Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Anyone who rides on public transportation probably feels that there is a certain sense of safety when traveling in that manner. Whether it is a commuter train, a taxi cab or city bus, many people expect that by paying a fare they should be delivered to their destination in one piece and without serious injury to their person.

As a Maryland trucking accident lawyer, I know that reality can be very out of step with a person’s perceptions and expectations. The truth of the matter is that accidents can and do happen no matter what conveyance we choose to get us to our final destination. The Washington, D.C., Metro Red Line accident a year ago last June is one example of how dozens of people traveling with the expectation of safety can end up being seriously hurt through no fault of their own.

Some recent bus accidents in and around the District are an example of how factors can combine to cause injury, but thankfully in these instances, no deaths. According to D.C. police, the passengers on a Metrobus as well as occupants in another smaller vehicle were caught up in a serious accident early on a Monday morning in mid-June.

According to police reports, a Chevy Camaro ran a red light at the intersection of 15th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. As the southbound sports car, which was carrying two persons, went through the intersection it collided with a passing Metrobus that was traveling on Pennsylvania Avenue -- the bus was carrying two passengers at the time, plus the driver.

The force of the impact was so great that the bus driver lost control and ended up hitting a hit a tree and then rammed a parked car alongside the curb. Emergency response teams arriving at the scene treated those five people, all of whom were subsequently transported to a local hospital. An investigation was ongoing at the time of the news report.

Not long after the Pennsylvania Avenue crash, another Metrobus was involved in another traffic accident along Interstate 395. In that incident, two people who were in a passenger car were taken to a local hospital while 18 teenage school kids traveling on the bus were treated for very minor injuries. The crash happened on the morning of June 15 near Maine Avenue southwest.

DC Metrobus, Car Involved in Accident, MyFoxDC.com, June 15, 2010

Car Runs Red Light, Hits Metro Bus in SE; 5 Hospitalized, News8.net, July 5, 2010

Large motor vehicles such as semi tractor-trailers, dump trucks and tankers can inflict serious personal injury and property damage when operated irresponsibly. As a Maryland trucking accident attorney, I understand the shear power of these vehicles and the potential for injury or death during a traffic accident.

While most drivers of commercial vehicles use caution when operating these large and massive machines, any mistake can be an opportunity for disaster. Smaller vehicles, such as passenger cars, minivans and motorcycles are at greatest risk when a big rig 18-wheeler goes out of control on a highway or city street. The results of a collision with a heavy truck can range from broken bones and lacerations to full-on paralysis and even death.

Not long ago a man who was driving a moving van was taken into custody by Prince George’s County police following a chase that resulted in a number of traffic accidents along the way. The majority of the incident took place along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway on a Monday afternoon.

According to news articles, around 2pm Monday a caller to the Prince George’s County police department reported a fight between two All My Sons moving company employees in a New Carrolton neighborhood. Police indicated that local residents said the movers were arguing about the manner in which they would move a heavy piece of furniture out of a home.

After one of the men attached the other, the suspect reportedly ran from the house and fled in the moving truck. Prince George's County Police initiated a pursuit after the driver attempted to run a Cheverly, MD, patrolman off the road. The truck hit multiple vehicles during the pursuit, running one passenger car off the road and into nearby woods. The victim of that impact was taken to a local hospital and was listed in fair condition with non-life threatening injuries.

The chase apparently ended when the driver crashed the moving van just south of Powder Mill Road. Officers on the scene took the man into custody at the intersection of Dorsey Run Road and Waterloo Road in Howard County. The entire event caused the Baltimore-Washington Parkway to be shut down for several hours as U.S. Park Police and an accident reconstruction unit investigated the aftermath.

Mover Causes Multi-Accident Police Pursuit in Moving Truck on Baltimore-Washington Parkway, MyFoxDC.com, June 1, 2010

As a Maryland Trucking Accident lawyer, I know the unfortunate correlation between sleep deprivation and driver negligence, especially as it pertains to professional truck drivers and the sometimes careless operation of 18-wheeled tractor-trailer rigs. While not every over-the-road trucker pushes the limits of physical stamina, a percentage of semi drivers have been known to put in too many hours behind the wheel without sufficient sleep.

The results of sleep-related trucking wrecks can be serious, as news reports often depict. According to a recent article, a tractor-trailer accident caused apparently by an over-tired driver blocked a portion of Interstate 81 near Hagerstown, MD on a Monday afternoon last month. The accident occurred south of Showalter Road where Maryland State Police say the truck driver fell asleep, causing the rig with its 48,000-pound load of paper rolls to drift off the northbound lanes of the interstate, ending up on its side.

This is not an uncommon happening here in Maryland and across the rest of the country. A poll conducted last year by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) found that nearly 1.9 million drivers are involved in drowsy driving traffic accidents or near misses each and every year. Sadly, most drivers ignore the dangers that sleepiness can present when it comes to trucking and automobile accidents.

The NSF says that while drivers may quite good at recognizing when they are tired, this doesn’t always stop them from taking the wheel of a car or truck and hitting the road in a drowsy condition. Unfortunately, drivers many times can mistakenly believe that they can “will” themselves from falling asleep, which doesn’t necessarily work. And because a single moment of “reduced awareness” can cause a trucking accident, this kind of thinking can be very deadly.

In the case of the recent I-81 crash, the 76-year-old driver, Augustine Christian had reportedly been driving since 5am, according to state police on the scene. The driver’s tractor-trailer rig drove off the interstate just before 5pm and overturned on the right shoulder, state police said. Witnesses at the scene told police that tractor-trailer continued straight instead of following a curve in that stretch of roadway.

Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in the accident, which closed one of the northbound lanes for several hours as workers cleared the truck and trailer from the area. The trucker, who was charged with negligent driving, was taken to Washington County Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Tractor-trailer accident blocks portion of I-81, Herald-Mail.com, May 17. 2010

Commercial trucks and semi tractor-trailer, such as Freightliners and Peterbuilts pose a significant threat on our highways and byways. As Maryland trucking accident attorneys and injury lawyers, our firm understands the seriousness of a traffic accident caused by negligent operation of over-the-road haulers, or big rigs. Motorists and passengers riding in relatively small passenger cars and minivans have a slim chance of escaping injury when hit by one of these heavy trucks.

Even in busy downtown areas, truck accidents can happen with little or no warning. Motorcycle riders and bicyclists, pedestrians and other commuters can all be injured or killed by a poorly driven delivery vehicle or other commercial motor carrier. The amount of local commerce can be an indicator of the potential frequency of trucking accidents in a particular area.

In Baltimore and other busy metropolitan centers, motorists must use extreme caution in and around industrial areas where truck traffic is usually the highest. These huge vehicles and their trailers can weigh a total of 80,000 pounds, the rough equivalent of 30 economy cars. Even large sport utility vehicles (SUVs) or light-duty pickup trucks are no match for a fully-laden tractor-trailer rig. In a crash, a fully-loaded semi can literally accordion a smaller passenger vehicle, injuring or killing the occupants.

Being a Maryland injury attorney, I have seen the aftermath of these kids of heavy truck-passenger car accidents. I know how every year hundreds of individuals are cars caught up in traffic accidents involving big rigs — some wrecks are fatal to the occupants of these passenger cars. This is one of the sad and sobering facts of trucking accidents.

Statistics show that injuries resulting from truck accidents can be much more serious than car-to-car crashes. Common injuries include spinal cord damage, brain trauma, broken bones and other serious and permanent bodily harm.

One last unfortunate fact that comes up time and time again; many trucking-related accidents can be avoided. While many trucking companies take the time and effort to ensure that their trucks and drivers are safe, still others do not. An overloaded trailer is one of the most frequent causes of truck wrecks.

Continue reading "Truckers’ Negligent Driving Can Cause Injuries and Occasional Death on Maryland’s Highways and City Streets" »

Motor vehicle accidents can happen almost anywhere throughout Maryland and nobody is immune. Even under the seemingly safest circumstances the tragedy of an injury accident or fatal car crash can be lurking just around the corner. As Baltimore trucking accident lawyers, my office takes nothing for granted when looking at the causes of these potentially life-threatening occurrences.

Whether someone is involved in a simple bicycle accident, motorcycle collision or commuter train wreck, the facts tell the story. Understanding those facts is one way of determining who the responsible party is. Every accident has its share of property, medical and associated costs, all of which can combine to place a strain on families who may or may not be already coping with a loss, such as the death of a loved one.

A recent accident in Pasadena, MD, reminds us that our most precious resource -- our kids -- can sometimes be placed in jeopardy. According to news reports, during a community event near Edgewater Road, a number of children were playing on one of the Lake Shore Volunteer Fire Company’s vehicles when it started rolling down a hill and struck a tree. Fortunately for everyone the eight children involved were unhurt in the accident, however a member of the fire company was injured in the Saturday afternoon incident.

According to reports, several children were on the fire engine throughout the day. Based on a statement from Battalion Chief Steve Thompson, at some point during the day the vehicle’s emergency brake was inadvertently released allowing the fire engine to roll down the hill. County firefighters received a call following the crash a little after 1pm.

The one injured firefighter, who attempted to stop the runaway vehicle, was treated and then taken to Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie for further examination. Although the investigation had not been completed at the time of the article, defective vehicle equipment may or may not have been a factor in the crash.

Md. Fire Truck Rolls Away, Kids OK, Firehouse.com, April 24, 2010

In Maryland highway collisions as well as automobile accidents on Annapolis, D.C., Columbia and other cities’ streets, occupants of a passenger car can be severely injured when hit by a large commercial delivery truck or over-the-road tractor-trailer rig. But even these large trucking company vehicles can be damaged and the drivers hurt, if not killed, if they are hit by a train.

Depending on the circumstances commuter train riders and railroad employees can also be hurt if the engine hits a large truck sitting on a railroad crossing. Personal injury attorneys in Baltimore and elsewhere can receive numerous inquiries following severe train-truck wrecks. The speed of the train and the size of the commercial vehicle usually determine how many passengers might sustain serious injuries as a result.

A few weeks ago, a truck driver operating a Volvo-powered 18-wheel rig crossed paths with a light rail passenger train. According to news reports at the time, investigators were checking into the collision in Cockeysville, MD, and were expected to lodge charges against the truck driver.

The driver, 53-year-old Mark Szurek of the John W. Ritter Trucking company, was transporting a Wabash trailer filled with plastic bottles when the crash occurred around 9:20am. Police stated that the driver appeared to have ignored the railroad crossing warning light and was crossing the tracks when the southbound train hit the truck.

The impact split the trailer in two, a part of which collided with a 2009 Honda Civic that was behind the semi at the time. The driver of the car, 45-year-old Elliott Schoen from Montgomery County refused medical treatment.

According to a Baltimore County police, the operator of the Maryland Transit Administration train was trapped for about 25 minutes before being rescued and then transported to Maryland Shock Trauma Center were she was in serious but stable condition at the time of the report.

Based on news reports, seven passengers were on the train at the time of the crash. Two were taken to local hospitals to be treated for minor injuries while the remaining five were reportedly unhurt.

Truck driver in light rail crash expected to face charges, BaltimoreSun.com, March 25, 2010

Charges pending against truck driver in rail crash, FrederickNewspost.com, March 24, 2010

One particular area that Maryland residents should expect the utmost in safety is in the school buses in which our children ride daily. The fact is that passenger cars, delivery trucks and commercial big rigs share the same roads with our kids’ school buses and church shuttle vehicles. The law of averages means that, sadly, an occasional traffic accident involving a school bus will likely occur sometime in your city or town.

While we all hope our children will not be involved in a bus-car or bus-truck collision, it could happen any time. As a Baltimore trucking accident lawyer, I and my associates understand how difficult it is to care for an injured child while holding down a job and running a household. Anytime a person, young or old, is hurt in a car crash or truck wreck, the victim’s family will usually be under a financial stress caused by mounting medical and healthcare bills.

Not long ago, a school bus loaded with elementary school kids from Winston Middle School was caught up in a bad traffic accident in the Baltimore area. According to news reports, a number of people were injured when a car collided with the students' bus. The wreck occurred on a weekday morning just before 8am at the intersection of Loch Raven Boulevard and Lochwood Road.

It was difficult to tell if the crash was due to driver error or perhaps some kind of mechanical problem or defective equipment. One witness likened the accident to that of a scene from an action movie. News articles described the incident by saying that a passenger car pulled onto Loch Raven and collided the bus, which was transporting disabled children.

Witnesses said that the car went airborne onto the bus. As a result, eight people were injured in the crash, all of whom were taken to the hospital by ambulance. When rescuers arrived on the scene they found four people trapped in the automobile -- three young children and one an adult, according to the Baltimore Fire Department.

Two of the young boys got out of the car by themselves, but a seven-year-old girl was badly injured and apparently couldn’t get out by herself. The female driver herself was trapped and had to be cut out by emergency personnel. According to police reports, the driver’s injuries were not life threatening, but the girl was apparently bleeding badly and was transported to Hopkins Pediatric.

Also hurt in the car-bus collision were four special needs children who were riding on the school bus when it was hit. Although those kids reportedly were not severely hurt, they were all complaining of some kind of minor injuries at the time. At the time of the report, police had not yet determined who, if anyone, was at fault in the crash.

Several Injured After Car & School Bus Crash, WJZ.com, March 23, 2010

Trucking accidents are some of the most deadly for occupants of passenger cars, light trucks and motorcycles. From thrown tire treads to loose trailers and out-of-control semi-tractors on severe grades, a motorist who is in the wrong place at the wrong time could be seriously hurt or even killed as a result.

As a Maryland trucking accident lawyer and personal injury attorney, I am dedicated to assisting victims and their families recover damages following a devastating tractor-trailer collision. Big rigs, also known as 18-wheelers, can haul in excess of 30 tons of cargo. With that much weight traveling at highway speeds, a serious disaster is just one wrong move away.

Not long ago, the Maryland State Police reported a fatal tractor-trailer crash that took the life of a Washington man and seriously injured his wife. According to news articles, the collision occurred on Interstate 95 crash in Harford County, MD, when a semi hit the couple as they stood by the side of the road.

Police reports indicate that the husband and the wife, who were traveling in separate vehicles, pulled there respective cars over to the side of the northbound lanes of the interstate. The husband, 38-year-old Leonard Clark, was driving a Dodge Charger and his wife, 39-year-old Kimberly Clark, was operating a Dodge Durango aside the northbound lanes of I-95.

Apparently an approaching tractor-trailer drove too close to the couple and hit both people just after 11pm on a weekday evening. Emergency medical personnel arrived at the scene and provided treatment on site before transporting the victims to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. Unfortunately, the husband’s injuries were too extensive and he dies at the scene.

The wife sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital for treatment by doctors. According to reports at the time, Mrs. Clark was listed in critical condition. Authorities were still investigating the accident and it was not known at the time why the couple had stopped and gotten out of the vehicles prior to the crash.

Husband killed, wife injured after I-95 crash in Harford, BaltimoreSun.com, February 26, 2010

Traffic accidents caused by large semi and tractor-trailer rigs are fairly commonplace on Maryland’s roadways. But crashes involving fire and rescue vehicles can also occur and have similar and possibly tragic results. As a Maryland injury lawyer and commercial truck accident attorney, I see reports of motorists injured as a result of these kinds of wrecks fairly often in the Baltimore area and around our state.

As recent a news article pointed out, the potential for injury or death from a trucking accident can impact the lives of both drivers and passengers traveling in smaller motor vehicles. These individuals are most vulnerable, as are pedestrians, when caught in crashes involving big rigs and delivery trucks. According to reports, witnesses stated that a Calvert County fire engine hit another Anne Arundel County ladder truck while apparently on the way to an emergency call.

The collision, which reports described as a side-swiping accident, also affected two passenger cars when the Calvert County truck sideswiped the Anne Arundel ladder truck on a Sunday afternoon in Galesville, Maryland.

Witnesses to the accident claimed that the driver of the Calvert County fire engine hit the West Annapolis-based Tower 40 and then continued on without offering assistance. The accident occurred just after 4pm, according to Anne Arundel police, at the intersection of Muddy Creek and Owensville roads. At the time of the article, police said that a 24-year-old volunteer with the Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department in northern Calvert County was at fault in the wreck.

Although no body was seriously injured in the crash, the incident resulted in putting the Anne Arundel ladder truck out of service for the rest of the day and caused damage to two private vehicles. One driver of the two smaller vehicles that were hit reportedly took himself to the hospital for observation.

According to police reports, James Russel Carey Jr., a firefighter who started driving fire department vehicles in 1993, was driving Tower 40 south on Muddy Creek Road through the intersection of Owensville Road on a green light. While crossing the intersection, the county ladder truck was struck by an eastbound fire engine manned by the driver and four other Dunkirk volunteer firefighters.

Continue reading "Baltimore Trucking Accident News: Maryland Motorists Involved in Calvert County, MD, Fire Truck Crash" »

Every year dozens of Maryland residents are hurt in traffic accidents. Many of these collisions are caused by driver error and can involve heavy trucks, such as semi tractor-trailers, delivery vehicles, commercial trucks and other large motor vehicles. Unfortunately, when a truck goes out of control on a public road, smaller passenger cars can be hit as well.

Occupants of passenger cars, sport utility vehicle (SUVs) and pickup trucks can be at a high risk of bodily injury during such wrecks. As a Baltimore auto accident lawyer, I and my colleagues have experience in helping victims of car and truck crashes as well as other personal injury accidents. When a semi truck is involved, injuries can be quite severe and fatalities are sometimes encountered.

Recently, news reports documented a tractor-trailer accident that left a state police detective badly injured following a head-on collision on Hobbs Road near Route 50. According to police, Joshua Burton Webb Jr. of Whaleyville was driving his Perdue tractor-trailer north on Hobbs Road around 8am when his vehicle crossed the double yellow line and crashed head-on into an oncoming state police Ford Crown Victoria.

This particular accident happened less than a week after another state trooper was injured in a crash with a passenger car driven by a 75-year-old woman from Hurlock, MD. The officer in that instance was transported to a shock trauma unit in Baltimore following the collision.

In this latest crash, Detective Sgt. David Dalfonso, an assistant commander at the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barrack, was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center. Fortunately for the officer, he was wearing his seatbelt and his injuries were not life threatening.

According to reports, Delfonso was treated for seat belt and air bag injuries but was released the very same day. Police reportedly issued Webb citations for failure to drive right of center and negligent driving.

State police detective recovering after crash, Delmarvanow.com, January 26, 2010

Winter driving presents its own particular danger to the driving public. Slippery conditions can lead to single-car or multi-vehicle accidents, while poor visibility can result in serious injury accidents as well. As a Baltimore personal injury attorney and Maryland motorist myself, I know the potential for property damage and physical harm that cold-weather driving can cause. Large trucks, such as semi tractor-trailer rigs, delivery trucks and heating oil tanker trucks can also pose addition danger on the road.

Earlier this month, a woman was injured in a trucking-related accident when her car was hit by a Garrett County snow plow operated by the county’s roads department. According to reports, Deanna Louise Schroyer, a 46-year-old Friendsville resident, was driving her GMC Sierra pickup truck along Bear Creek Road just before 10am when she apparently drifted into the oncoming lane just as the plow was approaching.

According to Maryland State Police, the Northern Garrett Rescue Squad and the Accident Volunteer Fire Department responded to the accident after being alerted by the Garrett County 911 center. Once on the scene they treated both drivers.

Schroyer was transported to Western Maryland Regional Medical Center in Cumberland following the crash with unknown injuries. The driver of the plow, 50-year-old Ricky Nugent of Grantsville, MD, was unhurt in the accident. He was reportedly driving a county-owned 2000 Sterling dump truck fitted with a snow plow for clearing roads in the area.

News reports indicate that the state police issued a citation to Schroyer charging her with failure to drive right of center.

Woman injured in snowplow crash, Times-News.com, January 7, 2010

Trucking accidents, especially on the interstate, can be horrendous events. Occupants of passenger cars, SUVs and light pickup trucks can be severely injured if their vehicle is hit by a semi truck, such as a Peterbuilt, Kenworth or International long-haul commercial truck. As a Maryland injury law firm, my staff has helped numerous individuals who have been hurt in traffic accidents involving large, big-rig tractor-trailers.

This is not to say that truck drivers themselves do not become injured as well. With a dozen or more tons of cargo on the trailer behind the truck cab, an over-the-road trucker can easily be hurt or killed in a high-speed crash or even medium-speed trucking accidents. A news article highlighted what can happen when two trucks collide on the expressway.

According to news reports, there was a double tractor-trailer crash just north of the Maryland border in mid-December that injured the drivers of both rigs. The accident, which occurred around 2am on I-78 in Delaware County, PA, apparently tied up traffic for hours.

Based on police reports, a truck driven by Baltimore resident Joe Craig was parked along the shoulder of the interstate. Craig had reportedly stopped to look at a map when another semi truck apparently lost control and clipped the front of the Maryland man’s trator-trailer. The out-of-control rig then careened down a 30-foot embankment. In the process, the truck tore off about 200 feet of safety guard rail on the roadside before rolling down the hill. It was unknown if the cause was due to defective vehicle equipment.

Before emergency crews arrived, Craig helped the other driver to safety. He reportedly said that he thought the man had died in the accident, which threw debris all around the crash site. Fortunately, neither of the drivers was seriously injured, although the driver who lost control was taken to a local hospital with reportedly non-life threatening injuries.

Double Tractor Trailer Accident Along Interstate 78 Injures One, Closes Right Lane, Fox43.com, December 15, 2009

Trucking accidents, due to their scale, can result in tragic and many time fatal outcomes. Such was the case in an October United Parcel Service truck crash that killed the driver of a second vehicle and injured a young passenger. As a personal injury lawyer practicing in the Baltimore area, I have helped numerous victims of trucking-related wrecks recover damages caused by another driver’s negligence.

In this case, the operator of the delivery truck has only recently been charged with several traffic offenses. Based on news reports, Baltimore County police charged 28-year-old Kevin Callahan of Owings Mills with negligent driving, failure to stop at a red signal and failure to obey a traffic device.

On October 5, 2009, Callahan was driving north on York Road when his truck broadsided a vehicle at the intersection of York and Corbett roads in Monkton, MD. The collision killed the driver, 48-year-old Tim Wheatley, and injured Wheatley’s 9-year-old daughter who was getting a ride to Sparks Elementary School. The girl was critically injured in the accident and has since been released from the hospital, according to news reports.

Although the accident resulted in a death, law enforcement authorities investigated the accident and determined that there was no intent to harm anyone on Callahan’s part. The UPS driver now has the choice to accept the charges and pay the penalties including points on his license, or he can go to court and fight the citations. There was no mention of whether the deceased man’s family would pursue a wrongful death civil suit against the delivery driver or his employer, UPS.

UPS driver charged in fatal crash in Monkton, ExploreBaltimoreCounty.com, December 21, 2009