Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Cause Unknown in Double Tractor-Trailer Accident on Md. I-95

June 21, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland State Police have reported that a man remains hospitalized after his car was hit by not one, but two tractor-trailer trucks on Interstate 95 in Baltimore County last week.

The circumstances surrounding the terrible accident remain unclear. What is known is that the victim was driving southbound on I-95 in Halethorpe, when he suddenly slowed or stopped his vehicle. His car was then hit by two separate tractor-trailers. Details have not been reported regarding the manner of the collision. One of the tractor-trailers, which was reportedly carrying hospital linens, fell onto its side, causing it to spill fuel onto the roadway.

State Troopers reported that the 50 year old victim remains at Shock Trauma, where he was taken following Thursday morning’s accident. State officials had initially reported that the man died, but later revised reports to reflect that he is currently being hospitalized. Both of the truck drivers involved in the collision refused treatment at the scene.

The cause of the accident, and nature of circumstances surrounding the collision, remain under investigation.

Truck Collision on MD 194 Ends Tragically

June 12, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to reports, an 18 year old Maryland boy passed away shortly after a serious accident that he was involved in Tuesday morning.

It happened Tuesday morning on MD Route 194, north of the Devilbiss Bridge Road. Police have reported that another driver, a 22 year old young woman, was traveling northbound on Route 194, when she allegedly began to unintentionally veer toward the center of the roadway.

The 18 year old young man, who was traveling southbound on the other side of the road, made a sudden sharp right turn in order to avoid colliding with the woman’s car. Then, he over corrected in steering the vehicle left, forcing his vehicle into oncoming traffic, and causing a collision with a truck.

The young man was seriously injured and, after being transported to Shock Trauma, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

The driver of the truck and his passenger were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

Semi Truck Accident Causes Extensive Collateral Damage

June 6, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

An accident that occurred in Florida last month provides an illustrative example of the extensive damage that large trucks can cause, and the difficulties sometimes faced in negligence cases.

The accident occurred when the driver of a red Mercedes allegedly ran a red light, causing her car to crash into a semi truck carrying a full load of Coca Cola products. Due to the impact of the crash, the soda truck somehow lost control and smashed into a nearby home. The damage the tractor-trailer caused to the home was so extensive that the county has since condemned it, and forced the residents to move out.

However, what’s perhaps the most upsetting about the collision into the home is that it sent one of the residents that was inside of the home at the time of impact into premature labor. The woman was rushed to the hospital, where her son was born prematurely. The baby had to spend time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and depending on how early he was born, could face life long health issues relating to his early arrival.

According to sources, the Florida Highway Patrol has released a report finding the driver of the Mercedes at fault for running the red light.

The new mother’s attorney had attempted to contact Coca Cola for assistance with medical bills or living expenses, since the woman was forced to move out of her home. However, according to a news broadcast, Coca Cola’s spokesperson had said that they were told the driver of the red Mercedes was at fault for the accident.

Freight Train in Maryland Hits Truck Causing Derailment and Explosion

May 31, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A terrible crash happened earlier this week in Baltimore, when a CSX freight train collided with a commercial truck and derailed. Officials said the truck’s driver was seriously injured, and that the crash led to an explosion, which could be both seen and felt blocks away, according to witnesses.

A local firefighter reported that the crash happened in Rosedale, just to the east of Baltimore.

The cause of the accident was not readily apparent. The National Transportation Safety Board is reportedly sending a team to investigate. The explosion that followed the collision sent black plumes of smoke into the sky, but according to CSX there were no toxic inhalants.

The crash has apparently led to damage of several nearby buildings, though firefighters were able to get the fire under control relatively quickly. As a precaution, several nearby residents were asked to evacuate their homes. Video footage depicted at least five of the train’s cars off the track.

Truck Believed to be Cause of Washington Bridge Collapse

May 29, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Authorities released a statement last Friday, stating that they now believe that a bridge that collapsed suddenly last week in Washington State was most likely caused by a truck carrying an oversized load that crashed into at least one girder.

The crash caused two vehicles to plummet into the freezing river below, along with some concrete and steel. Thankfully, the three people traveling in the vehicles were rescued, and no one was killed.

The accident raised concerns about the potential safety concerns of the bridge, which was built in 1955, and reignited a discussion in Washington D.C. amongst lawmakers, regarding the need for a greater investment in our country’s aging infrastructure. Washington state officials stated that, based upon preliminary indications regarding the bridge, including two inspections within the past year, it was structurally sound. The truck striking the support beams with some speed is believed to be solely responsible for its collapse.

Maryland State Authorities Respond to Hazardous Truck Crash on Route 113

May 24, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A single vehicle accident closed Route 113 near Berlin earlier this week, when a truck pulling a trailer crashed and dumped 80 gallons of hydrochloric acid on the roadway.

According to reports, Maryland State Police officers responded to a single vehicle accident on Route 113 at Dee Park Drive near Berlin, shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday morning. They discovered that a 2007 truck pulling a trailer had driven off of the left side of the road, struck a guardrail, and came to rest near the center median.

The truck’s trailer contained approximately 80 gallons of hydrochloric acid, which was punctured during the accident. As a result, relevant fire and state and local hazardous waste management agencies responded to the scene. Additionally, the Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division conducted a thorough inspection of the truck and trailer, in order to investigate the potential cause of the accident.

The driver of the truck, who was later charged with negligent driving, was transported via ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of unreported injuries. His passenger was unharmed.

Elderly Maryland Woman Driving Wrong Way on Route 50 Crashes Head on into Tractor-Trailer Truck

May 7, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland State Police are reporting that a 77 year old woman may face traffic violations after driving the wrong way and crashing head on into a tractor trailer hauling fertilizer earlier this month.

Police said the woman was driving her Jeep Cherokee westbound in the eastbound lane on Route 50 when she collided into the tractor trailer. Her car spun out across all three lanes, hitting a Hummer and a Dodge Durango. The tractor trailer went into the median and hit a pickup truck.

The driver and two other individuals were flown to Shock Trauma. The driver of the tractor trailer was not injured.

While in this case a large truck was involved in the accident, based upon the facts as reported, it appears that the blame was on the driver of the jeep.

Trucking accidents are not like accidents involving other types of vehicles. In Maryland, commercial drivers are held to specific standards under Maryland’s commercial vehicle law. A violation of those rules may be enough to hold a driver liable if they end up involved in a collision due to their potential error.

Traffic Accident Investigation Suggests Commercial Bus Driver was at Fault in Fatal Charter Bus Crash

April 23, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

School bus and charter bus accidents happen with greater frequency than most people may suspect. Here in Maryland and across the United States, the tragic results of fatal traffic collisions involving buses can many times be magnified due to the ability of these large commercial vehicles to carry a great number of passengers. Furthermore, the opportunity for a highway or in-town bus accident is increased due to the fact that these large vehicles can be difficult to control under some kinds of adverse driving and weather conditions.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my colleagues are trained to help victims of car, truck and motorcycle wrecks recover damages resulting from injuries sustained in a traffic accident caused by another driver. When it comes to injuries or death resulting from a traffic-related accidents, the victim or his family should seriously consider retaining the services of a qualified car accident attorney, if only to understand their legal rights following such tragic mishaps.

Because most bus designs entail a high center of gravity, the dynamic stability of these huge commercial vehicles is nothing like that of a standard passenger sedan or sports model. With a rather tall overall height, charter buses in particular have a remarkably high center of gravity; when combined with their greater mass, these large vehicles can pose a real challenge to control in an emergency, even for the most experienced and professionally-trained drivers.

Two Maryland Residents Die in Car-Truck Crash along Interstate 95 in Harford County, MD

April 9, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The unexpected is always around the corner, especially on high-speed freeways and interstates. Here in Maryland, dense traffic and a tense rush hour driving environment can sometimes make an already dangerous situation all the more tenuous for the average driver. Even when the crush of traffic has subsided, some risks remain, while others come to the fore. No matter what the condition, driver aggression can also become a threat to everyone on the roadway.

As Baltimore personal injury attorneys and drivers ourselves, we know how a “normal” driving situation can turn deadly with just one wrong move. Operating a motor vehicle in the Baltimore area, over in the District or in one of any number of densely populated urban areas can lead to some unexpected traffic situations, some of which can result in a serious injury accident or a fatal car, truck or motorcycle crash.

Surely many of you already know of the potential danger posed to the occupants of a passenger car when a commercial delivery truck crashes into the smaller vehicle, but roadway collisions between cars themselves can be just as deadly as those involving tractor-trailers and other large commercial vehicles. Still a commercial trucking accident can precipitate some serious injuries in its wake.

Injury Accident News: Maryland Trucker Charged with Drunken Driving after Near-Accident on I-70

March 31, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

One of the most common causes of commercial trucking accidents in the U.S. is driver fatigue usually brought on by lack of sleep and excessive hours behind the wheel. Although federal regulations limit the number of on-the-road hours that a commercial truck driver can work behind the wheel, it is no secret that many truckers bend or break these rules on a fairly frequent basis. Spurred by on-time or early delivery bonuses, as well as the occasional unspoken negative incentive, some truckers may feel they have to exceed the federally mandated Hours-of-Service rules in order to make a living.

Unfortunately, in making a living in this way, sometimes these commercial driver get into traffic accidents, which may or may not involve fatalities; and many times trucking-related wrecks caused by driver fatigue produce injuries, not just to the driver himself, but to innocent victims who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Other causes of tractor-trailer accidents can include distraction from any number of sources, such as cellphones, smartphones, in-cab navigation devices, audio systems, or any other electronic device that takes the truckers attention away from the task at hand. Speeding and faulty vehicle maintenance can also be common areas that a personal injury attorney might need to consider when formulating a case against a negligent truck driver or commercial trucking company.