Severna Park, MD Truck Accident Attorney

When large trucks are involved in collisions, they can cause devastating injuries. 18-wheelers and other commercial trucks are much larger and heavier than passenger vehicles. The people in cars or pickup trucks will be more likely to suffer severe harm or life-threatening injuries when a commercial truck crashes into their vehicle. Understanding how these cases may be handled, who may be held responsible, and how victims can obtain compensation is not always easy, which is why legal representation from a skilled lawyer can be essential.

At Whitlock Law, our lawyer works with injury victims to investigate the causes of commercial truck accidents, identify the parties who were at fault for the accident, and make sure the proper compensation will be paid for the harm a person has suffered. We know how to handle the liability issues, trucking regulations, and other factors that may be involved in these cases, and we can provide the representation needed to secure full and fair compensation for victims.

Why Truck Accident Cases Are Often More Complex

While car accidents will typically involve two drivers, and one person will often be responsible for causing a collision, truck accidents may not be as straightforward. These cases may involve trucking companies, cargo loading businesses, maintenance providers, parts manufacturers, insurers, and commercial drivers.

Determining who was responsible for an accident may require an investigation of the accident scene, a review of company records, and an analysis of data captured by the systems on a truck. Our attorney understands how to handle these issues and how to ensure that the parties who were responsible for the injuries a person has suffered will be held accountable for their negligence.

Truck Driver Negligence and Unsafe Driving Behavior

Commercial vehicle drivers are required to take care to ensure that they can operate their vehicles safely at all times. Because of the dangers posed by large trucks, small mistakes can have major consequences. A truck driver who acts carelessly, ignores traffic laws and safety regulations, or engages in other types of dangerous behavior may be responsible for causing serious harm to others in a truck accident.

Negligent truck driver behavior may include:

• Speeding: When traveling at a high speed, a truck will take much more time and distance to come to a stop. A driver who violates speed limits or travels at unsafe speeds may have no way to avoid a collision, and they will be more likely to lose control of their truck.
• Distracted Driving: Activities such as using a smartphone, looking up directions on a GPS device, eating, using a truck's radio, or anything else that takes a truck drivers attention away from the road can lead to dangerous collisions.
• Fatigued Driving: Long shifts can cause truck drivers to become tired. When a truck driver is fatigued, they will be more likely to make dangerous mistakes. If a truck driver becomes drowsy, they may fall asleep, and even if they close their eyes for a second, they could be unable to avoid an accident. Drivers may become fatigued if they violate hours-of-service rules or if they do not receive enough rest between shifts.
• Driving Under the Influence: The use of alcohol, illegal drugs, or certain medications can affect a truck drivers ability to drive safely. Intoxication can affect a truck driver's vision, their control of their truck, and their ability to react quickly in dangerous situations. All of these issues can combine to lead to devastating collisions.
• Unsafe Lane Changes: Commercial trucks have large blind spots, and drivers who do not make sure the road is clear before changing lanes or merging may sideswipe other vehicles or cause other types of dangerous accidents.

Trucking Company Negligence

A trucking company may be responsible for a truck accident when it has failed to follow trucking regulations correctly. Examples of trucking company negligence may include:

• Failure to Verify Driver Qualifications: Trucking companies will need to confirm that truck drivers have proper commercial drivers licenses, the required endorsements, safe driving histories, and other qualifications that ensure that they can operate commercial vehicles safely. A company may be liable for accidents that occur after hiring drivers with records of serious traffic violations, impaired driving, or safety issues.
• Failure to Supervise Drivers: Companies are required to ensure that truck drivers follow safety regulations and operate trucks safely. If a trucking company ignores complaints, does not monitor the conduct of drivers, or allows unsafe driving practices to continue, it may be liable for truck accidents caused by unsafe drivers.
• Unsafe Schedules: Trucking companies may require drivers to follow unrealistic schedules so that cargo can be delivered as quickly as possible. These practices may encourage truck drivers to continue driving when they are fatigued or engage in unsafe behaviors such as speeding.
• Failure to Inspect and Maintain Trucks: Commercial vehicles must be inspected regularly, and maintenance must be performed to ensure that all parts are working correctly. Issues such as brake failures, tire blowouts, steering problems, lighting failures, and other mechanical defects can occur when trucks are not maintained, and these problems can lead to truck accidents.