Posted on May 11, 2020 in Truck Accidents

Due to the sudden and unexpected transition to telework for most of the workers in the United States, UBER has reported some significant changes in its operation numbers. While the rideshare business declined steeply, there was a significant uptick in numbers for both UBER Eats and UBER Freight.

In these unprecedented times, restaurants across the country were shuttered to eat-in guests, but were allowed to offer meals for delivery or curbside pickup. UBER Eats is a food delivery service deemed as essential, which made their drivers eligible to pick up and deliver these meals to residences and other essential businesses. Therefore, the company saw a 53% increase in the service usage between the first quarters of 2019 and 2020.

Likewise, UBER Freight has also seen a significant increase in numbers due to the urgent needs of transport for essential items such as food and medical supplies. Within the first two quarters of the same years, the company reported a 57% increase in loads transported and delivered. The UBER Freight sector is operated as a virtual trucking carrier in which the company contracts its drivers who also have CDL licenses to haul loads.

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 Posted on May 06, 2020 in Truck Accidents

The reports of motor vehicle crashes in Washington D.C. metro newspapers and TV news reports tend to be straightforward and brief. Readers rarely learn much more than the age, gender and hometown of those who were injured or killed.

A recent article in EHS Today takes a more personal approach. The author dives into the details and emotions of a fatal tractor-trailer crash that tore a family apart.

EYES CAN SEE PAIN

The story is told through the eyes of Ed Slattery, a father and husband who lost so much in the violent crash. A trucker driving on three hours of sleep dozed off behind the wheel of his big rig and slammed into the small car carrying Slattery’s wife and two sons.

While Slattery lost so very much that day, other losses were even greater: his wife lost her life and his 12-year-old son, Matthew, lost his ability to walk and much of his ability to speak.

Though his 16-year-old son, Peter, suffered serious injuries in the interstate wreck, he had a “quite miraculous” recovery from his injuries and has grown into a healthy young man.

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 Posted on April 27, 2020 in Truck Accidents

There are thousands of large trucks on the roadways in our country at any given time, performing the important task of transporting goods and supplies in commerce. However, as many of our readers in Maryland may know, these large trucks can present a significant danger to other drivers on the roadways. A collision involving a large truck can result in devastating consequences, including severe damage to property and catastrophic injuries for the people involved.

A recent report shows that truck drivers themselves are seemingly quite worried about one of the biggest issues on the roads today: distracted driving. In fact, the report details a survey in which a vast majority of truck drivers are concerned about the distraction they themselves face when behind the wheel.

Our readers may be surprised to find that it isn’t just the draw of the ever-present cellphone and other technology that can distract truck drivers. The survey detailed in the recent report showed that truck drivers are also concerned about distractions from eating and drinking behind the wheel, the use of GPS devices, adjusting the radio and even the various small tasks involved in operating the controls of large trucks.

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 Posted on April 10, 2020 in Truck Accidents

It is a sad reality that every year in Maryland hundreds, if not thousands, of people die in so-called “accidents.” However, the fact is that many “accidents” are actually caused by someone’s negligent or reckless actions. Take car accidents, for example. These “accidents” are usually someone’s fault. A driver probably caused the collision by speeding or driving drunk, or perhaps a driver was distracted or drowsy behind the wheel. Those actions or omissions, even slight ones, may be the direct cause of a fatal accident.

When a loved one dies in such an “accident,” what are the legal options for the family members who are left behind? Well, for starters, one action may be a wrongful death lawsuit against the party responsible for the death.

Legal options are sometimes the last thing that grieving family members are thinking about in the immediate aftermath of a fatal accident. However, a wrongful death lawsuit, if successful, could provide surviving family members with much needed financial compensation such as, for example, an amount that would be equal to the income and wages the deceased person would have earned if not for the death caused by the negligent or reckless party.

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 Posted on April 10, 2020 in Truck Accidents

Regular readers of our Silver Spring personal injury law blog might recall that back in February, we wrote about claims by rideshare companies that their services are safe. We correctly noted then that “ridesharing is a safer option than driving while impaired.”

While a new study confirms that statement, it also points out that ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft offset a reduction in drunk driving crashes with increases in other types of motor vehicle wrecks that cause injuries to motorists and pedestrians.

The study by researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health was published in the journal Injury Prevention. It notes that vehicle accidents result in around 1.3 million deaths annually around the world. Here in the U.S., more than 33,000 were killed in crashes in 2018 and another 2.3 million suffered injuries.

In the decade since Uber and Lyft launched, ridesharing services have provided more than 11 billion trips in the U.S. Researchers analyzed data from 372 million rides in New York City in 2017 and 2018, determining where in the city vehicle crashes occurred, and then determining how many ride-hailing trips originated nearby at the time of the wreck.

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 Posted on March 26, 2020 in Truck Accidents

When we think of motorcycle accidents, we generally think that it is a distracted, drunk or otherwise negligent motorist who is at-fault. However, sometimes fault in a motorcycle crash doesn’t lie with another motorist — it lies with the manufacturer of the motorcycle itself.

This is the case when the crash is caused by a motorcycle defect. A defect takes place when the motorcycle has an inherent flaw in the way it was designed, making it unreasonably dangerous. The company that designed the motorcycle will be liable if the product had a foreseeable risk when it was manufactured per the design and used for its intended purpose.

If a person is pursuing a product liability claim based on a design defect, in some states the person must show that the risk could have been avoided if there was a reasonable alternative design that was feasible to produce and would not be unduly expensive to produce, all while still meeting its intended purpose.

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 Posted on March 26, 2020 in Truck Accidents

At one time or another, every driver has either inadvertently or purposely exceeded posted speed limits. While doing so may seem harmless, it actually may lead to a couple of consequences. For example, you may receive a costly citation for speeding. Even worse, you are at greater risk for a severe car accident the faster you drive.

The World Health Organization calls speeding the greatest risk factor  for car crashes. Specifically, a 5% increase in speed raises your accident risk by 20%. Speed does not only increase your likelihood of having a car accident, though. It also increases your potential for having a severe one. Before you leave home for your next commute, you should understand why speeding affects your car accident risk.

Accident risk

Driving at the posted speed limit is a good way to minimize your accident risk. You should realize, however, that road conditions may require slower speeds. Regardless, when you speed, a few factors make a car accident more likely. First, fast-moving cars tend to be more difficult to control than their slower-moving counterparts. Also, it takes longer to stop a vehicle that is traveling quickly. Similarly, fast car speeds positively correlate with reduced reaction times.

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 Posted on March 16, 2020 in Truck Accidents

A wrongful death claim for damages can help loved ones who have suffered the unexpected, and wrongful, loss of their loved one. The loss of a loved one in a fatal accident can, of course, be difficult and traumatizing which is why there are legal options, such as a wrongful death claim for damages, available to protect loved ones.

A wrongful death claim is a type of legal claim that is brought on behalf of the lost loved one’s estate for the benefit of surviving family members. When a loved one has been killed by the careless or negligent behavior of another, a wrongful death claim for damages can help surviving family members with some of the challenges they face through a wrongful death claim for damages.

Wrongful death legal protections can apply in a variety of circumstances and can help surviving family members with the financial and emotional damages they may unexpectedly find themselves facing as they struggle to cope with the unanticipated loss of their loved one. The specific damages available through a wrongful death claim depend on the characteristics of the victim and circumstances but can include damages for medical and funeral expenses; loss of support and services and lost prospect of inheritance.

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 Posted on March 05, 2020 in Truck Accidents

A personal injury judgment against a negligent driver is only as valuable as the negligent driver’s ability to pay it. This can be problematic, especially if you’ve suffered extensive damages in the form of medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering, as is often the case with truck accidents.

If that has you concerned, you shouldn’t worry. If a negligent trucker caused your injuries, then you might also be able to seek compensation from his or her employer. To do so, you’ll need to file a vicarious liability claim against that employer. The logic behind vicarious liability is that employers maintain control over who they hire and the performance and duties of those employees. Therefore, if you can show that a negligent trucker was performing his or her job duties at the time of the accident, he or she was on the clock at the time, and the employer was receiving some sort of benefit from the employee’s actions, then you might be able to succeed on one of these claims.

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 Posted on March 02, 2020 in Truck Accidents

Getting into a car accident can be terrifying, no matter the reason. And if the accident causes an injury, it can be even more upsetting and often traumatic. On top of all of that, the last thing you want to worry about is whose insurance will cover the costs of your physical injury and damages to your vehicle.

So, when you get the insurance information of the other driver, what happens if that driver works for a Maryland rideshare company like Uber or Lyft?

Understanding third-party insurance coverage

Companies like Uber and Lyft have third-party liability insurance coverage that comes into play in the case of an accident. If one of their drivers causes the accident, the amount of coverage that is available will depend on two general factors:

• The driver is logged onto the app but hasn’t accepted a trip request. In this case, the coverage is $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.

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