Maryland Truck Driver Intoxication Accident Lawyer 

Although only a small percentage of commercial truck drivers are intoxicated at the time of a wreck, this type of crash is certain to cause more significant injuries and deaths than other types of crashes.

Those who are in an accident in Maryland involving an intoxicated trucker need the help of a Maryland truck driver intoxication accident lawyer who has handled many of these cases. A capable injury attorney can devote the time and resources necessary to achieve.

Intoxicated Trucker Statistics

The drivers of large commercial trucks have far fewer crashes from intoxication than the drivers of cars. In crashes involving truckers, one percent were intoxicated, compared to 23 percent of other intoxicated drivers at higher levels than the truckers, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which conducts random drug and alcohol testing, reports that one percent of the drivers who were randomly tested showed positive for alcohol.

Commercial Truck Wreck Injuries and Deaths

In 2015, the NHTSA estimates that 433,000 large commercial trucks were involved in reported accidents across the United States, an estimated 116,000 people were injured in large truck crashes, and 4,067 reportedly died in those wrecks.

Legal Ramifications

Driving while intoxicated is punishable under the state’s criminal law, but those who are convicted or acquitted of driving under the influence (DUI) may be sued in civil court for damages resulting from the wreck. In large truck cases, the trucking company may also be liable. A Maryland truck driver intoxication accident lawyer will can help individuals who decide to pursue a case.

Maryland Negligence Law

Commercial truck accidents involving intoxication are adjudicated under Maryland’s pure contributory negligence doctrine, which is stricter than the law in most other states.

The Maryland version holds that the person hoping to bring a lawsuit is barred from doing so if that person has any fault in causing the wreck, even though the would-be defendant was far more at fault than the other person.

The rationale of this pure form of contributory negligence law is that anyone who places themselves is at fault cannot benefit or recover from another.

The legal definition of negligence is failing to act in the same manner that a person of ordinary prudence would have had in the same circumstance.

Proving Negligence

Negligence has five elements, and each must be satisfied to prove negligence.

  • Duty of care: A person has a legal obligation to others and to the public to behave in a cautious and watchful manner to avoid causing harm or property damage to others
  • Breach: An act, or an omission, that violates duty of care
  • Causation: The breach caused the wreck
  • Proximate cause: A particular and foreseeable event resulted
  • Damages: Actual financial loss occurred

Damages

Common damages in personal injury cases like truck wrecks include expenses for medical care, therapeutic treatments, loss of income including future income, disability, disfigurement, pain and suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish, and punitive damages if the negligence was horrendous.

Talk to a Maryland Truck Accident Attorney Today

A Maryland truck driver intoxication accident lawyer will be well-versed in this area of law and will diligently investigate the accident, collect the evidence needed to prove the case, and work to achieve a satisfactory monetary award.

The Maryland truck driver intoxication lawyer provides a free, no-obligation consultation to evaluate the circumstances of the crash and determine if a lawsuit claiming damages is viable. The lawyer also will explain the applicable law and the legal process involved.