BEL AIR, MARYLAND TRACTOR-TRAILER ACCIDENT ATTORNEY

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.

Understand and use your rights as an injured motorist. Call (410) 286-1999 or contact us online.