Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Wrecks Caused by Cellphone Use

Though professional drivers, such as those truckers who operate massive big rigs on Maryland roadways, should know better, cellphone use is still very prevalent in commercial trucking circles, as it is with the rest of the motoring public. And despite the acknowledgement by most people that the use of phones and mobile devices while driving is typically a dangerous pastime, many people will themselves admit to doing so on numerous occasions.

As Baltimore personal injury lawyers, the attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, tend to agree with the majority of traffic safety experts that using a cellphone or smartphone while operating a motor vehicle is one of the more frequent causes of traffic accident today. Not only this, but numerous automobile and trucking safety studies have suggested, if not outright declared, that “texting and driving” is more or less equivalent to driving under the influence of alcohol. Such is the result of the distraction that mobile devices now cause; make no mistake, these convenient communication devices have been generating a stream of senseless traffic accidents for years now.

Fortunately, legislators, law enforcement officials and safety experts have managed to raise the public’s consciousness to the dangers of unbridled cellphone and smartphone use. Very important, too, because being distracted by one’s cellphone can sometimes be much more dangerous than actually driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs. While DWI or DUI is certainly dangerous, fewer people take talking and texting while driving as seriously. This would also apply to commercial truck drivers, a group that should be much more attuned to the risky effects of this kind of distracted driving.

One major difference that traffic safety proponents point out between DUI and texting while driving is that texting distracts only for the time in which it is being done. Once a driver ceases the activity, his or her concentration on the road should return to what some would call “normal.” Sadly, many traffic accidents, including commercial truck wrecks, are still attributed to texting or talking while driving. Many of these crashes could probably have been avoided if the negligent motorist or trucker had not been using his cellphone to begin with.

As Baltimore trucking accident lawyers, the legal team at Lebowitz & Mzhen understands how the use of mobile devices, such as the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy smartphone, can often be a significant cause of traffic collisions. In quite a few of these instances, the resulting pain and suffering of the victims can be quite serious. As such, legal professionals such as ourselves are dedicated to assisting those innocent victims of cellphone- and smartphone-related automobile and commercial trucking wrecks.

At Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, we are not surprised that even professional truck drivers do not heed the warnings of many safety advocates in regard to the dangers posed by cellphones. In fact, while most anything can cause a driver to be distracted -- for instance, the mere act of tuning a car radio or drinking coffee -- the distraction presented by a smartphone in the form of talking, texting, or even checking one’s email messages, can be so overwhelmingly engrossing that a driver can actually forget about the world outside his cab.

One of the most dangerous combinations, it has to be said, is a 30-plus ton tractor-trailer being operated by a driver who is scanning his email in rush hour traffic -- dangerous not only to himself, but to all of the other drivers and vehicle occupants in his immediate vicinity. Fortunately, for us here in the state of Maryland, we have laws in place that help to reduce the instances of texting and driving, as well as other distractive and potentially life-threatening activities.

Truckers traveling through our state should know that Maryland law prohibits the use of handheld cellphones and text messaging devices while operating a motor vehicle. Strictly speaking, there are no exceptions -- texting is absolutely prohibited by state law. This includes instances where a trucker may be idling in traffic or stopped at an intersection waiting for a traffic light to change.

As motorists ourselves, we understand how important it is for every passenger car driver and commercial trucker to follow our state’s traffic laws. Causing an injury-related accident while in violation of such laws can leave a driver open to a personal injury claim. Unfortunately, even with the threat of fines and potentially costly civil lawsuits, there will always be some individual who decides that the laws were made for everyone else, or that they possess some superhuman skill to handle multiple distractions while behind the wheel of a huge tractor-trailer rig.

As experienced Baltimore trial lawyers, the legal team at Lebowitz & Mzhen is fully ready to assist those innocent victims of commercial trucking accidents to recover damages from the responsible party(s). And, for the families of deceased individuals killed by the negligent actions of another driver, we offer our services to mount wrongful death lawsuits on behalf of those innocent victims. Frankly, there is no reason why anybody who is severely hurt or killed as a result of the thoughtless or outright negligent actions of another person should not be afforded recourse as provided by law.

Our professional staff understands how devastating it can be for an injured victim to face an ever-growing tally of medical expenses, rehabilitation costs and other injury-related expenditures while still laying in a hospital bed. The lawyers at Lebowitz & Mzhen can help victims to recover damages and maintain their financial security during what is often one of the more trying times of one’s life.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a commercial trucking accident brought about by a distracted truck driver, you shouldn’t have to shoulder the burden of mounting medical bills by yourself. Our attorneys are dedicated to fighting with you to recover damages from the responsible parties. Commercial trucking accident victims have rights; and we recommend to anyone who is badly hurt in a commercial truck collision that you pick up the phone and call a skilled personal injury attorney. The legal team at the law offices of Lebowitz & Mzhen is always ready to discuss your commercial trucking accident case. Don’t hesitate. Call us toll-free at (800) 654-1949; or email either Jack Lebowitz or Vadim Mzhen to set up a free, no-obligation legal consultation.