Baltimore Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck Accident Attorney in Baltimore, MD

Commercial trucks are invaluable and essential components of the transportation and distribution networks of the United States. Most Baltimore, MD, area drivers are accustomed to regularly seeing commercial trucks, delivery vans, and tractor-trailers on Maryland roads. Unfortunately, while most drivers can reach their destinations without issue, truck accidents can and do occur for several reasons.

Legal Counsel for Baltimore, MD, Truck Accident Victims

When these accidents happen, they are far more damaging than most other vehicle accidents. They also pose additional problems aside from a higher risk of serious or fatal injuries. Many truck accidents implicate more than one party responsible for the resulting damages, and injured plaintiffs are likely to face significant difficulties navigating these cases. Reliable legal representation is an invaluable asset in a civil claim for damages, but this is especially true for claims involving severe injuries and expensive economic losses.

If you are unsure whether you have grounds for legal recourse after a truck accident in Baltimore, a truck accident attorney is an ideal resource to consult. A good attorney can provide an estimate of your case’s value, and they can help you with more recovery options than you realized were available to you. The Ruben Law Firm has decades of experience representing Baltimore area clients in complex personal injury cases. We can provide the comprehensive representation you need to recover from your truck accident.

Benefits of Hiring a Baltimore Truck Accident Attorney

Navigating the legal aftermath of any motor vehicle accident can be difficult, especially when you have suffered severe injuries that demand immediate intensive treatment. In addition, your recollection of the accident could be impaired by the injuries you sustained, or other difficult questions of liability might arise that complicate your recovery efforts. It’s also possible that the at-fault driver has accused you of causing the accident, and you will need to defend yourself if you hope to recover compensation for your losses.

Legal Counsel You Can Trust Is Vital to Your Claim

A Baltimore truck accident attorney can provide various vital legal services after a personal injury in Maryland. Every year, thousands of people suffer injuries due to the carelessness and misconduct of others. When commercial truck drivers violate their professional obligations and cause devastating losses to others, or when third parties cause multiple-vehicle collisions involving commercial trucks, injured victims need legal counsel they can trust to help them navigate the challenges their cases present.

When you choose the Ruben Law Firm to handle your truck accident claim, you can expect ongoing support and readily available guidance as your case unfolds. We address clients’ concerns as responsively as possible and can handle all the procedural requirements of your case. In addition, we understand that you have many legal questions about recovering from a truck accident, and you may have multiple avenues of compensation available to you.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Maryland

Most commercial vehicles are much larger and heavier than passenger vehicles on Maryland roads, which means they are inherently more dangerous when involved in accidents. Truck drivers have a professional duty of care to operate their commercial vehicles as safely and attentively as possible. They must also abide by trucking industry regulations and ensure their vehicles are in safe mechanical condition.

While truck accidents can occur for many of the same reasons as accidents involving smaller passenger vehicles, large trucks are also especially vulnerable to a few unique risk factors. For example, commonly reported commercial truck accident causes in Maryland include:

• Distracted driving. It is very dangerous for any driver to operate their vehicle inattentively, but this is especially true for commercial truck drivers. A few seconds of inattentive driving can result in a devastating truck accident. Cell phone use, eating while driving, and conversations with passengers are a few commonly cited distractions that can cause accidents.
• Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs. This is illegal and extremely dangerous. The legal limit for blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08% for most Maryland drivers, but the limit for commercial vehicle drivers is .04%. Any commercial truck driver who causes an accident through DUI risks losing their commercial driver’s license.
• Speeding. Exceeding the speed limit reduces the time and distance a driver has to slow down or stop in time to avoid a crash. Speeding is especially dangerous for larger vehicles that require more time and distance to slow or stop.
• Moving violations. Disrupting the flow of traffic can easily result in a truck accident. All commercial truck drivers have a professional duty of care to abide by all posted traffic signals and move through traffic responsibly.
• Improperly loaded cargo. Large commercial trucks carry very heavy cargo, and their loads must be balanced while trucks are in transit. Imbalanced cargo can cause a truck driver to lose control over their vehicle around a sharp curve, resulting in a tip-over or rollover accident.
• Faulty truck maintenance. The party responsible for maintaining a commercial vehicle could face liability if they fail to address a foreseeable safety issue with the truck’s mechanics or if they fail to service the truck on an appropriate schedule.
• Trucking industry regulatory noncompliance. Businesses in the commercial trucking industry must follow various regulations enforced at the federal level by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Additionally, Maryland state law imposes further restrictions on certain types of commercial vehicle activity. When trucking companies and/or their employees violate applicable industry regulations, they can face liability for accidents, as well as expensive fines and other disciplinary action from oversight agencies like the NHTSA.

These are just a few possible causes of trucking accidents throughout Maryland. Injured drivers must know their options for legal recourse when these incidents occur. Auto insurance is typically the first step in recovery from a motor vehicle accident in Maryland, but success with an insurance claim requires establishing fault. Proving liability for the truck accident you recently experienced could be far more challenging than you initially expected, but the right attorney can help you meet whatever unique challenges your case presents.

Determining Liability for a Truck Accident in Baltimore, MD

Success with any recovery efforts after a Baltimore truck accident will depend on your ability to prove fault for the incident. State law requires all drivers to carry auto insurance, and truck drivers and their employers also have auto insurance obligations. State law dictates that the driver responsible for causing an accident assumes liability for the other driver’s damages. The injured driver may then file a claim for compensation against the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy.

State law requires all auto insurance policies to include several types of coverage, and drivers are encouraged but not required to purchase uninsured motorist coverage with their policies. As a result, filing an auto insurance claim may seem straightforward, but many injured drivers face unexpected challenges with their claims.

An experienced Baltimore truck accident attorney can help you gather whatever evidence you need to establish liability. For example, if another driver caused a truck accident in which you were injured, you could file a claim against their auto insurance policy in pursuit of compensation. Your legal team can help you gather evidence like vehicle computer data, cell phone records, or traffic camera footage to establish fault for the accident. It is also possible for your claim to target more than one defendant.

The legal concept of vicarious liability comes into play when one party bears liability for the actions of another party and the resulting damages. Typically, the legal rule of vicarious liability is applied to employers and their employees. This means that under certain circumstances, a trucking company or other employer could face liability for their driver’s actions.

The Ruben Law Firm has helped many past clients navigate complex civil claims for damages. We know the challenges you are most likely to face when it comes to proving fault for the damages suffered, but we have the resources and experience you need on your side to approach the situation with confidence.

Filing an Insurance Claim After a Truck Accident in Maryland

Insurance is the most commonly taken first step toward recovery after vehicle accidents in Maryland. State law dictates you have the right to file a claim against an at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy if they caused your accident. A trucking company may have an expansive policy that could fully compensate your losses. However, dealing with insurance company representatives is often challenging, and most insurance companies look for any reasons they can find to reduce claim settlement offers or deny claims outright.

Having an experienced attorney assist you with your insurance claim after a serious accident is an invaluable asset. Your legal team can help draft a compelling demand letter to the insurance carrier. They can also review the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy to ensure you receive an appropriate recovery. Finally, if any issues arise regarding your insurance claim, your attorney can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf until you reach a suitable conclusion to your claim.

While an attorney’s assistance can make filing an auto insurance claim much easier, there is no guarantee that the at-fault driver’s insurance policy can fully compensate your losses. Truck accidents can cause devastating, life-changing injuries, and you may face a wide range of immediate and future losses. When your damages exceed available insurance coverage, you must file a personal injury claim to recover completely.

Filing a Personal Injury Claim for Truck Accident Damages

If you intend to pursue a personal injury claim in Maryland, you must be certain of liability for the incident. This is because the state enforces a contributory negligence law, meaning that if a plaintiff bears any partial fault for causing the damages they have listed in a personal injury claim, they lose the right to claim compensation from the defendant even if their fault is slight.

Once you have firmly identified the party or parties responsible for causing your recent truck accident and assessed the scope of your damages, your attorney will help with your recovery efforts. These are likely, to begin with, an insurance claim against the at-fault driver. Then, once you exhaust available insurance coverage, you can proceed with your civil claim for damages, seeking compensation for any losses that your insurance didn’t cover.

Success with your personal injury claim requires proving the defendant directly caused your claimed damages. You must prove they were negligent, reckless, or intentionally harmful in some manner that directly caused your losses. You must also provide sufficient proof showing your damages could not have occurred but for the defendant’s negligence or misconduct.

A successful personal injury claim can be essential to your recovery from a serious truck accident. At best, most injured victims can hope for some compensation for their vehicle repair costs and medical expenses from at-fault drivers’ insurance. While filing a personal injury claim may seem daunting, you are more likely to succeed if you have legal counsel advising you, and a good attorney can help you secure a more expansive recovery than you initially expected.

Damages and Compensation for a Maryland Personal Injury

When there are grounds to file a personal injury claim in response to a truck accident in the Baltimore area, your case award could significantly enhance the compensation you receive from insurance. An experienced Baltimore truck accident attorney can help you calculate the economic damages you can seek in your claim, which is likely to include:

• Property damage, including vehicle repair costs and other property losses that insurance can’t cover.
• Medical expenses, including both immediate and future medical expenses for treating injuries the defendant caused.
• Lost income and lost earning capacity. If the defendant’s actions inhibit the plaintiff’s ability to work, the defendant is liable for the resulting lost income.

Outside of economic damages, plaintiffs also have the right to seek compensation for the pain and suffering they experienced. However, Maryland state law limits the amount of non-economic damages a personal injury plaintiff can include in their claim. State law sets different limits for personal injury claims, wrongful death claims, and wrongful death claims with dependents, and these limits increase slightly each year to account for inflation.

It is crucial for anyone intending to pursue a personal injury claim in Maryland to understand the contributory negligence law. This statute prohibits a plaintiff from recovering damages from a defendant if the plaintiff bears partial fault for the injury. Even if the plaintiff’s shared fault is very slight, any contributory negligence bars them from recovering compensation in a Maryland personal injury claim.

If you have any doubts about who is responsible for your recent motorcycle accident or are worried that you bear partial liability for the accident, you must speak with an experienced Baltimore truck accident attorney as soon as possible. In addition, once you address your immediate medical concerns after an accident, reach out to an attorney you can trust so they can begin assisting with your recovery.

What to Seek From a Baltimore Truck Accident Attorney

The right legal team can positively impact the outcome of your recovery efforts after a truck accident. Unfortunately, many injured victims are unaware of all the legal options available to them in these situations. As a result, they can make unintentional mistakes that jeopardize their recoveries when they fail to secure legal representation as soon as possible after their accidents. Therefore, when you choose the Ruben Law Firm to handle your truck accident recovery efforts, we will begin working on your case immediately to improve your chances of maximum recovery.

Our team can help you gather the evidence needed to establish liability. We may also perform extensive research to prove that a defendant failed to abide by trucking industry regulations if necessary. But when it comes to establishing all of your damages, our team knows how to help you capitalize on every available channel of compensation. Our goal is to help you recover as fully as Maryland law allows and to ensure accountability for the driver who caused your damages.

Contact Our Baltimore Truck Accident Lawyers Today

Truck accidents are not only some of the most damaging vehicle accidents anyone can experience but also some of the most challenging to resolve from a legal perspective. You may have sustained severe and life-changing injuries and face difficult questions of liability you don’t know how to answer on your own. Any vehicle accident has the potential to impose significant long-term consequences, and the right attorney can make a tremendous difference in the quality of your recovery efforts.

The team at the Ruben Law Firm in Baltimore, MD, has decades of professional legal experience we can put at your disposal in a truck accident claim. We know the unique legal challenges these cases often present and the difficulties victims face when injured by the negligence or misconduct of others. If you are ready to explore your options for legal recourse with an experienced Baltimore truck accident attorney you can trust, contact the Ruben Law Firm today and schedule a free consultation with our team.