A fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. At 60 mph, that makes the truck an extremely powerful force. If that truck even “taps” a car, it can send that vehicle reeling and cause significant damage. When truckers, passenger car drivers, and others share the road, there is always a concern for safety.
If you were harmed in a collision with a commercial motor vehicle, GDH Law can provide support and guidance to help you decide on how you should proceed with your claim. We are a team of experienced Laurel truck accident lawyers who are dedicated to explaining all the options and challenges you might face with a truck accident claim.
You can find out more about your right to compensation for injuries, property damage, and more by scheduling a free consultation.
Who Is Potentially Responsible for a Truck Accident?
Maryland follows an at-fault insurance policy. That means the at-fault party is obligated to pay for any and all of the expenses related to the accident. It is important to note that the at-fault party can include more people and entities than just the truck driver. A truck accident investigation can reveal the following potential at-fault parties beyond the truck driver:
Trucking Company
The trucking company that hired the driver is responsible for performing background checks and random drug testing on its drivers. If a driver has a history of violations, they probably shouldn’t be hired by that company. Additionally, if the company exerted pressure on the driver to skirt regulations to make deliveries, that can be partially responsible for the accident.
Cargo Loaders
Most commercial trucks are loaded by independent cargo loaders. If a truck is improperly loaded, it can lead to a rollover or a jackknife accident.
Fleet Mechanics
A trucking company hires mechanics to maintain its fleet of trucks. If those mechanics fail to repair or upkeep a rig, they can be responsible.
Truck Parts Manufacturer
If there is an issue with defective parts, such as brakes or tires, the truck parts manufacturer can also be named as a defendant.
With so many potential at-fault parties, it is crucial to work with a skilled Laurel truck accident lawyer who understands the stakes and the importance of holding all responsible parties accountable.
Injuries Commonly Caused by Tractor-Trailer Accidents
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported nearly 160,000 truck accidents in the U.S. in 2023, resulting in almost 75,000 injuries and 5,000 deaths.
Most truck accidents result in someone suffering injuries, but the ones that motorists fear most are those involving long, heavy 18-wheelers, whose effect can be exponentially worse than that of car accidents or crashes between other smaller vehicles. Some of the most common injuries associated with semi-truck crashes and examples of ways in which they occur include:
Amputations
Following a severe truck accident, it may be necessary for a person to have legs or arms amputated if their bones are shattered beyond repair. Even if they can be repaired, there’s often resulting soft tissue damage to the underlying skin, muscles, nerves, or blood vessels. The trauma is often so significant that restoring normal functioning in the area isn’t possible.
Blunt Force Trauma Injuries
Head injuries causing traumatic brain injuries and internal organ damage are examples of this.
They often result from a rear-end tractor-trailer wreck, as the impact of the crash can cause the propulsion of a person’s body forward. This sudden force can cause a driver’s head or body to strike a windshield, dashboard, or steering wheel, causing traumatic injuries.
Broken Bones
While almost any type of collision can cause this type of personal injury, the most likely to do so is when the crash’s force is so significant that the automobile’s crumple zones, designed to absorb an accident’s impact, are pushed past. This allows access to the area where the motorist’s feet and legs are located.
Bone fractures, including arm or facial injuries, also commonly occur when front or side airbags deploy during front-end collisions.
Neck, Back, and Spinal Cord Injuries
While an empty tractor-trailer may weigh 35,000 pounds, a fully loaded truck can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds.
Even though a car and our bodies can sustain a certain amount of force and not suffer irreversible damage, neither is made to withstand tens of thousands of pounds of force.
This is precisely why, when neck or back injuries occur, the potential for a spinal cord injury (SCI) is high. Even if a truck crash victim is fortunate enough not to sustain such a life-altering injury, neck and back injuries alone are particularly debilitating. They may require surgical intervention and pain management to address. Even then, patients may never fully return to their pre-crash, pain-free life.
Burns
Semi-trucks can carry a variety of goods and hazardous materials, including flammable items like batteries or chemicals. While those items may pose little danger when packed correctly in the truck’s trailer, shifts in load, temperature fluctuations, and direct impact are just three examples in which these products or materials can become compromised, causing a fire to ignite.
This fire could easily carry over from the truck to an automobile, leaving occupants, especially immobile or injured victims, trapped and vulnerable to severe third- or fourth-degree burns, or worse.
Lacerations
Crash impacts often cause windows to shatter. For example, a head-on collision can cause a windshield to break, an angled or T-bone collision can shatter side windows, and a rear-end wreck can easily destroy a back window.
Depending on where occupants are sitting when the crash happens or where glass or other sharp objects fly, everyone involved faces the risk of severe lacerations or cuts. Some of the more concerning injuries involving shattered glass are penetrative injuries, where shards of glass become embedded in a person’s body.
Internal organs may be severed, or glass may become lodged in a person’s brain (known as an impaling injury) when this occurs.
Costs Associated with Truck Crash Injuries
Costs associated with treating these injuries can widely vary depending on the type, severity, and the associated medical care needed. For example, a broken bone may require anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars in medical care to treat. Of course, more complex injury cases are likely to be more costly to treat.
A spinal cord injury can leave a patient with hundreds of thousands of dollars or more in medical costs in just their first year of treatment and hundreds of thousands more dollars in the following years.
The costs an SCI victim incurs across their lifetime largely depend on the site of their injury as well as the age at which it occurs, per the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
Compensation That Can Be Recovered Following Semi-Truck Crashes
Expenses can quickly mount when wrecks occur. Like most other states, Maryland allows crash victims to recover compensation for both economic and non-economic losses when a wreck occurs.
These may include:
- Economic damages: Examples include medical bills, lost wages, transportation to medical appointments, and renovations to your home to make it accessible.
- Non-economic damages: This includes pain and suffering, disfigurement, blindness, permanent disability, losses of consortium, guidance, enjoyment of life and companionship, emotional trauma, and more.
- Punitive damages: These are generally awarded by a Court in situations where a defendant’s actions that resulted in the plaintiff being harmed were grossly negligent. An example of this is if a tractor-trailer operator was intoxicated when they caused the collision. Punitive damages help discourage the same or a future defendant from repeating the same behaviors.
There are ever-increasing caps that apply to the amount of non-economic damages you can recover, so be sure to ask about where things currently stand when meeting with a Laurel truck accident lawyer for an initial consultation.
Maryland Insurance Requirements in 18-Wheeler Accident Cases
Our state requires our in-state truckers to carry liability coverage, which varies depending on the type of load they have a Maryland Department of Transportation hauling permit to carry. The minimum of that coverage is $750,000.
The federal government also mandates other insurance coverage requirements for truckers traveling across state or country borders. The amount of coverage a trucker has will be vital if they’re deemed responsible for causing your crash.
However, if a loader, trucking company, auto manufacturer, or anyone else contributed to the accident, the amount of insurance coverage they have may also matter. Essentially, if you, as an accident victim, have suffered significant enough harm that you can justify demanding full policy limits, you could legitimately do so (from one or more parties).
However, suppose your current or future expenses exceed the combined policy limits of all the potential defendants, and they have no additional assets, you can personally sue them for. In that case, your ability to recover compensation may stop there.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the aftermath of a truck accident that was caused by negligence, there will be several options to seek compensation for your losses. The experienced attorneys at GDH can provide the information you need to understand all of those viable options. That helpful information includes the answers to the following frequently asked questions:
What happens if I’m found to be partially at fault for the accident?
It should be noted that recovering any compensation may be impossible in Maryland if the defendant or their insurer can show you played any role in causing your crash, since we live in a contributory negligence state. That is why you want to get an attorney on your side to ensure your claim is rock solid.
Who investigates an accident involving a commercial truck?
The first investigations into a commercial truck accident will be conducted by the local police and Maryland State Police. If the accident results in serious injury, fatality, or significant property damage, it will also be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). We also have a dedicated team of investigators that we will deploy to examine what happened in the accident from all angles. All the evidence from every investigation can be utilized to support your claim.
Should I accept the first offer from a trucking company to settle my claim?
When a trucking company offers a settlement, it is clear that they agree with the merits of the case.
However, that doesn’t automatically mean they are offering a fair settlement. It’s important to remember that once you accept an offer of any size, you will be obligated to sign a waiver that prevents you from seeking any further compensation.
If your injuries require extended care or physical therapy, it can mean added expenses. That is why you need to work closely with your attorney to calculate the right number.
Do I have to file a lawsuit to recover compensation?
Filing a civil complaint or lawsuit is often considered the last option for pursuing compensation. If the insurance carrier that represents the trucking company denies your claim or only offers a low amount, you can file a civil complaint. GDH Law will be fully prepared to present the evidence before a jury.
Even as we pursue civil action, we will continue to negotiate in good faith to reach a settlement that will award you the maximum amount you are entitled to.
How long do I have to take legal action in Maryland?
In Maryland, the statute of limitations is three years. That time starts on the day of the accident.
Just because you have three years doesn’t mean you should hesitate to file. It is important to secure the evidence and maintain the witness statements as soon as possible. If you miss the filing deadline, you won’t be able to get any compensation.
Should I call the trucking company that owns the truck?
A trucking company will automatically be notified when one of its rigs gets into an accident. You don’t have to directly communicate with them. In fact, you should speak with an attorney before any contact with that company. You don’t want to say anything that could potentially hurt your claim.
Why You Need a Laurel Truck Accident Lawyer If You’re Hurt
When you suffer catastrophic injuries or lose a loved one in a crash, documenting your current and future costs or losses can be complicated. This is when a Laurel truck accident lawyer can help you.
At GDH Law, our attorneys leave no stone unturned in calculating your current and future losses. We make sure you have as much as you need to live as productive a life as possible after getting hurt or losing a family member.
This is also why we’ll take your case to trial if we don’t feel that insurance adjusters are offering a fair settlement.
If you’re seeking the best results in your case, we urge you to contact us today for a free consultation with a lawyer who’s committed to fighting to get you the fairest outcome possible.
