Waldorf, MD Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accidents are often responsible for catastrophic injuries that leave victims facing a long road to recovery. To heal fully, you will need significant compensation for treatment and lost time from work.

This is where our truck accident lawyers can help. Countless types of commercial trucks operate in and around Waldorf. The truck that injured you will be important as it will indicate other parties that could be sued. In many cases, a negligent truck driver’s employer can be sued with the driver. Depending on the circumstances, other parties could share the blame for your damages.

If you were injured because of a truck accident, our truck accident lawyers can help you identify the negligent parties and hold them accountable. Contact Rice, Murtha & Psoras today at (410) 694-7291 for a free case review.

Types of Trucks that Can Cause a Truck Accident in Waldorf, MD

Numerous trucks operate on the roads of Waldorf, and any of them can cause devastating injuries. The type of truck that caused your accident will play an important role in your case as it often indicates who the truck is owned by and what parties should be sued. The following are the types of trucks that our truck accident attorneys commonly see involved in accidents in Waldorf:

  • Semi-trucks
  • 18-wheelers (tractor-trailers)
  • Tanker trucks
  • Amazon delivery trucks
  • UPS, FedEx, and other delivery trucks
  • Mail delivery trucks
  • Rental moving trucks
  • Cargo trucks
  • Tow trucks
  • Dump trucks
  • Refrigerator trucks
  • Flatbed trucks
  • Concrete mixers
  • Garbage trucks
  • Livestock trucks
  • Fire engines
  • Ambulances

The trucks listed above are known for causing some of the most catastrophic accidents in Waldorf. Regardless of the truck that injured you, our truck accident lawyers can help you recover compensation for your injuries.

Parties that Can be Held Liable for a Truck Accident in Waldorf, MD

Truck accidents can be complex cases because of the number of parties that could potentially be liable for causing them. While the truck driver will usually be the person most directly responsible, several other parties could share the blame depending on how the truck accident happened. Our truck accident attorneys can help you determine who caused your injuries and hold them accountable.

Truck Driver

Truck drivers are usually responsible for causing truck accidents because they were driving negligently in some way. Negligent driving comes in many forms, but many accidents are the result of distracted driving and speeding. A truck driver could also be held liable if they violated one of the state or federal trucking regulations they must follow, like how many hours they are permitted to drive in a specified amount of time. In many cases, the trucker will not be the only party that should be sued.

Trucking Company

Often, a trucking company can be held liable for an accident caused by the negligence of one of its drivers. Under the legal theory of “vicarious liability,” an employer can be held liable for injuries caused by negligent acts done by one of its employees while performing their normal job duties. For instance, if a trucker was speeding while transporting cargo and caused an accident, both the driver and the employer could likely be held liable.

Trucking companies can also be responsible for their own negligence. Trucking companies are responsible for properly training their drivers and conducting background checks to ensure dangerous drivers are not put behind the wheel. Trucking companies, like drivers, are also required to follow all state and federal trucking regulations. Trucking companies must make routine inspections of their vehicles and perform maintenance regularly. They must also ensure truckers comply with the regulations and do not drive too many hours.

However, if a truck driver is considered an independent contractor, the trucking company that they contract with might not be able to be sued. In most cases, independent truck drivers are not considered traditional employees since the trucking company does not exercise direct control over them. A common example would be Amazon delivery truck drivers, who typically do not work for Amazon itself, but for a local delivery company.

Other Parties

Considering how much technology is in most commercial trucks today, it is not uncommon for an accident to be caused when a part of a truck malfunctions or is designed poorly. If a defective truck system, like the steering or the brakes, contributes to causing a truck accident, the designer or manufacturer or the part could be held liable.

In other situations, another driver might have done the negligent act that caused your truck accident. For instance, if another car cuts a truck off, the truck driver might hit you while attempting to avoid an accident with the first driver. In many cases, however, both drivers will have contributed in some way to causing the accident. In the previous example, both drivers would be liable if the truck driver was speeding when they were cut off.

In rare situations, the party responsible for loading a truck’s cargo could also be responsible for your injuries. Cargo must be loaded in direct contact with other cargo and secured, so it does not shift during transport. If improperly loaded cargo contributed to causing your accident, our truck accident attorneys can investigate your claim to determine the parties that should be sued.

Statute of Limitations to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Waldorf, MD

If you have been injured in a truck accident, you will want to know how long you have to file a lawsuit in Waldorf. The statute of limitations in Maryland encoded in Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. Art, § 5-101, provides three years from the date of the accident for a truck accident victim to file their lawsuit.

This is less time than it seems. Truck accident cases are challenging and often require more investigation than routine car accident cases. Our truck accident lawyers can help you gather evidence and ensure your lawsuit is filed before the deadline.

Our Waldorf, MD Truck Accident Lawyers Can Help

Our truck accident lawyers are here to help truck accident victims in Waldorf get the justice they deserve. For a free case evaluation, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (410) 694-7291.