Trucking-related Injury Accidents

Washington, D.C., Injury News: August, One of the District’s Deadliest Months for Fatal Traffic Accidents

September 29, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Even by mid-month, this past August was shaping up to be the the worst 30-day period for fatal car, truck and motorcycle crashes in the D.C. area. According to news reports, by the 15th of the month almost 20 fatal traffic wrecks had been recorded, many of them involving commercial trucks.

As Baltimore auto accident lawyers and Maryland personal injury attorneys, we hear about numerous roadway collisions on a regular basis. Not only do these violent and sometimes fatal car and truck crashes injure dozens of people across the state every week, a percentage of these motor vehicle wrecks involve deaths. Even those individuals who survive the worst of these collisions can end up suffering for months or years from the deleterious effects of a vehicle-to-vehicle impact.

Broken bones including simple and compound fractures, as well as internal bleeding and damaged organs, can result from a broad-side or head-on collision. Many times, life threatening injuries, such as closed-head trauma and sometimes irreversible spinal damage may be sustained by the driver or passengers of a smaller vehicle when struck by a large commercial box truck, delivery vehicle or semi tractor-trailer rig.

No amount of money can bring back a lost loved one, but the compensation returned to a victim’s family can hopefully pay for the extensive medical bills and potential lost wages that result when a bread-winner is killed in a senseless car, truck or pedestrian traffic accident.

Maryland Commercial Trucking Accident News: Cement Mixer Truck Overturns on I-270; Four People Seriously Injured

July 8, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Big rigs, box trucks, commercial delivery vans and construction vehicles are all large vehicles with enough size and mass to do serious damage to another smaller passenger vehicle should a traffic accident occur. On Maryland’s busy interstates and surface streets, these huge motor vehicles must share the road with family cars, SUVs, mini vans and motorcycles, yet potential catastrophe is only a moment away for some motorists.

As Baltimore auto accident attorneys and Washington, D.C., personal injury lawyers, I and my legal staff are constantly amazed that more people aren’t seriously injured or killed by commercial vehicles, especially in light of the densely populated condition of our cities. So when an 18-wheel tractor-trailer or other large commercial truck is involved in a roadway collision in Rockville, Gaithersburg, Frederick or Bowie, MD, the carnage that results is not all that surprising.

Aside from the “normal” injuries that passenger car occupants can receive in a commercial truck crash, such as cuts, lacerations and heavy bruising, drivers and passengers alike can sustain serious and even life-threatening injuries. Compound fractures of the arms or legs can cause serious blood loss that if untreated can result in death. A person trapped in a severely damaged vehicle must be extricated as soon as possible and taken to a hospital for immediate medical treatment.

Other injuries pose longer term medical complications. Also the result of a car, truck or motorcycle wreck, spinal cord damage and closed-head trauma (also known as traumatic brain injury) can put a person in a wheelchair for the rest of their life, if they even survive those initial injuries.

Not long ago, a concrete mixing truck went out of control on Interstate 270 in Montgomery County, MD. According to news reports, the multiple-vehicle accident happened in Germantown just north of the exit for Father Hurley Boulevard. Police reports indicated that the crash, which took place about half past 2pm on a Monday afternoon, involved three vehicles including the cement truck.

Baltimore Traffic Accident Leaves Several Commuters Injured after Passenger Car Collides with City Bus

June 30, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Never for a moment assume that you are safe riding public transportation. This is a statement that is fast becoming gospel to many people who read the paper, scan the web or watch the evening news. Trains, planes and city buses carry large numbers of passengers daily without incident, but when something does go wrong there can be multiple victims with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening.

It doesn’t take much to critically injure a person. Consider that most parents these days won’t let their child ride a bicycle without a helmet for fear that their son or daughter may be hit by a car or simply fall off their bike and hit their head. What is the difference between a child falling several feet to the ground and a bus passenger being thrown into a seat back or other hard object in the event of a traffic accident? Actually, very little.

Especially when it comes to bus riders, with no seatbelts and little warning that a crash is imminent injuries such as cuts and bruises are commonplace, with broken bones, internal injuries and head or neck trauma always a possibility.

In fact, being injured as a passenger on a city or charter bus as a result of a traffic collision or other motor vehicle collision is more common than some people would imagine. As Maryland automobile accident attorneys, we know that it’s very easy for the average person to assume public transportation is safe and worry free. Even as personal injury lawyers, we see that most commuters take for granted that bus drivers and train operators are trained professionals who pride themselves on doing their jobs with a high degree of safety, not to mention the wellbeing of passengers as a primary thought.

Although most drivers of public conveyances are thoughtful and dedicated professionals, even the best cannot predict when and where an accident will occur. This is why, as difficult as it may be sometimes, we as passengers must ultimately put our faith in bus and train operators or not travel on public transportation at all.

Maryland Commercial Truck Accident Report: Washington County Motorist Injured in I-81 Traffic Collision

June 18, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Car, truck and motorcycle accidents happen for a variety of reasons, but not every traffic collision is caused by just one person or a single event. While a commercial truck or car crash can result in one person being charged with negligent driving, some traffic mishaps can precipitate from a mechanical problem, badly located traffic signage, or poorly maintained roadway.

Occasionally, a third party can be named in a civil suit when there is evidence that actions by that person or entity may have resulted in injury or death of an individual as a result of a traffic accident. As Maryland personal injury lawyers and automobile accident attorneys, I and my colleagues investigate the possible causes of car and commercial truck crashes in an effort to determine fault.

Defective vehicle equipment is one area that holds potential for injury and even death of vehicle occupants. Poorly designed or incorrectly manufactured parts, such as brake components, steering systems, tires and airbags, can have a contributory effect on a motor vehicle accident. Similarly, badly maintained or poorly designed intersections and highway ramps can even play a role in a severe or deadly road accidents.

Not long ago, a Washington County, MD, man was critically injured on a stretch of Interstate 81 where it crosses over the Potomac River. News reports indicate that emergency pothole repairs on a bridge span may have been a factor in the accident that sent a 45-year-old Funkstown resident to the hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries.

According to news reports, Thomas McDonald, Jr., was driving a Kia Rio southbound along I-81 near Cearfoss Pike when traffic ahead apparently came to an abrupt halt due to pothole repairs on that side of the roadway. Police reports showed that the Kia hit the back end of a semi tractor-trailer rig that was stopped in the right-hand lane of the interstate. According to police, traffic was also stopped in the fast lane when the crash occurred; just after 4:30pm.

Maryland Traffic Safety: Fatal Highway Accidents Caused by Ineffective Tractor-trailer Under-ride Guards

March 1, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The next time you’re out on the road, this story might make you think twice about following an 18-wheeler. While most people may associate fatal trucking-related traffic accidents with a smaller car, minivan or SUV being struck by a much larger and heavier semi tractor-trailer rig or commercial delivery truck, hundreds of people nationwide die every year as a result of passenger cars running into the rear of semi trailers.

As Baltimore auto accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers, we understand how severe these so-called under-ride accidents can be. And without the proper under-ride protection on the rear end of a long-haul trailer, the occupants in the passenger car can easily be decapitated during the collision. Fatal traffic crashes of this sort don’t necessarily have to be high-speed incidents either.

At the very least, cuts, bruises and broken bones are possible as a result of an under-ride collision. Worse still, neck and spinal injury can occur, as can traumatic brain injury. Depending on the circumstances, some individuals who survive this type of wreck can be paralyzed and require weeks or months of physical therapy to bring them back to something approaching a normal life.

Families of victims can end up suffering financially long after their loved one has been hurt or killed. This is especially true when the victim is a primary wage earning for the family. The news today indicates that the under-ride prevention methods and structures used on many tractor-trailers may prove inadequate when they are actually needed in a crash. Poorly designed parts or incorrectly installed components could result in a much more serious outcome for a drive hitting the back of a trailer.

According to the news, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducted tests using a properly-fitted under-ride preventer on a semi trailer and found that federal standards for these rear under-ride guards should be made stricter. Based on video shown by various news outlets, it appears that the IIHS has a point.

In one of the IIHS videos, a Chevy Malibu impacts the rear of a tractor-trailer at 35mph. Even though the Malibu has a 5-star safety ranking from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the semi trailer is fitted with a conforming under-ride guard, the front seat passengers could likely have been killed as a result that crash. As the reporter states, hitting a brick wall would actually be safer.

Maryland Trucking Accident News: Rogue Truck Driver Leads Police on Multi-State Chase

February 23, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland authorities in Washington County, MD, as well as those in several other states, have lodged charges against the out-of-state truck driver who led police on a multi-state chase. While no injuries were reported in this instance, any time a commercial truck is used in a manner not intended for safe highway travel, innocent motorists can be put at risk. If a chase ensues when innocent drivers are around, people can and do get hurt as a result.

As Baltimore injury lawyers serving the residents of Maryland and Washington, D.C., we have heard countless stories of injury accidents involving passenger cars and 18-wheelers or motorcycles and commercial deliver trucks. While federal regulations such as 49 CFR Part 395, which puts limits on when and how long commercial truckers can operate their vehicles, endeavor to control the actions of law-abiding drivers, those who feel they are outside the law can be the cause of severe traffic accidents.

When a commercial truck driver, operating either a large box truck or the heavier and more massive 18-wheeler, acts in a negligent manner, lives can be put at risk. Traffic accidents caused by an errant semi tractor-trailer can result in multiple vehicle collisions, during which head, neck and internal injuries can result.

Tractor-trailer Crashes into Passenger Cars, Causing Multi-vehicle Accident on I-68 in Allegany County

January 24, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Most people realize that traffic accidents involving 18-wheel big rigs can cause massive traffic delays due to the shear size of these motor vehicles. But for the same reason that traffic can become inexorably snarled during rush hour, these over-the-road commercial trucks can cause extremely severe property damage and bodily harm.

As Maryland automobile accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, I and my staff have the experience to know how a single, seemingly simple lapse in concentration or judgment can lead to a terrible highway wreck that could leave an individual or family with grave medical complications. No one should be surprised by the frequency of such accidents in and around cities like Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Hagerstown and Bowie.

Not long ago, Cumberland police and emergency services responded to the scene of a traffic collision along a stretch of interstate 68 where a semi driver apparently lost control of his rig and hit another vehicle, which then caused several other vehicles to be hit. While nobody died as a result of this particular tractor-trailer crash, there have been instances where motorists have been killed by such an event.

In this case, the crash occurred just before 5pm near Exit 43A on I-68 when a semi-tractor and trailer operated by 72-year-old Robert Guinn swerved from the center lane of the eastbound roadway and hit a 2006 Kia SUV in the left lane, sending that vehicle up and over the jersey barrier and into westbound traffic.

According to police at the time of the news article, investigators had not settled on a likely reason for why Guinn’s truck went out of control in the first place. Such events can sometimes be attributed to driver error, while at other times there could be a possibility of defective vehicle equipment, such as a damaged or malfunctioning steering component or a blown-out tire possibly resulting from improper maintenance.

Baltimore Trucking Injury News: Police Identify Faulty Brakes as Cause of Maryland Tour Bus Crash

December 6, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Defective safety equipment on a commercial vehicle can easily lead to a serious accident down the road. Where trucks are concerned, any traffic accident can result in a serious injuries and even fatalities. Here in Maryland, heavy vehicle wrecks can and do occur with alarming frequency. As a Baltimore trucking accident lawyer and personal injury attorney, I know that poorly designed or incorrectly maintained vehicle systems — such as brakes, steering and occupant protection components — can be the cause of commercial motor vehicle accidents that result in head, neck and internal injuries as well as death.

Truck producers and commercial vehicle owners and driver must be aware of their responsibility to make certain that these massive vehicles are as safe as possible to protect the road-going public. If any system breaks on a truck the results can be fatal, not only for the people in nearby passenger cars, but also to the occupants of the commercial truck or bus.

Not long ago, police determined that the brakes on a Maryland tour bus were not working correctly and apparently caused two of the vehicle’s tires to blow out while traveling along the interstate at highway speeds. According to news reports, the failure of the motor coach’s braking system resulted an overheating condition, which caused a couple tires on that vehicle to blow out.

Maryland Trucking Accident News: Worchester County Woman Critically Injured in Head-on Tractor-trailer Crash

October 31, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Baltimore auto injury attorney and trucking accident lawyer, I know that it’s important for anyone injured in a semi tractor-trailer crash not to discuss anything with the trucking company’s insurer until that victim has had time to speak with an experienced accident attorney. Whether you are a motorist, pedestrian, bicycle or motorcycle rider injured in a traffic accident, you should always consider your options.

Commercial truck accidents involving tanker trucks, automobile transporters, garbage collection vehicles, or any other kind of large motor vehicle can take a huge toll on a smaller passenger car, such as a sedan, minivan or even an SUV. Severe head and spinal trauma, broken bones and internal injuries are just some of the medical conditions that can result from a highway collision involving Kenworth, Peterbilt or Mack trucks.

Not long ago a woman and her young passenger were injured when a semi crossed over the centerline and collided head-on with the other vehicle. While the report did mention specifics, this kind of accident has been know to happen if the truck driver was drowsy as a result of not enough sleep, possibly violating the mandatory federal limit on maximum driving time on the road.

Baltimore Commercial Trucking Injury News: Semi Hits Passenger Car on Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Traps Injured Driver

October 17, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Maryland trucking and automobile accident attorney, I have a certain amount of professional experience when it comes to understanding the implications of a serious tractor-trailer traffic accident, especially where a crash involves a smaller vehicle such as an economy car, sedan or minivan. But the size of the smaller motor vehicle makes little difference since a semi is many times more massive than any passenger vehicle.

The fact of the matter is, few if any passenger cars — whether a four-door luxury sedan or a large sport utility vehicle — can withstand the crushing force of a commercial delivery truck, 18-wheeler, tanker truck or auto carrier. The bottom line is that the occupants of a passenger car or light truck are more apt to be injured or killed in such a traffic accident.

Something else that’s important to remember is that injuries suffered in automobile accidents can be non-life threatening yet pose lingering aftereffects that can last months or years, even a lifetime, after a crash. This is why it is always important to consult a personal injury lawyer following a traffic accident, if not for yourself, then do it for your family.