Commercial Truck AccidentsIllegally Parked Commercial Truck Accident Lawyers

Commercial trucks must follow federal motor safety carrier act regulations, company manuals, industry practices and commercial driving requirements. Truck accident attorney, George Patterson demonstrated his knowledge and experience with these rules by becoming board certified as a truck accident attorney by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He also earned advocate member status with the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys by passing their exam.
Commercial truck accident lawyer, George Patterson has handled numerous truck accident cases involving illegally parked commercial trucks. George Patterson has been quoted in an article entitled “When Your Parked Car is at Fault” published on FoxBusiness.com and “When a Parked Car is at Fault” published on Money.MSN.com. Insurance companies typically deny claims by people who were injured when they struck an illegally parked truck on the grounds that the driver was negligent for failing to see and avoid the illegally parked truck.

Illegally parked vehicles, particularly trucks can lead to serious catastrophic accidents. Ordinarily a person that has illegally parked a car that is struck by another car will not be liable for the accident. Illegally parked commercial trucks are different. Commercial trucks are subject to additional parking restrictions and regulations. Liability for all illegally parked vehicles occur if the parking statute that was violated was meant to prevent accidents as opposed to maintaining the free flow of traffic. For example, cars that double park on a busy city street are violating a parking statute that is meant to maintain the flow of traffic. On the other hand, a truck that parks on a narrow roadway just past a sharp bend in the roadway is creating a hazard. That parking restriction is meant to protect approaching drivers. Simply put, the no parking signs in that location are for the protection of drivers that will not have time to react to a stopped vehicle in the roadway.

When a commercial truck stops on a roadway the analysis does not end with a determination as to whether it was legal for the truck to park under local laws. Depending on the size of the commercial truck, the truck driver may have an obligation to place three warning orange triangles behind the truck and to have their flashers on. In addition, if the weather conditions are extremely hazardous certain commercial trucks are required to avoid parking on shoulders of highways.

Trucks that park along roadways are required to use safety triangles and activate hazard lights. Most of us have noticed the red and white striped tape that lines the rear and sides of trailers. Truck drivers are trained to maintain this striping and to understand the limitations of the striping. If the reflective striping is not regularly cleaned it can become ineffective. This is particularly true for trucks that drive through construction sites or across salt covered roads. Truck drivers also are trained to know that the reflective tape reflects light to those that are perpendicular to the surface of the tape. If you are directly behind a parked truck, your headlights will hit the reflective tape and the light will reflect to alert the driver. If that same truck is parked at a 45-degree angle, approaching headlights will still strike the reflective tape but the reflected light will be directed away from the approaching driver. Commercial truck drivers are required to conduct pre-trip inspections and forbidden to operate a commercial motor vehicle that does not have operational and required emergency equipment.

Truck accident lawyer, George Patterson has litigated truck accident cases where a large truck was illegally parked on an unlit roadway at night near an intersection. George Patterson’s client made a right turn and observed a stopped truck in his path. The driver had no time to react and his car slid under the rear of the truck. The reflective tape on the truck failed to protect my clients because it only provided a warning once my clients had fully completed their right turn, by that time it was too late. Also, the truck was stopped less than 100 feet from the intersection. The driver was required to place orange warning triangles behind the truck. The last of the three triangles had to be placed 100 feet from the rear of the truck. These truck accidents are very dangerous because the driver and his passengers are often in danger of severe head injuries due to a car’s bumper riding under the rear of the truck.

Highway accidents involving tow trucks or stopped tractor trailers on the shoulder have also been litigated by George Patterson. One of George Patterson’s car accident clients was injured when a tow truck driver partially obstructed the left lane of the beltway with his tow truck at night. Mr. Patterson’s client unexpectedly found his travel lane partially blocked. A serious beltway accident occurred that resulted in both parties suing each other for the accident. The case was heard in Upper Marlboro and the court found that the violations of statute by the tow truck driver were the cause of the accident and that George Patterson’s client was unable to see and avoid the tow truck.

Accidents involving stopped trucks that have inadequate light or reflective striping required by law are fairly common. Many fatal accidents have occurred when a truck with a long trailer attempts to cross a road with a trailer that is missing the required reflective material that should run the length of the trailer. This is exceedingly dangerous when a flat-bed trailer is involved. A flat-bed trailer without lights on the side or reflective stripping may be nearly invisible to approaching drivers at night.