Many lawyers make the mistake of thinking that a Maryland truck accident is just a larger version of an automobile collision.  These cases are vastly more complicated, and failure to know the specialized rules for truck drivers can make the difference between proving a truck lawsuit and losing at trial.

Types of Truck Accidents

There are many different types of truck accidents, and each may have unique factors that must be investigated and explored during the case.  The largest trucks, 18-wheelers (also called tractor-trailers and semis) may have different rules if they are hauling multiple trailers.  Tow truck drivers are notorious for failing to obey the rules of the road.  Other trucks, like commercial vans, may require discovery of company policies and procedures regarding, for example, cell phone use.

Rules Applicable to Truck Drivers

Many truck drivers require CDL licenses, including those who drive school buses, tow trucks and vehicles over 26,000 pounds.  These licenses require a physical, drug test, and valid driver’s license in addition to a general knowledge test and a driving test.  There are three classes of CDL licenses which give the operator the right to drive different types of trucks and cargo.

Proving negligence in a truck accident case often requires a trucking expert to help explain the rules of the road to a jury which may not be familiar with the intense reporting requirements, sleep and rest rules, and other laws for truck drivers.  There are federal rules on interstate trucking, and Maryland intrastate rules that must be complied with—failure to do so, particularly if it was a safety rule and an accident resulted, could be admissible at trial.

Contact Us

If you have questions after an automobile accident in Maryland or West Virginia, contact our personal injury lawyers at 1-800-776-4529, or send us some brief information about your truck accident to us through our online portal.  We’ll put our expertise to work for you right away.

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