Truck Accident Lawyers in St. Mary’s County, MD: Common Causes of Big-Rig Truck Accidents
If you or a loved one has been injured in a big-rig truck accident here in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, contact us here at the Law Office of Robert Castro. Use our “Contact Page” or call us at (301) 870-1200. We are seasoned and skilled St. Mary’s County, Maryland, truck accident attorneys. We are also experienced personal injury attorneys for other types of accident claims. In this article, we explain why it is important to have top-rated Maryland personal injury attorneys at your side by discussing a few of the most common causes of big-rig truck accidents. Knowing something about how Southern Maryland 18-wheeler accidents happen can help you be safer on the roads and can also help you understand why accident claims are so legally complex.
Waldorf, Maryland: Common causes of big-rig truck accidents
The most common cause of 18-wheeler truck accidents in Maryland is some form of driver mistake or error. This can take many forms:
- Failure of the truck driver to pay careful attention
- Disobeying posted speed limits and other traffic law violations
- Distracted driving in various forms like texting or eating while driving, starting up devices like GPS, etc.
- Driving while impaired
- Drowsy driving
In cases of driver error, the main defendant in the accident claim will be the driver. But, typically big truck drivers are employed by trucking companies. Under various legal principles, this means that the trucking company can be held legally liable for the negligence of its employees. So, the trucking company is often also a main target of the accident claim.
Other causes of big truck accidents include:
- Mechanical failure — this includes failure of parts of the truck that might have been defective when installed and also failure of newly installed parts
- Maintenance and repair failures — truck and vehicle parts wear out and, thus, trucks must be repaired and maintained; where the accident is caused — in whole or part — by failure to maintain and repair, then that can be the basis of legal liability
- Lost cargo loads — this can be caused by loading too much cargo or loading the cargo improperly with due regard to weight, stability, and adequate tying down of the cargo
- Other breaches of regulations — how to properly load cargo is regulated by many trucking rules and regulations, both state and federal; accidents can also be caused by violations of other rules and regulations
- Failure to properly train drivers — driving a commercial big rig truck is very different from driving a car; drivers must be properly trained
- Failure to properly supervise truck drivers — this will make the trucking company liable for any accidents; this might be as simple as not ensuring adequate sleep time or “looking the other way” with respect to safety violations
Contact Waldorf, MD Personal Injury Attorney Robert Castro Today
This article has been provided by the Law Office of Robert Castro. For more information or questions, contact our office to speak to an experienced Maryland personal injury lawyer at (301) 870-1200. We are Waldorf, MD, Personal Injury lawyers. Our address is 2670 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD 20601.
