Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Annapolis
A Glen Burnie motorist received a reduced 60-day jail sentence for his part in a near-fatal automobile collision in early 2008. The 24-year-old defendant, Jeffrey David Johnson Jr., pleaded guilty recently for his responsibility for inflicting a life-threatening injury while under the influence of alcohol -- a blood test taken after the accident recorded the man’s blood-alcohol content at 0.25 percent, three times the legal limit in Maryland. Being auto injury attorneys in the Baltimore area, our office has represented many clients injured by drunk drivers even after a criminal trial has been concluded.

According to reports, the accident took place in the early morning of March 15 last year as Johnson was heading southbound on Crain Highway. The defendant’s car reportedly hit another vehicle attempting to make a left-hand turn from the northbound lane onto Old State Road. A passenger in the other vehicle was critically injured in the crash. The judge suspended all but 60 days of the two-year sentence due to the other driver not yielding right of way to southbound traffic.

Millersville
A 66-year-old driver was injured recently during a late-morning crash on Cecil Avenue, which caused one occupant to be trapped in the wreckage and left two other passengers with minor injuries. According to Anne Arundel county fire officials, emergency personnel received a call just before 11 a.m. in the area of Waugh Chapel. The woman’s injuries were listed as serious, but not life-threatening.

Odenton
For reasons as yet unknown, a pickup truck crashed into a local 7-Eleven convenience store during a mid-August afternoon. One person received minor injuries after the truck drove into the building. Firefighters were called to the scene where they transported the victim to Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie for treatment of minor injuries

Arnold
A bicycle rider from Cape St. Claire received serious and life-threatening injuries when she was struck in the face by the sideview mirror of an E-350 full-size van driven by an Annapolis resident. The accident occurred on College Parkway at Bellerive Drive shortly before noon on August 11. Emergency crews responded to the accident where they treated Shamika Baker, 22, for a severe head injury and then transported her to a local hospital. According to reports, police suspect alcohol may have been a factor, though the 42-year-old driver of the van, Shane Killeen, had not yet been charged.

Continue reading "Maryland Auto Injury Update: Car, Bicycle and Boat Accident News for Anne Arundel County" »

A sad story of a fatal bicycle accident in Ocean City, MD, came across the wires recently and points to the dangers inherent any time a bike rider travels on public roads. It happened on Maryland’s Coastal Highway as 23-year-old Kristin Anne Stormer was taking a leisurely summer ride. While riding her bicycle along a pedestrian crosswalk, she was struck and killed by a southbound delivery truck.

As a Maryland auto accident lawyer, I’ve represented numerous individuals who have been injured in automobile-bicycle accidents. Although the roadway in question has a 35mph posted speed limit, at those relatively low speeds even a small car, much less a full-size delivery truck, can seriously injure or kill someone on a bike. Without knowing the specific details, it’s hard to say if the truck driver was responsible for this woman’s sad and unfortunate death.

Summer is a great time to out and about. But whether you're riding a bike, a motorcycle or driving a car, even a relaxing trip along the coast must be done with a degree of caution. As motor vehicle operators and as bicycle riders, we all have a responsibility to follow the rules of the road. In this case, reports state that the woman may have been listening to an iPod while riding her bike. This is can be a dangerous activity for anyone operating a vehicle in traffic and it is actually illegal in Maryland.

According to reports, the driver of the truck had not yet been charged in relation to the accident, although an investigation was ongoing. Not long after this tragic event, another bicyclist was killed in an early-morning collision with a motor vehicle. The fatal crash happened on the Harry W. Kelley Memorial Bridge along Route 50 when a drunk driver plowed into two cyclists in an apparent hit-and-run accident. According to Maryland State Police, one of the cyclists, 41-year-old Edward Joseph Zisk, died at the scene as a result of his injuries.

In that incident, police reports indicate that the 34-year-old driver, Daniel Mathew Bren of Berlin, MD, hit the two bike riders from behind, then fled the scene in his 2006 Chevrolet Silverado. Police caught up with and arrested Bren shortly after the accident. He was charged with negligent homicide by motor vehicle while under the influence, driving under the influence of alcohol, and failing to remain at the scene of an accident involving the death of another.

These tragic incidents are a reminder to the rest of us that potential injury lurks around just about any corner. Whether you are a driver, a rider or a passenger in a vehicle, it pays to stay alert to potential dangers. If you or someone you love has been injured in an auto-related accident, we highly recommend that you seek the counsel of a qualified legal professional to handle your automobile accident, personal injury or wrongful death case.

Two cyclists die in resort roadway accidents, DelmarvaNow.com, June 30, 2009

Two Maryland bicyclists were injured on the morning of Friday, May 15, when a driver opened the door of his parked car directly into the path of the oncoming riders. According to police, the incident occurred on Main Street in Annapolis. One rider was taken immediately to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, while the other cyclist was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center. There was no information on whether either had suffered serious bodily injury or brain trauma as a result of the crash.

The irony of this particular accident is that it happened at the very start of the region’s “Bike To Work Day.” But it also makes us wonder if this could be the beginning of an increasing trend in car-bicycle accidents.

As Maryland Car Accident Attorneys, we get our share of clients who have been involved in automobile-bicycle accidents. While less common than car-to-car collisions, the results -- at least for the bike rider -- are usually much more serious, due to less “armor” surrounding the cyclist. Broken bones, severe lacerations and traumatic brain injuries -- sometimes even death -- can result depending on the conditions.

Only time will tell if this latest accident points to a trend, but with the warmer months coming, more an more commuters may be climbing on their peddle-powered transportation to get to work, school or the grocery store. With the economy still in a downturn, a bicycle offers not only a healthy way to travel, but also a very cheap alternative to owning and driving a car, at least for short trips.

In Baltimore and the surrounding area, more than 1,000 people registered for the region’s annual Bike To Work Day -- 20 percent more than last year -- and many of them were first-timers, according to event organizers. News reports told of riders who met at City Hall for a rally in the morning to mark the day. Those people, said a Baltimore Sun article, feel the city has made progress in marking lanes and installing bike racks. The riders credit Mayor Sheila Dixon, who rides two or three days a week, with starting the transition away from an all-car culture.

Continue reading "Could Maryland Bicycle-Car Accidents Rise Due to Economic Pressures?" »