Fairland, MD Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accidents are very dangerous for anyone involved. This includes not just the vehicle the truck hits initially but also any cars, buses, or other motor vehicles nearby or passing through the area of the accident after the truck has crashed. Truck accidents almost universally result in grievous injuries in dire need of immediate medical attention. Accordingly, the medical bills that victims of truck accidents rack up can often be quite high and difficult to manage, even with the help of a cooperative insurance company.

After an accident, it is important to work with an attorney who can advocate for you and help you get the damages you need. Never trust insurance companies to have your interests in mind, and never sign anything without conferring with an attorney first.

For help, call our truck accident lawyers at Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.

Types of Truck Accidents in Fairland, MD

Not all truck accidents are the same. Different factors can result in truck accidents playing out in different ways. Going over exactly how your accident happened with our truck accident lawyers can be very helpful in building a strong case because doing so sets up a strong foundation of facts on which to build a legal argument.

Head-On Collisions

When a truck hits another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction, that is called a head-on collision. Head-on collisions can be some of the most catastrophic accidents involving trucks because the areas of the two vehicles most likely to impact each other are the driver’s sides of the vehicle. In an accident of this type between two ordinary motor vehicles, both drivers are equally likely to get injured under most circumstances. However, when a large 18-wheeler hits an ordinary motor vehicle in this way, severe, sometimes fatal, injuries disproportionately happen to the driver of the other vehicle because trucks are so large and heavy.

Fishtailing Accidents

Fishtailing happens when the rear wheels of a truck trailer are not gripping the road, and the trailer moves from side to side like the tail of a fish. This can happen because of poor road conditions, the tires are worn out, or other reasons. Whatever the cause, fishtailing can make a truck move unpredictably and be dangerous to other motorists trying to drive safely.

Jackknife Accidents

Jackknife accidents are when the trailer of an 18-wheeler pivots around the linking point and folds in on the cab of the truck like a pocketknife. These accidents are extremely dangerous because of how unpredictable they can be when they happen. Once the trailer starts moving in such a way as to fold next to the cab, there is almost no way to predict how the truck is going to move. It could spin around, roll onto its side, or do any number of things that can injure other nearby motorists.

Some trucks will have features that attempt to mitigate jackknife accidents. For example, trucks may have anti-lock or electronically assisted brakes that enable braking systems to handle heavy loads better. However, these features are not present in every truck and should not be counted on to stop an accident from happening.

Causes of Truck Accidents in Fairland, MD

While you may not consider the cause of your truck accident to be important, it is actually a critical part of any successful truck accident lawsuit. In any personal injury lawsuit, you need to prove that the defendant was negligent, and in order to do that, one of the things you need to prove is that they caused your injuries. Thus, figuring out what causes contributed to your truck accident and to what degree is very important to the success of your case.

Negligent Drivers

One of the most frequent causes of truck accidents is driver negligence. This means that the truck driver did something careless, and their carelessness led to your injuries. For example, if the truck driver fell asleep at the wheel because they were on the road for too long and got tired, that would be negligent of them, and you could sue. In that particular instance, you may also be able to sue the driver’s employer since they may be responsible for the driver’s conduct under some circumstances.

In some instances, the negligence may be on the part of another driver who, through their bad driving, made the trucker take an unsafe maneuver and cause an accident. In those cases, it is a good idea to sue the driver of the truck as well as the driver of the other vehicle since both may be liable for your injuries.

Negligent Manufacturing Companies

If a problem with the truck itself caused your accident, you should include the truck manufacturer in your lawsuit as a defendant. Problems with a truck that cause accidents are called “defects.” These defects can be issues with either the design of the truck or a problem that happened due to a mistake in the manufacturing process or maintenance of the truck. An example of design defects would include a gas tank in a position where the contents are likely to combust when hit, while an example of a manufacturing defect would be the incorrect installation of airbags so that they do not deploy when needed.

Poor Road Conditions

If an accident was caused by a problem with the road, like a pothole or a defective guardrail, you may be able to sue the state or municipal entity responsible for maintaining the road. However, suing government entities is complicated and will not always be an option, so it may be wise to look for alternative parties to file against.

Talk with Our Fairland, MD Truck Accident Lawyers Today

For a free case assessment, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s truck accident lawyers at (410) 694-7291.