Trucking-related Injury Accidents

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.

Trucking Injury News: Soft Drink Delivery Truck Hits Passenger Car in Baltimore County, Maryland

October 8, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Whether the cause of a collision is defective equipment, ineffective vehicle maintenance or just plain driver error or inattention, a traffic accident between a large commercial truck and a much smaller passenger vehicle can be quite serious, to say the least.

It goes without saying that drivers of small cars and motorcycles must always be on the defensive when driving near a delivery truck or semi tractor-trailer rig, but even individuals operating larger vehicles, such as SUVs, full-size vans and pickup trucks must be wary of the dangers posed by Freightliners, Macks and Peterbilts.

Because trucking accidents can be very costly, not only in terms of physical injury or death but also financially, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR) require that trucking companies carry a minimum amount of insurance. By requiring that companies maintain a high level of financial responsibility, hopefully this encourages the safe operation of their vehicles on public motorways.

Maryland Commercial Truck Accident News: Adults, Children Injured following I-270 Bus Crash in Montgomery County, MD

October 1, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The recent bus accident on Interstate 270 yesterday, which claimed the life of the driver and injured a number of passengers including many children, reminds us of the random nature of highway traffic accidents. In this instance, the commercial vehicle was a chartered bus carrying 11 people back home from a trip to Washington, D.C. As a Maryland trucking accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, our thoughts go out to the families of the victims and we all wish the survivors a speedy recovery from their injuries.

Of course, the Interstate Commerce Commission long ago instituted safety regulations to help protect both motorists and the occupants of commercial vehicles from the numerous and potentially deadly consequences of poorly maintained and operated delivery trucks, interstate buses, and 18-wheelers traveling on public roads. It’s no surprise that car accidents involving large commercial vehicles can lead to multiple fatailities.

For anyone interested, those regulations are found in the Code of Federal Regulations, which was established for the express purpose to “help reduce or prevent truck and bus accidents, fatalities and injuries.” [Refer to 49 CFR 383.1(a)]. In fact, by requiring drivers to maintain a single nationwide commercial motor vehicle driver’s license the federal government was trying to keep unqualified and potentially dangerous individuals from driving commercial motor vehicles on our highways and byways.

Maryland Trucking Accident News: Semi Tractor-Trailer Driver Involved in Annapolis, MD, Injury Accident

August 26, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Police and emergency rescue workers are called to the scene of many traffic accidents every month here in Maryland and across the country. Passenger car accidents and other light vehicle crashes are bad enough to cause serious injury and sometimes death, but wrecks involving large commercial vehicles only up the ante, and not in the favor of the occupants of these smaller cars and minivans.

Individuals and entire families can be killed or injured during a severe trucking accident on Maryland highways and the streets of cities like Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington, D.C. Each of these commercial vehicle-related traffic accidents may be just another one in a line of traffic safety statistics, but as a Maryland injury accident attorney I know that real people — mothers fathers and children — are represented in each of those grim statistics.

Recently, one more in a string of big-rig crashes has sent multiple individuals to the hospital if only for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. According to news reports, an accident in Annapolis involving the tractor portion of an 18-wheeler resulted in three wrecked cars and five persons sent to local medical facilities. Included in that total were three children .

Maryland Auto Injury News: Washington, D.C., Metrobus Accidents Result in Numerous Injured Riders

July 31, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Anyone who rides on public transportation probably feels that there is a certain sense of safety when traveling in that manner. Whether it is a commuter train, a taxi cab or city bus, many people expect that by paying a fare they should be delivered to their destination in one piece and without serious injury to their person.

As a Maryland trucking accident lawyer, I know that reality can be very out of step with a person’s perceptions and expectations. The truth of the matter is that accidents can and do happen no matter what conveyance we choose to get us to our final destination. The Washington, D.C., Metro Red Line accident a year ago last June is one example of how dozens of people traveling with the expectation of safety can end up being seriously hurt through no fault of their own.

Some recent bus accidents in and around the District are an example of how factors can combine to cause injury, but thankfully in these instances, no deaths. According to D.C. police, the passengers on a Metrobus as well as occupants in another smaller vehicle were caught up in a serious accident early on a Monday morning in mid-June.

Maryland Trucking Accident News: Moving Van Causes Several Traffic Accidents

July 7, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Large motor vehicles such as semi tractor-trailers, dump trucks and tankers can inflict serious personal injury and property damage when operated irresponsibly. As a Maryland trucking accident attorney, I understand the shear power of these vehicles and the potential for injury or death during a traffic accident.

While most drivers of commercial vehicles use caution when operating these large and massive machines, any mistake can be an opportunity for disaster. Smaller vehicles, such as passenger cars, minivans and motorcycles are at greatest risk when a big rig 18-wheeler goes out of control on a highway or city street. The results of a collision with a heavy truck can range from broken bones and lacerations to full-on paralysis and even death.

Not long ago a man who was driving a moving van was taken into custody by Prince George’s County police following a chase that resulted in a number of traffic accidents along the way. The majority of the incident took place along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway on a Monday afternoon.

Drowsy Semi Tractor-trailer Driver Crashes 18-wheel Rig after Falling Asleep on Maryland’s I-81

June 15, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Maryland Trucking Accident lawyer, I know the unfortunate correlation between sleep deprivation and driver negligence, especially as it pertains to professional truck drivers and the sometimes careless operation of 18-wheeled tractor-trailer rigs. While not every over-the-road trucker pushes the limits of physical stamina, a percentage of semi drivers have been known to put in too many hours behind the wheel without sufficient sleep.

The results of sleep-related trucking wrecks can be serious, as news reports often depict. According to a recent article, a tractor-trailer accident caused apparently by an over-tired driver blocked a portion of Interstate 81 near Hagerstown, MD on a Monday afternoon last month. The accident occurred south of Showalter Road where Maryland State Police say the truck driver fell asleep, causing the rig with its 48,000-pound load of paper rolls to drift off the northbound lanes of the interstate, ending up on its side.

This is not an uncommon happening here in Maryland and across the rest of the country. A poll conducted last year by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) found that nearly 1.9 million drivers are involved in drowsy driving traffic accidents or near misses each and every year. Sadly, most drivers ignore the dangers that sleepiness can present when it comes to trucking and automobile accidents.

Truckers’ Negligent Driving Can Cause Injuries and Occasional Death on Maryland’s Highways and City Streets

May 31, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Commercial trucks and semi tractor-trailer, such as Freightliners and Peterbuilts pose a significant threat on our highways and byways. As Maryland trucking accident attorneys and injury lawyers, our firm understands the seriousness of a traffic accident caused by negligent operation of over-the-road haulers, or big rigs. Motorists and passengers riding in relatively small passenger cars and minivans have a slim chance of escaping injury when hit by one of these heavy trucks.

Even in busy downtown areas, truck accidents can happen with little or no warning. Motorcycle riders and bicyclists, pedestrians and other commuters can all be injured or killed by a poorly driven delivery vehicle or other commercial motor carrier. The amount of local commerce can be an indicator of the potential frequency of trucking accidents in a particular area.

In Baltimore and other busy metropolitan centers, motorists must use extreme caution in and around industrial areas where truck traffic is usually the highest. These huge vehicles and their trailers can weigh a total of 80,000 pounds, the rough equivalent of 30 economy cars. Even large sport utility vehicles (SUVs) or light-duty pickup trucks are no match for a fully-laden tractor-trailer rig. In a crash, a fully-loaded semi can literally accordion a smaller passenger vehicle, injuring or killing the occupants.

Being a Maryland injury attorney, I have seen the aftermath of these kids of heavy truck-passenger car accidents. I know how every year hundreds of individuals are cars caught up in traffic accidents involving big rigs — some wrecks are fatal to the occupants of these passenger cars. This is one of the sad and sobering facts of trucking accidents.

Statistics show that injuries resulting from truck accidents can be much more serious than car-to-car crashes. Common injuries include spinal cord damage, brain trauma, broken bones and other serious and permanent bodily harm.

One last unfortunate fact that comes up time and time again; many trucking-related accidents can be avoided. While many trucking companies take the time and effort to ensure that their trucks and drivers are safe, still others do not. An overloaded trailer is one of the most frequent causes of truck wrecks.

Eight Children Escape Injury when Maryland Fire Truck Rolls Down Hill, Crashes into Tree

May 22, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Motor vehicle accidents can happen almost anywhere throughout Maryland and nobody is immune. Even under the seemingly safest circumstances the tragedy of an injury accident or fatal car crash can be lurking just around the corner. As Baltimore trucking accident lawyers, my office takes nothing for granted when looking at the causes of these potentially life-threatening occurrences.

Whether someone is involved in a simple bicycle accident, motorcycle collision or commuter train wreck, the facts tell the story. Understanding those facts is one way of determining who the responsible party is. Every accident has its share of property, medical and associated costs, all of which can combine to place a strain on families who may or may not be already coping with a loss, such as the death of a loved one.

A recent accident in Pasadena, MD, reminds us that our most precious resource — our kids — can sometimes be placed in jeopardy. According to news reports, during a community event near Edgewater Road, a number of children were playing on one of the Lake Shore Volunteer Fire Company’s vehicles when it started rolling down a hill and struck a tree. Fortunately for everyone the eight children involved were unhurt in the accident, however a member of the fire company was injured in the Saturday afternoon incident.

Maryland Trucking Accident News: Semi Driver Could Face Charges after Baltimore County Commuter Train Collision

April 30, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In Maryland highway collisions as well as automobile accidents on Annapolis, D.C., Columbia and other cities’ streets, occupants of a passenger car can be severely injured when hit by a large commercial delivery truck or over-the-road tractor-trailer rig. But even these large trucking company vehicles can be damaged and the drivers hurt, if not killed, if they are hit by a train.

Depending on the circumstances commuter train riders and railroad employees can also be hurt if the engine hits a large truck sitting on a railroad crossing. Personal injury attorneys in Baltimore and elsewhere can receive numerous inquiries following severe train-truck wrecks. The speed of the train and the size of the commercial vehicle usually determine how many passengers might sustain serious injuries as a result.

A few weeks ago, a truck driver operating a Volvo-powered 18-wheel rig crossed paths with a light rail passenger train. According to news reports at the time, investigators were checking into the collision in Cockeysville, MD, and were expected to lodge charges against the truck driver.