Rosedale, MD Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accidents cause lots of damage. There is an almost certain chance that the victims involved will get injured. Moreover, those injuries are often very serious and require expensive medical care. Victims of truck accidents can often feel helpless and angry after the experience.

Luckily, our lawyers are here to help. We can be with you every step of the way and fight hard for you to get the financial compensation you need after a truck accident.

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

Types of Truck Accidents in Rosedale, MD

There are a lot of different ways that truck accidents can happen. For the purposes of your lawsuit, it is very important for our truck accident lawyers to analyze your accident. This is because it can help determine who to sue and create an argument for why the accident happened. The type of accident can help determine who was negligent and who owes you damages for their wrongdoing.

Fishtailing

Regarding trucks, “fishtailing” refers to the trailer moving from side to side in an uncontrolled way. The name comes from the fact that this sometimes resembles a fish’s tail moving through water. The innocent name, however, should not fool you. Fishtailing can lead to nasty accidents.

Common causes of fishtailing involve improper loading, speeding, shifting cargo, and worn-down tires, all of which can cause the trailer to more than it should and make it harder to control the trailer sway. If the vehicle fishtails enough, it can turn the vehicle sideways or cause it to skid out or roll over.

Jackknife Accidents

A jackknife accident refers to when the trailer of an 18-wheeler whips around the pivot point like a pocket knife and hits other vehicles or creates an obstacle in the road. Some of the main causes of jackknife accidents are old tires that need to be replaced, defective axles or suspensions, poor road conditions, and brake failure.

Jackknife accidents are dangerous because they are unpredictable. There is no way to determine how the trailer is going to move about until it does. Moreover, the truck itself could start to tip and roll as it crashes, creating a great danger to other drivers on the road.

Underride Accidents

Underride accidents refer to accidents where one vehicle impacts a truck and slides under it. These accidents are particularly dangerous because the truck will impact the front windshield and move through it to hit the driver directly, bypassing many of the safety features in motor vehicles. For this reason, underride accidents are sadly fatal a lot of the time.

For that reason, many states require trucks to have what are called “Mansfield bars” on their rear trailers that make sure that, should a car come into contact with the truck, it does not slide under it. However, not all states require these safety features, and some trucks may not be up to current regulations for a number of reasons. Additionally, these bars are not on the side of truck trailers, so underride accidents can still happen in those areas.

Do not be fooled by the fact that underride accidents are often caused by the victim’s car hitting the truck. This does not necessarily mean that it is the driver’s fault. It is entirely possible for these accidents to be the fault of the truck driver. For example, if a trucker stops abruptly or slows down to an unsafe speed, it could easily cause a driver behind the truck to collide with the vehicle and get injured.

Ordinary Motor Vehicle Accidents

It should come as no surprise that trucks can get into the same kinds of accidents as ordinary motor vehicles like sedans and SUVs. If a truck driver speeds, drives under the influence is sleepy behind the wheel or otherwise violates traffic rules, they can hit another vehicle or pedestrian and seriously injure them.

Damages in Rosedale, MD Truck Accident Lawsuits

Damages are awarded to plaintiffs who are successful in their truck accident lawsuits. In personal injury law, damages are meant to place the plaintiff in a spot that is close to where they were before their accident. The most common way that this happens is through financial compensation, although damages can also take the form of the court ordering a party to do a certain thing.

The three main categories of damages in truck accident lawsuits are economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive damages.

Economic Damages

Economic damages are based on things that have a readily provable value. This category primarily includes things like medical bills. However, it also includes lost wages from missed work. Additionally, if you can no longer work because of your injuries, you can get damages based on your predicted income for what would have been the rest of your career.

Non-Economic Damages

Economic damages are relatively straightforward. Non-economic damages, on the other hand, are not. They are based on intangible things like physical pain, mental anguish, and emotional distress. These things do not have prices attached to them. It is not possible to prove that your pain hurts more than someone else’s. Therefore, you need to work with your lawyers to determine the value of these things in your case and convince the judge and jury to think the same way.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are different from economic and non-economic damages because they are based on what the defendant did, not on the extent of your injuries.

You should be aware, though, that punitive damages are hard to get. You generally have to prove that the defendant was more than merely negligent and even intended to get you hurt. Additionally, you have to ask for them in your initial complaint. Courts are wary of awarding punitive damages all the time, so you should speak with our lawyers to get the best chance possible at these damages if you are seeking them.

Speak to Our Rosedale, MD Truck Accident Lawyers About Your Case

Call (410) 694-7291 and talk to Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s truck accident lawyers about your case today.