Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog
As motorists we all hope that commercial truck drivers take the necessary care and caution when traveling on Maryland’s interstates and surface streets. Unfortunately, as they say, one bad apple can spoil the rest, and numerous trucking-related accidents make for bad press. The trouble is, tractor-trailers and other large commercial vehicles can and do kill and maim hundreds of people every year in this county.
As Baltimore automobile accident attorneys and Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my staff are dedicated to representing traffic accident victims and their families. We understand that a collision between a passenger car and an 18-wheel big rig can result in serious and life-changing injuries. Sadly, many of these wrecks are fatal and leave no chance for families to see their loved ones again.
The reasons for trucking accidents are as varied as the types of trucks on the road. Box trucks, delivery vans, tow trucks and snow plows, gasoline tankers and auto haulers; each has potential for destroying a smaller less massive vehicle, such as a passenger car or motorcycle. Victims have ben know to lose limbs, sustain disfiguring burn injuries and even suffer from debilitating closed-head trauma and spinal cord damage, all because of another individual’s negligence.
A moment’s inattention or a deliberate, aggressive act can turn an orderly traffic situation into a scene of massive chaos and vehicular mayhem. Not long ago, we were shown what happens when a tank truck goes out of control. In this particular case, no one was seriously injured. The wreck only serves as a reminder of what could have happened had circumstances been different.
According to police reports, a trucker operating a tanker truck along a portion of the Outer Loop of the Capital Beltway apparently lost control of his vehicle, which subsequently flipped on its side, spilling its contents of used cooking oil. The crash happened on a Monday morning at the tail end of the rush hour. State police stated that the tanker was going east along a stretch of Interstate 495 when the cars ahead of the truck suddenly came to a stop.
Apparently unable to stop in time, the driver swerved to avoid hitting the cars in front of him and caused the tractor-trailer rig to overturn. Arriving on the scene, emergency responders likely treated the trucker, 39-year-old Ronald Sample of Baltimore, at the crash site then transported him to a nearby hospital for further medical attention for what was termed non-life-threatening injuries. At the time of the article, police had charged the man with reckless driving.
Truck driver charged with reckless driving in I-495 crash, WTOP.com, May 2, 2011