Large truck accidents account for 3% of all injury-causing accidents and 5% of all property-damage-only accidents claimed each year. However, 8% of the vehicles involved in fatal accidents are large trucks.  But not surprisingly  98% of the people killed in large truck accidents are occupants of the non-truck vehicle.

Most states have designated laws to protect motorists from car accidents with truckers. Because Virginia and Maryland both have port cities such as Baltimore and Norfolk, the many large interstate highways in these areas are flooded with trucks transporting freight, using Route 95, the Baltimore Beltway (Route 695), the Capital Beltway (Route 495), and the Baltimore Washington Parkway (Route 295).  Full highways, in addition to overloaded trucks and their fatigued drivers rushing to meet tight deadlines, can create prime conditions for large truck accidents, often causing serious injury or wrongful death.

Establishing the cause of an automobile and truck accident can be paramount.  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration lists ten important factors to look for in a crash: (1) interruption of the traffic flow, (2) inadequate surveillance, (3) driving too fast for the conditions, (4) illegal maneuver, (5) inattention to road, (6) fatigue, (7) illness, (8) false assumption of other drivers’ actions, (9) distraction by objects or persons inside the vehicle, and/or (10) unfamiliarity with the road.

If the crash was caused by the truck driver or the truck company’s negligence, you are entitled to be compensated for your losses or damages due to the accident. These damages can include: medical bills, property damage repair bills or replacement costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, or any combination of the above. Your attorney will look to the truck’s insurance company for damage compensation. Federal law requires that trucking companies have the following minimum liability insurance: $750,000 for vehicles over 10,000 lbs. carrying non-hazardous freight; $1,000,000 for those having hazardous materials and oil; and $5,000,000 for trucks operating portable tanks with a capacity over 3,500 gallon passenger trucks.

If you or someone you know was injured or killed (wrongful death) in a trucking accident, you should consider consulting with an experienced attorney.  At Raheen Law Group we are here to help and we have many contacts and avenues with which to assist you in the crazy aftermath of a trucking accident. Please contact us for a offer a FREE telephone consultation. We speak English, Farsi (Dari), Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi.