Economic and non-economic losses, such as lost wages, medical bills, legal fees, property replacement and pain and suffering are addressed in loss valuations with punitive damages in some cases.
The United States Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates the trucking industry to ensure standardized safety rules across the United States. Truck accident attorneys in Arnold Maryland are instrumental to successful insurance negotiations, and initiation of court action to settle damage awards when it is necessary to address accident victims’ losses. Skilled legal counsel experienced with trucking regulations can help.
Insurance
Maryland is a “fault” state with a mandatory insurance requirement, and the negligent driver’s insurance will typically be responsible for paying repairs, medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering for the injured party or parties of an accident. Maryland law rarely allows punitive damages that are meant to punish a defendant for egregiously bad conduct toward a plaintiff, and also to deter others contemplating similar behavior.
Post-accident action
What should I do if I am involved in a truck accident in Arnold, Maryland?
- If you are able, check on the condition of the people involved in the accident,
- Call the police or emergency responders if needed,
- Get a written accident report,
- Remain at the accident scene,
- Exchange driver and insurance information,
- Get witness contact information,
- Call your insurance company to set up a claim,
- Seek out medical screening regardless of how you feel, there may be hidden injury,
- Take pictures of the scene, and the vehicle damages,
- If the truck is a Commercial Vehicle, additional reports will have to be completed and filed along with a crash report in accordance with Maryland law.
Commercial driver licensure (CDL)
Commercial driver training must be completed before the granting of a commercial driver license (CDL) in Maryland because of the difficult maneuverability and specialized mechanisms in big rigs and tankers. In the United States there was a 9% increase in fatalities caused by truck accidents in 2017, and 72% of those people were occupants of other vehicles. Tanker trucks may be more dangerous than regular large trailer carriers because of the weight distribution and the type of substance they are carrying, such as flammable liquids, pressurized gases, or highly toxic chemicals that are difficult to clean up after an accident. Individuals should contact a truck accident attorney to discuss legal options after an accident involving a big rig, or tanker.
Loss calculation
Economic and non-economic losses, such as lost wages, medical bills, legal fees, property replacement and pain and suffering are addressed in loss valuations with punitive damages in some cases. Expenses for medical bills and lost wages from work are simply calculated in a claim for damages, but estimates for pain, scarring, emotional harm, or short and long term psychological and physical limitations are not as easy to calculate.
Additional parties
Truck accident lawyers will identify additional parties to an accident claim, separate from the truck driver, including trucking companies, mechanics, or manufacturers of a truck and/or parts, and understand the trucking industry and relevant regulatory laws. They can determine the best legal approach to individual cases such as mediation, arbitration or going to trial, while staving off unnecessary pressure from insurance companies who want to swiftly close out a claim.
Hire legal counsel
Tractor trailer truck accidents involve multiple complex factors that require specific knowledge of the commercial trucking industry, extensive experience of civil laws, and sophisticated investigative capabilities to collect evidence and analyze it to support a negligence claim by a skilled truck accident attorney. Truck accident attorneys at Murnane & ONeill, are experienced with catastrophic claims recovery and understand the necessary steps to ensure that personal injury victims are compensated for their losses.
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