Maryland Collision Law

Overloaded and overweight tractor trailers pose a very serious danger on our nation’s highways. When a truck is carrying more weight than it can safely carry, stopping and maneuvering are much more difficult, and the truck is more likely to get out of control while doing something as simple as swerving to avoid an animal or another vehicle. Overloaded tractor trailers can damage the braking and steering systems, causing catastrophic accidents. Simply put, an overweight truck is an accident waiting to happen, and when tractor trailers are involved in accidents, the results are often deadly due to their massive weight and size. The effects of an automobile accident can be tragic, of course, but truck accidents present even more problems. If you have been involved in a tractor trailer accident in Maryland, there is legal help available to you.

Weigh Stations and Truck Laws

Current trucking laws determine how much weight a certain commercial truck can carry, how heavy the load can be, what the combined weight of the load and truck can be, how much weight can be on each axle, and how much weight can be on the tires. How the weight is distributed is also very important as weight distribution affects how well the truck handles on the roadway.
Weigh stations are set up all along the highways in our country and serve as checkpoints where trucks are supposed to stop to get weighed and inspected. These stations will check for truck and load weight, illegal cargo, falsely reported cargo, and compliance with HOS (hours of service) laws. A driver with an overweight truck may be issued a ticket at a weigh station. Other drivers may be detained until an overweight permit is issued or the weight is somehow reduced.

Weight and Load Problems

Accidents can happen as a result of any of the following:
• Tires burst due to excessive weight
• Downhill speed of overweight trucks
• Brake failure
• Not enough stopping distance due to oversized loads
• Weight shifts
• Rollovers
• Bridge, overpass collapse due to truck weight
As you can tell, any one of these problems could cause multiple injuries and deaths in a split second. If you were involved in a tractor trailer accident in Maryland, the Maryland Accident Lawyers, serving Virginia and Maryland, can help you. Please contact our office today.

Truck tire blowout, often caused by defective tires, is an extremely serious road hazard that often results in collisions with injuries and deaths. Most everyone has seen the remnants of a truck tire along the roadway, and many of us had to do some skilled maneuvering to avoid these sometimes-large pieces of rubber. If you have been involved in a truck accident in Maryland, there is legal help available to you. Truck accidents, even more so than many automobile accidents, almost always result in serious injury and fatality.

According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, debris on the highways causes over 25,000 accidents and at least 100 deaths every year in the United States and Canada. Blown tire pieces (typically from tractor trailers) are the number one form of road debris.

Importance of Proper Inflation

Most tire-related truck accidents in Maryland are caused by tires being improperly inflated. It is imperative that truckers maintain proper inflation for a given tire size and load. It is actually the air inside the tire, and not the tire itself that carries the weight of the vehicle, absorbs the shock, and keeps the tire in its proper shape so it can perform as it should.

When tires are over inflated, excessive wear occurs at the very center of the tread because this area bears the majority of the vehicle’s weight. Over-inflated tires do not absorb road hazards as well as properly inflated tires, increasing the risk of a puncture or impact damage.

Important Safety Measures

Tire pressure should only be checked when the tire is “cold” (before it’s driven or has been driven less than a mile). Tires that are “hot” will show an increase in air pressure, resulting in an inaccurate reading. Tractor trailer tires should be checked for proper inflation as often as once per week. Checking tire alignment regularly is also highly recommended. Once a tire problem is detected, whether your drive an automobile or a commercial truck, stopping immediately is your best bet. Even continuing to the next rest stop or service station can be disastrous. Tires driven with improper inflation and/or alignment will eventually come apart, and the results can be deadly.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck accident in Maryland, please contact the experienced accident attorneys at Maryland Accident Lawyers today to schedule your free initial consultation.

I Was in a Car Accident! Now What?

The steps you take after you are involved in an automobile accident in Maryland are very important, especially if you plan to take your case to an experienced automobile accident attorney to seek monetary compensation for injuries, deaths, or property loss. Car accidents are more prevalent in Maryland’s winter months due to obvious reasons relating to weather and road conditions, but what you need to do following an accident never changes, regardless of the season.

It is very difficult to think clearly following the trauma of a car accident, so it is important to be prepared and knowledgeable before you actually get into an automobile accident. The following checklist may help you get through the difficult time following a car accident in the Maryland area:

· Stay calm and try to determine the extent of your injuries and damage. Panic, though its our initial reaction, will only make matters worse.

· File a car accident report with the police. Even in a minor accident, it is crucial that there is legal documentation that the accident took place. Do not ever leave the scene of your collision until the police file a full report.

· Discuss the accident only with the police. You should only discuss the details of your accident with the police and your insurance company (and your attorney, of course).

· Collect information. Find out as much about the other party as possible. You may want to get insurance information, names, addresses, phone numbers, etc. of anyone involved in the accident and any witnesses.

· Take pictures, if possible. Photos taken at the time of the accident will certainly help your case legally.

· Call your insurance company.

· Call an experienced automobile accident lawyer in Maryland.

If you or a loved one has been involved in an automobile accident in Maryland, please contact the Maryland Accident Lawyers today to schedule your free initial consultation.

Welcome to the Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, Siegel P.C. Maryland High Impact blog.  Here we will talk about all manner of legal issues and cases involving truck and auto accidents in the Greater Washington, D.C. area. We will keep this area full of recent developments and upcoming news, so check back often.