Our Hagerstown trucking accident attorneys are here to resolve both local and statewide truck accident cases.
You've just been in an accident involving a large truck or commercial vehicle. You're in shock, you’re in pain, and you’re unsure what needs to happen next.
After taking care of your immediate medical needs and filing a police report, it's time to file a truck accident claim. Whether against the commercial truck drivers, the trucking companies, or the insurance companies involved, you need an experienced Maryland truck accident attorney on your side to help you recover compensation.
The personal injury attorneys at Poole Law Firm can help you file a lawsuit and recover compensation from your truck accident. Your case outcome may be enough to fully cover your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and even property damage resulting from a Maryland truck accident. Call us today at 301-790-3600 for a free consultation on your trucking accident claim.
We are available 24 hours a day, and we never collect any money until you do.
Truck Accidents in Maryland: A Common Occurrence in Hagerstown and Other Areas
Hagerstown has two interstate areas: the intersection of I-70 and I-81, and around the metropolitan beltways of I-495 and I-695. Because of these thoroughfares, a large number of tractor-trailers occupy the roads around Hagerstown. While Maryland sees relatively few truck accidents compared to other states, the density of trucks around Hagerstown leads to an increased number of truck accidents.
Speak to a Hagerstown Truck Accident Attorney Now
Truck accidents can be especially devastating to accidents involving pedestrians, cyclists and those in personal vehicles. The relative size of the truck, the speeds involved, and in some cases the weight of the cargo it’s carrying can all spell disaster. In far too many cases, truck accidents lead to wrongful death lawsuits.
Our Maryland truck accident lawyers provide comprehensive representation to those suffering from truck accident injuries. These accidents can happen for a variety of reasons:
- Driver negligence (distracted driving, falling asleep at the wheel, reckless driving and speeding)
- Poor driver training
- Improper truck maintenance
- Overloaded cargo
- Unbalanced cargo
- Aggressive, distracted, or alcohol- or drug-impaired driving
A Truck Accident Is Not Like A Car Accident
While all car accidents have the potential to cause severe injury, the injuries sustained in truck crashes have the power to be life-changing. The extreme size and weight of a semi truck can cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, multiple bone fractures, paralysis, or internal damage that will need extensive medical treatment.
The odds are stacked against truck accident victims the moment an accident occurs. After surviving a truck accident, victims may be forced out of work and into the hospital for weeks or even months. In the meantime, the trucking company and its insurers will make every attempt to withhold payment to accident victims.
Truck accidents are vastly more complicated than auto accidents, not just because of the injuries involved. Trucking companies carry large amounts of insurance, and often multiple lines on the same vehicle. Recovering compensation after a trucking accident means understanding both Maryland trucking laws as well as truck insurance policies—and using both to your advantage. If you or someone you love was injured in a commercial truck accident, be sure to see our list of what to immediately do after a crash and watch our videos about truck crashes.
How Trucking Companies Avoid Liability in Truck Accident Cases
Trucking companies follow strict federal safety laws to reduce the risks of a crash. However, many truckers or companies may ignore these laws in favor of higher profits and reducing road time. Some of the most common illegal actions that cause truck crashes include:
- Distracted driving. The most common driver distractions include talking on a cellphone, texting, eating and drinking, watching TV, and surfing the Internet.
- Violating hours of service requirements. If a trucker spends too many hours on the road, he may become drowsy, inattentive, or even fall asleep behind the wheel.
- Reckless driving. Drivers who use drugs or alcohol, perform aggressive or unsafe driving maneuvers, or travel over the speed limit can all be held liable for reckless driving.
- Improper maintenance. Drivers must ensure that all parts of their rigs, trailers, and cargo are in proper working order before each journey. Overloading the trailer, improper fasteners, thinning tires, broken mirrors, and other maintenance problems can all lead to a crash.
- Failed inspections. If the trucking company failed any safety inspections on its equipment or facilities, the company may be seen as unnecessarily endangering the public.
- Negligent hiring practices. Trucking companies are required to perform background checks, drug testing, and adequate driver training before setting drivers loose on highways.
Trucking companies are unwilling to release any of their company records to victims, especially if the contents could implicate them in the crash. That is why it is vital to have an experienced Hagerstown truck accident lawyer perform a full investigation of the trucking company to see whether any violations occurred.
Contact Our Maryland Truck Accident Lawyer Today
Our skilled and experienced Hagerstown truck accident lawyer, Bruce Poole, is a member of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, National Trial Lawyers: Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Association for Justice Trucking Litigation Group. Our legal team is well-versed in commercial truck safety laws, semi truck crash liability, insurance negotiations, and trial procedures. We’re here to help our clients get the best possible result after an accident. Contact us at (301) 790-3600 to get started on your free case evaluation today!
Frequently Asked Questions for Maryland Truck Accident Lawyers
What Is The Statute Of Limitations For A Maryland Truck Accident?
In Maryland, the statute of limitations for a trucking accident is three years from the date of the accident by which to sue the at-fault driver. If you file a suit after the deadline, your case may be dismissed without compensation.
If you have been injured in a Maryland truck accident, now is the time to call the Poole Law Group. We offer free case evaluations and never collect money until you do.
Should I Accept The Trucking Company’s First Settlement Offer?
The short answer is: no. Never accept a settlement offer without speaking to an experienced Maryland truck accident lawyer.
When you take the first offer on the table, you run the risk of settling for less than you are owed. You may be required to sign away any right to future compensation—even if medical complexities later develop. Finally, working with a Maryland truck accident attorney increases the chances of your case including punitive damages: extra money awarded as a means of sending a message to the defendant to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future.
If you have been injured in a truck accident, call the experienced trucking team at Poole Law Group: (301) 790-3600. We never collect money from you until your claim settles or receives a verdict award.
How Do Trucking Accidents Occur?
Almost half a million trucking accidents occur every year, resulting in about 5,000 fatalities. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety notes that long hours, safety problems, and insufficient training are frequent causes of Maryland trucking accidents. Commercial semi-trucks can weigh as much as 30 times more than a passenger vehicle—which means the risks of speeding, driving while drowsy or violating traffic laws holds that much more potential for damage.
Studies show that about 9 out of 10 truck crashes of all of truck crashes are the result of human error. The driver may have committed any of the following:
- Falling asleep at the wheel
- Distracted driving
- Speeding or reckless driving
- Failing to adjust road and weather conditions
- Drunk driving or driving under the influence
Meanwhile, the trucking company may also be found liable for executive oversights, including but not limited to:
- Negligent hiring and/or poor training of drivers
- Failing to maintain safety standards within the truck fleet
- Failing to observe or enforce drivers’ break periods
How Much Insurance Does A Truck Company Carry?
Every freight-carrying trucking company is required by the FMCSA to carry at least $750,000 in liability insurance per vehicle. Some trucking companies may carry $5,000,000 or more; this is particularly common with multistate/interstate trucking companies, as well as most of the largest companies in the country. This includes J.B. Hunt, Knight-Swift, FedEx, UPS, Old Dominion, XPO Logistics and others.
Unfortunately, even though they are indemnified from loss after an accident, trucking companies are often slow to resolve cases for their full, fair settlement value. You may not learn about the insurance benefits that may be available to you. Insurance companies often try to “low-ball” you after an accident so they do not have to pay what they owe. This is why it is so important to have a Maryland trucking accident attorney in your corner.
Call the Poole Law Group today to learn how we can help: (301) 790-3600
Do I Need a Maryland Truck Accident Lawyer?
If you have been in a trucking accident, you need a truck accident lawyer. Receiving a settlement from a truck accident can be an extremely complicated process. As you grapple with physical injuries, accruing medical costs and psychological trauma from the accident, the last thing you want to do is try to represent yourself against a trucking company.
Moreover, there are frequently several responsible parties who may be held liable in the accident, and multiple lines of insurance that may apply. Determining liability—essentially, who is to blame—can be a process in itself. Truck accidents can occur for any number of reasons: driver error, driver negligence, mechanical failure, or even poor executive oversight. A Maryland truck accident lawyer can help establish liability in your truck accident case.
Finally, determining damages—future medical expenses, wage loss/loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, etc.—is another place where a Maryland truck accident attorney will be able to help you. With the aid of medical experts and economic modeling, we make sure every possible expense is accounted for.
If you have been injured in a truck accident, you need an experienced Maryland truck accident attorney at your side: (301) 790-3600