College Park Truck Accident Lawyer

Serious injuries deserve experienced attorneys

As a truck accident lawyer College Park MD drivers hire for legal help, Cohen & Cohen has a few recommendations about what you need to know immediately following an accident. As a regular driver, being involved in an accident with a truck can be traumatic. With a larger profile, bigger blind spots, and potentially hazardous hauls, trucks can pose a serious threat to the cars around them. If an accident does occur, you need to be prepared:

What to Do After Your Car is Involved in an Accident with a Truck

1. Call 911 if you’re able to do so.Don’t assume someone else has already called for help. Almost any truck accident lawyer in College Park MD will tell you that when an accident occurs, many people panic and in the confusion; they may all assume that someone else has made a call to the police. If you are unable to use your phone, but are coherent enough to speak, choose a bystander and tell them to call for help on your behalf.

2. Do not admit blame or apologize to anyone.Apologizing can constitute an admission of guilt. Even if you simply want to express empathy, don’t do it. Almost any truck accident lawyer College Park MD drivers hire may remind you to not discuss your opinions of the accident with anyone, including first responders. When speaking with the police do not volunteer unnecessary information. Stay factual and do not offer theories or conjecture. Here’s why:

• You don’t know yet what exactly happened because an investigation has not been conducted. A good truck accident lawyer College Park MD drivers choose to represent them may conduct their own post-accident investigation to make an independent determination of what happened.
• Because there hasn’t been an investigation yet, you don’t know who is to blame, or if blame should be shared.
• Anything you say can be held against you in court and may also adversely affect a settlement negotiation on the part of a truck accident lawyer College Park MD has to offer.

3. Follow up with the police to verify that an officer filed a report on the accident you were involved in. Without the police report, you may have difficulty filing a claim if injuries or significant property damage occurred.

4. Don’t refuse medical treatment. Not all injuries present symptoms immediately. Shock is very effective at masking pain. These can include internal injuries, spinal cord injuries, neck or back injuries, and many more. It’s important to get checked out and document any conditions that have resulted from your accident, even if your symptoms develop later on.

5. Contact a College Park MD truck accident lawyer immediately. Cohen & Cohen has more than two decades of experience dealing with vehicle accident cases on behalf of our clients. Our attorneys have handled more than 5,000 personal injury cases. We realize that accidents don’t always occur during business hours, so we can be reached 24/7. It is important to contact us right away so that your Cohen & Cohen attorney can protect your rights from the very start.

6. Contact your insurance company and notify them that you have been involved in an accident. Don’t offer details about the accident in terms of how it happened or who is at fault. If you hire a truck accident lawyer College Park MD trusts, provide them with your insurance company’s contact information. Give your insurance company your attorney’s name and let them know your attorney will contact them.

While the above suggestions can help you avoid costly complications to your case, nothing can substitute the personalized counsel of an truck accident lawyer College Park MD drivers rely on.

Everything You Need to Know About Big Trucks and Why They Crash

Commercial trucks play an extraordinarily large part in America’s economy. Consider the following statistics:

• Approximately 36.9 million commercial trucks are registered in the U.S.
• They drive around 305 billion miles on the nation’s roads each year.
• They carry over 72% of the nation’s freight.
• They pay almost $792 billion in gross freight revenues annually.
• They pay almost $46 billion in federal and state highway-user taxes annually.
• The nation’s 928,647 private trucking companies employ 3.6 million truck drivers.
• Each day, over 800,000 trucks carry hazardous materials across the U.S.
• A tractor pulling two fully loaded trailers weighs over 80,000 pounds, compared with the average passenger vehicle that weighs around 4,000 pounds.
• Every commercial truck has a “no zone” behind and on either side of it where its driver can’t see you.

Your Vulnerability

Unfortunately, approximately 500,000 trucking accidents occur each year in the U.S., and upwards of 5,000 of these result in someone’s death. Given the enormous size and weight disparities between your vehicle and a big rig, it’s easy to see why your chances of sustaining serious injuries in a truck crash are exceedingly high.You may need to consult trucking accident lawyers College Park MD.

Top Reasons Why Big Trucks Crash

The top five reasons, not necessarily in order, why big trucks crash are:

1. Driver error
2. Improper cargo loading
3. Inclement weather
4. Poor vehicle maintenance
5. Equipment failure

1. Driver Error

Despite their experience and training, truck drivers are just as likely to make mistakes or poor decisions as anyone else. Some of the most common include:

• Driving while fatigued
• Driving while distracted
• Driving at an excessive rate of speed
• Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs

2. Improper Cargo Loading

The way in which trucking company employees or shippers load a big rig with cargo makes all the difference. If the cargo is improperly secured, the load can shift, especially while going around curves and corners. The results can be catastrophic, not only for the truck driver, but also for you and any other vehicles in the vicinity.

3. Inclement Weather

Rain, snow, ice and wind can play havoc with any vehicle on the road. In terms of a big rig, however, the danger is increased due to the truck’s weight, length and increased stopping distances. In addition, a truck driver’s attempts to slow or stop his or her vehicle can lead to skidding, hydroplaning or jackknifing.

4. Poor Vehicle Maintenance

Given the immense wear and tear that big trucks are subjected to, the possibility of worn brake pads, leaking brake and other fluids and cracked windshields that prevent drivers from clearly seeing what’s ahead of them is ever present.

5. Equipment Failure

Even if the trucking company diligently maintains its fleet, it likely can’t prevent a crash caused by an actual failure of one or more of the truck’s components. If the truck manufacturer used inferior materials, or if a component contains an inherently dangerous design flaw, such defects can easily cause a crash.

If you’ve been injured in accident, it’s a good idea to contact trucking accident lawyers College Park MD. If you decide to pursue your case, trucking accident lawyers College Park MD can help get you the compensation you deserve.

Did a distracted truck driver hurt you?

You might assume that an experienced commercial truck driver would know the dangers posed by distracted driving and never engage in it. Unfortunately, however, this is an erroneous assumption. Big rig drivers are just as susceptible to distracted driving as other drivers. In fact, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that distracted driving accounts for 71% of all big rig crashes and is a major factor in almost 80% of fatal big rig crashes.Victims of negligence sometimes look for College Park MD trucking accident lawyers. 

Driver distraction, whether among truckers or the general driving population, is defined as anything that does one or more of the following:

• Takes a driver’s hands off the steering wheel
• Takes a driver’s eyes off the road
• Takes a driver’s mind off driving

Distraction Causes

Drivers can become distracted by things both inside and outside their trucks. Common distraction causes include the following:

• Talking or texting on a cellphone
• Using a dispatching device
• Eating or drinking
• Reading or otherwise using paper maps
• Writing notes or self-reminders
• Reading billboards
• Watching the passing scenery or buildings

Distraction Statistics

Consider the following trucking statistics:

• Texting while driving makes a driver 23 times more likely to crash.
• Using a dispatching device while driving makes a driver nine times more likely to crash.
• Writing while driving makes a driver eight times more likely to crash.
• Reading while driving makes a driver seven times more likely to crash.
• Using any hand-held device while driving makes a driver three times more likely to crash.

Crash Statistics

Approximately half a million trucking accidents occur each year in the United States, with over 5,000 of them resulting in one or more deaths. Of these deaths, 69% are of passenger vehicle occupants, 16% are of truck occupants and 15% are of pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists. About 87,000 trucking accidents per year result in injuries, many of them serious.

What To Do After an Accident

If you sustain injuries in a crash involving a big truck, your wisest strategy consists of consulting with experienced College Park MD trucking accident lawyers  as soon as possible thereafter. Why? Because you likely will face an extended hospital stay with its inherent skyrocketing medical bills. You consequently need to obtain the maximum amount of compensation possible to cover these and your other expenses and losses. College Park MD trucking accident lawyers can help you in many ways, including the following:

• Review police reports of what happened
• Conduct his or her own investigation to determine fault
• Talk with witnesses
• Review any video camera footage available
• Determine the value of your damages
• File a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf
• Effectively negotiate with the defendant’s insurance company

All in all, your lawyer can take your financial worries off your shoulders so you can concentrate on recovering from your injuries.

The attorneys at Cohen & Cohen have settled over 10,000 cases since 1993; our trucking accident lawyers College Park MD can help – contact us today at (202) 955-4529 for a free case evaluation.

Contact Us Today

There are several reasons why it may be in your best interest to hire an experienced truck accident lawyer College Park MD believes in. Unlike many insurance companies, we have your best interests at heart. Your attorney may be able to negotiate on your behalf to make sure you receive the maximum reimbursement and benefits to which you are entitled. Or, if your insurance company balks at paying you an amount that will cover your accident costs, delays payment to you, or–in the worst case scenario–denies your claim, a Cohen & Cohen attorney may be able to give you legal recourse.

At Cohen & Cohen, we are available 24/7 to set up an initial consultation between yourself and one of our attorneys to discuss your case. This meeting will not obligate you to hire our firm, and you will not be charged for it. We feel confident that Cohen & Cohen will be your legal firm of choice. Call us when you need a top truck accident lawyer College Park MD has to offer.