Temple Hills, MD Truck Accident Lawyer

Commercial trucks are some of the largest vehicles currently on the road. Normally, this, at worst, means that they take up a lot of space on highways and can be frustrating to drive around. However, it also means that when trucks get into accidents, the results are devastating. Passengers of other vehicles are extremely likely to suffer very severe injuries. In many cases, such injuries are “life-altering” and will affect the victim forever. Additionally, the financial burden of those injuries can be debilitating for many.

With so much on the line after a truck accident, you need seasoned legal counsel in your corner. Our attorneys know how to handle truck accident cases of all kinds. Let us put our skills to work by helping you fight for the financial compensation and justice you deserve after a truck crash.

Contact the truck accident attorneys with Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291 to get a free case review.

Types of Truck Accidents in Temple Hills, MD

There are many different forms that a truck accident can take. Different factors can cause different kinds of truck crashes to happen, and no two truck accidents will be exactly the same. Such details are important to your case because they help the court get a better understanding of your situation and also inform our truck accident lawyers as to who are good parties to include as defendants in your case.

Head-On Collisions

Head-on collisions happen when two vehicles traveling toward each other crash. Even with robust safety features, these accidents are very dangerous for the drivers of ordinary motor vehicles because the area most likely to be impacted is the driver’s seat and trucks are much larger and heavier than ordinary motor vehicles.

Many head-on truck accidents are caused by driver error. A sleepy, fatigued trucker who has been on the road for too long, or one who is simply not paying attention, can hit an oncoming vehicle and injure the occupants.

Rear-End Collisions

At first glance, rear-end collisions may seem like the fault of the other vehicle’s driver, not the trucker. However, this is often not the case. Sudden stops or unexpected movements by a large truck can easily lead to another responsible motorist crashing into the truck and getting injured. Additionally, defective or poorly maintained signaling lights can make it tough for drivers to spot a truck if visibility is poor on a given day.

Fishtailing

Fishtailing refers to a truck’s rear wheels not getting enough grip on the road and moving from left to right unpredictably. A very common cause of fishtailing is loss of traction with the road, which could be the result of poor driving, icy or otherwise dangerous road conditions, an improperly loaded truck, and other factors.

Fishtailing often results in oversteering, especially if a trucker tries to overcorrect for the problem, which can result in another driver getting hit.

Jackknife Accidents

A jackknife accident refers to when an articulated vehicle, like a tractor-trailer, folds in on itself like a pocketknife. Jackknifing is dangerous because of its unpredictable nature once it starts. Additionally, once the truck finally grinds to a halt, it will often be a dangerous road obstacle for other drivers.

A frequent cause of jackknifing is substandard tires that suddenly pop. The unexpected shift in weight distribution can result in truck movements that the driver cannot control, resulting in an accident.

Underride Accidents

An underride accident is when a car or other vehicle impacts a truck and partially slides underneath it. Underride accidents are extremely dangerous to drivers because the most likely area to be impacted is the windshield of their car, which is usually not nearly strong enough to stop a truck trailer from going right through it and hitting the occupants. Indeed, underride accidents are often fatal.

For that reason, a safety feature called “Mansfield bars” is required for tractor-trailers in many states. These are metal bars designed to prevent other vehicles from sliding under the trailer of a large truck. However, not every state requires these bars, and some older trucks may not have them installed. For that reason, there is no guarantee that all trucks will have this safety feature, and underride accidents are still a real danger that can cause severe injuries.

Who to Sue After a Truck Crash in Temple Hills, MD?

It is very important that you file your lawsuit against the right parties. You can only get damages from parties that actually helped cause your injuries, so it is imperative that our truck accident attorneys identify the right parties for you to take to court.

Truckers

Perhaps most obviously, you can sue a truck driver who hit your vehicle. Truckers can cause accidents to happen in a lot of different ways. First, truckers can get into accidents the same way any other driver can. Speeding, drunk driving, running red lights, and more can all cause a crash in a truck or any other motor vehicle.

Tired driving, in particular, is a serious problem in the trucking industry because these drivers are on the road for long stretches of time. Truckers are required to keep logs of how long they drive, which can be useful to our lawyers in determining whether a trucker is at fault.

Trucking Companies

In addition to truckers, you can also sue trucking companies. For example, if a trucking company engaged in negligent hiring by employing unqualified truckers, they helped contribute to the accident taking place.

Truck Manufacturers and Designers

If an issue with the truck itself caused your accident, the designer or manufacturer of the truck may be to blame. Have our truck accident lawyers look into the particulars of your case to determine whether you should sue a designer, manufacturer, or both.

Speak to Our Truck Accident Attorneys from Temple Hills, MD Today

Have Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s truck accident lawyers examine your case by calling (410) 694-7291.