Elkridge, MD Truck Accident Lawyer

When truck accidents happen, there is often a great deal of damage not just to the vehicles involved and to the surrounding area but to the individuals unfortunate enough to be caught in the accident. Injuries sustained by the victims of truck accidents are often grievous, in many cases permanent, and life-altering. Moreover, these injuries can incur enormous medical expenses for their treatment and long-term care. On top of expenses for physical injuries, you will also have to deal with the mental toll that comes with going through a harrowing experience like a truck accident, and you may want justice for experiencing that turmoil.

If you were hurt in a truck accident and are seeking justice and/or financial compensation, our lawyers are here to help. We can examine your case, collect evidence, and fight hard for you in court so that you get the best legal outcome you can after a truck crash.

For a free discussion about your case, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s truck accident attorneys at (410) 694-7291.

Common Truck Accident Causes in Elkridge, MD

Truck accidents happen for lots of different reasons. In fact, it is quite possible for multiple things to be at fault when investigating why a truck accident took place. In those cases, you may want to bring more than one party to court in your truck accident lawsuit. Finding out the root cause of a truck accident lawsuit is quite important to your case because the law only allows you to get damages from parties that actually caused your injuries. Therefore, it is critical that we nail down the particular causes of your truck accident.

Driver Negligence

Probably the most commonly thought of cause of a truck accident is something the truck driver does wrong. In law, someone doing something wrong or careless that leads to an injury is called “negligence.” Like someone driving any other vehicle, drivers can be negligent by driving dangerously by failing to use turn signals, speeding, running red lights, and more. However, truckers have some special considerations they also have to take into account when operating a big-rig commercial truck.

Truck drivers are required to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in order to operate the kind of truck they are driving. This is supposed to be hiring requirement for driving a truck. That being said, there are some instances where a trucker might be behind the wheel without the required licensure, in which case they are negligent and can be responsible for your injuries.

There are other additional requirements for truck drivers besides licensure. Driving any vehicle while fatigued is dangerous, but it can be especially perilous to other motorists and pedestrians for a trucker to get behind the wheel when they are sleepy. Fatigued truckers, much like drunk drivers, pose a danger to others because they cannot react as well to rapidly changing road situations. If the trucker was driving more than they were supposed to and got in an accident, they could be liable for your various injuries.

Trucking Company Negligence

In addition to the truck driver, the trucking company may also be responsible for your injuries to some degree. For example, trucking companies are responsible for hiring truckers and making sure they have all appropriate clearances and are fit for driving. This would include the aforementioned CDL requirement. If a trucking company hired unlicensed drivers to, say, cut costs, they could be liable for your injuries. Similarly, if a company pressures its drivers to work beyond Federally regulated time limits and someone gets injured as a result, the company could be held liable in court.

Manufacturing or Design Negligence

Truck accidents happen for other reasons besides the driver doing something wrong. Truck accidents are caused by problems with the actual vehicle with some frequency. A problem with a truck that causes an accident is called a “defect.” There are two kinds of defects: design defects and manufacturing defects. A design defect is a problem with the vehicle such that, if it is used in the way that it is expected to be used, a problem will happen because of how the thing is made. For example, a well-known defect in some cars is a gas tank that is positioned in such a way that the contents are likely to combust upon impact.

Manufacturing defects, on the other hand, are issues that arise during the manufacturing process or during repairs. An example of a manufacturing defect would be incorrectly installed transmission wiring that makes the truck irresponsive to driver input in a crucial moment.

As always, it is important to make sure you are filing a lawsuit against the right party when looking for a manufacturing or design defect. While it very well could be the fault of the maker of that particular model of truck, it could also be a failing of the trucking company if, for example, they did not properly maintain their fleet of vehicles. Alternatively, third-party mechanics or maintenance personnel could also be to blame for a truck defect.

Poor Road Conditions

It is possible for a truck accident to happen because of poor road conditions like potholes, broken guardrails, or uncleared debris. Generally, a government entity is responsible for making sure roads are in safe and good working order. However, there are special rules for suing government entities, and the process can be more complicated, so it is best to speak with our truck accident lawyers if you feel that poor road conditions contributed to your truck accident.

Talk to Our Elkridge, MD Truck Accident Lawyers About Your Case

For help with your truck accident case, call our truck accident attorneys at Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.