Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

As a Maryland car and truck accident attorney, I interact every day with persons injured in automobile accidents. Many of these traffic collisions are caused by operator error, driver inattention or distraction. Occassionally, poor road or weather conditions can result in single- or multi-car accidents. The latest snow storm that we all experienced made driving more than inconvenient for many Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. residents -- at least one person died as a result of this storm.

Since bad weather almost always results in poor road and driving conditions, I always suggest to friend and family that they avoid going out in storms like the one we just had. Getting into a car or truck wreck because of slippery streets is always a possibility, which is something that happened to dozens of motorists this past week.

According to news articles, the winter storm that socked the East Coast stranded many motorists and caused numerous fender-bender crashes. Near blizzard conditions reportedly hit many residents of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states, slowing and even stopping travel throughout the region.

Highway crews in Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia sprayed brine on heavily traveled roads to help prevent snow and ice from sticking. The National Guard used Humvees to rescue stranded motorists in the Virginia area, while nearly 500 people moved into emergency shelters to keep warm after power outages caused furnaces to fail. At least one person was killed as a result of numerous traffic accidents.

Based on news reports, nearly two feet of snow fell in some areas, with parts of Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. experiencing blizzard conditions. Public transportation in the District of Columbia nearly ground to a halt, but it wasn’t enough to keep senators from staying in session to debate health care reform.

Eventually the slow-moving storm headed to the northeast but not before the mayors of Washington and Philadelphia declared snow emergencies while governors in both Virginia and West Virginia declared states of emergency.

Forecasters had said the storm system was expected to generate winds up to 35 miles per hour, which could cause near-whiteout conditions. It was thought that this could have been the most snow seen in the nation’s capital since February 2003, when nearly 27 inches of snow fell at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

East Coast storm update: Snow causes thousands of accidents, knocks out power, strands motorists, Syracuse.com, December 19, 2009

Regardless of what kind of vehicle you travel in -- car, SUV, minivan or pickup truck -- traffic accidents can result in injuries ranging from simple bumps and bruises to more serious compound fractures and internal bleeding. In the case of high-speed or head-on collisions, traumatic brain injuries, neck and spinal damage or even death can occur.

As a Maryland car accident attorney who has represented numerous individuals hurt in auto wrecks over the years, I know first hand the potentially serious injuries that can result from these kinds of crashes. A recent news story illustrated just how many people can be affected by a single highway accident.

According to news reports, nearly one dozen people were hurt in a Carroll County traffic accident earlier this month. The incident occurred just before 6pm on Friday, December 5 along Route 482. Based on a police investigation, the two-vehicle crash was a direct result of a blown-out tire.

The Carroll County Sheriff's Office reported that a 2005 Kia Sedona minivan with nine occupants was traveling westbound along Route 482 when one of its tires blew. This caused the driver of the van to loss control of the vehicle, which crossed the centerline into the eastbound lane. The minivan then struck a 2005 Nissan pickup truck that was pulling a flatbed trailer.

The minivan hit the pickup truck along the driver’s side of the cab and bed area, after which the minivan spun to a stop on the eastbound shoulder beyond the truck and trailer. The Nissan reportedly left the roadway and hit a utility pole on the eastbound shoulder.

Following the arrival of rescue crews, two women in their twenties were transported by helicopter to Shock Trauma, while an 18-month-old child was flown to John's Hopkins Children's Center with facial injuries. All three were reportedly in stable condition at the time of the news article.

Eight other people were transported by ambulance to Carroll Hospital Center, where they were treated for non-life threatening injuries and later released. Meanwhile, a traffic accident reconstruction team from the Carroll County Sheriff's Office was conducting a detailed investigation, the results of which were not available at the time.

11 People Hurt in Carroll County Crash, ABC2.com, December 5, 2009

A potentially deadly situation occurred recently when a pickup pulled out in front of a loaded St. Mary’s County school bus on Great Mills Road. Auto accidents involving school buses can ofter result in injury to numerous children riding in the vehicle. I'm well aware of this as a Maryland automobile accident lawyer. In this case, the kids onboard were not injured, although the man driving the pickup truck apparently remained hospitalized following the crash.

The traffic wreck occurred just before 7am on the morning of Wednesday, December 16, when a 1999 Dodge truck driven by 55-year-old resident of Lexington Park failed to yield to the school bus. According to reports, William Woodley Dyson pulled out of Prather Drive directly into the path of the oncoming school bus, which then hit the man’s pickup truck.

According to the sheriff's office, five children and the bus driver, 31-year-old Torri Lavore Hall of Lexington Park, were taken by ambulance to St. Mary's Hospital for evaluation, while the pickup driver was flown via Maryland State Police Trooper 7 helicopter to Prince George's Shock Trauma.

The five Little Flower School students on the bus, whose ages ranged from 6 to 13 years, along with the bus driver were reportedly in good condition following the crash. The kids were released from the hospital back in school by lunchtime.

According to reports, this is the second parochial school bus accident in as many weeks. Previous to this latest crash, a bus that transports students to St. John's School and St. Mary's Ryken High School was involved in a collision the morning of December 9 on St. Andrew's Church Road.

St. Mary's County government oversees 43 buses run by 18 contractors. The buses service 11 private elementary schools as well as St. Mary's Ryken High School by transporting between 1,600 and 1,900 children.

Students not hurt as bus, truck collide, SoMDNew.com, December 18, 2009

A flagman at a Buckeystown construction site along Maryland’s Route 85 was killed by a construction vehicle while working his shift. According to news reports, Maryland State Police arrived at the scene to find the road construction had died after being crushed by a construction truck driven by another co-worker. I and my colleagues have seen the results of this kind of fatality on more than one occasion. As a Maryland auto accident lawyer I also understand how a family can be devastated by the loss of a primary bread-winner.

In this particular instance, the accident occurred just before 3pm on a Friday afternoon. Police reports say that Carroll Michael Rehmert of Brooklyn Park, MD, was working on foot as a flagman near the intersection of Route 85 and Lime Kiln Rd when he was killed. The 57-year-old man was an employee of LAI Construction, according to news reports.

At the time of the incident, Rehmert was working as in an area where damaged lines in the road were being repaired. He had stopped traffic in the northbound lanes when the truck backed over him, pulling Rehmert under the rear axle.

Tragically, after Rehmert had been pulled beneath of the truck, the driver ran over the man a second time when he panicked after realizing what had happened. The operator of the bucket truck was identified as 37-year-old Anthony Wayner Lamburn of Alum Bank, PA. Rehmert was pronounced dead at the scene.

Both men worked for LAI Construction, a Maryland-based company located in Perry Hall, Maryland. At the time of the news report, police had not yet determined if charges would be filed in the case, and an investigation was continuing. It was also not known if the accident had been reported if officials at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had been contacted regarding this fatal incident.

Construction Worker Killed in Buckeystown, Your4State.com, November 6, 2009

Walking is certainly a healthy and invigorating pastime; however nobody expects that your next evening constitutional will be your last. Naturally, pedestrians must be vigilant when strolling along public roads, but drivers also have a responsibility not to place others in danger. As Maryland injury lawyers representing automobile accident victims and their families, our office is greatly aware of the tragic results of pedestrian traffic accidents.

Recently, a news article detailed the traffic death of an older Mechanicsville man who was killed during an evening walk along a local highway. Apparently an elderly gentleman who was know to frequently go out on foot for long walks died on November 30 after being hit by a northbound vehicle along Maryland’s Route 235.

Police reports indicate that 85-year-old James Thomas Yorkshire was treated by fire and rescue crews, who responded to the accident that had occurred just before 9pm. At the time of the news report it was unclear whether Yorkshire, who died at the scene, was walking in the northbound lanes or perhaps crossing the highway.

According to Maryland State Police, Yorkshire was struck by a 2007 Chrysler Town & Country minivan driven by 57-year-old Edwin Lewis Lipsitz of Waldorf. At the time of the collision, Yorkshire was wearing dark clothing, said a police report. Apparently that stretch of roadway is poorly lit, police said, and it was raining that evening as well.

Reportedly, there was no evidence of alcohol, other drugs or excessive speed, which could have been factors in the accident. The driver of the minivan was unhurt and it was not clear if the police were going to charge the driver with any violations.

Pedestrian, 85, killed in accident, SoMDNews.com, December 2, 2009

Auto safety recalls continue this month with a notice filed with the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) by Mitsubishi for the voluntary recall of approximately 30,000 Lance models. According to the report, the defect cited by the Japanese car maker has to do with the proper function of the airbag system. Having represented numerous individuals injured or killed in automobile accidents, I can truly say that malfunctioning airbags are a big safety concern.

This latest recall focuses on 2008 and 2009 Lancers and Lancer Evolutions models either registered or originally sold in nearly two dozen "salt belt" states. The potential problem could prevent the airbags from deploying properly in the event of an accident. According to the recall, Mitsubishi explains that in areas where road salt is heavily used during the winter months, long term exposure to a mixture of melted snow and road salt could corrode the airbag sensors.

The corrosion could result in a delay in proper deployment of the airbags during a traffic accident, which “could result in driver or passenger injury." Depending on the severity of the collision, faulty airbags could also result in death.

According to reports, the recall affects vehicles originally sold or currently registered in 23 states, including Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Mitsubishi says that it will install new front airbag sensors that have improved corrosion resistance. The fix will be made free of charge and owners should have received a recall letter by this time.

Recall Alert: Mitsubishi Lancer, Lancer Evolution, USNews.com, November 17, 2009

Defective automobile parts and components can result in minor accidents and even fatal crashes. Depending on what vehicle systems or safety equipment fail on a passenger car or truck, the resulting wreck can cause injuries from cuts and bruises to internal bleeding and even fatal brain trauma or serious spinal damage. As Maryland injury lawyers and auto accident attorneys, Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC has the experience to represent individuals injured in as a result of another person’s negligence.

A recent article shows that some fatal accidents are not a result of defective equipment, which brings into question the human factor. Driver error is one of the largest causes of traffic accidents. Depending on vehicle speed and road conditions the ultimate result can be devastating to the occupants involved in a sedan, sport utility vehicle (SUV) or pickup truck accident.

According to reports, investigators’ post-crash inspection of a Maryland State Police cadet's Ford F-250 pickup truck showed no specific defects or height violations, which could have led to the fatal head-on crash that left a Parsonsburg man dead in an earlier accident.

Police officials reported that investigators inspected the truck and found there were no mechanical defects or equipment violations, this according to Greg Shipley, a Maryland State Police spokesman. The vehicle was reportedly inspected by the state police automotive safety enforcement division following the fatal collision on Route 346 on a Friday morning in late November.

Police reports indicate that the cadet’s pickup came to rest on top of the Mercury Sable driven by 19-year-old Shawn Michael Williams. According to police investigators, Williams’ car crossed the center line and collided with the westbound Ford F-250 driven by Travis William Dennis, a 20-year-old Pittsville resident and Maryland State Police cadet.

Cadets are typically hired at around 18 years of age as civilian employees who assist state troopers. According to police, the cadet program is supposed to expose candidates to the duties and responsibilities of a trooper and in doing so help them prepare for the state police academy.

The investigation of the fatal collision is ongoing and could take another month or so to complete.

No violation found in Old Ocean City Road fatal, DelMarVa.com, December 2, 2009

Fatal car accidents are tragic enough, but when you throw in alcohol use the tragedy is even more difficult for a community to bear. There is no excuse for driving drunk, yet every day across Maryland and the rest of the country motorists from all walks of life get behind the wheel while intoxicated. The lucky ones never have a car accident, however many do and those car, turck and SUV crashes can be fatal. The saddest situations involve traffic deaths at the hands of a friend or relative.

As Maryland auto accident attorneys, I and my colleagues see this kind of scenario all too often. Recently I read of a fatal single-vehicle crash that took the life of a young high school student from Howard County, MD. That young man’s choice to ride with a driver who was allegedly drunk was the worst possible decision he could have made.

Based on news articles, 17-year-old River Hill high school student Steven Dankos was riding in the bed of a pickup truck in late November with the older brother of one of his best friends at the wheel, 22-year-old David Erdman. A third passenger was also with them, Erdman’s 17-year-old brother Thomas was riding inside the pickup, police said.

According to police reports, the accident occurred just before 3am on Folly Quarter Road at Buckskin Lake Drive when Erdman lost control of the vehicle and crashed into several ornamental stone pillars along the road.

The vehicle overturned as a result fo the crash, which caused Dankos to be thrown from the truck and land some distance from the impact site. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not know where the three were coming from or where they were headed. The accident report showed that Thomas Erdman was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center and later released to recover at home.

At the time of the news article, investigators were still trying to determine whether the two teenagers had been drinking and whether or not they knew the driver was impaired, as alleged by the police.

David Erdman was charged by Howard County police with driving under the influence, negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle and negligent homicide by motor vehicle. He was arrested after being released Sunday from Howard County General Hospital.

Driver of truck charged in accident that killed River Hill football player, BaltimoreSun.com, December 1, 2009

As auto accident attorneys here in Maryland, we know that car and truck crashes can occur for a variety of reasons. When one of those reasons points to a defective design or service procedure on an automobile, SUV or other passenger car, people take notice. Earlier news reports had stated that Toyota was recalling nearly four million cars including the popular Camry for a seemingly inconsequential problem -- a poorly designed floor mat.

In this case, the vehicles’ accelerator pedal could become stuck when pressed to the floor, held down by the floor mat and causing a potential runaway engine scenario and possible injuries. According to reports Toyota has announces a fix for this potential unintended acceleration issue, which may be a relief to many, but which may call into question the quality aspect of Toyota’s engineering and design work going forward.

Apparently Toyota’s unintended acceleration problem won’t be going away any time soon, either. Consumer Reports has recently taken a look at complaints of unintended acceleration from owners of 2008 vehicles, during which the magazine found that 41 percent of the complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) came from Toyota owners.

For the current floor mat-related issue, Toyota will reportedly be addressing the immediate problem by changing the out the accelerator pedals in four million recalled vehicles in the U.S. According to the latest news, the company will reconfigure the pedals to better conform with the floor mat. In some instances, the shape of the vehicle floor will also be changed to help prevent the problem.

What’s interesting is the news that Toyota will apparently be installing electronic countermeasures in the form of a braking override system in Camry, Avalon, and Lexus ES 350, IS 350 and IS 250 models. This additional control system will act to cut engine power in instances where there is a simultaneous application of both the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal -- as can occur when a driver is trying to stop a car that has a runaway acceleration condition. Reports indicate that owners of these models will be notified during 2010.

All this started back in September, when Toyota announced its largest vehicle recall ever for the floor mat problem. However, investigations by the NHTSA have raised additional questions as to whether floor mats alone were the sole reason for the unintended acceleration incidents in Toyota and Lexus models.

These questions, and the Japanese manufacturer’s massive recall, grew initially out of a fatal accident that occurred last August when an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer and three family members were killed in the San Diego area.

To add to Toyota’s deteriorating image as a builder of quality passenger cars, there are claims surfacing that Toyota destroyed engineering and vehicle test data evidence that it had in regards to pending rollover litigation.

Toyota Tops Complaints of Unintended Acceleration, Report Says, NYTimes.com, December 8, 2009

Head-on traffic accidents are one of the more dangerous and potentially fatal of all vehicle collisions on our undivided highways. While urban accidents can include head-on crashes as well, the higher speeds of rural roads make these kinds of auto wrecks much more life threatening. As Maryland injury and automobile accident lawyers, our firm understands the severity of such crashes and the injuries that passengers can sustain.

Recently, a young Parsonsburg, MD, man was killed when his car unexplainably veered into the path of another vehicle on Maryland’s Route 364 just east of Esham Road in Wicomico County. Police reports indicate that the man’s Mercury Sable crossed the centerline and collided with a Ford pickup truck traveling westbound at that time.

According to news reports, 19-year-old Shawn Michael Williams from Parsonsburg was traveling eastbound on Route 346 when he apparently lost control and his car crossed into the path of an oncoming Ford F-250. According to Maryland State Police Williams not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident and pronounced dead at the scene.

Police reported that speed did not appear to be a factor in the accident, nor were drugs or alcohol contributing factors, either. Defective equipment may have played a role, but no information was available at the time. The driver of the Ford pickup truck, 20-year-old Travis William Dennis of Pittsville, was taken to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for treatment and later released, according to reports.

Police reports show that both of the drivers were traveling alone in their respective vehicles. Sadly, this latest fatality happened during a period of relatively low traffic deaths in the county, at least according to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), whose data shows that fatal crashes in Wicomico County decreased from 18 in 2007 to 14 in 2008.

For comparison, Worcester County reported an increase in fatal crashes (11 in 2007 versus 18 in 2008), while Somerset County reported one fatal crash in 2007 and one in 2008, based on NHTSA information.

Parsonsburg man killed in collision, DelMarVa.com, November 28, 2009

Sometimes the most inconsequential problems can become life threatening; such is apparently the case with Toyota’s Tundra pickup trucks. According to reports, the Japanese manufacturer has recalled 110,000 vehicles from the 2000-2003 model years for a rust problem with the crossmember that holds the spare tire to the frame. As Maryland auto accident and personal injury lawyers, our job is to help victims who have been injured or have suffered due to another person’s negligence.

The defect discussed in the news recently could result in the Tundra’s spare tire falling onto the roadway in front of another car, which could cause that driver to lose control and crash. On a highway, this could result in a multi-car accident. It’s wise for Toyota to recall these defective models, which would otherwise be potential hazards on the road.

Information out of Washington, D.C. shows that the government has urged owners to take preventative action by removing the spare tire from the frame before a dangerous situation occurs. The recently announced recall involves Tundras registered in 20 "cold weather" states including the Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

According to reports, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into excessive rust on Tundra frames this past October after receiving 20 complaints of what the agency refers to as severe frame corrosion. The NHTSA also said that it had received 15 reports of the spare tire allegedly separating from the frame (the spare tire is stowed under the truck’s bed). The five remaining consumer complaints alleged that the vehicle’s brake lines were broken or damaged due to the rusty condition of the frame.

Following this, Toyota announced it would be recalling those Tundras in the cold weather states because road salts and chemical deicers are typically used to treat roads during the winter and could cause additional corrosion in the trucks.

Toyota reportedly will soon begin to notify owners and ask them to take their trucks to a Toyota dealer for an inspection of the frame's rear cross-member. Toyota said if the inspection finds that it can no longer safely support the spare tire, the crossmember assembly will be replaced.

Toyota said if no significant rust is found, owners will have a corrosion-resistant compound applied to the frame. Toyota said the inspections and repairs will be done at no charge to owners.

Toyota to recall 110,000 Tundras over rust, MSNBC.com, November 24, 2009

Two older residents of Boonsboro, Maryland, were recently involved in a serious single-car accident on Sharpsburg Pike when the sedan in which they were riding left the roadway and crashed into a stone wall near the side of the road. As a Maryland auto accident attorney, I have handled hundreds of cases such as this over my career. In many such instances, defective vehicle equipment has been known to have played a part, however driver error is never outside the realm of possibility.

In this case, an 81-year-old female passenger was injured when the driver of the 1992 Buick LeSabre she was riding in apparently lost control of the vehicle on Sharpsburg Pike a little before noon. According to news reports, 86-year-old John Robert Miller of Bakersville Road in Boonsboro, was driving when the car left the roadway.

Patsy Miller, also of Boonsboro, was injured when the LeSabre ran off the right side of the road near 5604 Sharpsburg Pike, south of the Antietam National Battlefield visitors center in Washington County. According to Maryland State Police, the vehicle struck a mailbox and then a drainage ditch. The car then reportedly went airborne and struck a monument before overturning into a stone wall and coming to rest on its roof.

After emergency workers arrived at the scene they treated the two occupants before transporting them to area hospitals. Mr. Miller was taken to Washington County Hospital, but was pronounced dead soon after. At the time of the report, Patsy Miller was being treated at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore and was listed in fair condition.

Woman hurt in fatal crash hospitalized in Baltimore, Hearald-Mail.com, October 20, 2009