Truck Accident Lawyers in Upper Marlboro

We Fight Trucking Companies

You should be provided the most compensation possible after being in a truck accident. Getting that much compensation will be a challenge, though. Do you know where to begin or what to do if the insurance company pushes back? If the answer is no, then it's time to talk with an Upper Marlboro truck accident lawyer from Farmer & Klopfer.

Our law firm has been built to fight major insurance companies and their policyholders. In the case of your truck accident claim, the policyholder could be an entire trucking company that has its own resources to fight you. Don’t give them an advantage by going into your case alone and unprepared. Team up with us instead!

Learn how our Upper Marlboro injury lawyers fight for compensation for you. Just call (240) 245-2229.

Common Types of Truck Accidents

A truck accident refers to any collision involving a commercial truck or large vehicle, typically weighing over 10,000 pounds. These accidents can result in significant damage to property, serious injuries, and even fatalities due to the size and weight disparity between trucks and other vehicles on the road. Here are some common types of truck accidents:

• Rear-End Collisions: When a truck collides with the vehicle in front of it. This can happen due to various reasons such as sudden stops, distracted driving, or insufficient braking distance.
• Jackknife Accidents: This occurs when the trailer of the truck swings outward, forming an angle with the cab, resembling the shape of a partially open jackknife. Jackknifing often happens during sudden braking or when driving on slippery roads.
• Underride Accidents: These accidents occur when a smaller vehicle collides with the rear or side of a truck and gets trapped underneath the truck's trailer. Underride accidents can result in catastrophic injuries or fatalities for occupants of the smaller vehicle.
• Rollover Accidents: When a truck tips over onto its side or roof. Rollovers can happen due to factors like speeding, taking a turn too sharply, or unevenly distributed cargo.
• Blind Spot Accidents: Trucks have large blind spots, particularly on the sides and rear. When a vehicle is in these blind spots, the truck driver may not see them when changing lanes or making turns, leading to accidents.
• Tire Blowouts: When one of the truck's tires suddenly bursts, it can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle, leading to accidents. Tire blowouts can result from factors such as overloading, improper tire maintenance, or road hazards.
• Wide Turn Accidents: Trucks require a wide turning radius, and sometimes drivers may swing out to the left before making a right turn. This can catch other vehicles off guard and result in collisions.
• Cargo Spills: If cargo is improperly secured or loaded, it can shift during transit, causing the truck to become unstable and potentially leading to accidents. Spilled cargo can also pose hazards to other vehicles on the road.

How Truckers Cause Truck Accidents

Most truck accidents can be related in some way back to the truck driver’s mistakes, rather than the mistakes of the drivers around them. At the least, liability is split between the trucker and the motorist, and the majority might be placed on the truck driver. What are truckers doing to cause so many accidents each year, though?

The trucking industry is regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). It might be no surprise, but when a truck driver violates an FMCSA regulation, they increase the risk of causing a truck accident. Indeed, they often do.

Mistakes and acts of negligence that truckers commit that cause truck accidents include:

• Driving while exhausted: Truck drivers are often exhausted when they are nearing the end of their shifts. The FMCSA allows a trucker to be scheduled for 11 hours of driving in a 14-hour shift each day, and they can work 70 hours each week. Working this much time is almost guaranteed to cause fatigue.
• Speeding: Some truckers attempt to end their routes early by speeding. They do this because they are paid by the mile driven or route completed, not by the hour worked. By breaking the speed limit, a trucker might think they are saving time, but they are really only endangering everyone.
• Driving with an overloaded trailer: Most commercial trucks must not weigh more than 80,000 pounds when all parts and cargo are weighed together. A trucker who drives with an overloaded trailer – whether it is a closed trailer or a flatbed – is at a heightened risk of losing control of their vehicle and causing a truck accident.
• Driving while intoxicated or impaired: Intoxicated driving is a serious issue, especially when the drunk driver is steering a multi-ton commercial truck. It is illegal for a trucker to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of 0.02 or higher. But it is unsafe for them to drive with a BAC level above 0.

Who Else Can Be Liable for a Truck Accident?

It it not uncommon for more than one party to be at fault for a truck accident. Besides the driver, the following are the other parties that can be held liable:

• Trucking Company: If the truck driver was acting within the scope of their employment at the time of the accident, the trucking company may also be held liable. This could be due to factors such as inadequate training, improper maintenance of the truck, or violating federal regulations regarding hours of service.
• Truck Owner: If the truck is owned by a separate entity from the trucking company, such as an individual owner-operator, that entity may be held liable for any negligence related to the operation or maintenance of the vehicle.
• Freight Shipper: In some cases, the company or individual responsible for loading the truck's cargo may be held liable if improper loading contributed to the accident.
• Manufacturers or Maintenance Providers: If a mechanical failure or defect in the truck contributed to the accident, the manufacturer of the truck or its components, as well as any maintenance providers responsible for servicing the vehicle, could be held liable.
• Government Entities: In rare cases, if the accident was caused by hazardous road conditions or inadequate signage, the government agency responsible for maintaining the roadway may be held liable.

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