Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Tractor Trailer Collision Leads to Fuel Spill on Route 351

July 3, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

An accident that occurred late last month involving a tractor-trailer led to a fuel spill and two additional accidents, and consequently accompanied road closures in Frederick, causing some major traffic delays.

According to Maryland State Police, the crash occurred on the ramp from westbound I-70 to westbound Route 15/340 at around 2:30 a.m., when the driver of the tractor-trailer lost control of the vehicle.

The tractor-trailer then careened off of the roadway, striking and displacing a 100 foot stretch of guardrail, before finally coming to a stop after colliding with a concrete bridge abutment above Route 351. The collision with the structure caused debris to fall into the roadway, resulting in two additional collisions on Route 351 itself.

A police spokesperson said that the impact of the crash damaged the tractor-trailer’s fuel saddle tanks, causing gallons of diesel fuel to spill onto the ramp and also onto Route 351.

No information was readily available regarding injuries to the drivers of the tractor-trailer or any of the other vehicles involved in the collisions on Route 351. The cause of the driver losing control, and other circumstances surrounding the crash, remain under investigation.

Car Crashes into Tractor-Trailer on Md. I-95

June 27, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A tragic accident that happened early Wednesday morning on Interstate 95 left one individual dead, and a truck driver undoubtedly shaken up.

The accident occurred near the Intercounty Connector in Beltsville, when one car traveling northbound on I-95 crossed over into the southbound lanes and crashed into a tractor-trailer. As the images in the article show, the car was left almost completely decimated, and tragically the driver was killed. No other injuries were reported.

A second car was discovered nearby in the grassy median, but it is unknown whether that car was involved in the accident. Police reported that the driver of the tractor-trailer remained at the scene to cooperate with investigators.

While the cause of the accident remains unknown, investigators believe that the driver of the car was most likely at fault.

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.