Maryland Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Injuries Reported in Commercial Truck Crash after Semi Loses Tire in Frederick County

October 31, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Hard as it may be to reconcile at time, we all put our lives on the line each and every time we step out of homes and into a motor vehicle to travel to work, school or even to the grocery store. It’s not a pleasant thought, to be sure, but it is a reality: People are killed and injured every day across the state of Maryland, and throughout the U.S., doing simple day-to-day activities that none of us would think twice about. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we have to concur that operating a motor vehicle can be intrinsically life-threatening, if only from a statistical standpoint.

Of all the many and varied causes of traffic collisions, a percentage of these are the result of a failure in some safety- or control-related vehicle component or system. Be it a fractured steering shaft, poorly cast suspension arm, improperly torqued bolt or other fastener, even a faulty safety belt, each of these items can result in a serious accident. Depending on the part, the vehicle’s speed at the time of the failure, and other factors, it’s not a stretch to say that a fatality or multiple fatalities could be in the cards as well.

As automobile, trucking and motorcycle accident attorneys, we understand that these are not uplifting subjects. But the fact remains, at least for experienced legal professionals like ourselves, the existence of a faulty or poorly designed vehicle part or component can be grounds for a products liability suit, especially if a person is hurt or killed as a result of the failure.

Baltimore Highway Accident News: Entire Maryland Family Dies in Fatal Semi Tractor-Trailer Collision

October 29, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Heart-breaking human tragedies happen all too often here in Maryland, not to mention throughout the nation and the world, so there is little sense railing against the nature of fate and unexpected events. Yet, this is just the problem with traffic-related injuries and deaths; so much about car, truck and motorcycle accidents would seem to be preventable, if not mostly avoidable. When a car or trucking accident takes the life of someone, anyone, we all suffer to some extent.

Families suffer through the loss of a loved one; a spouse, a sibling, a parent or a child killed in a tragic traffic accident. Society suffers in some way as well, with the loss of a fellow human being and, in the case of children or young adults, a young life that may have been full of promise, now gone forever. Never mind the financial costs to the family or the community, especially if the victim was a major contributor to the well-being of the local economy or a supporter of charities and other benevolent organizations.

In short, fatal highway wrecks in no way improve the human condition; at best they can only point up deficiencies in the safety of certain vehicles, poor design in particular roads, or lack of care on the part of another, possibly negligent driver. As Maryland injury attorneys practicing in the Baltimore area, as well as Washington, D.C., we understand how a family can be ripped asunder by a senseless and preventable death caused by a highway collision.

“Bad News Bears” Remake Actress Dies following Car Crash with Tractor-Trailer; Police Suspect DWI

October 17, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As children we have little choice but to place our lives in the hands of others. Parents and grandparents are constantly responsible for the safety of their young charges, and in choosing a suitable adult with whom they have faith will look after the best interests of their child during car trips, play dates and other activities away from immediate relatives. This is why any injury to a minor or young child hits families hard when a caretaker or other responsible adult falls down on the job of watching over their young ones.

As we get older and move into adulthood, the responsibility shifts to us when we have choices to make that could have a permanent or long-term effect on our health and livelihood. While most people probably don’t dwell much on these matters, it isn’t at all farfetched to consider that every ride with a friend, relative or loved one could be a potential opportunity for disaster. At the risk of sounding morbid, I and my colleagues know that every time someone ventures out on the roadway these days there is always a chance of being involved in a serious traffic accident.

As Baltimore auto, truck and motorcycle accident attorneys, it is our job to dwell on the downside to every choice. But it is also our duty to identify when another person may have taken the faith and trust of another individual for granted, though thoughtless actions or deeds, and altered forever that person’s life. One should not have to suffer from another person’s poor choices. Sadly, people die every day through the negligent actions of a stranger; yet many Americans are killed or seriously injured by the actions of someone they know and trust.

Commercial Propane Tanker Truck Hits Cecil County Condos, Driver Injured in Wreck

October 9, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Whether you live or work in Maryland or over in the District of Columbia, if you are a driver you no doubt commute in the company of many different types of commercial vehicles, such as the smaller panel vans and contractor utility trucks all the way up to large box trucks, tanker vehicles and big rig 18-wheelers. As any motorist knows, at least innately, it’s that they never want to get into an accident with one of these larger motor vehicles for fear of the possibly extreme injuries and potential fatal consequences that a highway collision can entail.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my legal staff know the feeling of being “cornered” by a large commercial vehicle. While many passenger car accidents can leave the victims in very bad condition (with weeks, if not months of recovery ahead of them), tangling with a semi tractor-trailer can raise the odds of being critically injured or killed many times over. Add to that the possibility that the truck involved is carrying a flammable load or other dangerous cargo, well, the possible scenarios can be downright scary to even imagine.

Receiving severe injuries, such as head trauma, spinal damage, or complex internal injuries is nothing compared to being caught in a burning car with immobilizing injuries limiting one’s ability to escape. In such cases, all a person can do is hope for a Good Samaritan to put themself at risk or that emergency responders will arrive before it’s too late. Frankly, the thought of a car fire is too terrifying for most people to even consider. Throw into that mix a car carrying a family with young children and it could be an unfathomable tragedy beyond words.

Truck-to-Truck Collision in Talbot County Sends Maryland Driver to Baltimore Trauma Center

September 30, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Trucking-related accidents can be fatal to those people traveling in passenger cars who are unlucky enough to be involved in a crash with these heavy-weight motor vehicles. But as Baltimore auto injury lawyers, the legal staff at y firm knows that other commercial truck drivers are just as at risk as many other drivers of car, truck and motorcycles caught in a collision with a semi tractor-trailer, tank truck, municipal bus, or box truck. This is why we always advise caution when passing or driving near large commercial vehicles, especially at higher speeds on the expressway.

It’s a common problem that trucking accidents are frequently caused by driver fatigue. In fact, drowsiness on the part of truckers is one of the primary contributing factors linked to commercial trucking accidents. As motorists, we tend all to rely on the fact that truck drivers are professionals, and as such they are required by law to follow various state and federal safety regulations specifically written to protect the rest of us. Sadly, not every trucker or trucking company obeys the laws laid out for them.

Thousands of innocent people, mostly drivers and passengers in private automobiles, sport utility vehicles and minivans are hurt in collisions caused in full or in part by the driver of a tractor-trailer or commercial delivery vehicle. Whether the negligent trucker is operating a car hauler, tanker truck, flatbed tractor-trailer, commercial dump truck, box trucks or any of the numerous other commercial motor vehicles plying our state’s highways and city streets, the potential for personal injury is high.

Commercial Lumber Truck Crashes near Baltimore, Igniting Fire and Killing Driver on Interstate 95

September 25, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We’ve said it before, but trucking accidents are an unfortunate part of the automotive landscape here in Maryland. With the tens of thousands of passenger cars, truck and motorcycles all sharing the road with each other, it’s amazing that more accidents do not happen on a regular basis. But when it comes to collisions involving commercial vehicles, we are all in greater danger as occupants of much smaller and less massive passenger cars.

As Baltimore auto accident attorneys, I and my colleagues see just a fraction of the thousands of innocent people who are injured every year across the United States as a result of being caught up in a collision with a tractor-trailer, 18-wheeler, tanker truck, of large commercial delivery vehicle. Obviously, the sheer size and mass of these motor vehicles — approaching 20-times the weight of an average sport utility vehicle or family minivan — makes these trucks intrinsically more dangerous than other cars and trucks on the roadways.

As motorists ourselves, we have each at one time or another driven slowly past the site of a commercial vehicle accident on the expressway or country road. The destruction that such a large and heavy vehicle can cause to cars, light trucks and motorcycles is sobering to say the least. Weighing in at upward of 80,000 pounds, a commercial vehicle whose driver has lost control, for whatever reason, can easily wreck serious havoc on other passenger vehicles and bystanders. Serious and fatal injuries are not uncommon in these instances.

Traffic Safety Update: Caution Advised Whenever Approaching an Accident Scene with Personnel and Emergency Vehicles

September 21, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

More than once you may have heard the phrase uttered, “Work as long as we have in this business and you’ll see just about everything.” Well, we can say that if a person lives in the Baltimore area long enough there will likely come a day when you may start to see things that in no way surprise you. As automobile injury accident lawyers, I and my colleagues are less surprised than most people at the types of car, truck and motorcycle crashes that occur weekly across this state.

The point is that in densely packed metropolitan areas like Baltimore and Washington, D.C., hardly a day goes by without a severe traffic-related collision between cars and trucks. These kinds of roadway wrecks can result in some very serious and life-threatening physical injuries. Back and neck injuries, many involving spinal cord damage are common, as are traumatic brain injuries. Certainly, those caught up in motorcycle-related accidents have a greater chance than anyone of being serious hurt in a roadway wreck.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, we understand many of the causes of car and truck collisions, but even so, we can still be amazed by the way in which these accidents come about. Consider an incident that happened just a short while ago involving a couple passenger cars and a fire department vehicle. While the fire truck was not moving at the time, one has to ask themself whether or not the other drivers were paying attention to the road ahead of them.

Maryland Auto Injury Accident News: Two Die in Separate Trucking-related Traffic Accidents

September 14, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Surviving a collision with a large commercial motor vehicle can be as random as the initial circumstances that set the traffic accident in motion to start with. One could say that it is simply a “role of the dice” whether or not an victim of an automobile or motorcycle wreck will make it to the hospital, much less recover from his or her injuries sufficiently to live a long and fulfilling life.

Looking as we do at the events leading up to a serious injury accident or fatal traffic collision, it is no mere coincidence that vehicle mass, or weight, plays a significant part in whether or not a driver or other occupants will sustain mild or critical injuries. Being involved in a highway accident between a relatively small passenger car, minivan or sport utility vehicle and a much larger commercial motor vehicle is a case in point.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, we know that a significant percentage of injuries are sustained by drivers and passengers of smaller vehicles that are hit by large trucks, such as semi tractor-trailers, large box trucks, commercial delivery vehicles and even heavier utility trucks. It all goes back to physics, but the important thing to remember is that the danger exists. Knowing that a roadway incident involving a larger motor vehicle, drivers should always be on the alert when traveling in traffic alongside one of these vehicles or when approaching an oncoming truck on an undivided road.

Maryland Traffic Injury Update: Commercial Trucking Accidents Can Lead to Passenger Car Fatalities

August 31, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It is an unfortunate outcome of many a highway wreck involving a large commercial motor vehicle, but occupants of passenger cars that are involved in collisions with big rigs — have a fairly good chance of being hurt or seriously injures during a bad multi-vehicle pileup. The issue in many of these cases is that the simple factor of mass, or weight, for those non-scientific among us, can make the difference between life and death. Size is certainly a factor here, but all things being equal, the two are interrelated.

For anyone who has not been involved in, or been witness to a severe car-truck traffic accident the statistics kept of such events tend to bear this out; that time and again, injuries from trucking-related collisions, especially those involving smaller and more lightweight passenger vehicles, can typically result in much more serious and often fatal bodily injury. These can include, but are in no way limited to traumatic brain damage, spinal cord injuries, broken bones and compound fractures, and other sometimes permanently disabling injuries.

It is because larger and heavier 18-wheelers and other commercial motor vehicles are so common on our highways and city streets that these kinds of accidents occur at fairly frequent rates. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, the legal professionals at my firm understand very well that any traffic accident involving a semi, large box truck or heavy commercial equipment can easily turn into a life-threatening event for the individuals involved.

Baltimore Traffic Accident News: Some Truckers are Less Professional than Others, Cause More Accidents

August 25, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It may not be too much of a stretch for those among us — long-time motorists and seasoned commuters alike — to consider themselves at least to some extent professional drivers. Certainly the number of miles driven over decades of traveling to and from work likely add up to the hundreds of thousands, but this is just a fraction of the mileage that the pros log. Those who operate buses, taxis and large commercial vehicles for a living are the true professional drivers, and as such they carry a responsibility to the rest of us to maintain safe vehicles and operate them in a safe manner that avoids risk of accidental bodily injury.

Professional truck drivers, as with other working professions, are licensed by the federal government to be competent in their field of endeavor. In the case of truckers, a commercial driver’s license (CDL) is required for any person employed in the operation of 18-wheelers, commercial delivery trucks and other heavy over-the-road equipment. Unfortunately, the fact that a driver passes a test and keeps up with annual requirements is no guarantee that any one individual will not be involved in a traffic accident of his or her making.

It’s likely that most of our readers give only a passing thought to the potential damage that an out-of-control tractor-trailer or large delivery vehicle can inflict on property and innocent people. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my staff know how a normal commute can turn into a nightmare of vehicular carnage with just a slight bit of inattention or a thoughtless action behind the wheel. The fact is, it only takes one careless or otherwise negligent trucker to ruin the lives of one or more people who otherwise did nothing wrong except be in the wrong place at the wrong time.