The 51-year-old Ellicott City man who was seriously injured in a Maryland truck accident has succumbed to his injuries, WUSA9 reports. Officials say the fatal crash occurred when a tractor-trailer turned left from Interstate 70 onto Marriottsville Road in Ellicott City. The 51-year-old’s Toyota Tundra struck the side of the trailer. It is unclear if the 27-year-old driver of the truck will face criminal charges in connection with the fatal wreck.
Large truck accidents often result in catastrophic injuries, permanent disabilities and death. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 3,921 people killed and about 104,000 people injured in large truck accidents in 2012. In Maryland, 704 vehicles were involved in fatal crashes in the same year. Of those vehicles, 56 were large trucks. This means that tractor-trailers and big rigs made up eight percent of the vehicles involved in fatal Maryland traffic accidents.
The size and weight of large trucks make them quite capable of crushing smaller vehicles. So it is the occupants of other vehicles who tend to suffer the most. In the fatal Ellicott City crash, the driver of the Tundra was killed while the tractor trailer driver escaped unharmed. Of the fatalities reported in truck accidents nationwide in 2012, 73 percent of the victims were occupants of other vehicles, 10 percent were non-occupants, such as pedestrians and 18 percent were occupants of large trucks.
In such cases, it is important that victims and families explore their options. Financial compensation may be available for their damages including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and emotional distress. Families of deceased truck accident victims may be able to file a wrongful death claim against at-fault parties seeking compensation. An experienced Maryland personal injury lawyer at Alpert Schreyer, LLC will examine all aspects of the incident and ensure that the plaintiffs’ rights and best interests are protected.