Three teens were injured in a car accident in Landover earlier this month, and narrowly escaped further tragedy.
Authorities in Prince George’s County reported that a tractor trailer was pulling into a warehouse on Ardwick Ardmore Road just before midnight Tuesday when the collision occurred. The car became wedged under the trailer, but the teens were able to escape just before both vehicles reportedly caught fire.
A fire department spokesperson said that the tractor trailer was carrying materials used to manufacture mattresses at the time of the accident. It took fire crews approximately 20 minutes to fully extinguish the flames.
The teens were transported to local trauma centers. The driver of the truck was not seriously injured. The street was closed for a period of time while authorities cleared the scene, and conducted an initial investigation.
While there is relatively little information to go off of regarding the cause of the accident in this case, it seems clear that the end result of the car becoming pinned, and then bursting into flames, probably had much to do with the physics implicated by the fact that the other vehicle was a tractor trailer.
If you are involved in a car accident, one of the first things you should do in addition to seeking medical treatment, if necessary, is to contact the police. You will want to have a police report in order to document the extent of the accident. The police report will provide a summary of the way the accident occurred and will identify the parties and witnesses.
Additionally, it is critical that you preserve whatever evidence that you can in order to support your case, should you go to trial. For example, many individuals will keep a disposable camera in their glove compartment in order to take pictures following an accident.
By law, you are required to exchange contact information with the driver of the other vehicle, which is another valuable piece of information.
Car accidents usually occur because someone is at fault. The theory of fault that car accident claims are typically brought under is negligence. In order to prevail in a negligence cause of action, the plaintiff (person bringing the suit), will have to demonstrate that the driver responsible for causing the accident operated his or her vehicle in a way that was a deviation from what a reasonably prudent person. Typical examples of this include things such as speeding excessively, failure to observe traffic laws, failure to yield, etc. If successful, a negligence claim recovery could compensate you for your pain and suffering, lost wages, disability, and more.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car accident in Maryland, contact the experienced car accident attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers immediately. We have extensive experience in aggressively advocating on behalf of individuals and families who have suffered due to personal injury or wrongful death as a result of a car accident. We can help you recover the compensation that you deserve. If you believe that your car accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, please contact us today by calling 1-800-654-1949, or through our website, in order to schedule your free initial consultation.
More Blog Posts:
Maryland Man to Serve Time For Role in Tragic Accident, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published July 15, 2013
3 Car Accident in California, Maryland, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published July 8, 2013