Important Points to Remember Following a Maryland Commercial Trucking Traffic Accident

As Baltimore personal injury lawyers, the legal staff at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, understands the ease with which a mother, father, grandparent or child can be seriously injured in a sudden and unexpected roadway collision. Our years of experience representing victims of auto, truck and motorcycle accidents allows us to prepare personal injury claims cases for those individuals who have suffered grave injury as a result of a trucking-related traffic wreck.

Being involved in a commercial truck accident can prove to be a very painful and debilitating life event. The last thing that an injured person needs is the worry and anxiety of how to pay for the dozens of medical bills that inevitably result following a serious car-truck crash. Many collisions here in the Baltimore area happen at high speeds, especially those on one of the many interstates crisscrossing our state, or along the Baltimore-Washington Parkway or the Capital Beltway.

Wherever an accident occurs, the chances of someone being critically injured are increased when one or more large commercial vehicles is involved. These extremely large trucks, such as 18-wheeled big rig semis, and smaller, yet just as dangerous box-type delivery trucks, can turn a more diminutive passenger car into a crumpled mangle of aluminum, plastic and steel with very little effort, or notice.

Unfortunately, once a person has been injured in a trucking-related roadway wreck, the need for a qualified personal injury lawyer could be just around the corner. This is why our experienced legal team is always ready and willing to offer its assistance to those victims of severe traffic accidents. We offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation to better help our potential clients. However, preparing a personal injury lawsuit following a commercial trucking accident can often be a complicated matter, and because of this, a victim or his family should prepare for our initial meeting ahead of time.

To better serve our clients, it is important to realize that any auto or trucking injury lawyer will need to ask for a great deal of information in order to assess a prospective client. As such, victims of traffic accidents or their families (in cases of wrongful death) should prepare for their initial consult by having the answers to questions that are frequently asked by auto and trucking injury attorneys. Answers to the simpler ones will likely include information on the victim himself, as well as his vehicle; the trucking firm who owns the commercial motor vehicle (CMV); facts and details surrounding the crash; how the accident happened; and the number, type and extent of the victim’ injuries.

The more information that one can bring to that first meeting, the more fruitful it will be, and the more information a person will come away with regarding one’s right to compensation under the law as well as the odds of mounting a successful lawsuit. By doing your homework ahead of time, you will have a better chance of understanding where you stand when considering an injury claim against a commercial truck driver or trucking fleet owner.

Gathering and compiling the following information prior to your meeting with a trucking accident lawyer who may be handling your personal injury lawsuit should help him or her to evaluate the potential of your trucking injury claim. While this is not an exhaustive list, it may help to make your initial consultation more productive when the time comes.

1) Information about the Trucking Company and its Driver

• Trucker’s name and commercial driver’s license (CDL) number
• Employer’s name, if not an independent
• Name of the company for whom the truck’s cargo/load was being carried
• License plate of the truck
• Other pertinent license information or identifying details about the truck or its cargo
• Associated companies/businesses tied to the truck, trucking company or its driver
• Any additional background on the trucker or trucking company

2) Accident Specifics

• When/where did the trucking accident take place?
• What caused the truck accident?
• What was the condition of the roadway (wet, dry, pot holes, even surface, etc.)?
• Was there a police report made?
• What, if any, offense did the police charge the trucker with?
• Do you know of any other people (car occupants, pedestrians, etc.) who were injured?
• Was an ambulance called to the scene?
• Were any other involved motorists charged with a traffic violation?
• Do you have the names/contact info of the other passenger car drivers or injured victims?
• Do you have the names and contact info of any witnesses?
• Do you have photos/videos of the accident scene?
• Did a TV crew/news reporter come to the scene?

3) Medical Records

• With what injuries were you initially diagnosed following the truck accident?
• Are there any normal tasks that you cannot perform now due to your injuries?
• Were you taken to the emergency room? If so, how long were you in the hospital?
• What kind of initial treatment did you receive?
• Were X-rays taken, or CT/MRI scans performed?
• Have you had any follow-up treatments?
• What are your current symptoms?
• What, if any, is your long-term diagnosis?
• Have you ever suffered similar injuries in the past?

4) Details on the Vehicle You Were Occupying During the Accident

• Year, make and model
• What is the current mechanical/working condition of the car?
• What damage was sustained by your vehicle due to the crash?
• Do you have a repair estimate for the damage?
• Did your vehicle have any previous damage (dents, scrapes, inoperative equipment)?
• Do you have photos (before and/or after) of your vehicle?
• Do you own the vehicle or is it on lease?
• How long have you owned/leased the vehicle?
• Are there any lien-holders or bank interest in the vehicle?

5) Your Personal and Financial Information

• Who is your present employer?
• What is/was your wage or salary?
• Do you have any lost time at work due to the trucking accident?
• Do you have a valid driver’s license?
• Do you or did you have automobile insurance?
• Who is your auto insurance carrier?
• Have you ever been involved in a traffic accident previously?
• Have you ever been convicted of a crime?

As experts in the area of commercial trucking accidents, the litigation team at Lebowitz & Mzhen is well prepared to help those victims of commercial vehicle accidents resulting from careless, reckless or negligent driving on a truck driver’s part. Those who have become the victim of another individual’s irresponsible behavior should never have to shoulder the financial burden of their injuries. Our job is to assist individuals and their families recover damages in the form of medical expenses, lost income due to inability to go back to work, costs due to extended nursing care due to partial or permanent paralysis, as well as other debilitating physical conditions.

As knowledgeable traffic accident injury lawyers serving Maryland and Washington, D.C., our commercial trucking specialists approach every personal injury case with the express intent of going to trial. What this means to our clients is that a well-prepared injury claim can often be so compelling that the defendants may request an out-of-court settlement, which can sometimes spare victims and their families the added stress of a courtroom trial. While this may not always be the case, a favorable settlement can negate the need to go through what can often be a lengthy litigation process.

If you have been badly hurt as a result of a trucking-related traffic collision, we highly recommend that you find an experienced personal injury attorney with a strong background in commercial vehicle accident claims. Our lawyers can sit down with victims of these serious injury accidents and advise them of their legal rights under Maryland law. We are ready and willing to discuss your options going forward. Please give us a call, toll-free, at (800) 654-1949. Or, you may send an email to either Jack Lebowitz or Vadim Mzhen so that we might arrange a free, no-obligation consultation.

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