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If you are in a head-on Maryland truck accident, you face catastrophic injuries, including the risk of paralysis and death. Unfortunately, in the head-on collisions our Maryland truck accident lawyers have handled, a majority of them were wrongful death cases. Especially at highway speeds, the mass of an 18-wheeler slamming into a passenger vehicle head-on is too much force for a human to handle. The question quickly becomes, how do you get justice? Our Maryland truck accident attorneys are familiar with these cases, having handled thousands of auto accident cases in Maryland over the last 71 years. Furthermore, Managing Partner Roger Gelb has personally handled thousands of cases in his distinguished career. This experience positions him to effectively represent you or your family member throughout the case.
Maryland’s highways and roadways see thousands of truck movements daily, increasing the risk of head-on crashes caused by driver fatigue, reckless overtaking, distracted driving, or mechanical failures. While safety technology has improved over the years, the number and gravity of distractions have increased even more. For example, if a trucker is texting and driving while behind the wheel, that can be enough for him to veer over the yellow line and into oncoming traffic. When that happens, who is at fault? Is it because the trucker is texting? Even if you know who is at fault in the accident, how do we prove that at trial? As the plaintiff, we carry the burden of proof. Thus, we must investigate the accident, collect evidence, and present it in a way that is convincing while also sympathetic to your undoubtedly difficult situation.
Every head on Maryland truck accident is a bit different. Determining who is at fault requires a thorough investigation and collection of evidence. Everything we uncover should go towards building your case. To build your case, we are looking for instances of negligence. For example, did the truck driver pass recklessly over a dotted yellow line? You may pass over these lines in Maryland, however, you must behave prudently. Moreover, it is rarely reasonable for an 18-wheeler to pass a dotted yellow line. Commercial trucks do not have the speed to perform this maneuver unless a vehicle in front of them is stopped. Of course, there are countless other possibilities of driver negligence. Is the trucker speeding? Did he fail to stop in time and rear-end the vehicle in front of him? We consider all possibilities.
Of course, we also consider other sources of recovery. For example, was there a mechanical function? Brake malfunctions, tire blowouts, or steering issues can cause a truck to drift into opposing lanes. If any of this happens, the trucking company may be liable for your injuries and not the driver. Of course, the trucking company may still be liable even if for driver negligence. However, this depends on whether the driver is operating within the course and scope of his employment at the time of the accident. A third source of recovery may be from the state of Maryland. Poor road conditions such as sharp curves, missing road signs, or construction zones can create confusion, leading to a head-on impact.
However, note that this is a harder and more expensive case to win. Thus, it is only worth going this route if you have a skilled truck accident attorney and a valuable case that exceeds the heftier cost of litigating.
There are several explanations for why a head-on Maryland truck accident is so dangerous. This is something you may already intuitively understand. However, it is beneficial to review the reasons because this goes into making a compelling case to a judge or jury. First, they are so dangerous because of the weight disparity between a passenger vehicle and a semi-truck. A fully-loaded 18-wheeler can weigh up to 20 times more than a sedan full of people. Thus, assuming the speeds are the same, the truck will deliver 20 times more force than the smaller vehicle. This force disparity can be enough to destroy the vehicle and deal fatal damage to anyone inside the vehicle. While there is enough force to do significant and even fatal damage when two smaller cars collide, there is little chance of survival if it is a head-on collision with a truck.
Additionally, head-on Maryland truck accidents tend to involve higher speeds. This is the second part of the equation in calculating force. Many head-on truck crashes occur on highways or rural roads where vehicles are traveling at 55+ mph. The combined speed significantly increases the force of collision. More extreme reasons for why head-on accidents are dangerous are possible too. For example, a smaller vehicle can slide under the truck’s trailer in a head-on collision. This can cause fatal head and upper body injuries. This is especially true if the smaller vehicle is a motorcycle. An added factor is that the semi-truck can flip over. When such a large truck flips over, all the factors that make the accident deadly are spread to everyone else on the road. And if the semi-truck is carrying something explosive in the rear, this can further endanger those around the accident.
Our goal as a Maryland truck accident law firm is to meet the burden of proof and win your case. To do this, we require evidence to convince a judge or jury that it is more likely than not that our version of events is true. However, a common defense in Maryland is the contributory negligence defense. This defense is a total bar against recovery. If a judge or jury finds a plaintiff even 1% negligent, they are unable to recover against the defendant. How does this relate to a head-on Maryland truck accident? If a witness testifies that you were even slightly over the yellow median, you may be unable to make a claim. Or, if you did not have your headlights on at the time of the accident, that is another way you may share enough blame in the accident to be unable to recover for your damages.
Another way contributory negligence can arise in a head-on Maryland truck accident is if the defendant accuses you of speeding. Imagine a car attempting to pass a slower driver over a dotted yellow line. They may argue that they could not have reasonably foreseen you coming around the bend as quickly as you did due to your speed. However, this is still an affirmative defense. Thus, they will need some evidence to prove that you were speeding. This is a difficult task without a speed camera or traffic lights nearby.
If you or a family member are in a head-on Maryland truck accident, consult with a Maryland truck accident attorney to fight for your rights. The experienced legal team at Gelb & Gelb has handled hundreds of truck accident cases in Maryland. Call our office today for a free consultation at (202) 331-7227.
Copyright © 2025 Gelb & Gelb, P.C. All rights reserved.