Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

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.

Hazmat Called To Clean Up After Tanker Trailer Overturns on I-95 in Beltsville

March 12, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, a tanker trailer overturned on Interstate 95, blocking all southbound lanes and two northbound lanes for several hours while emergency workers cleared the scene. According to an article by the Washington Post, the accident took place on I-95 South near Route 200, in Beltsville.

Evidently, the truck was heading south when another driver was speeding in and out of traffic. Somehow, the truck lost control and tipped over, perpendicular to the roadway. This caused all southbound lanes to be blocked, as well as two of the northbound lanes. In addition, the tanker-truck began to leak bio-diesel fuel all over the highway. It is estimated that by the time the wreck was completely cleaned up over 1,000 gallons of bio-diesel was spilled onto the roadway.

One driver was cited for his involvement in the accident. He is a 23-year-old man from Laurel, Maryland. Police cited him for failure to control speed to avoid a collision and reckless driving. It is unclear if the truck driver will also face any criminal charges for his role in the accident.

Two Injured in Unusual Perry Hall Semi-Truck Accident

March 4, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week, two residents of Baltimore County were injured when a semi-truck came crashing through the back side of their Perry Hall home. According to one local news report, the semi-truck was cut off by another driver and ended up veering out of his lane of travel to avoid what would have been a certain collision.

The truck lost control and ran up onto the sidewalk. From there, it crashed through a nearby fence and through the back yard of a home, eventually crashing through the rear of the home. It left an 8 x 10 foot hole in the side of the residents’ home. Inspectors have since determined that the home is unsafe to reside in.

The homeowners and their four children (and one dog) were all home at the time, but thankfully not near the site of the collision. No one inside the home was injured. However, one of the resident told reporters that “The whole house shook for about five seconds. . . . It literally felt like a massive earthquake.”

Maryland Truck Driver Facing Criminal Charges for 2013 Fatal Accident

February 25, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Maryland truck driver is scheduled to plead guilty to several charges stemming from the fatal 2013 accident that took three Fredericksburg residents’ lives. According to one local news report, the court had scheduled a four-day trial to determine whether the truck driver was criminally responsible for the deaths of the three individuals, but the man’s attorney notified the court that he will likely plead guilty instead.

Evidently, back in 2013, the truck driver rear-ended a Toyota Camry on State Route 3. The accident occurred as the Toyota was stopped at a red traffic signal. The accident involved 10 vehicles total, after the Camry and the truck spun out and collided with other nearby cars and trucks.

The Toyota had five passengers in it. The three in the back seat were killed immediately as a result of the high-impact collision, while the front seat passenger and the driver were both hospitalized. Thankfully, they both pulled through after being provided emergency medical care.

Truck Accident Victim Permitted to Name Trucking Company and Vehicle Owner in Personal Injury Lawsuit

February 18, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this year in a California appellate court, a plaintiff’s case was allowed to continue over objections from several defendants after the plaintiff was involved in a serious tractor-trailer accident. According to court documents, the plaintiff was riding in the sleeper cabin of the tractor-trailer when the driver got into an accident. The plaintiff suffered serious injuries as a result.

The plaintiff then sought financial damages from the driver of the truck, the truck’s owner, and the owner of the trailer that the truck was towing at the time.

At Trial Two Defendants Are Excused Based on a Lack of Vicarious Liability

The trial court accepted the argument of both the trucking company as well as the trailer owner that they should not be held vicariously liable for the actions of the truck driver. This was based largely on the fact that the actual driver of the truck was merely an independent contractor, rather than a benefited employee.

Baltimore County Accident Between Car and Box Truck Results in Vehicle Crashing into Nearby Building

February 11, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Baltimore County, an accident between a box truck and a car sent the truck into a nearby building. According to an article by the Baltimore Sun, the accident occurred on Hanover Pike near Emory Road in Upperco at around 10 in the morning.

Evidently, the truck was heading north and the car was heading south on Hanover Pike when the two collided. After the collision, the box truck careened into a nearby building. Thankfully, the building was abandoned, and no one was inside at the time. Hazmat crews did survey the scene and ended up removing some potentially hazardous fuel from the scene.

It is not clear what caused the two vehicles to collide, but both drivers were trapped in their respective vehicles until emergency responders arrived and were able to extricate them. Both of the drivers were injured and flown to Maryland Shock Trauma after they were removed from their vehicles.

Woman Loses Control of Vehicle, Crashes into Dump Truck

February 4, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Jarretsville, Maryland, a woman was killed after she lost control of her vehicle and crashed into an oncoming dump truck. According to a news report by the Baltimore Sun, the accident occurred while the woman was traveling westbound on 439 and took place near the intersection of Route 23. At the time, the roads were wet and partially covered in snow.

Evidently, shortly after 11 in the morning, the woman’s Honda Civic crossed the center median after she briefly lost control of the vehicle. As she entered the lanes of oncoming traffic, she was struck by a large Mack dump truck head-on. By the time emergency responders arrived at the scene, the woman had died. The driver of the truck was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police are still conducting an investigation into how the fatal truck accident occurred. A preliminary investigation indicates that poor road conditions due to the inclement weather were at least partially responsible.

Tractor-Trailer Accident Claims Four Lives Near Wye Mills

January 27, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month near Wye Mills, an accident between a 2006 Suzuki Forenza and a tractor-trailer resulted in four fatalities in the same family, including a pregnant woman. According to a report by one local news source, the accident occurred on Route 50 in Queen Anne’s County around 1:15 in the morning.

The wreckage was so bad that police do not know exactly what happened. However, it seems that the family was in the Suzuki heading westbound on Route 50. As they approached the intersection with Route 213, the semi-truck, which was traveling southbound on Route 213, struck the side of the family’s vehicle. Both vehicles traveled across the intersection before the semi-truck overturned on top of the Suzuki.

Tragically, all five of the occupants in the Suzuki died of injuries they sustained in the accident. Four of the passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. A 30-year-old pregnant woman was transported to Easton Memorial Hospital, where both the woman and her unborn child were pronounced dead by hospital staff.

Several Inmates and Correctional Officers Killed in Fatal Bus Accident

January 20, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in West Texas, several inmates and correctional officers were killed when the bus that was transporting the inmates slid off an icy road and crashed into a passing train. According to a report by the local Fox affiliate, the fatal accident occurred on Interstate 20 about 16 miles southwest of Odessa at around 7:30 in the morning.

Evidently, the bus was carrying a total of 15 people: 12 inmates and three correctional officers. Ten people died in the accident, eight of whom were inmates and two of whom were correctional officers. Those who were injured in the accident remain in critical condition.

According to the report, the road conditions were very icy that morning, which caused the bus to slide off an overpass, down an embankment, and then into the passing train. The two employees on the train were not injured in the accident.