Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

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.

Accident Resulting in Gravel Spill on Intercounty Connector Claims One Life

May 22, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, an accident on Route 200, more commonly known as the Intercounty Connector, claimed the life of one man and injured another. According to one local news report, the accident occurred around two in the afternoon, between the Layhill Road and New Hampshire Avenue exits.

Evidently, a dump truck from Montgomery County was carrying a load of gravel when it inexplicably skidded across the eastbound lanes and then toppled over in the median. Thousands of pounds of gravel spilled from the truck as it fell. Shortly thereafter, a Nissan car that was approaching the overturned truck was unable to avoid a collision.

The driver of the dump truck was tragically pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver of the Nissan was taken to Medstar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney, not far from the site of the accident. He was admitted with non-life threatening injuries and is expected to make a full recovery. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Cement Truck Runs Red Light and Crashes into Car, Seriously Injuring One

May 15, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Decatur, Georgia, a cement truck carrying a several-ton load was involved in an accident with a small passenger car. According to one local news report, the accident occurred when the cement truck driver ran a red light and crashed into the car that was traveling through what was a green light for the car at the time.

Evidently, after the collision, the car became wedged in between the cab of the truck and the truck’s load. One nearby citizen showed up seconds after the accident to take pictures. He told reporters: “I didn’t even realize there was a car even there when I first walked up to the accident … It’s hard to see how somebody could survive that.”

But survive she did. The driver of the car was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the truck was also sent to the hospital with serious injuries but is expected to make a full recovery.

Queen Anne Semi-Truck Accident Claims Three Lives

May 8, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Queen Anne, Maryland, a three-truck accident resulted in three fatalities when one of the trucks inexplicably crossed the center line. According to one local news report, the accident occurred on Maryland Route 404 in the morning hours.

Evidently, the semi-truck, which was being driven by a man from Tennessee, crossed over into oncoming traffic and side-swiped another semi-truck. After the initial collision, the truck continued on and then collided head-on with a third truck. The driver of the first truck was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

The driver of the second truck, which was struck from the side, caught fire upon impact. Both the driver and the passenger inside died as a result of the injuries they sustained in the accident. The driver of the third semi-truck was not injured. Police are currently conducting an investigation into the accident.

Dump Truck Rear-Ends Montgomery County Bus, Injuring Ten

April 22, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Montgomery County, an accident between a dump truck and a county bus sent 10 people to the hospital with various injuries. According to one local news report, the accident took place about five miles away from Silver Spring in the White Oak area.

Evidently, around two o’clock in the afternoon at New Hampshire Avenue and Tracey Drive, a dump truck crashed into the back of the county bus, which was carrying a total of 16 passengers and a driver. After the accident, emergency crews ended up taking nine adults and one child to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries. Both drivers were not injured in the accident.

A police investigation is underway, but at this point it seems as though the dump truck rear-ended the bus while the bus was stopped. Authorities are not sure why the dump truck was unable to or did not stop in time.

Virginia School Bus Driver Charged After Accident with Dump Truck

April 15, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Nottoway County, Virginia, a school bus driver was charged with reckless driving after he was involved in a serious collision with an oncoming dump truck. According to one local news report, the accident occurred at around 3:50 in the afternoon while the bus was taking students home. Twelve students were onboard the bus at the time of the accident.

Evidently, the school bus was heading north on Route 614 when it unexpectedly drifted out of its lane and into the eastbound lanes of Route 460, directly into the path of a Peterbilt dump truck. All 12 students, the driver, and one aide aboard the school bus were fine, suffering only minor injuries. However, the driver of the dump truck was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, as was his 12-year-old passenger.

“Professional” Drivers and Accident Liability in Maryland

School bus drivers, like truck drivers, taxi drivers, and any other motorist who is paid to operate a motor vehicle, have a duty to their passengers as well as others on the road. While the specifics of this accident are not known, it seems reasonable to think that the driver of the bus was somehow distracted in the moments immediately preceding the accident.

Maryland Student Killed in Rear-End Truck Accident

April 8, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

At the end of last month, a 15-year-old 10th-grader was killed after her mother’s car was rear-ended by a truck on a Maryland road. According to a local news report, the teenager was a passenger in her mother’s Toyota Camry. Evidently, her mother was traveling north on Route 413 when she stopped to make a left turn. As she was making the left into a driveway, a 2006 Freightliner commercial vehicle rear-ended her. The truck was registered to a home delivery company. An initial investigation revealed that the truck did not stop when it should have and subsequently rear-ended the Toyota, which then went on to hit a Dodge traveling in the opposite direction.

The young girl was taken to a Salisbury, Maryland hospital and was tragically pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Her mother is still in critical condition. The driver of the Dodge was treated at a hospital but was released because her injuries were not life-threatening. The driver and passenger in the truck were also released and did not seem to suffer any serious injury as well.

A preliminary investigation did not find alcohol to be a contributing factor to the accident. The State’s Attorney’s office is still awaiting the rest of the findings from the investigation to determine whether they will be pressing charges.

Prince George’s County Dump Truck Accident Results in Fatality

April 1, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month, a Ford Truck and a dump truck collided near Moores Road, resulting in one fatality. A Maryland news report stated that the accident occurred in Prince George’s County in Brandywine, Maryland. Apparently, right after rush hour Maryland State Police responded to a call about a serious accident. Police officials explained that when they arrived they found that two drivers had been seriously injured.

An investigation revealed that the man who was driving the Ford truck was proceeding west on Moores Road. Evidently, he was in the process of crossing the northbound lane. The other driver, who was traveling in a dump truck, was driving down the northbound lane. The dump truck ended up hitting the Ford’s driver’s side. Emergency personnel immediately transported both injured individuals to Southern Maryland Hospital. Unfortunately, the driver of the Ford truck was pronounced dead by the emergency room physician.

Maryland’s Winter Weather Partially Responsible for Cattle Truck Accident

March 27, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, during one of the several snow storms that swept through Maryland, a truck carrying 93 head of cattle toppled over after it slid off the road. According to a report by the Washington Times, the accident occurred on Interstate 81 near the interchange with Route 40, not far from Hagerstown.

Evidently, no one was hurt in the accident, however, it is not clear if any of the cattle were injured. Two lanes of traffic remained closed for several hours while another truck came to the scene to transport the shaken-up animals.

Reports indicate that, at the time of the accident, there was about six inches of snow that had recently fallen. Some parts of Western Maryland saw as much as 9.5 inches of snow during the same storm.

Sixty-Two People Injured in Amtrak Crash Amidst Calls For Better Railroad Safety

March 19, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in North Carolina, an accident between a large truck and an Amtrak train sent 62 people to the hospital with minor injuries. According to a local Washington DC news source, the accident occurred near Halifax, North Carolina.

Evidently, a large semi-truck was traveling with an escort vehicle when the truck got struck attempting to maneuver across the tracks. It seems that the truck driver was attempting to make a turn over the tracks when the truck got stuck and couldn’t free itself. Roughly 15-20 minutes later, an Amtrak train with 212 passengers and eight crew members aboard slammed into the immobilized truck. In all, 62 people were sent to the hospital with minor injuries.

As more information was discovered about the crash, it seems that the truck driver had access to a number to call when such unusual situations arise on or near railroad tracks. The number, if he had called it, would have alerted the train’s conductor that there was a problem ahead and likely would have avoided the accident. As it turns out, the number was posted at the very crossing where the truck got stuck.