Commercial truck accidents are more dangerous than passenger car crashes due to the enormous size differences between the vehicles. Even a car with the best safety features offers precious little protection in a collision with a tractor-trailer thatās 20 times its size. Far too often, the occupants of the smaller vehicle suffer the worst injuries.
Other factors also make trucks dangerous companions on Maryland roads. Semi-trucks are more difficult to maneuver than a standard car. They take longer to stop and have larger blind spots. For these reasons, commercial drivers need special training and licensure. If they violate state and federal safety regulations by driving negligently, they can be held accountable for their recklessness.
Similarly, trucking companies and other parties within the trucking industry have duties to maintain and inspect vehicles for safety. Any oversight could lead to a crash ā and injured victims and their families could be entitled to financial compensation for their financial and personal losses.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a Maryland commercial vehicle accident, you need legal advice right away. An experienced truck accident lawyer from Trollinger Law LLC can review your case and discuss your legal options.
Call or contact our personal injury law firm today for a free consultation.
Common Types of Truck Accidents
All types of tractor-trailer accidents can cause severe injuries or death. However, every kind of truck accident has some unique aspects. Understanding how these accidents occur can help determine who was at fault.
Some of the most common types of truck accidents include:
- Rollovers ā A truck rollover often occurs when a driver is speeding, distracted, or steers too aggressively. Additionally, improper cargo loading can affect the truckās balance and make it prone to roll over.
- Rear-end collisions ā Being rear-ended by an 18-wheeler can cause significant damage and injuries, even though these crashes typically happen at low speeds. Injuries from rear-end accidents often include damage to soft tissues such as muscles and tendons. Whiplash is a common example of this type of injury. A rear-end collision at higher speeds, such as when traffic suddenly stops on a highway, can cause more severe injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord damage.
- Head-on collisions ā A head-on collision is one of the most dangerous types of truck accidents, and they are frequently fatal. Negligent drivers are almost always at fault for these accidents due to speeding, driving while fatigued, distracted driving, impaired driving, or other traffic violations.
- Jackknife accidents ā A truck jackknifes when the trailer spins outward and forms a 90-degree angle with the cab. The most common reason for a jackknife accident is that a truck driver brakes too hard. This is especially common in slippery conditions but can happen anytime, even at low speeds.
- T-bone accidents ā The sides of a car offer less protection to occupants than the front or rear ends, so a T-bone accident involving a large truck can be especially dangerous. T-bone accidents are almost always the result of driver error, such as speeding, making improper turns, running a red light or stop sign, or failing to yield or stop. They can also occur due to malfunctioning traffic controls or equipment and brake failures.
- Sideswipe accidents ā Commercial truck sideswipe accidents are often the result of a driverās failure to check their blind spots. Trucks have much larger blind spots on all sides of the vehicle. If truckers donāt check carefully before merging or changing lanes, they could sideswipe a neighboring vehicle, motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian.
- Wide-turn accidents ā Large trucks need extra room to turn. Truck drivers can avoid accidents through proper training and by maneuvering their vehicles slowly and skillfully. Turning too quickly or failing to look for cars before swinging wide can lead to a trailer truck accident.
- Blind-spot accidents ā A truck driverās attorney may argue that you were at fault for lingering a truckās blind spot and causing an accident. The reality is that trucking companies can prevent blind spot accidents by hiring qualified drivers who look carefully before maneuvering.
No matter what type of truck accident you are involved in, one thing is guaranteed. The truck company and its insurer will immediately investigate the crash, even before the vehicles have been towed from the scene. Promptly hiring a truck accident attorney can prevent the at-fault party from getting too far ahead and undermining your injury claim.
Truck Accident Liability
Determining who is at fault for a truck accident is tricky. Depending on the facts of the accident, more than one party may be liable, including:
- Truck driver
- Trucking company
- Mechanics and repair shops
- Cargo loading companies
- Manufacturers of defective parts
- Government or municipal entities
- Other drivers
An experienced truck accident lawyer can identify all possible defendants in your case. An attorney can also defend you from unfair claims of fault. In Maryland, a driver who is even one percent at fault for an accident cannot recover any compensation.
Contact a Maryland Truck Accident Attorney Today
If you were injured in any type of truck accident, you deserve to have skilled legal representation on your side. Look no further than Trollinger Law LLC. Our Waldorf, MD personal injury attorneys will fight for the compensation and justice you are owed.
Truck accident cases require thorough investigation, and truck companies and their insurers already have a head start. We can get started on your case today, and the first consultation is review. Call or contact us now.
