Truck Accidents

Beltway Trucker Involved In Fatal Collision That Killed One Man And Injured Two Others Had Multiple Traffic Citations In Maryland And Six Other States

April 9, 2007 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Roger Scofield, Jr., the man involved in a March 19 accident in Prince George’s County that injured two people and killed one man apparently had traffic citations in Virginia, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Delaware. Citations included speeding, inattentive driving, careless driving, driving on a suspended license, and driving with defective breaks. He also had at least two convictions and was driving with a suspended license at the time of the March 19 accident.

A $20 million wrongful death suit has already been filed against Scofield and his employer. Scofield also faces charges of driving with a suspended license and reckless driving—and possibly, vehicular homicide. According to police, Scofield’s tractor-trailer struck a 1995 Honda Accord and then hit two other cars that were in front of the Honda. One of those two vehicles was being driven by Jose Marcos Portillo Villalta, who died at the accident scene. The drivers of the other two vehicles were injured.

According to an executive from B.K. Trucking, the company that hired Scofield to deliver bananas to Virginia on March 19, the truck driver did not know that his license was suspended and that the accident had more to do with being at a bad place at a bad time than his driving record.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, truck companies are obligated to check the driving record of all truck drivers before hiring them.

Because tractor-trailers are large in size, anyone involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer or any other kind of truck stands a good chance of being seriously injured. Truck drivers tend to have limited visibility when driving trucks and commercial truck drivers are required by law to drive only for a certain amount of hours before stopping to rest. Many accidents on the road have occurred because a truck driver was tired. In personal injury lawsuits involving a commercial truck driver, the truck company that hired the truck driver may also be found liable.

Because of this, truck companies are well-equipped to handle personal injury claims and combat them. This is way it is important if you have been injured in an accident involving a truck driver that you hire an experienced personal injury attorney right away. A skilled personal injury lawyer can make sure that all avenues of recovery are explored and all parties that can be held responsible for your accident are held liable so you don’t have to pay for your recovery.

Seven People Injured On Capital Beltway After Tractor-Trailer Rear-Ends Fire Truck

March 22, 2007 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland police say that seven people were injured on the Capital Beltway yesterday, after a tractor-trailer hit the back of a fire truck and then collided with two other vehicles.

According to a witness, the fire truck was decreasing its speed to take an emergency lane when the tractor-trailer rear-ended the fire truck, which then flipped over.

Prince George’s Fire and Rescue spokesperson says four firefighters from the Allentown Road Volunteer Fire Department were injured. Three others were also injured.

Personal injury claims involving truck accidents can be much more complicated, because of the many laws that govern the trucking industry. If you have been injured in an accident where a truck driver was negligent, it is important that you retain the services of a personal injury lawyer who is familiar with the different trucking regulations, the kind of evidence that needs to be brought to make your case, and the different remedies that are available to you.

Possible Defendants:

Depending on the nature and of the accident, who was at fault, and the kind of truck involved, an injured person may be able to claim compensation from a number of parties:

• Truck driver
• Tractor-trailer owner
• Truck leasing companies
• Trucking company
• Manufacturer of the truck or a defective truck part that led to the accident
• Truck Shipper

If there are other parties or vehicles that were negligent, your attorney can file claims against them also. Recovery damages can include damages for injury, pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages, and lost future income.

Statistically, 99% of the people that are killed in accidents involving tractor-trailers are the passengers that were riding in the other vehicle(s) when a collision occurred.

Six People Are Injured In Hunt Valley, Maryland When Accident Involving Tractor-Trailer And Light Rail Train

February 12, 2007 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Five light rail train passengers and the train’s driver were hospitalized last week, after a tractor-trailer and the train collided with one another in Hunt Valley. The train was derailed in the accident, and service throughout the area was disrupted.

The truck driver, Marshall F. Hartsell, 65, was headed southbound on Gilroy Road near Schilling Circle when he turned left to cross the tracks, thereby colliding into the train. Hartsell is being blamed for failing to obey the sign prohibiting left turns when a train is approaching. He was given a citation for failing to yield to oncoming traffic while making a left turn. His truck is owned by T.S. Expediting Services of Toledo, Ohio.

Twenty people were riding on the train when the accident occurred. Two of the six injured persons were treated at Greater Baltimore Medical Center while the other four were treated at Joseph Medical Center. All of them reportedly had minor injuries.

Tractor-Trailer Accident In D.C. Named Among The 10 Worst U.S. Traffic Incidents In 2006 By Metro Networks

January 9, 2007 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Metro Networks, the largest traffic gathering and reporting operation in America, recently released its list “The Top Ten Worst Traffic Incidents of 2006.” An accident involving two tractor-trailers colliding on I-95 North in Massaponax, VA put the Washington D.C. area in the number 10 spot. The trucks ended up catching fire and damaging the roads so that they had to be repaved. There were major delays on the highway because of the collision.

Other traffic incidents on the list:

1) New York City, New York: A Tomahawk test missile fell onto I-95SB in the Bronx after a tractor trailer overturned last July.

2) San Francisco, California: A meatpacking truck traveling on 101N in San Mateo spilled cow body parts across the freeway.

3) Houston, Texas: A truck fell off the ramp that goes from 610N loop to the US59. The truck dumped frozen chickens onto the freeway.

4) Boston, Massachusetts: A 12-ton concrete ceiling panel from a “Big Dug” tunnel connecting the Massachusetts Turnpike to the Ted Williams Tunnel dropped onto a passing car.

5) Dallas, Texas: A big rig carrying oil refinery equipment smacked into an overhead bridge on northbound Loop 12 at the Highway 183 interchange next to Texas Stadium.
6) Detroit, Michigan: Two semis crashed into each other in Monroe on Northbound I-75. The semis caught on fire, and the flames spread across the freeway involving approximately six cars and four more semis.
7) Chicago, Illinois: Construction on Chicago Skyway, I-80/94, and the Dan Ryan Expressway created traffic delays for commuters.
8) Atlanta, Georgia: A collision involving a tractor-trailer and two cars during the morning commute resulted in the death of two people.

9) Los Angeles, California: A big rig truck flipped over, caught fire, and burnt to the ground.

Injuries that result because of vehicle-related truck accidents can be severe and life altering. You may have suffered whiplash or burns to your head or neck, have nerve damage or spinal chord paralysis, limb amputation, have broken or dislocated a bone or limb, or even lost the use of a limb. A personal injury to you can ocur on the road even if your vehicle was not directly involved in a collision. If you have been in an automobile accident due to the carelessness or negligence of another driver, you should obtain the advice of a lawyer with experience handling automobile accident cases.

Man Is Killed After His Service Truck Collides With Chicken Truck In Federalsburg, Maryland Last Week

November 20, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A 23-year-old Denton man died last week after the service truck he was driving crashed into a Perdue flatbed tractor-trailer loaded with chickens at the intersection of northbound MD 313 and eastbound Line Road last Wednesday morning.

According to Maryland State Police, Lee Albert Asbury III became trapped in his truck after his vehicle struck the left side of the Perdue truck. Roberto Cruz of Preston, Maryland, was a passenger in the service truck. He managed to evacuate the vehicle, as did the driver of the Perdue truck.

Police say a fire started right beneath Asbury’s seat not long after the accident. A FedEx tractor trailer driver and a Pave Master paving truck arrived at the scene to help. Asbury was taken by ambulance to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

9-Year-Old Pennsylvania Boy Files Personal Injury Lawsuit After Sustaining Head Injury In July Bus Accident That Took Place In Aberdeen, Maryland

September 7, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A 9-year-old boy and his mother have filed personal injury lawsuits against the Yellowbird Bus Company and the Cowan Truck Company after the school bus he was riding in collided with a tractor-trailer on I-95 in Aberdeen, Maryland on July 5. The bus had been returning from a field trip to the Baltimore Aquarium.

Manny Basco, who suffered a concussion, is one of just dozens of Kensington, Pennsylvania students attending the Norris Square Day Camp who were injured in the crash. At least 21 other people have filed lawsuits against the bus and truck companies.

According to Basco’s mother, Ruth, the boy is now too traumatized to ride a bus again.

Baltimore Metropolitan Council Evaluates Whether To Add Rest Stops For Trucks Between The Beltway And Pennsylvania Line

July 11, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Heavy freight traffic on Baltimore highways is causing the Baltimore Metropolitan Council to review whether there needs to be more rest facilities available to truckers. There are currently no designated rest stops between the Beltway and the Pennsylvania line, and the council wants to determine whether more truck parking areas need to be created. The council’s Truck Parking Partnership Study is looking into this issue and will make a recommendation.

According to federal regulations, truck drivers:

-Must park and stop if they’ve been driving for 11 hours straight.

Recent Truck-Related Accidents Result In Injuries In Maryland And Washington DC

June 5, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Truck accidents involving smaller vehicles or pedestrians often result in more deaths and serious injuries than other vehicle accidents.

– There are over 500,000 truck accidents on US roads each year

– About 5,000 deaths result from truck-related accidents