Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

News out of Baltimore, Maryland, shows great support from the Teamsters Union for new trucking rules regarding the transportation of flammable liquids, specifically the regulations that would ban these liquids from being carried in the relatively vulnerable transfer lines on tanker trucks. This new Congressional legislation would most likely increase the safety of innocent drivers and pedestrians who may be killed or injured in tanker truck-related accidents in the future.

According to news reports, the Teamsters announced that they will support a new law banning the transport of flammable liquids in tank truck loading lines. According to the union, approximately 30 to 50 gallons of flammable liquid, such as gasoline or heating oil, can typically be held in the mostly unprotected loading lines beneath most tanker trucks.

The report quoted a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report that described a recent highway accident in New Jersey involving a tanker truck in which the driver of a smaller vehicle was killed. In that crash, the NTSB concluded, the ensuing fire probably wouldn't have occurred if the loading lines had been empty. According to reports, there have been 184 accidents over the past 10 years in which loading lines were damaged or ruptured.

An accident involving a tank truck loaded with gasoline, diesel fuel or heating oil, can cause severe burn injuries to the truck driver, occupants of other vehicles, and even pedestrians. Frequently, injuries such as third-degree burns can result in death.

According to news reports, the Teamsters director of Safety and Health, LaMont Byrd, said the requirement would be worth the cost -- $2,000 to $4,000 on vehicles worth $80,000 to $100,000 -- for equipment to purge the loading lines, known as "wet lines."

"It is clear that these wet lines present a real danger when tank haul trucks are involved in accidents to not only the traveling public, but to the drivers of these vehicles," Byrd said.

Teamsters Support Comprehensive Hazmat Regulation, PRNewswire.com, November 16, 2009

As Maryland truck accident attorneys, over the years my colleagues and I have represented numerous trucking crash victims and their families. Trucking collisions don’t only injure pedestrians and drivers of other cars and SUVs, these kinds of tractor-trailer and delivery truck accidents also cause injury to the truck drivers operating them. A recent article illustrates this one type of truck crash that resulted in the untimely death of a teenage driver and the severe injury of the other passenger of that vehicle.

While the preliminary police report issued at the time of the news article indicated that the single-vehicle accident was a result of driver error combined with less than optimal road conditions, there could also be a chance of defective equipment, such as worn tires or other mechanical failure.

According to news reports, a 19-year-old driver died several days following a single-truck crash on Route 100 in Anne Arundel County. Police reports showed that Dakota Kelly Alder of Pasadena, MD, died from injuries sustained during a crash four days earlier near the Route 100 and Interstate 97 interchange.

The accident report stated that the driver lost control of the vehicle around 2:30 in the afternoon p.m. and lost control of the truck. The initial police investigation stated that the truck was likely traveling at a higher rate of speed than the wet road conditions would have allowed. The young driver apparently lost control of the vehicle which then struck the guard rail and flipped over.

Rescue crews arriving on the scene administered first aid to both the driver and passenger then transported them to local hospitals. According to police, Alder was taken to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center where he was treated but died several days later. The only passenger, 19-year-old Jordan Joshua Swick, also of Pasadena, was taken in critical condition to the Baltimore Washington Medical Center.

19-year-old driver dies days after Arundel crash, BaltimoreSun.com, November 16, 2009

Even police are not immune to trucking-related accidents. Not long ago, an officer from the Montgomery County Police Department was injured trying to avoid an out of control tractor-trailer rig. As part of our work involving Maryland personal injury suits, my firm also handles a wide range of trucking accident cases. These include injury accidents from truck crashes, fatal collisions with big rigs, and pedestrian deaths and injuries from commercial delivery trucks.

This latest news article tells a story of unforeseen consequences, which the officer in question acknowledged was not foremost in her mind when confronted by a jackknifing tractor-trailer on a bridge along the Capital Beltway in the middle of the night.

Based on news articles, Officer Sarah White received a call just after 2am on October 6 to handle traffic control at the scene of a truck crash. The incident occurred on the inner loop of the Beltway between the Georgia Avenue and U.S. 29/Colesville Road exits. The crash scene was blocking the far right-hand lane.

According to reports, White arrived and parked her cruiser in the right lane, behind the disabled truck. Another officer had laid down about a dozen roadway flares to illuminate the scene. As White was patrolling the area on foot she noticed another semi-tractor coming around a curve toward the accident scene.

That truck had also just lost control and was heading directly for her. Skidding and jackknifing, it was obvious to the officer that the 18-wheeler was about to ram her cruiser and likely shower her with deadly debris. As a result, White took action and jumped out of the way.

Unfortunately, in trying to avoid the impending collision she jumped right off the side of the bridge. The 5-foot-tall female officer fell 24 feet to a grassy area beneath the roadway overhead. As a result, she experienced some back and hip pain, but was described as being in generally good condition considering having fallen more than two stories.

While this is a work-related accident, the reason is due to a truck driver losing control and causing a dangerous situation. Although White's X-rays and CAT scan results were reportedly negative, her back was still very sore. At the time of the news report, she was scheduled for an MRI and some other tests; there couple possibly be some long-term injury that is not yet apparent to the officer. This is why I always recommend that people injured as a result of a trucking accident seek professional legal advice as soon as possible to learn about their options.

With Seconds To React, Officer Leaps And Lives, WashingtonPost.com, October 15, 2009

As personal injury and trucking accident attorneys, we at Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC know how over-matched a passenger vehicle is when it comes up against a semi tractor-trailer. Over-the-road rigs weigh many times more than even the largest SUV or pickup truck, much less a small family sedan or compact sport utility vehicle. Like it or not, truck drivers hold the lives of the driving public in their hands when operating these heavy-duty vehicles on public roads. A recent trucking-related crash on the Pulaski Expressway near White Marsh, MD, proves this point.

According to news reports, Linda and Charles Buckland of Edgewood, Maryland, were traveling westbound on the Pulaski Expressway around 1:45am on the morning of Sunday, October 11, when their vehicle collided with a Kenworth tractor that was entering the highway from nearby Stevens Road.

Reportedly, the Buckland’s 2003 Chevrolet Tracker, a compact SUV, was severely damaged in the accident, which fatally injured the driver, 57-year-old Mrs. Buckland. Mr. Buckland, 62, who was riding in the passenger seat, was seriously injured in the early morning wreck, according to police.

Emergency medical services (EMS) transported both husband and wife to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center where Linda Buckland was treated by doctors and hospital staff. Charles Buckland was listed as critical condition, however his wife was declared dead by medical personnel later that morning.

The truck driver, Irvin Jones of Dublin, Virginia, was apparently uninjured in the fatal accident. According to reports, Maryland police have pressed charges against Jones for multiple violations in connection with the wreck.

In an accident of this type, with the disparity in size between the individual vehicles, the outcome is not surprising. If you or someone you love has been injured as a result of another driver’s negligence, you should by all means consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer to learn about your options. Medical expenses, lost wages and other financial costs to you or your family may be at stake.

One killed in truck-SUV crash in White Marsh, BaltimoreSun.com, October 12, 2009