Commercial trucks are heavy vehicles that are designed to transport large amounts of cargo in tractor-trailers across our nation’s highways and roadways. Commercial trucks are a common sight on I-95, which is why tractor-trailer accidents are, too. Such collisions are often the cause of life-changing or fatal injuries to motorists in smaller vehicles.
If you need to sue a trucking company for causing your tractor-trailer accident, let Portner & Shure help you. Our Bel Air tractor-trailer accident lawyers would be happy to explain to you how we can help you pursue fair and maximized financial compensation for your injuries. Our award-winning attorneys have more than 30 years of total legal experience!
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Rollover Collisions with Tractor-Trailers
Rollover collisions are particularly deadly. Commercial trucks are large vehicles with high centers of gravity. When a tractor-trailer is traveling on a curve or incline, the center of gravity is likely to shift. This can result in a tractor-trailer tipping over and crushing a nearby vehicle, resulting in severe injuries or death.
Jackknife Accidents Affect Many Lanes
When a commercial truck suddenly decelerates, the truck and the tractor-trailer are at risk of moving in different directions across multiple lanes of traffic. The tractor will move straight while the trailer begins veering to the right or left into other traffic lanes. The end result is that the truck folds up as a jackknife does.
Jackknife accidents are often caused by:
- Speeding
- Poor braking techniques
- Broken brakes
- Improper cargo load distribution
Overloaded Tractor-Trailer Accidents
Federal law regulates the amount of cargo that is permitted to be loaded onto a tractor-trailer. The commercial trucking industry is highly competitive, though, which is why tractor-trailers are often intentionally overloaded to complete more deliveries in one journey. The increased weight makes it more difficult to control the tractor-trailer, and a bad crash is likely to follow.
Improperly Loaded Tractor-Trailer Accidents
Any cargo that is loaded onto a tractor-trailer must be secured. If the cargo is not secured, it can shift while the tractor-trailer is in motion. This shift can change the tractor trailer’s center of gravity and cause it to tip, jackknife, or otherwise crash.
Injuries & Damages to Consider
Victims of tractor-trailer accidents often suffer severe injuries.
Common injuries include:
- Brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Concussions
These injuries usually require emergency medical treatment and extensive follow up medical care and rehabilitation. Maryland law allows tractor-trailer accident victims to claim economic and noneconomic damages through claims and lawsuits filed against the trucker and their employer. Medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, vehicle repairs, and more can all be demanded through an injury claim.
Litigation in Tractor-Trailer Cases
To win a tractor-trailer accident case, the victim must prove their case by a preponderance of the evidence, i.e., 51%. Commercial insurance carriers often insure tractor-trailers with policies that provide millions of dollars’ worth of coverage, making the stakes high. You can expect a major fight from the opposing party.
Tractor-trailer accident victims should always get legal representation by an equally aggressive Bel Air, Maryland tractor-trailer accident attorney from Portner & Shure, P.A. The experienced attorneys at Portner & Shure know how to properly investigate tractor-trailer accidents by obtaining evidence such as black box data, cargo information, and travel logs. We know how to properly litigate tractor-trailer accident cases with expert witnesses such as accident reconstructionists. Remember, too, that we don’t get paid unless we win your case with a positive settlement or judgment in court.
