A collision involving a tractor-trailer recently left one dead and two injured on the Inner Loop of the Beltway in Maryland. For as-yet-unknown reasons, the truck drifted off the road and struck a man who was fixing a flat tire on his vehicle. The vehicle was parked on the shoulder of the road. The passengers in the vehicle - a 17-year-old girl and a 1-year-old girl - were ejected from the vehicle and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The man was declared dead at the scene.
Auto accidents involving tractor-trailers are a fact of life on Maryland's highways. When these massive machines crash into automobiles, the smaller vehicles usually don't stand a chance. Even tractor-trailer accidents that leave truck drivers virtually uninjured can end in catastrophic injury or death for the occupants of smaller vehicles.
The risk of such a disastrous crash occurring increases when truck drivers operate their big rigs when they are exhausted, distracted or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If truck drivers do not act with the level of care expected on the road and their carelessness causes an accident to occur, a court may find that they were negligent. They can then be held legally responsible for the consequences arising from that accident.
Victims injured in truck accidents - as well as the survivors of victims who are killed - can claim compensation from negligent drivers for damages such as hospital bills, lost wages and any pain and suffering endured as a result of the crash.
The recent tractor-trailer accident remains under investigation. Maryland State Police are requesting information from anyone who has knowledge of the incident.