Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

An out-of-state driver being pursued by police recently caused another innocent motorist to be hurt during a chase that ended with the suspect’s vehicle lying on its side. As a Baltimore auto accident attorney, I know how an unsuspecting driver can become a hapless victim of someone else’s mistake or misdeed. In this particular case, the victim received various injuries which required him to be transported to the hospital for treatment and observation.

According to news reports, a police chase ended badly for one man after his sport utility vehicle hit one vehicle and crashed into a utility pole. The incident began when a Maryland state police trooper observed the driver of a late model Honda Pilot operating his vehicle in “an aggressive manner” around 8:30am in Funkstown, MD.

The officer then saw the driver pull up to a red traffic signal behind two cars at the intersection of Baltimore Street and Edgewood Drive. Surprisingly, the man pulled past the two stopped vehicles and drove through the red light. According to police reports, the driver headed northbound on Edgewood Drive, but just prior to reaching Dual Highway he apparently made an abrupt U-turn and started going back south.

The Pilot allegedly hit a Jeep that was stopped in traffic, swerved and then hit a small wall at the intersection of Edgewood Drive and Stouffer Avenue. The vehicle ran into a nearby utility pole before rolling onto its side. The driver ended up in the hospital with a head injury as a result.

The driver, identified as 21-year-old Brian P. Bennett, kicked out one of the windows on the Honda and attempted to flee from the officer, who drew his weapon and ordered the man to lie on the ground. Once in custody, Bennett was charged with 13 different counts, including exceeding the speed limit, negligent driving, reckless driving, driving on suspended license, failure to stop after an accident and attempting to elude a uniformed police officer.

Chase ends in crash in Funkstown, Herald-Mail.com, March 18, 2010

As a Maryland driver myself, I do worry about the mental and physical states of other drivers on the road. It is a matter of fact that we all take a daily risk as we share the road with hundreds and thousands of other motorists. It is impossible to know whether any one of those drivers could be drunk, overtired, impaired from prescription medication, or just plain distracted by their cellphone or mobile device.

Needless to say, any traffic wreck is one too many, and the causes are secondary to the aftermath as far as the victims are concerned. As a Baltimore auto accident lawyer and personal injury attorney, I can say that negligence takes many forms. Society has become very sensitive one form of bad behavior -- drunk driving -- with law enforcement and the court system ready and willing to prosecute offenders.

But even when an individual is convicted of vehicular homicide or injury by auto, the victims and their families must continue to deal with the emotional scars and financial costs of that negligent driver’s actions. This is why I and my colleagues try so hard to help people in need by suing to recover damages from medical costs, such as treatment for traumatic spinal injury, and lost wages due to a breadwinner’s incapacitation after a crash.

A recent accident brings the point home for everyone, as police arrested a driver suspected of drunk driving following a head-on injury accident in Ann Arundel County. According to news reports, the a pickup truck driver who was allegedly speeding the wrong way on westbound Route 100 hit a Toyota Camry and critically injured a 36-year-old Olasupo Dosunmu of Hanover, MD.

Police said Dosunmu was driving his Toyota in the slow lane of westbound Route 100 near Telegraph Road just before 3am when he was struck by the 2006 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by 28-year-old Leon Franklin Medura Jr. of Crofton. Although an investigation was ongoing at the time of the news article, police believe that the crash was a result of driver error, excessive speed and possible alcohol use.

Dosunmu was taken by state police Medevac helicopter to Maryland Shock Trauma Center after being cut from his crushed vehicle by emergency responders. The driver of the pickup and his passenger, 24-year-old Ashley Lauren Patterson, were taken by ambulance to Shock Trauma where they were each listed in serious condition.

Police suspect alcohol as factor after 3 hurt in head-on Arundel crash, BaltimoreSun.com, March 18, 2010

Defective equipment suits, also referred to as product liability lawsuits, against Japanese car manufacturer Toyota are cropping up all over the county. I and my colleagues have the skills and experience to represent individuals who believe their vehicle had a defect that led to an accident involving personal injury or death. Of course, nobody wants to be in an automobile wreck, but from time to time forces beyond a driver’s control can result in a terrible crash.

Head and neck injuries are typical of some high-speed traffic collisions, while bruises, cuts and minor lacerations may be the only injuries in a lower-speed car or semi-truck collision. Whatever the cause, injuries can be costly, not only from a financial standpoint but also over the longer term as some people never fully recover emotionally or physically from a horrible accident.

The latest spate of defective equipment claims against Toyota allege poor accelerator design in a variety of the manufacturer’s models. According to a recent news article, two local D.C. residents have filed suits against Toyota for accidents that left them in need of medical treatment.

The two Washington, D.C., area drivers have joined nearly 300 personal injury and class-action lawsuits filed across the country against Toyota Motor Corporation. In their lawsuits, Andrew Flury of Pasadena, MD, and retired Army Col. Harry Williams of Woodbridge state that they each suffered severe injuries after the Toyota model vehicles they were driving suddenly accelerated.

This unexpected acceleration is an issue that has generated a major recall of millions of Toyota vehicles. In the case of two D.C. residents, their suit blames an electronic throttle system for the unintended acceleration. Reportedly the suit claims that the system also operated without a brake override system that could have prevented throttle problems.

In the cases of Andrew Flury, the suit states that on April 29, 2008, he and his wife were headed to dinner in his 2005 Toyota Echo along Water Street in Baltimore. As he approached a stop sign, Flury said that he applied the brakes but instead of stopping, the car accelerated into the intersection and collided with a sport-utility vehicle.

Flury and his wife were knocked unconscious and suffered head injuries. The husband was in a coma for more than a month. He is now partially paralyzed on his right side and has what his attorney calls "serious cognitive impairments that will affect him for the rest of his life." He has been unable to return to his job as a sales manager for a technical job placement firm.

Two Washington area drivers sue Toyota, alleging acceleration problems in cars, WashingtonPost.com, March 15, 2010

Accidents involving passenger cars, minivans and sport utility vehicles happen often and for a variety of reasons. Typically they are caused by driver error and many times can be the result of simple negligence. As a Maryland auto accident lawyer, I’ve seen my share of accident scenes and the human toll that can result from a violent traffic wreck involving cars or commercial tractor-trailer rigs.

Three automobile accidents recently caused injury to three persons in Ann Arundel County, MD. On crash occurred on Route 50 when a 30-year-old driver from Annapolis apparently lost control of his Chevy Suburban near Aris T. Allen Boulevard just before 7pm on a weekday evening. The man’s SUV reportedly hit an Acura in the middle lane.

As a result of the accident, the 56-year-old female driver of the Acura and a 27-year-old male passenger riding in the Suburban were both taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center with minor injuries. The driver of the Suburban, who police said was at fault in the accident, was flown by helicopter to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

The next day a 56-year-old woman became trapped in her Jeep Cherokee after she lost control of the vehicle at the Jennifer Road exit of westbound Route 50. The sport utility vehicle flipped several times before coming to rest off to the side of the roadway. The driver was taken by ambulance to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

Finally, in a third accident, a Baltimore County resident reportedly hit another vehicle and then left the scene of the accident. Based on news reports, the accident happened in the early morning hours along Route 100 near Arundel Mills Boulevard.

Police arrived at the scene to find a 26-year-old woman on the side of the road attempting to flag down vehicles. The woman told officers that she was driving a 2004 Ford Escort eastbound when a red Mitsubishi apparently lost control and struck her car, sending it crashing into a guardrail. Fortunately, the woman was not injured, according to police.

Not long after, patrolmen located a 2003 red Mitsubishi with front-end damage driving north in the southbound lane of Route 3 near McKnew Road. Police stopped the vehicle and identified it as the vehicle likely involved in the Route 100 accident. The driver, 25-year-old Kim Young II of Towson, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and failure to remain at the scene of an accident.

2 hurt in separate Route 50 crashes, HometownAnnapolis.com, March 12, 2010

DUI hit and run, HometownAnnapolis.com, March 11, 2010

As a Maryland auto accident attorney, I know how costs can add up for the average family. When a car, truck or motorcycle accident causes a wage earner to be hospitalized for injuries suffered during a crash, medical costs and lost earnings can put many families into a terrible bind. Because carrying auto insurance on your vehicle is required by law, premiums are another cost that simply cannot be avoided.

Recently, news out of Annapolis shows that the state legislature is working on a bill that would likely increase insurance premiums for nearly every one of the 61,000 Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund customers. At the time of the news article, the bill passed through the House despite the protestations of the Republican side.

The bill would require policyholders to carry a minimum security of $30,000 for individuals and $60,000 for multiple drivers. Currently those minimums are $20,000 and $40,000 respectively and have not changed since 1972 when MAIF was established following legislation that made auto insurance mandatory.

According to new reports, House GOP leaders argue that the higher premiums would cause some MAIF policyholders to drop their coverage altogether and bump up other insurance carriers' rates. The argument is that this will hurt people at the bottom end of the socioeconomic ladder; effectively a burdensome tax increase.

As law, average premiums in Baltimore city would increase by 9.3 percent, or $174, to $2,035. In inner Prince George's County, rates would go up by 8.2 percent, or $89, to $1,178, according to MAIF estimates. Opponents argue that the increases would put automobile insurance out of reach for some policyholders.

On the other hand, the bill’s supporters say that increasing the minimum security is long overdue. According to a spokesman for the Maryland Association for Justice Inc., "It's to make sure someone who gets injured by a negligent driver is compensated so they can pay their medical bills and receive their lost wages."

The argument for the bill includes the rational that current minimums were set in 1972 when the average household income was $11,800 and gasoline cost 50 cents a gallon. According to the article, the $20,000 minimum security would be equal to $101,600 in today's dollars, which means that the value of that coverage has gone down significantly.

Minimum auto insurance limits could rise, Gazette.net, March 26, 2010

Having seen a number of car, commercial truck and SUV collisions over the past few months, it’s important to remind anyone who has been involved in a recent traffic accident that bodily injuries sustained as a result of a crash should never be compared to the damage that your vehicle may have received.

Why do I say this? The reason is simple, many insurance companies will attempt to paint a victims level of injury with the same brush as that of the vehicle involved in the accident. There is rarely a correlation between the two. And even if there was, you should always consult with a qualified Maryland injury attorney before signing any documents related to the accident.

Having represented hundreds of car-crash victims, I and my staff know that it is very easy for the occupant of a passenger vehicle to become seriously hurt in a traffic accident even though the repairs to the vehicle itself are relatively minor.

When it comes to traffic accidents, human beings aren’t nearly as robust as an iron and steel automobile. Still, defense attorneys and insurance companies tend to make the familiar, yet always deceptive argument that equates vehicle damage to bodily injury. Do not accept this reasoning under any circumstances.

Whether you live in Glen Burnie, the District, Annapolis, or Baltimore, car accidents can and do happen anywhere, any time -- some with horrendous results. Insurance companies will typically attempt to downplay the severity of an accident in an effort to get a reduced settlement for the victim and his family. Very often, they will introduce evidence such as out-of-focus snapshots of the vehicle’s damage, sometimes not even showing the worst aspects of the crash.

With these kinds of techniques, you likely won’t see the lawyers for the insurance company bringing any experts to testify about the direct and causal relationships between the amount of property damage and the extent of the victim’s personal injuries. It’s well known in the medical field that brain trauma as well as neck injuries can result from accidents that result in only slight or moderate damage to the vehicle itself.

My suggestion is not to become one of the hundreds of car crash victims who settle for less than what they deserve simply on the say so of an insurance company representative. Your future and the future happiness of your family is worth the time and effort to consult a professional legal expert. Don’t shortchange yourself unnecessarily.

Inattentive drivers can be just as dangerous as drunk drivers; that’s a fact. And while the law has punishments in place for those whose drinking and driving results in the severe injury or death of another individual, distracted or careless motorists must also be held accountable if their negligence causes harm. As a Baltimore automobile accident lawyer, my aim is to help victims and their families to recover medical costs and other damages caused by another person.

Recently, a resident of Linthicum Heights pled guilty to a single count of vehicular manslaughter resulting from the August 22 pedestrian accident that left 59-year-old Glen Burnie woman dead. On that day, Mary Bernice Collins was on her way to Holy Trinity Catholic Church for evening mass when she was hit. She was reportedly standing on a sidewalk when hit by a vehicle driven by 27-year-old Matthew Evan Norwood.

Following the collision, Norwood reportedly left the scene. Based on circuit court reports in Annapolis, Norwood accepted a plea agreement in exchange for the prosecutor’s office to drop seven other related charges, not the least of which was for hit-and-run.

According to news reports, the man was apparently extremely sleepy due to the effects of two prescription drugs, Xanax and a narcotic analgesic, methadone. Prosecutors argued that the man knew the effects of the drugs, yet still decided to take the wheel of his vehicle just before 7pm that evening.

Police stated that the man was driving north on Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard when the vehicle jumped a curb near the intersection of Oak Lane and struck the victim. Eye witness testimony confirmed that the minivan Norwood was driving hit the victim while she was standing on the sidewalk. He reportedly drove off without stopping.

Collins was thrown nearly 100 feet from the point of impact and into the front yard of a nearby home. She was taken to Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, where she was pronounced dead.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 20. News reports indicate that prosecutors will argue at that Norwood should serve more than 18 months in a state prison for the crime.

Man guilty in fatal hit-and-run, HometownAnnapolis.com, March 5, 2010

No matter where you live or work in Maryland, injuries and potential fatalities are always lurking on the road. Even those trained for the worst can be caught off guard by a traffic accident. Whether you drive a passenger car or commercial truck, a surprise on the road can put you or a family member in the hospital. As a Baltimore injury lawyer and auto accident attorney, I understand all too well the worst-case results of a vehicle collision on a highway, city street or rural route.

We read recently of the tragic passing of one of Maryland’s finest, a Prince George’s police officer whose car hit some black ice during a spate of bad weather as he was responding to a call. The single-vehicle crash put the man in the hospital back on February 27. According to reports, 27-year-old Officer Thomas Paul Jensen died on March 9 from injuries he received during that crash.

Officer Jensen had been hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit at Prince George's Hospital Center since the crash that occurred when he lost control of his vehicle on a patch of black ice and collided with a telephone pole in College Park, said a police spokesman.

Jensen was responding to a priority call around 6:55 a.m. to assist the fire department with a disorderly person who was believed to be under the influence of PCP, Copeland said. He was driving on Baltimore Avenue when he lost control at the intersection of Greenbelt Road.

The man, who followed in his father’s steps when he decided to enter into law enforcement, was an avid hockey player and always eager to help out those around him, according to friends and family. In his sad passing, he leaves behind his newlywed wife of just five months.

Prince George's policeman, 27, dies from car accident injuries, Gazette.net, March 11, 2010

Negligent drivers, whether they operate passenger vehicles or commercial delivery trucks or tractor-trailer rigs, should be help accountable for their actions behind the wheel. In Maryland, the penalties for reckless driving involving fatalities can appear to be hardly sufficient considering the results that are evident. Not a week goes by that it seems we hear at least one news story of a traffic fatality on one of this state’s busy roadways.

As a Baltimore automobile accident lawyer, I and my colleagues fight a seemingly never ending battle for car crash victims and their families. It makes not difference whether a person is hurt as a result of a semi truck hitting their car or another passenger vehicle slamming into their sedan, minivan or SUV. The pain and suffering sustained during the accident and afterward can be substantial.

Not long ago we reported on a bill introduced into the Maryland state legislature that would increase the penalties for drivers found guilty of reckless and negligent driving in instance where the driver’s action led to the death or serious injury of another individual. It’s heartening to know now that the bill has already received support in the form of a successful vote in the Senate and will soon be moving on to the House.

According to news reports, the bill introduced by Sen. Bryan Simonaire and known as the Joseph Norfolk Act was initially inspired by the June 2007 traffic death of Cpl. Scott Wheeler of Millersville. The 31-year-old Wheeler, Howard County police officer, was struck by a passing car while on patrol duty. The office was reportedly hit a Nissan Sentra on Route 32 after he attempted to pull the driver over for speeding. He died several days later. At the time of that crash, investigators said the 24-year-old woman driving the Nissan didn't see Wheeler in the road. She eventually paid $310 in fines.

If passed by the House, this new law would set the maximum fine for both negligent driving and reckless driving at $1,000 – double the current fine. The bill also calls for a loss of license for up to 180 days if the defendant is convicted. At the time of the news article, there was as yet no date set for a vote in the House.

Reckless driving bill passes state Senate, HometownAnnapolis.com, March 17, 2010

Certainly there are no guarantees in life, but as motorists we do assume risks every time we get behind the wheel of our automobiles, motorcycles and SUVs. This being said, it would be comforting to know if we could expect a modicum of safety for ourselves and our families while traveling Maryland’s highways and byways. As Baltimore car accident lawyers, I and my colleagues know first-hand the worst-case scenarios that await some people.

A recent study by the Reader’s Digest gave us some hope for drivers throughout the state. According to the report, Maryland ranks in the top one-fifth of states with the lowest chances of a fatal alcohol-related traffic accident. Furthermore, when it comes to speeding-related deaths on our roads, the state falls just below the national average fatal.

What does this mean in real figures? According to the report, Maryland has about 0.28 drunk driving-related deaths per million vehicle miles, ranking it eighth and placing it in the top ten safest states for that category. For the United States as a whole, drunk driving deaths average 0.40 per million vehicle miles traveled.

In the category of deaths caused by speeding, our state was ranked 22nd out of 50. The statistics bear this out as Maryland averages about 0.35 deaths per million vehicle miles traveled. Compare that to the national average of 0.39 deaths per million vehicle miles as a result of drunk driving.

Reader’s Digest ranked all 50 states to determine the safest, most scenic and sensible roads. While Maryland made a fair showing it should be noted that some of our neighbors did not. Included in the publication’s list of bad roads, the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 78 and Interstate 80) as well as I-95 over the George Washington Bridge between New Jersey and New York were among the worst.

Reader's Digest Ranks Safest, Deadliest Roads in U.S., TruckingInfo.com, March 16, 2010

Fatal traffic accidents are a sad and unfortunately common occurrence on Maryland’s rural and interstate motorways. Every day, drivers from Annapolis, D.C., Baltimore and other cities and towns around the state face multiple dangers when taking to our roadways. This is seemingly the price we pay for living in such a mobile and active society. But many fatal traffic accidents can be prevented or avoided with some luck and a little preparation.

Even so, every few days we hear of a deadly car or truck collision that has claimed yet another life. These victims can be mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, even grandparents. Fate does not discriminate when it comes to traffic accidents. As Maryland auto injury lawyers, our office understands the emotional pain and hardship that accompanies every fatal automobile wreck. Sometimes the negligent party becomes a fugitive from justice, which makes a family’s loss that much more difficult to bear.

A news reports recently called this kind of accident to mind as a man wanted in a fatal drunk driving accident was identified by U.S. Customs agents at a northern boarder crossing. According to reports, Gerald D. Barnett was arrested in March on charges linked to a deadly car crash last year in June.

State Police stated that the 56-year-old Elkton resident is wanted on a string of charges, including negligent motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of alcohol, negligent homicide while impaired by alcohol and failure to render assistance to an injured person. The suspect also is facing two additional charges related to drinking and driving, according to the Maryland State Police.

Currently also charged with being a fugitive from justice, Barnett was allegedly driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.19 percent the night of June 12, 2009, when he struck and killed a man loading a moped into the trunk of his car by the roadside. The man, 45-year-old Christopher S. Larson, was killed instantly, according to police.

Larson’s car was pushed off the road and overturned with the victim’s brother still in the vehicle. Police said that at the time Barnett was wanted in Virginia on criminal charges.

Man wanted in DWI fatality in Maryland held as fugitive, WatertownDailyTimes.com, March 3, 2010

Automobile wrecks, including trucking-related crashes, can cause severe injuries to drivers and passengers. Traffic accidents on high-speed roads can result in even worse injuries and sometimes fatalities. When it comes to vehicles with higher centers of gravity, a rollover accident is very possible depending on the circumstances. Head, neck and back injuries can result when an SUV, minivan or other large vehicle rolls over on the highway.

Being Maryland auto accident attorneys, my office sees numerous victims of rollover crashes every year. The cost of medical care and reticence on the part of insurance companies to pay claims only makes the physical injuries of a car, motorcycle or trucking-related accident that much more painful. Recovering from cuts and bruises, spinal damage and traumatic brain injury is just the start of a traffic accident victim’s path to normalcy.

Recently a double rollover accident caused injury to three individuals on Maryland’s Route 665 near Annapolis. According to news reports, the crash occurred in the late morning when two vehicles collided and rolled over on in the westbound lanes of Route 665. Based on information from the fire department officials, it took 12 firefighters almost 10 minutes to free a 31-year-old woman trapped inside one of the vehicles.

That victim was treated at the scene and then transported to Baltimore’s Maryland Shock Trauma Center with reportedly life-threatening injuries. Two other people in the second vehicle also suffered serious injuries during the ordeal. According to the news reports, a 73-year-old woman and 76-year-old man were taken by ambulance to the shock trauma center for treatment of their injuries.

Three injured in rollover crash, HometownAnnapolis.com, March 1, 2010