While many roadway accidents involve more than one vehicle, there are instances where a single vehicle -- be it a passenger car, motorcycle or commercial motor vehicle (CMV) -- is involved in an injury-related collision all by itself. Single-vehicle traffic accidents are less common than multi-vehicle collisions, yet the legal work required in pursuit of a personal injury claim will likely the same, if not slightly more involved.
When it comes to commercial truck accidents, it is usually other motorists and passenger car occupants who are injured, yet many professional truckers are hurt or killed in trucking-related accidents. Whether other vehicles are involved, the facts of a personal injury case may clearly show that the commercial truck driver was not to blame, though other parties may certainly have liability due to their actions.
When a truck driver is hurt or killed in a single-truck accident, a Maryland personal injury attorney will need to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash. The results of such an investigation -- by looking at the crash scene, police reports and other evidence -- can sometimes point to mechanical failure of a critical safety-related part or component that was beyond the driver’s control. Other causes that may be identified could include a poor roadway or weather conditions.
As Baltimore trucking accident lawyers, the legal team at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, has helped its share of accident victims. From automobile and motorcycle wrecks, to multi-vehicle beltway collisions, our professional staff has the legal background and litigation skills to aid victims and their families. Whether acting on behalf of a deceased victim’s family by filing a wrongful death lawsuit, or helping a severely injured motorist who has lost the ability to work due to complications from a severe brain injury, we understand the importance of returning those injured parties to some semblance of a normal life, whenever possible.
When it comes to single-vehicle wrecks, as Maryland personal injury lawyers, we understand how the majority of people, including the police and insurance companies, may be inclined to place blame first and foremost on the operator of the vehicle. Yet, in our experience as commercial trucking accident attorneys, there are numerous potential causes for any kind of car, truck or motorcycle crash, all of which should be ruled out before placing sole blame on an injured driver.
Causal factors, such as a defective tire, poorly maintained road surface, missing or confusing directional signage, can each have a direct influence to how or why a single-truck accident may have occurred. The attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen are trained to investigate the facts of every car, truck and motorcycle injury accident in order to build our client’s personal injury cases for trial.
When a commercial trucker -- or passenger car driver, for that matter -- is seriously injured or killed in a single-vehicle crash, there are two separate and distinct causes to consider. Initially, it must be determined what occurred to trigger the accident in the first place. Then, what specifically caused the victim’s injury or death. If the driver is found not to be responsible for the crash itself, other causes and factors must then be considered.
There are known to be instances where a second vehicle caused an accident without physically contacting the victim’s vehicle. This can be a main factor in any number of single-vehicle accidents involving 18-wheel tractor-trailers, delivery vehicles, automobiles, and even motorcycles. One of the more common scenarios is when a driver steers his vehicle off of the roadway in an effort to avoid colliding with an oncoming car or truck, or when another vehicle negligently pulls out into the path of another fast moving vehicle.
Eyewitness testimony can often be a very important piece of evidence in personal injury cases involving single-vehicle accidents, especially those in which the crash was triggered by another person’s negligence. Surprisingly, in such cases, the other negligent driver may not even realize that he caused the victim to veer from the roadway and ultimately crash. Not being aware of his actions, that individual may simply continue on his way, leaving the area where the victim’s vehicle went off the road and crashed.
In the cases involving problems with the roadway or local environment, imperfections in the road or other conditions may have impacted the ability of the truck driver to control his vehicle. Poorly designed roadways have been known to be a factor in certain types of traffic accidents. These can include posted speed limits that are unreasonably fast, poorly placed traffic warning signage, or incorrectly marked road surfaces -- each can be pointed at as a contributing factor in a single-vehicle trucking wreck. Other, non-road problems can include rain, fog or mist, which could have impaired the driver’s ability to clearly see the road or directional signage.
Even unexpected road hazards -- such as a fallen tree or telephone pole -- can prove enough to have caused the driver to make an emergency steering maneuver, thereby resulting in loss of vehicle control and eventually a bad crash. To a similar degree, a large part of another vehicle -- such as tire tread, wheel, portion of an exhaust pipe, or even a piece of a bumper can become a road hazard resulting in a crash.
As a commercial truck driver or motorist in a passenger car, if you have been injured in a single-vehicle crash and believe that another party is to blame for your accident, we recommend that you contact an experienced Maryland automobile and trucking accident attorney. Asking a qualified personal injury lawyer to review your case may be the first step in determining if you can collect damages from any responsible parties.
As commercial trucking injury experts, the attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen have the training and legal background to help you understand your rights as a victim. We will fight for your right to compensation for current, as well as past and future medical expenses related to your injury accident. Please contact our skilled legal team at our toll-free number -- (800) 654-1949 -- for an initial, no-obligation consultation. You may also email either Jack Lebowitz or Vadim Mzhen.