Understanding Truck Accidents in Maryland
Some common truck accidents we see include T-bone collisions at an intersection or a rear end collision or side swipe while a truck is changing lanes and often times there is an accident between a truck and a driver who attempts to pass the truck. Trucking accidents can also occur because a driver is distracted from his driving by being on a radio or other device in his cab.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Maryland
Some of the common causes would be trucks driving too quickly in bad inclement weather or trucks rear ending other vehicles in the roadway because they are impatient or because they have been driving for too long so they are fatigued and irritable. One other potential cause is a driver who is inattentive and/or distracted driving because they are falling asleep due to the fact that they have not met deadlines and therefore failed to take time to rest while driving. Truckers also drive great distances without rest and these long haul drivers can get tired or fatigued which will impair their driving ability.
Overloading
Well that is a commercial truck that is overloaded ether in the front or the back or one side or the other that creates a danger for anyone on the road because their vehicle is in danger of tipping over and it can cause severe damage to anyone that is caught in the wake of that tipped over truck. If a truck is overloaded one of the other dangers would be that the load could spill out of the truck and cause hazardous conditions for the other drivers and cause accidents and injuries, once again this could be avoided had the truck drivers or trucking companies not overloaded the truck.
1st Thing to Do After a Truck Accident in Maryland
The first thing that you should do is get as much information about the truck and the driver and the company that either owns or operates the truck as possible. You should contact the police or ambulance if they are injured and report the accident so that the accident is documented and then get all the information about the truck.
Before leaving the scene it is important you have all the information on the truck so that if you are injured and want to pursue a claim or course of action against the truck driver and the company you will be able to do so.
Biggest Mistakes to Avoid After a Truck Accident
One would be to leave the scene before the police get there and the other is leaving the scene without getting any information about the truck. Failing to get immediate medical attention if you are injured. Not getting any pictures of the truck or the damages to the truck or damage to your vehicle.
Out of State Drivers Involved in a Maryland Truck Accident
Yes, if you are involved in an accident in the state of Maryland or you are in an accident out of the state of Maryland with someone who is in Maryland driver you can file a course of action against them.
Damages in Maryland Truck Accident Cases
Damages in Maryland truck accident cases are the same as what you can recover in automobile and motorcycle accidents which includes past or future medical expenses, past or future loss of wages for any time you missed from work or you anticipate you will miss from work, pain and suffering and property damage. These can all be factored into a settlement however, the damages cap is $800,000 for non-economic damages which is referred to as pain or suffering. There is no cap on economic damages, medical expenses or loss of wages.
To learn more or discuss your settlement amount, call and schedule a consultation today.
