Largo, Maryland Truck Accident Lawyers

Attorneys for 18-Wheeler and Commercial Truck Crashes in Largo

In the Largo area, commercial trucks are a constant presence on the complex network of roads and highways. When the drivers of passenger vehicles need to share space on the road with 18-wheelers and other types of large trucks, they may encounter situations where truck accidents are unavoidable. In many cases, commercial truck accidents can lead to severe injuries that may affect victims for years or for the rest of their lives.

While injury victims have options for obtaining financial compensation that will address the damages they have suffered, the issues involved in truck accident cases can quickly become complicated. The lawyers at Farmer & Klopfer can make sure these issues will be addressed correctly as we handle truck accident claims for our clients. We can perform extensive investigations, determine which parties may be held liable for a truck accident, and fight to secure the compensation our clients need and deserve.

Driver Fatigue and its Role in Truck Accidents

Of all the forms of negligence that can lead to commercial truck accidents, driver fatigue is one of the most common and most dangerous. Fatigued driving can be just as dangerous as drunk driving, and it often occurs due to the pressures that truck drivers face.

Why Truck Drivers Become Fatigued

Truck drivers are usually compensated by the mile, meaning that time they spend resting is time in which they are not earning any money. Trucking companies may set schedules that require truck drivers to push themselves up to and beyond their physical limits, resulting in exhaustion. Irregular hours and sleep schedules can also lead to fatigue for truck drivers. Other issues that can lead to exhaustion and drowsiness may include sleep disorders that prevent truck drivers from getting enough rest and the use of certain types of medications.

Why Fatigued Driving Is So Dangerous

A driver who is fatigued will experience slower reaction times, which may prevent them from taking the right actions to avoid collisions. They may also experience difficulties with physical coordination and a limited ability to remain aware of the road around them, which can increase the chances of an accident. In situations involving extreme fatigue, microsleep may occur, and a truck driver may briefly fall asleep without realizing that they have lost consciousness. In these cases, a truck will continue moving without anyone controlling it, and it may crash into other vehicles and cause severe damage.

Other Forms of Truck Driver Negligence

In addition to fatigue, there are many other types of negligent behavior by truck drivers that can lead to accidents, including:

Distracted Driving

Truck drivers may not fully pay attention to the road, especially during long shifts. There may be multiple things competing for a driver's attention, including text messages, social media, or other smartphone apps. They may look away from the road while using navigation devices, radios, or other technology. They may become distracted by eating and drinking or other activities. All of these issues can be incredibly dangerous for truck drivers, since they can prevent them from seeing and responding to conditions on the road.

Speeding and Aggressive Driving

Large trucks require much more distance to stop than smaller vehicles, and that distance will increase with a truck's speed. When a truck driver is speeding, their ability to respond, slow down, and stop for a red light, stop sign, or a vehicle making a turn may be limited. Speeding or driving too fast in harsh weather conditions or busy traffic can lead to rear-end crashes that can inflict massive damage on other vehicles.

Other forms of aggressive driving, such as tailgating, running red lights, making sudden lane changes, cutting off other vehicles, or turning without signaling, may also lead to truck accidents. Truck drivers who violate traffic laws or engage in unsafe behaviors while driving can cause serious harm in collisions with other vehicles.

Other Parties Who May Share Liability for a Truck Accident

Trucking Companies

A shipping carrier may be liable for its failure to ensure that trucks are operated safely. Negligence by a trucking company may include hiring practices that failed to check a driver's qualifications, inadequate training programs, schedules that increased the risks of exhaustion and fatigue, or failure to maintain vehicles.

Cargo Loading Companies

Third-party companies may load freight onto commercial trucks. When they do not load cargo correctly, issues such as improperly secured items, overloaded trucks, or imbalanced cargo can lead to an accident.

Vehicle and Parts Manufacturers

When a truck accident is caused by a mechanical failure, defective components may have been to blame. The manufacturer of a defective part may be held liable for its failure to ensure that its product functioned correctly.

Maintenance Contractors

Many trucking companies use maintenance providers to service and repair trucks. When a contractor does not inspect a truck correctly or performs poor repair work, a truck may become unsafe. Maintenance issues may include failing to make sure brakes are working properly, installing a tire incorrectly, overlooking a problem with a steering system, or failing to ensure that a trailer coupling is functioning correctly.

Contact Our Largo, MD Truck Accident Attorneys

Serious injuries in a commercial truck accident can cause many problems for a person and their family. At Farmer & Klopfer, our attorneys can make sure our clients take the right steps to address the damages they have suffered in a truck accident. We can gather evidence to show that a truck accident was caused by driver negligence or other factors, and we will fight to obtain full and fair compensation for the harm done to a victim. Contact our Largo 18-wheeler accident lawyers at 301-843-3890 to arrange a free consultation.