Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Anyone new to the Baltimore area should be advised that the city’s bars and other drinking establishments get a special pass each year regarding their operating hours during the New Year. Specifically, state law will allow bars in the city to remain open literally “24-7” from New Year’s Eve through 2am on Monday, January 2. While law enforcement efforts to curb drunken driving are ongoing, we cannot stress enough the need for caution when driving in and around the city during the holiday weekend.

Quite frankly, although drunk driving has for decades been under attack nationwide by state and federal government and law enforcement agencies, the fact remains that the same people who drink still use a car to get around. Designated driving campaigns are helpful, but it’s not hard to imagine that more than a few drunken bar patrons are going to head home this weekend without a sober ride.

Traffic wrecks involving commercial trucks may not be the primary type of injury accident during the New Year’s holiday, but car-to-car collisions are likely to be the order of the day -- and night. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my colleagues have seen the result of alcohol-related car, truck and motorcycle accidents; none of which are particularly pretty.

Given the number of DWI- and DUI-related traffic incidents in any one year, it is a certainty that we will see our share of crashes in Baltimore, Rockville, Annapolis and the District this season as well. What we should all keep in mind is that the danger exists and should be avoided whenever possible.

Continue reading " Maryland Auto Accident Update: Beware of New Year’s Weekend in Baltimore and Potential Drunk Driving Wrecks " »

It’s a fact of life; as we age, some of us become less attentive and less able to react quickly to emergency situations. Almost anyone who follows the local news can understand this, since we see numerous reports every month describing older drivers and elderly pedestrians who are injured or killed in traffic collisions throughout Maryland and the District of Columbia.

As Baltimore automobile accident attorneys and Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my staff know the heartbreak of families who have lost loved ones in tragic, and many times, avoidable car, truck and motorcycle crashes. Even those who survive a car or trucking-related traffic accident can face weeks or months of hospitalization and rehab treatment in order to get back some semblance of normalcy in their lives.

Sadly, older people have a harder time when it comes to recuperating from a serious traffic wreck; even relatively minor car or truck accidents can leave an elderly individual in critical condition with sometimes life-threatening complications as a result of their age. Pedestrian injuries precipitated by a car crash can be particularly deadly for an older person with broken bones, sometimes compound fractures, and serious closed-head injuries commonly being sustained.

Many families worry about their elderly parents who still drive. While there is no reason that a competent individual cannot continue to operate a motor vehicle into their 80s and 90s, the potential for accidents is known to increase for these individuals as a function of miles driven. Occasionally, very minor accidents -- such as striking a mailbox while backing out of the driveway or knocking off a sideview mirror while parking in one’s garage -- can portend worse incidents to come. It’s sometimes up to other family members to suggest to elderly drivers to perhaps scale back or even stop driving altogether.

Continue reading " Baltimore Auto Accident News: Maryland Driver Involved in Fatal Traffic Wreck that Killed Elderly Couple " »

Single-car or single-truck accidents can be the result of many factors. Top on the list is usually driver error, distraction or fatigue, followed by poor weather or road conditions, and even poor roadway design or bad badly placed signage. In some cases, a mechanical problem with the vehicle’s brakes, steering, suspension or other critical components may be partially to blame for a wreck.

When an accident happens on a low-speed surface street, the out come can range from minor injuries to death of the vehicle’s occupants. While higher speed interstate crashes can be serious as well, the lesser number of obstacles immediately adjacent to the roadway helps to reduce the number of fatal accidents. However, this is not to say that people don’t die on a regular basis as a result of bad highway collisions.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my legal staff are well-versed in handling injury and fatal car, truck and motorcycle crashes. Certainly, when a multiple vehicle accident occurs, one or more drivers may be to blame. Filing a wrongful death suit against another individual based on claims of negligent or thoughtless acts is not uncommon here in Baltimore, or over in Rockville, Gaithersburg or the District.

In the case of single-car or truck crashes, the injured party is typically the driver himself. If the driver was found to be at fault, having caused the accident, other passengers may decide to file a claim against that driver to recoup the costs of medical care or other claims of pain and suffering which directly resulted from that particular traffic wreck.

Continue reading " Maryland Auto Injury News: Baltimore Mans Dies in Single-vehicle Crash near I-695/I-795 Interchange " »

It's hard not to come across as trite, but the fact remains that automobile-related accidents can happen anywhere, anytime. And while caution is always a good defense, few drivers can be vigilant 100-percent of the time. It never fails to happen that when a motorist lets his or her guard down for just a moment, a roadway accident can be just around the corner.

Whether one drives to work or school every day, or just takes the family car to the supermarket once a week, as soon as we hit the road the odds begin to mount up. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my colleagues know that for many people it is simply a matter of time before someone is involved in a injury-related road accident. Hopefully that is all; however, fatal car and commercial truck crashes are all part of the mix.

Occupants of passenger cars, SUVs and minivans are certainly more protected when compared to a motorcyclist involved in a traffic collision, but pedestrians and bicycle riders are part of the most vulnerable group when it comes to car accidents. Not only are people on foot or cycling not protected by a steel cage, but if and when they hit the ground, they are more likely to strike their head on a hard surface, like an asphalt roadway or concrete sidewalk.

Continue reading " Maryland Personal Injury News: Pedestrians Hit by Car in Fatal Home Depot Parking Lot Accident " »

From the standpoint of most people who drive on Maryland’s roadways, drinking and driving is an activity that we all wish was a thing of the past. But, sadly, as Baltimore automobile and trucking accident lawyers, I and my legal staff know that drunken driving will likely be with us for some time to come. With human nature what it is, it can sometimes take a long while for individuals to see the light even after society as a whole has accepted an idea or renounced a certain practice.

Without a doubt, over the past several decades the mixture of cars and alcohol has been a major contributor to highway deaths across the country. Locally, in Baltimore, Frederick, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, not to mention Washington, D.C., anti-drunk driving campaigns have slowly made inroads toward creating a safer driving environment for all concerned. Still, as we say, there is much work to be done to eliminate the threat.

Anyone who has been involved in a car or motorcycle accident caused by a drunken driver can relate to this subject on a very personal level. Anyone who has lost a loved one due to a fatal DWI or DUI traffic collision knows the pain and the emptiness that follows; a void in one’s life that can never truly be filled. While it is our job, as Maryland personal injury attorneys, to help provide a modicum of closure to those who have lost a loved one in a car or commercial truck accident, no amount of recompense can ever take the place of a deceased relative, spouse or child.

For the people who survive a serious automobile wreck, the injuries sustained -- such as head, neck and spinal cord injuries; internal injuries; broken bones and compound fractures -- the path to recovery is sometimes long and hard. And, it goes without saying, that medical costs for prolonged treatment and rehabilitation can quickly become a burden on a family, especially in cases where the injured party is a major income earner.

With all this understood, it seems odd that individuals continue to drink and drive, and thus expose others and themselves to potential physical harm and even death. A short while ago we read of a man who apparently could not take responsibility for his actions after crashing his vehicle into a utility pole along a portion of Kenilworth Avenue.

Described in police reports as uncooperative, the 29-year-old driver allegedly was speeding when he drove a black sedan into a pole on the roadside, trapping his passenger in the car until emergency responders could arrive to free the victim. Based on reports, the accident occurred at about 11pm on a Tuesday evening when the car hit the light pole on the southbound side of the roadway.

Riverdale Heights volunteer firefighters responded to the call, as did personnel from the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department. Police reports indicate that the driver initially had wanted to leave the crash site, however apparently decided to stay as emergency responders began to arrive.

According to news reports, the suspect allegedly denied the fact that he was at the wheel at the time of the accident, however a woman who was the only other occupant in the car claimed that the man was driving the entire time. The unnamed driver, who was later transported to a local hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries, reportedly refused to take a breathalyzer test, and also declined to sign the citation issued by the officer in charge.

Ultimately, the man was charged with operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license, speeding, DUI, driving while impaired, reckless and negligent driving, as well as a number of other violations. No mention was made as to the condition of the female passenger.

Driver Faces Litany of Charges After Car Slams Into Utility Poll, Patch.com, November 24, 2011

Personal responsibility is one of the more important facets of a civilized society. As we see every day, individuals who are negligent and cause damage to property or injury to another person are routinely expected to own up to their mistake and make amends to the victim and/or his family. This is the civilized thing to do; however, when someone does not follow the law, then the law provides avenues for the victims to recover damages resulting from that negligent or willful act.

As parents everywhere know, teenagers of driving age can be a concern almost daily. A driver’s license or even a driving permit represents, for many, freedom from the constraint of the home and parents. And while a driver’s license may be a rite of passage in our modern world, this new-found independence can be frightening for mothers and fathers.

A car, pickup truck or motorcycle can offer a young person much more than a way to get around, it can also become a social gathering point; but this may be where the danger starts for a young person just getting a taste of his or her independence -- as every mature adult understands, teenagers do not always possess the same commonsense that the rest of us take for granted after years of life experience.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we understand how a car full of teens can lead to distraction and potentially dangerous driving situations. Sadly, this potential scenario continues to be played out in the real world, with real world consequences, every year. Under normal circumstances, it’s not uncommon for young children and minors to be hurt as a result of auto and trucking accidents. Although kids are resilient, thousands of children are sent to hospitals nationwide each year because of poor or negligent driving.

Continue reading " Maryland Auto Injury News: Two Teenagers Critically Injured in Single-Car Traffic Accident in Baltimore County " »

Whether one is walking to work or school, riding a bicycle along a public thoroughfare, or simply getting out of one’s car or truck, as a pedestrian being so close to roadway traffic it’s not unusual for one to be vulnerable to personal injury or death. In fact, these activities are so commonplace that most people don’t even realize the potential dangers that they face when on foot.

Forgotten or simply ignored, until something terrible happens -- such as being struck from behind on a dark evening or clipped by a delivery vehicle while crossing a street -- and most of us go through our day-to-day activities without a thought to being involved in a pedestrian traffic accident. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we have met numerous individuals who have been struck by a car, minivan, SUV or commercial truck while on or near a roadway. Naturally, the opportunity for serious and sometimes fatal injuries is very great in such cases.

Although many people fail to lend the proper amount of caution to any action that brings them so close to possible injury or death, the simple act of getting out of a parked or disabled car, truck or motorcycle could have devastating ramifications should that person be hit by a passing vehicle. As is all too obvious, the human body is not designed to easily survive a collision with a motor vehicle of any size.

An aside here, but one that is important to note, motorcycle riders are by their nature highly exposed to injury as a result of a roadway collision, and therefore it is commonly said that riding a cycle is akin to taking one’s life in one own hands. But crossing a busy intersection on foot, or getting out of a taxi cab, can be just as hazardous to one’s health as riding a bike in rush hour traffic.

Continue reading " Maryland Auto Injury News: Woman Hurt in Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accident on Baltimore-Washington Parkway " »

It’s all over the news and on the lips of safety-conscious people across the nation; the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has urged state legislatures across the U.S. to move to ban any and all cellphone use in car and trucks on the nations roadways. While we occasionally hear of individual state legislators condemning the dangers of texting and hands-on cellphone use, it’s not often that a department of the federal government makes such a broad and sweeping recommendation regarding the safety of all drivers.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my staff have seen the results of auto, truck and motorcycle accidents caused by distracted drivers. The misery and suffering that a negligent act can inflict on a person and his or her family is far worse than any minor distraction that initially caused the traffic collision in the first place. Texting, cellphones and smart phones are just one more, albeit major, distraction that drivers deal with on a daily basis.

Now, with the NTSB’s recommendation, it seems that the issue of traffic deaths caused by distracted driving (due to any kind of cellphone use) is going to be a serious topic of conversation and possible legislative efforts in the months and years to come. For anyone who wonders, the NTSB is usually associated with serious plane and train accidents, rather than with everyday automobile and trucking-related crashes, which they also investigate when necessary.

However, the 3,000-plus deaths attributed to distracted driving in 2010 -- as well as the close association that cellphones and smart phones have with driver distraction -- has placed this issue front and center with other serious safety-related discussions.

Continue reading " Maryland Auto Injury News: NTSB Urges Halt to Any Cellphone Use in Cars, Trucks " »

During the holidays it is difficult to imagine that some families will lose a loved one to a tragic and likely preventable traffic collision. At the very best, a car, truck or motorcycle accident means that some amount of property damage will occur, however there is usually some kind of physical injury associated with most interstate, rural and urban automobile and commercial trucking wrecks.

Cars, trucks, minivan and SUVs have become much safer over the years thanks to advances in automotive safety technology. But even the best safety systems cannot, to date, prevent vehicle occupants from being injured or killed in 100 percent of motor vehicle crashes. Energy absorbing designs and materials, air bags, self-adjusting seat belts and other occupant protection devices all contribute to safer cars and trucks, but speed and circumstances still conspire to injure, maim and kill thousands of innocent people every year across the U.S.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my legal staff understand the pain and suffering that can result from a severe car, bike or pedestrian accident. Whether one lives in Rockville, Baltimore, the District or Annapolis, the news papers and TV reports are peppered with stories of individuals hurt or fatally injured as a result of a traffic collision.

Besides the typical bumps and bruises that always seem to happen in a crash, dislocated joints, fractured legs, arms, ankles and wrists can also occur during a car crash. Usually the worst type of bodily injury is that sustained when an occupants head hits a solid object inside the vehicle. Closed-head trauma, also referred to as traumatic brain injury, can put a person in the hospital for weeks or months; sometimes years.

Continue reading " Harford County Auto Accident News: Maryland Driver Killed in Route 22 Head-on Car Crash " »

Depending on how one looks at it, so-called speed cameras either do nothing to improve traffic safety or decrease the chances of automobile collisions in dangerous and highly accident-prone intersections and roadways. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, as well as car and trucking accident attorneys, I and my colleagues can see the benefit of most any traffic safety device or effort where innocent lives are at stake.

While it has been reported previously that certain speed camera installations have not been effective in cutting the number of traffic collisions, others argue that these “big brother” devices do help to change the behavior of drivers when the existence of these cameras is made known to the motoring public.

Detractors likely point to reports documenting the use of more than a half-dozen speed cameras in and around Baltimore County a couple years ago; those 15 cameras apparently resulted in an initial drop in speeding by (and hence the issuing of speeding tickets to) motorists in a number of school zones. At the same time, however, the number of car accidents was reportedly not affected. Baltimore police deduced that although drivers did indeed slow down, the accident rate in those areas was apparently unaffected.

Of course, being injured in a car, truck or motorcycle wreck is not something to be taken lightly. Such collisions can result in a range of bodily injuries; both drivers and passengers can suffer cuts, bruises and deep lacerations to more life-threatening injuries, such as closed-head trauma and spinal cord damage. Severe injury can lead to lengthy hospital stays, expensive medical bills and extended rehabilitation.

To avoid vehicular collisions and pedestrian accidents, speed cameras may be showing their worth, if one believes the latest study conducted by an independent party, The Traffic Group, Inc. According to a press release from the manufacturer of Optotraffic speed cameras, this third-party study looked at the incidence of traffic-related accidents in Forest Heights, Seat Pleasant, Mount Rainier and Riverdale Park.

Based on its study, The Traffic Group compiled speed and crash data from each of these four municipalities prior to the installation of speed cameras. As a result, a "before and after" report was submitted to Maryland’s State Highway Administration (SHA) showing that over 100,000 incidents of speeding were recorded during the evaluation period across all four municipalities.

A dramatic improvement was apparently revealed in the Seat Pleasant area where placement of speed cameras reportedly resulted in a nearly 10-fold increase in posted speed conformance along a stretch of Maryland Rte 704 east. This kind of result was to be expected based on previous experience, however the study also found that traffic collisions in the school zone covered by that particular camera installation dropped significantly; from 25 traffic accidents involving property damage and 20 injury-related accidents in fiscal year 2010, to two property-damage crashes and one personal injury crash the following year.

Based on the press release, signs were posted in the areas containing the cameras to alert motorists about the speed monitoring cameras. These signs, as well as the cameras were reportedly posted prominently in school zones, however the study noted that driver behavior shifted progressively over many months, and not immediately as some would imagined.

Optotraffic Speed Cameras Cause Significant Driver Behavior Change in School Zones, MarketWatch.com, October 27, 2011

Not all personal injury lawsuits are filed against a driver of a car who hits another individual and causes bodily injury. Lawsuits against third-parties are often brought due to the circumstances that made the car, truck or motorcycle accident possible in the first place. For instance, it would not be unusual for a company that made faulty tires, brake system components or other safety-related replacement parts to be sued individually or together with a commercial trucking firm that installed the parts on their fleet vehicles.

While this aforementioned example is related to products liability suits, it is an example of how a third party can be sued by the victim(s) of am automobile or commercial trucking accident that may have been caused by the premature failure of such parts or components. Similarly, a third party that provided the conditions for an accident to occur may sometimes be sued, in addition to the person or entity that was directly responsible.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers and auto accident attorneys, we serve not only the residents of cities like Annapolis, Rockville and Gaithersburg, but also motorists and vehicle occupants who may have become injured in a traffic collision in Washington, D.C.

Once a person has been injured in an automobile or trucking wreck, it’s nearly impossible to turn back the clock to a time when that victim was well and free of bodily injury. Although many injuries can heal over time, such as minor cuts and bruises, the long-term effects of a head, neck and spinal injury can linger for months, if not years. Closed-head trauma is one such injury that can affect a person’s quality of life for years down the road.

Continue reading " Baltimore Personal Injury News: Negligence Suits Filed Against Maryland’s “All Good Music Festival” following Car Accident " »

For drivers working or residing in cities such as Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington, D.C., nobody needs to be reminded that high traffic volumes and congestion are a constant problem with little chance of letting up in the future. With high traffic density a fact of daily commuter life, it’s no surprise that car, truck and motorcycle accidents continue to occur on a regular basis.

As Maryland car and trucking accident attorneys, we know the frustration of being stuck in traffic following a major accident. But as personal injury lawyers, we also know that the victims of those “inconvenient” car and truck collisions are facing much more severe and painful recoveries; certainly more extended than the hour or so of delay the rest of us experience when a tie-up occurs due to a roadway accident.

It’s a matter of record that the driver and occupants riding in sedans, minivans, sport utility vehicles and other small passenger cars can be seriously injured or killed in a high-speed wreck with another motor vehicle. Although Maryland motorists have faced the prospect of physical injury for decades ever since the first horseless carriage hit another vehicle, the fact remains: car accidents can result in broken bones, deep cuts and laceration, back injury and closed-head trauma.

Of course, when a traffic accident does occur -- whether between two cars, a truck and a bicycle, or a single-vehicle crash caused by a defective automotive component – the victims are often overwhelmed from the event. Still, if at all possible, it is important to make note of the facts following a car crash or commercial trucking wreck so that it is easier to determine if that motor vehicle collision was a result of a negligent act or the carelessness of another motorist.

Continue reading " Baltimore Car Accident Update: Things for Maryland Motorists to Remember following a Traffic Collision " »