In general, anyone who is driving a truck for work (commercial purposes) must be licensed to drive such a large vehicle. To obtain what is known as a commercial driver’s license, or CDL, the driver must pass both the written (knowledge) and driving (skills) tests that are designed specifically for commercial vehicle operation.
Similar to a regular license, a CDL has three classes that indicate exactly what size of vehicles the driver may operate. A is the highest ranking, allowing the driver to operate any single combination of truck and any trailer. B allows for the operation of trucks that are at least 26,000 pounds while a Class C CDL means the driver may only drive trucks that are less than 26,000 pounds.
Maryland also has numerous endorsements and restrictions that apply to commercial driver’s licenses. For example, the following endorsements show additional privileges the driver has:
- T for a double or triple trailer
- P to carry passengers
- S for driving a school bus
- N to drive a tank vehicle
- H to transport hazardous materials
- X to transport hazardous materials in a tank truck
- TPXS indicates the driver has all of the above endorsements
If the driver who hit you was operating a vehicle for which he did not have the proper endorsements, then he was driving illegally. It’s also possible that the driver was never even properly trained to handle the particular vehicle that caused your Maryland truck crash.
Whether or not the driver who caused your truck accident had the proper license may make a big difference in the amount of compensation that you receive in any Maryland personal injury lawsuit that you choose to pursue.
For more information on what to look for in your Maryland truck accident lawsuit, call the experienced Silver Spring truck accident attorneys of Nickelsporn & Lundin at 1-800-875-9700.