Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Not long ago a bunch of kids came close to being hurt when a fire truck rolled away from its parked position at a community event. The incident was a close call for some parents, who assumed that an emergency vehicle and its crew are all about public safety. However this is only one example of how private citizens can be injured by vehicles operated by public servants and government employees.

More recently, a traffic accident involving a Maryland State Police car and a Honda minivan carrying a mother and child points out that police officers as well as fire department personnel can also become involved in injury and fatal automobile crashes. Wrecks like the one that occurred last month remind everyone that law enforcement officers and fire fighters are human, too.

Whether a person is hurt in a traffic accident, the facts are not always easy to determine until an investigation is carried out. Unfortunately, many who are hurt in bad car crashes never see a penny, which can hurt in bad economic times like we have been experiencing. A skilled Maryland injury lawyer can assist victims of negligent driving collect damages to help pay for medical costs and property damage.

The accident involving that mother and young child occurred on a Friday afternoon as a Maryland state trooper responding to a motorcycle accident was driving southbound in a marked 2005 Ford Crown Victoria sedan. According to reports, as the police car — whose emergency lights and siren where activated — approached the intersection at U.S. 15. at Mountville Road the traffic light turned red for the cop as cross traffic began to enter the intersection.

Trooper First Class Gary L. Baker, 24, reportedly attempted an evasive maneuver to avoid the mini van driven by 29-year-old Amy L. Brockey of Adamstown, MD. The cruiser smashed into the Honda carrying Brockey and her two-year-old daughter, who was riding in a child safety seat.

An early report indicated that the mother and daughter were thankfully uninjured as a result of the crash. The Trooper and a 19-year-old police cadet were treated by emergency responders and then transported to Frederick Memorial Hospital, where they received additional treatment for minor injuries and subsequently released.

Trooper on call collides with van, FrederickNewsPost.com, May 1, 2010

Automobile accidents involving individuals on foot can happen almost anywhere vehicular traffic is located near pedestrian crosswalks, bus stops and even in shopping malls and parking lots. Tens of thousands of people are hurt and injured after being hit by cars and trucks, and even by bicycles, especially in the city. As Baltimore injury accident attorneys, I and my colleagues understand the extent of injuries that can be sustained in an auto-pedestrian traffic accident.

From simple bumps and bruises to serious cuts, compound fractures and head injuries, being struck by a motor vehicle can lead to extensive medical procedures and correspondingly high hospital bills. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly one in every 14 traffic accidents involving a person on foot results in a death. This happens despite the efforts that most pedestrians go to in order to avoid being hit by a car, SUV or commercial truck.

Although numerous car-pedestrian crashes happen when people are crossing a street or rural road, accidents can also occur when individuals are jogging or running for sport or exercise. The danger also extends to car-bicycle collisions, where motor vehicle operators sometimes claim they did not see the victim until it was too late. In a city, slower moving elderly residents can be extremely vulnerable to vehiclular collisions as they cannot jump out of the way as easily as a younger person.

Regardless of the cause, the result of any automobile-related pedestrian crash can be catastrophic for the relatively unprotected pedestrian. A recent incident in Baltimore County showed how tragic this kind of accident can be. According to news reports, a 31-year-old woman died on a Saturday night after she was hit by a motor vehicle while attempting to cross a road on foot.

Rebekah Hamman may have been tying to run across the roadway and avoid an approaching northbound automobile when she was struck on Bel Air Road around 9:30pm on May 1. Emergency crews at the scene treated and transported the gravely injured woman to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

Based on an initial accident scene investigation by Baltimore County Police Department, Hamman was apparently crossing Bel Air Road just south of Still Meadow Road when she ran into the path of the vehicle. There is a bus stop nearby, from which the woman may have started to cross the roadway. Whatever the starting point, police said that Hamman apparently tried to outrun the oncoming vehicle after she had already made her way part way across the street.

According to reports, the force of the crash threw Hamman into the northbound lane of Bel Air Road. The driver reportedly stopped and called 911 -- and no charges were pending against the driver at the time of the news report.

Woman killed in weekend pedestrian accident, BaltimoreSun.com, May 2, 2010

Negligence comes in many forms. Individuals who operate their vehicles in a thoughtless or aggressive manner can cause traffic accidents that result in personal injury. Similarly, the state government and local municipalities have a responsibility to the public’s general welfare, which should include proper maintenance of public roadways, pedestrian sidewalks and other public works-related projects.

Unfortunately, due to ever increasing budget cuts and other belt tightening measures, predictions are cropping up regarding the impact of poor roadway maintenance and its future effect on car, SUV and motorcycle crashes and other road accidents. When safety is compromised, unnecessary property damage and injury can be a result. Wrongful death can also be a result of individual or corporate negligence.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we travel the same city streets and rural roads that everyone does. Single-vehicle accidents can be caused by damaged pavement or deteriorating roadway and traffic control infrastructure. Sadly, it appears that the current economic downturn will cause more vehicle damage and could even result in some unnecessary fatalities.

According to a recent report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, Maryland motorists already pay an added $425 in vehicle costs because of rough roads -- this is more than 25 percent higher than the national average of $335. The report looks at how states applied federal funds for maintenance of their aging highways and bridges. While Maryland has a history of major road construction, the report makes a point to praise the state for targeting funds at repair of infrastructure ahead of funding new construction.

Reportedly, Maryland drivers have certainly felt the impact of poorly maintained roads. According to the report, in 2008 the state ranked 37th (in percentage of road quality) with 41 percent of roads in "less than good" condition. Compare that to the national average of 45 percent. What probably won’t come as a surprise to many drivers, Baltimore had the 15th-highest additional repair and vehicle accident costs due to poor roads -- $589 per year.

One bright spot, if you can call it that was the finding that -- as of December 2009 -- only seven percent of Maryland’s bridges were categorized as "structurally deficient," defined as having a major defect in either the supporting structure or a crack in the roadway. While anything short of 100-percent safe should be of concern, compared to the national average of 12 percent, Maryland is doing better than most states.

Continue reading " Maryland Drivers Expect More Roadway-related Accidents; More Vehicle Repairs Due to Poor Road Conditions " »

Any time a person dies it can be a sad and emotional time for the immediate family and relatives of the deceased person. Under the best of circumstances, such as death by natural causes, spouses, children and other dependants can face an uncertain future. But when loss of life is caused by possible negligence on the part of another individual, such as in a car, motorcycle or trucking-related accident, the tragedy is amplified many times over.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, my firm understands the difficult times that a family faces after the loss of a loved one. If a family member dies because of another individual's negligent or wrongful behavior, it may be appropriate to file a wrongful death claim.

Such claims allow members of a family to receive compensation for their loss -- including loss of comfort, love, companionship, and financial support. It must be kept in mind that death does not negate a family's right to be compensated for its loss. Furthermore, it does not preclude recovery for any suffering or pain that the deceased experienced as a result of wrongful or negligent actions on another person’s part.

Wrongful death following an automobile accident is described as any death which is due in whole or in part to the negligence or deliberate misconduct of another person. The term “car accident” can be a poor choice of words in cases of wrongful death, especially since many auto and trucking wrecks are caused by another person who often is determined to have been operating their vehicle in an inappropriate manner that either caused or worsened the actual vehicle crash.

If a car accident claims the life of a loved one as a result of another driver’s error or negligence, this may be cause for a wrongful death lawsuit. Actions on the part of another driver that may point to wrongful death can include one or more of the following:

-- Drunk driving
-- Speeding
-- Following too close
-- Performed illegal driving maneuver
-- Defective road conditions
-- Defective vehicle safety equipment

In some instances the cause may seem minor, however when another driver is speeding, for example, not only is that person breaking the law, he or she is increasing the danger their vehicle poses to others on the road.

Continue reading " Baltimore Automobile Accident Update: Suing for Wrongful Death Following a Fatal Maryland Car Crash " »

Injury accidents can be triggered by a variety of factors, not the least of which is driver error. The tragedy of many automobile and truck crashes is that the offending driver was drunk at the time of the wreck. Fatal car, SUV and motorcycle accidents can sometimes be traced back to alcohol use, which makes these kinds of crashes all the more avoidable.

Maryland automobile accidents can lead to serious injuries and lengthy hospital stays. The medical costs of such incidents can be a tremendous burden to the victims and their families. In cases of fatal collisions, the survivors can be left without a bread winner compounding the financial troubles at a time when the family is most vulnerable.

Not long ago a driver who was arrested for allegedly causing a multi-car accident was charged with drunk driving. Based on news articles, 28-year-old Brad Austin Wootten was driving a 2000 Ford Explorer when he rear-ended a passenger car at the end of the road closure. That collision caused a multi-car accident involving a total of four vehicles.

According to police reports, the crash occurred in the eastbound lanes of Route 50 near Baptist Street, where construction crews were conducting road repair. Traffic had been stopped for construction when the accident happened just before 2am.

Troopers from the Salisbury Barrack of the Maryland State Police responded to the scene of the accident, however Wootten reportedly had fled the scene previously. The Federalsburg resident was subsequently located not far from the accident and stopped by troopers. Wootten was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene of the collision, and negligent driving.

Man charged with DUI after multi-car accident, DelMarVaNow.com, April 23, 2010

Single-vehicle auto wrecks can happen for a variety of reasons. While driver error is quite common, other causes can be attributed to these kinds of traffic accidents, with results ranging from simple cuts and bruises to head and spine trauma. Depending on the sped of the crash and other circumstances, fatalities are not uncommon.

Weather conditions as well as the state of the roadway can also be contributing factors in a car crash involving only one vehicle. As Maryland automobile accident lawyers, we are often called upon to represent individuals and their families in cases of defective vehicle equipment. Such cases can include failure of safety systems, broken or poorly maintained steering components, worn or damaged tires or suspension components.

Under the right circumstances, a defective vehicle component can prove to be an accident waiting to happen. At highway speeds, such component failures can result in death or severe injury to the driver and passengers. A recent accident along Route 301 near Mill Branch Road is a situation where defective equipment may be suspect.

Although police accident investigators had not yet determined a cause, the accident in question took the life of 62-year-old Nancy Lynne Jackson of Wakefield Lane in Bowie, MD. According to Maryland State Police, Jackson apparently lost control of her 2003 Toyota Camry while traveling northbound along the highway.

For an unknown reason, the woman’s car veered off the road and into a wooded area. Police responding to the crash around 2:30pm apparently found Jackson dead at the scene and confirmed by the forensic medical examiner. Police reports indicate that Jackson was the sole occupant of the vehicle and no other cars were involved in the accident, according to the State Police.

Bowie woman dies in single car crash, Gazette.net, April 18, 2010

Two accused criminals have been charged in connection with a car crash that eventually led to the death of an elderly man. The accident occurred in late April in Northwest Baltimore when the two suspects allegedly fled police and subsequently hit the victim’s vehicle.

Based on police reports, 86-year-old Elbert Davis was driving his Chevrolet Monte Carlo at the time he was hit by the pair of fleeing suspects. The men, 29-year-old Umar Burley and 26-year-old Brent Matthews, were arrested following the accident. Davis and another elderly passenger were the only occupants of the Monte Carlo. Davis suffered a heart attack as a result of the crash and died later that day.

Police reports show that the plainclothes detectives who attempted to arrest the two suspects prior to the accident did not initiate any car chase, which police authorities said would be against department policy. News reports indicate that the detectives were driving in the general direction that the suspects had fled when they came upon the accident scene less than a mile away. According to reports, Davis was the father of a city police officer.

Police reports state that Detective Wayne Jenkins had pulled his unmarked vehicle in front of the suspects Acura as another detective, Sean Suiter, pulled in behind the car. As the detectives approached the suspects, Burley maneuvered his car away from the scene without striking the police vehicles and fled eastbound on Belle Avenue.

At the crash scene, detectives saw the Acura smoking and heavily damaged. Davis' Monte Carlo reportedly had been pushed through hedges and onto the front yard of a home.

Davis was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was later pronounced dead. His passenger, 81-year-old Phosa Cain was listed in serious condition at the time of the news report. Burley was briefly taken to Sinai Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was released.

Suspects in crash that killed man held without bond, BaltimoreSun.com, April 29, 2010

Any person’s death causes us to reflect on the fragility of life. When a young mother dies, it’s a terrible tragedy, not only for the individual but for the family that she leaves behind. As Maryland auto accident attorneys, my office is dedicated to helping families of victims who are killed in car, truck and motorcycle-related accidents.

Regardless of the circumstances, the result of a parent’s death can put a strain on a small family, especially in uncertain economic times. The recent news of a woman who was killed while pushing her baby’s stroller across a street makes the heartbreaking point that pedestrian safety is paramount in an urban setting.

According to reports, over 35,000 vehicles use the intersection where Mavi Maldonado lost her life. Police reports indicate that the mother and her 14-month-old son were trying to get to the bus stop when the mom was struck by a pickup truck near the entrance to the Golden Ring shopping in Baltimore County. She passed away several hours later.

Based on news article, 17-year-old Maldonado was allegedly struck by a ‘97 Ford F250 pickup truck going eastbound on Philadelphia Road just as she reached the sidewalk curb. According to Baltimore County police, the woman’s toddler was neither hit nor injured in the incident. The initial investigation did not show whether Maldonado or the force of the accident pushed the boy’s stroller out of harm's way.

The boy’s father, who had earlier reported Maldonado missing, was reunited with his small son at Maryland Shock Trauma Center where the mother and toddler had been transported following the accident.

Although the driver of the truck, 45-year-old Wayne Cataldi, reportedly stopped to aid Maldonado, Baltimore County police were still investigating the cause of the accident at the time of the news article.

It has been suggested that the intersection where the accident occurred may be too dangerous for pedestrians crossing the roadway. The bus stop Maldonado was attempting to get to is close to the intersection of Philadelphia Road and Interstate 695.

Mother killed, toddler survives in weekend pedestrian accident, BaltimoreSun.com, April 26, 2010

Of all traffic accidents, head-on wrecks can be and usually are the most deadly. Vehicle speed has a great bearing on how bad such a car, SUV or minivan crash will be, but the results are many times fatal. Size disparity between the vehicles involved in undivided highway and surface street collisions can make a big difference in the outcome as well.

Operators of compact cars and motorcycles have a greater chance statistically of being killed or severely injured when hit by a larger more massive vehicle, such as a full-size sport utility vehicle (SUV), or worse, a commercial 18-wheeler (also known as a big rig or semi tractor-trailer).

Being a Baltimore injury lawyer and automobile accident attorney, my office has represented numerous clients who have been hurt in Maryland traffic wrecks. As mentioned, many head-on crashes result in death of one or more individuals. A recent wreck in Kingsville illustrates the tragic aftermath of such encounters.

According to news reports, the Kingsville crash occurred in the morning hours of a work week when the driver of a Toyota truck apparently crossed the center line, hitting a compact car head-on. The second driver died before he could be transported to the hospital, according to reports.

Emergency personnel arriving at the crash scene pronounced the driver dead at the scene just after 8:30am. According to the Baltimore County Police Department, the driver of the Toyota is a resident of Baltimore County. He was subsequently taken to Maryland Shock Trauma with non-life threatening injuries.

At the time of the news report, police had not determined the cause of the crash and were still carrying on their investigation. Such as crash can be the result of several causes, including driver error and possibly defective vehicle equipment.

Deadly Head-On Crash in Kingsville, ABC2News.com, April 4, 2010

Everyone is concerned over maintaining the safety of their loved ones. Relatives and close friends all hope for the safe arrival of families traveling across the state or just across town. One group that gets a considerable amount of attention are those younger folks in their teens and growing up to be adults. As a Maryland injury lawyer and auto accident attorney, I’ve seen the statistics and I know how scary it is for parents of teens and young adults.

When it comes to car, truck and motorcycle accidents, young people are definitely over represented in terms of deaths and injuries sustained on the road. It’s not surprising then that parents go grey just about the time their kids take their first driving lessons. While it’s difficult to change the habits of entire age groups, a recent article gave us hope that here in Maryland, parents can sleep somewhat more soundly at night.

According to a news article, automobile accident statistics support the notion that young people (those aged 15-20 years old) are at increased risk of getting into a motor vehicle accident than any other group. It is disheartening to note that while this age group makes up less than seven percent of the general population, it accounts for 14 percent of all car accident cases.

A recent survey of teen driver safety was recently published by U.S. News & World Report magazine. The good news, at lease for Maryland residents, is that our state ranks fourth in a compilation of the best states for teen drivers. Those who live in the District can rest even more soundly, as Washington, D.C., scored the top ranking.

To determine this ranking, researchers looked at 11 indicators affecting teen driving safety. Five were based on U.S. government driving, accident, and road quality statistics, while the other six relied on independent ratings of each state's driving and safety laws from the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

A sampling of the ranking variables include: safety belt, teen driving, DUI/DWI, distracted driving, and motorcycle helmet laws, as well as individual state statistics such as ratings of road conditions, average vehicle miles traveled per capita, and average percent of teens in each state with driver's licenses.

Safest states for teenaged drivers, Examiner.com, March 19, 2010

It’s already been discussed here that a recent study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that cellphone bans do not appear to lower the incidence of traffic accidents. Even so, Maryland legislators are still moving toward a proposed law that will ban hand-held use of cellphones and mobile devices when operating a motor vehicle.

Anything that can reduce automobile and trucking-related highway crashes would be a good thing, since thousands of people are killed in traffic wrecks every year around the U.S. As a Baltimore car accident attorney, I’m on the side of the victims and I know that every driver should be doing his or her part to cut down on the carnage on our public roads.

I’ve seen what can happen to the occupants of a passenger car when it’s hit by another vehicle. Cuts and bruises are the least of the injuries a person can sustain in a crash. Traumatic brain injury is common, as is damage to the neck and spine, any of which can put a person in a wheelchair sometimes for the rest of their life. The question here is would a ban on hand-held cellphones be too much of burden, even if it saved the life of just one person?

Consider your answer carefully because the life you save may be your own, or that of a loved one. An editorial in the Baltimore Sun speaks to this very issue as Maryland faces a ban on hand-held cellphone use.

Of course, nearly every motorist at one time or another has seen all manner of vehicle being driven hazardously. This includes instances of failure to yield where appropriate, drifting into oncoming traffic or suddenly making a turn without an appropriate use of turn signals. I’ll wager that, at least in the past 10 years, these kinds of activities may well have been caused by a so-called distracted driver with a cellphone to his or her ear.

The new Maryland law would restrict driver cellphone use to only hands-free devices. Although it isn’t quite clear that such technology (usually a headset or vehicle-mounted microphone/speaker arrangement) improves matters much, but it may be the new law of the land as Maryland joins the growing number of jurisdictions that ban drivers from using hand-helds.

Continue reading " Baltimore Auto Injury News: Will Banning Hand-held Cell Phones Reduce Fatal Maryland Traffic Accidents? " »

It seems that we are reading more and more about pedestrian-auto accidents. Sadly, persons on foot have little in the way of protection against a 3,000-pound automobile, which usually spells disaster for the pedestrian how is hit by a car or truck. While laws are in place to make crossing streets and walking near roadways safer, there is no substitute for heightened awareness on the part of walkers, joggers and runners whenever motor vehicles are around.

As a Baltimore injury lawyer, my office has experience to assist victims of auto-pedestrian collisions. Injuries can be severe and long-lasting for victims and their relatives, mainly due to the sometimes lengthy recovery period following a severe impact. This past St. Patrick’s Day, a hit-and-run pedestrian accident in Woodlawn, Maryland, left an 18-year-old man in critical condition at a local hospital.

According to news reports, Baltimore County police were still looking for the driver nearly a week after the tragic traffic accident. Terrel Chambers was reportedly walking with his girlfriend down a busy stretch of roadway along the west side of Windsor Mill Road when a car came speeding up behind him, striking the man and then leaving the scene.

Fortunately, another motorist saw the accident and stopped to render assistance by administering CPR to the young man until emergency responders arrived at the scene. Chambers was subsequently taken to Shock Trauma where he admitted in critical condition.

Based on police reports, the suspect vehicle is probably a green-colored Honda or Acura from the late 1990s to early 2000. Authorities believe that the vehicle will likely be missing its right sideview mirror. Witnesses told police that the car was last seen turning off Windsor Mill Road onto Lugine Avenue.

Windsor Mill Hit-And-Run Driver Still On The Loose, WJZ.com, March 23, 2010