Montgomery County, MD Truck Accident Lawyer

Trucks are large, heavy, and unwieldy. On top of all that, they carry extremely heavy cargo loads across long distances. For those reasons, when a truck accident happens, the results are almost uniformly extremely devastating. If you were in a truck crash, you could be burdened with life-altering injuries, a long and tedious recovery period, and gigantic medical expenses. It can feel like everything has gone off the rails.

You should not deal with the fallout of a serious truck accident on your own. Our attorneys are here to help you in every way possible. We will collect evidence, speak with medical providers, interview witnesses, and prepare an argument to take to court and fight for the damages you deserve for getting injured.

Call our truck accident lawyers with Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291 for a free case analysis.

What to Do After a Truck Accident in Montgomery County, MD

If you find yourself in a truck crash around Montgomery County, there are important steps you should immediately take. Taking these steps can help our lawyers build a stronger argument on your behalf because we will have more to work with.

Get Medical Help

Right after a truck accident, the most important thing you need to do is get seen by a medical professional. This should take precedence over even thinking about filing a truck accident lawsuit. Allow first responders to attend to you and follow all instructions they give. If the EMTs tell you that you can stay at the site of the accident, you should do so to collect information. If they want to take you to a hospital, you should go with them to be treated.

Looking ahead to a truck accident lawsuit, getting medical attention is important to eliminate any impression of carelessness on your part. If you do not get medical attention after an accident, opposing counsel can use that fact to try and hurt your case and reduce your recovery.

Document the Accident

If you are able to stay near the site of the accident, collect as much information as you possibly can. First, take numerous photos and videos of the truck, your vehicle, and the area around the accident. Second, get the license plate number, name, and insurance information of the truck driver and any other vehicle involved in the accident. If you speak to anyone involved in the accident, be sure to make a note of what they say, either on your phone or by hand. Doing these things will help establish a record of the accident while it is still fresh in the mind of all parties involved. Even if these documents do not get used in court, they can still assist our lawyers in building a strong case for you.

Call Our Lawyers

Once you have recovered from any injuries that need immediate care, you should retain legal counsel as soon as possible after your accident. Not only is it beneficial to get our lawyers working on your case sooner, but if you wait too long to file a claim, you might not be able to. A law called the statute of limitations makes it so that after a certain period of time, you can no longer sue a party in court. In Maryland, you have three years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit per Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art., § 5-101.

Causes of Truck Accidents in Montgomery County, MD

Not all truck accidents happen for the same reason. While the cause of your particular accident might not seem relevant to a truck accident lawsuit, it is actually rather important. In court, you can only recover damages from parties that caused your injuries. Understanding the cause of your truck accident can help make sure you bring the right parties to court so you can recover damages.

Negligent Drivers

Negligent drivers are one of the most common causes of truck accidents. In law, negligence means that someone was careless, and their carelessness caused your injury. One of the most frequent ways a truck driver can be negligent is by not following the rules of the road. Speeding, drunk driving, or erratically switching from lane to lane are all ways that a truck driver can be negligent.

Additionally, truck drivers are required to take breaks after being on the road for a long time. Driving while fatigued is just as dangerous as driving drunk, so truck drivers are required to keep a log of their driving hours to make sure they have not spent too much time behind the wheel. If a truck drove for too long and got into an accident, they could be negligent.

Improper Loading

Commercial trucks can carry a large amount of cargo. When that cargo is not loaded correctly, it can lead to problems that can cause an accident. For example, an improperly loaded truck can become top-heavy, and an otherwise safe turn or other driving maneuver could result in the truck falling over or an accident otherwise happening.

Defects

Problems with commercial trucks can also cause truck accidents. Defects can be categorized as either design defects or manufacturing defects. Design defects are problems with the inherent build of the truck. For example, a lack of a protective guardrail to stop underride accidents on the trailer of an 18-wheeler would be a design defect. Manufacturing defects, on the other hand, occur when a mistake is made during the construction or maintenance of the truck. Examples of design defects include airbags that do not deploy, improperly wired transmissions, or the use of substandard materials in the truck.

Speak with Our Montgomery County, MD Truck Accident Lawyers Today

Our truck accident lawyers with Rice, Murtha & Psoras are ready to discuss your case at (410) 694-7291.