crash, the soda truck somehow lost control and smashed into a nearby home. The damage the tractor-trailer caused to the home was so extensive that the county has since condemned it, and forced the residents to move out.

However, what’s perhaps the most upsetting about the collision into the home is that it sent one of the residents that was inside of the home at the time of impact into premature labor. The woman was rushed to the hospital, where her son was born prematurely. The baby had to spend time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and depending on how early he was born, could face life long health issues relating to his early arrival.

According to sources, the Florida Highway Patrol has released a report finding the driver of the Mercedes at fault for running the red light.

The new mother’s attorney had attempted to contact Coca Cola for assistance with medical bills or living expenses, since the woman was forced to move out of her home. However, according to a news broadcast, Coca Cola’s spokesperson had said that they were told the driver of the red Mercedes was at fault for the accident.

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Maryland State Police are reporting that a 77 year old woman may face traffic violations after driving the wrong way and crashing head on into a tractor trailer hauling fertilizer earlier this month.

Police said the woman was driving her Jeep Cherokee westbound in the eastbound lane on Route 50 when she collided into the tractor trailer. Her car spun out across all three lanes, hitting a Hummer and a Dodge Durango. The tractor trailer went into the median and hit a pickup truck.

The driver and two other individuals were flown to Shock Trauma. The driver of the tractor trailer was not injured.

While in this case a large truck was involved in the accident, based upon the facts as reported, it appears that the blame was on the driver of the jeep.

Trucking accidents are not like accidents involving other types of vehicles. In Maryland, commercial drivers are held to specific standards under Maryland’s commercial vehicle law. A violation of those rules may be enough to hold a driver liable if they end up involved in a collision due to their potential error.

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When it comes to trucking-related traffic accidents, especially those involving serious bodily injury, there are some key differences between these and the more or less “normal” passenger car collisions. In fact, many people who seek assistance from a Maryland personal injury attorney will often understand this intrinsically, though they may not know the specifics of understanding their rights following such commercial trucking wrecks.

Whether one is injured in roadway accident here in the Owings Mills area, somewhere in the greater Baltimore metro area, or over in the District of Columbia, the aftermath of a bad tractor-trailer crash can be a devastating sight to see. As we alluded, from a legal standpoint, my legal team of auto, commercial truck and motorcycle injury lawyers look at trucking accidents through a much different lens than other private motor vehicle collisions.

For instance, when determining negligence based solely on the rules of the road, there is no particular difference between a commercial truck-related crash and a passenger sedan or motorcycle accident. However, when a violation has occurred in terms of the state and federal rules covering commercial vehicle — such as 18-wheelers, tanker trucks, construction vehicles, commercial service vans, and even municipal buses and touring coaches — there is a large difference.

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We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: anyone who is injured in a traffic accident caused by the negligence of another driver or other responsible party owes it to themselves and their family to consider speaking to a qualified Maryland personal injury attorney. Especially in cases where expensive medical care and costly rehabilitation is or will be required, there is no reason for the victim of traffic accident to bear the brunt of the costs from a crash caused by another individual.

At Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand how easily a family can be sent into a devastating spiral of financial debt and emotional pain when a loved one — especially a breadwinner, such as a single mother or father — is injured or killed in a senseless traffic collision. Over the years, our legal staff has assisted numerous victims and their families affected by bad injury accidents or fatal roadway crashes resulting from the negligent actions of a truck driver, bus operator or cabby. These commercial vehicle-related auto-truck collisions have the potential to interrupt or destroy the lives of victims because of both the physical and emotional injuries that can result.

Whether the financial problems come due to emergency room bills, hospital costs, rehabilitation expenses, or lost wages, victims and their families have the right to pursue the responsible party and recover those costs incurred through no fault of their own. And those responsible do not have to be the trucker himself; many times responsibility in whole or in part can be attributed to the owners of the commercial trucking fleet that employed the driver and supplied the vehicle for him or her to operate.

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