Baltimore Personal Injury Lawsuits: Getting a Third-Party Account Following a CMV Wreck

It is safe to say that the majority of roadway accidents that take place on Maryland’s interstates, beltways and surface streets are usually witnessed by someone; that is to say, one or more individuals either in one of the vehicles involved, or by another driver or bystander nearby. However, while a great many Maryland traffic collisions will tend to have their fair share of eyewitnesses during the daytime, and many by night, there may be other road incidents that occur in the absence of one or more third-party witnesses.

As Baltimore trucking accident lawyers, the legal team at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, is staffed with trained professionals skilled in the area of personal injury law. Our experienced attorneys know very well the critical importance of having eyewitness testimony when pursuing a personal injury or wrongful death claim. This applies not only to commercial trucking accidents, but also to pedestrian, auto and motorcycle-related accidents.

The very nature of trucking-related collisions is that they tend to affect more than one vehicle on the road. Multi-vehicle wrecks are a hallmark of traffic collisions caused by drivers of semi tractor-trailers or large box-type delivery trucks. These types of crashes can result in rather serious and potentially life-threatening injuries to either the driver or his passengers. Extensive bodily injury is especially common in collisions involving 18-wheeled semis, large fuel tankers, gravel haulers or flatbed trucks carrying heavy loads.

Commercial vehicle accidents can take place any time, night or day; however, under certain circumstances -- such as when beltway traffic volume is light or if a crash takes place in a rural area -- the importance of finding one or more witnesses and securing their statements can play a crucial role in a future personal injury claim. Take a typical overnight commercial trucking wreck, which may likely occur with very little vehicular or pedestrian traffic in the area. Such conditions can make it very difficult for injured parties to locate an eyewitness to the crash. Because of this, it is important to obtain the names and contact information from anyone who may have been witness to the crash.

As Maryland trucking injury attorneys, our job is to investigate all details surrounding an injury-related traffic accident in order to prepare a successful claim for a client. We have been fighting for victim rights for years now, and our legal training, courtroom experience and knowledge of Maryland legal statutes come into play with every personal injury and wrongful death claim we work on. This allows us to provide victims of automobile and commercial trucking accidents with an aggressive approach to resolving these kinds of claims. With every case we prepare, our aim is to help our clients recover damages due them. These monetary awards represent compensation for medical costs, rehabilitation fees, long-term nursing care and other injury-related expenses.

Regardless of the location -- such as areas in and around Annapolis, Gaithersburg, Rockville or the District -- our personal injury experts are well-equipped to fight for each of our clients in their pursuit of compensation from negligent drivers and other responsible parties. For those families who have lost a loved one in a senseless commercial trucking wreck, we will work hard to prepare and litigate a wrongful death lawsuit against those responsible for that untimely death.

As mentioned previously, one critical aspect of nearly any trucking or passenger car injury claim is securing the statements of any witnesses to the accident. First-hand accounts can help to strengthen a plaintiff’s claim against a negligent truck driver. While having an experienced Maryland personal injury lawyer on one’s side is very important, having the proper evidence to back a personal injury or wrongful death claim is just as critical to a successful lawsuit.

It is important to remember that even without a statement gathered at the scene -- which can be difficult to get under certain situations -- simply obtaining the eyewitness’s contact info may be sufficient; in such cases, the Maryland trucking accident lawyer who handles your claim can call the individual for a full statement after the fact. This type of approach allows your attorney to ask key witnesses specific questions relevant to the specific accident case. The legal staff at Lebowitz & Mzhen knows how to interview potential witnesses and obtain the most useful information.

An interview after the fact will also ease the process by allowing the eyewitness to respond to questions away from the chaos of the initial event. Taking eyewitness statements can be done either in person or over the phone. Your lawyer will likely want to determine how each witness came to observe your particular traffic collision. This includes how and what the individual saw before the impact, as well as any events that occurred following the trucking wreck.

Eyewitness observations can also include incidents or other events that took place much later, such as when a victim was being treated by emergency responders or hospital personnel. Some important points that should be addressed when interviewing witnesses may include the following:

• When did the witness come upon the crash site?
• What was his intended destination prior to stopping at the accident scene?
• Where did the eyewitness view the event?
• At what distance was he or she in relation to the scene of the wreck or other accident-related events?
• Which way was the person facing at the time of the collision; and after the crash?
• Was his or her view of the accident scene obscured in any way?

As experienced commercial trucking accident lawyers, the professionals at Lebowitz & Mzhen are committed to helping victims of negligence-related automobile, motorcycle and truck collisions recover medical costs, physical therapy and rehabilitation expenses, nursing and other expenditures that they are legally entitled to under Maryland law. In determining compensation, our legal staff will consider past, present and future healthcare costs arising from those injuries received as a result of a bad trucking-related road accident. If you have questions pertaining to your right to monetary compensation following a Maryland commercial trucking collision, please contact one of our attorneys at (800) 654-1949 in order to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. You may also email either Jack Lebowitz or Vadim Mzhen to arrange a one-on-one meeting about your personal injury claim.