Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Sad as it is to report, car, truck and motorcycle accidents will likely remain a fact of life as we continue to soldier on into the New Year. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my legal staff do not expect that 2012 will deliver and better news in terms of traffic deaths and serious car and trucking-related collisions. Of course, as the economy slowly makes its eventual recovery, the increase in commerce and relative prosperity will likely mean an increase in commuting and business miles.; with that inevitable rise in traffic activity comes the very real potential for increased injury accidents.

On that note, we noticed that one of the last days of 2011 saw multiple injuries and traffic fatalities on Maryland roadways. From these kinds of car and truck wrecks, one usually sees a variety of injuries; from the lesser types, like minor scrapes, cuts, bruises, to more serious bodily injury, such as broken bones, compound fractures, as well as serious neck, spinal cord damage and closed-head injuries.

Of the latter, traumatic brain injury and spinal cord damage can result in months or years of costly medical care, recuperation and rehabilitation. For families living on the ragged edge of financial existence, an event such as a bad car or commercial truck-related crash can spell disaster, especially if the victim is one of the key bread-winners for that family. Costly medical care combined with lost wages can quickly ruin a family’s meager savings and result in all manner of financially-related misery.

Continue reading "Baltimore Traffic Accident News: Marylanders Killed, Injured in Multiple Car, Truck and Bus Crashes" »

These days, with the economy still struggling to get a foothold, many people are cutting corners to make ends meet. Similarly, many retailers and service providers are cutting their prices to compete with the limited pool of discretionary monies in family budgets. While taking a cab or hiring a limo may not be something that many cash-strapped individuals are doing much of, there is still a need for these services and it’s a fair bet that a percentage of potential customers may be looking for the cheapest ride available; cue the unscrupulous cab operator or limousine company.

While the numbers may be small, at least when compared to the universe of automobile, trucking and motorcycle collisions, victims of taxi cab-related traffic accidents represent a smaller percentage of personal injuries. Nevertheless, as Maryland auto and trucking accident attorneys, my office is aware that many people put their well-being in jeopardy on a regular basis when riding public transportation.

Here in Baltimore, as well as Annapolis, Rockville, the District and Gaithersburg, accidents involving service vehicles are certainly not unheard of. In fact, taxi cabs, hire cars, limousines and shuttle busses have all been part of a traffic wreck from time to time. As personal injury lawyers and occasional passengers of these kinds of vehicle ourselves, we understand how easily one can be seriously injured in even the simplest of automobile accidents, not to mention ones that do not provide seatbelts for occupants’ use.

You don’t have to be a physics major to know that an unbelted occupant of a motor vehicle can receive serious bodily injury, such as broken bones, cuts and lacerations, and even closed-head trauma and other potentially debilitating injuries.

Continue reading "Baltimore Auto Injury Update: Beware Cheap Taxi, Limousine Rides; Uninsured Cabbies can Cost You Big" »

We’ve said it here before, but it bears repeating; When it comes to riding on public transportation -- be it a city bus or your child’s school bus -- there is always potential for personal injury due to a traffic accident. Being hurt while traveling by bus, train or plane is always possible, but it’s not unusual for most people to assume that public transport is safe.

As commuters, our belief that bus and train operators are trained professionals who go about their duties with their passengers’ safety and well being foremost in mind. As Maryland auto accident lawyers and Washington, D.C., personal injury attorneys, we understand how parents expect that their children will be safe and sound when riding local school buses. Sadly, this is not always the case.

In this not-so-perfect world, car, bus and motorcycle collisions do occur; and with disturbing frequency, especially in congested urban areas such as Baltimore, Annapolis and the District. When riding public transport, we as passengers put our faith in those running bus lines, railroads and airlines. When it comes to school-age kids, we also know that safety is a concern of most every parent.

A news item not long ago was a reminder of the injury potential that a school bus accident can present. According to reports, six individuals were hurt in a traffic wreck on Interstate 270 near Rockville. According to police reports, the crash occurred during the morning rush hour and involved a school bus and two cars.

Based on information from the Maryland State Police, one of the two passenger cars collided with the school bus along a stretch of I-270 between Montgomery and Shady Grove roads. Reports were sketchy, however authorities indicates that four persons on the Montgomery Co. school bus were injured during the collision. In addition to a teacher’s aide and the bus driver, who reportedly received non-life-threatening injuries, two children were also hurt.

According to a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Public Schools, the bus was transporting students to the Ivymount School near Potomac when the accident happened. Police reports indicate that the drivers of the two other vehicles received relatively minor injuries, although each was taken to Suburban Hospital for medical treatment.

School bus accident on I-270 injures six, WJLA.com, May 13, 2011

Ivymount Students Involved in School Bus Accident, Patch.com, May 13, 2011

When it comes to road accidents, many people might think that a school bus, metropolitan commuter bus, or charter van would be rather safe when compared to a smaller private motor vehicle, such as a sedan, minivan or SUV; however, this is not necessarily the case. Recent commercial transport bus accidents have made the newspapers over the past year, illustrating how serious a charter bus wreck can be.

Passengers can receive a range of injuries when a city or overland bus crashes into a stationary object, such as a bridge abutment, traffic sign stanchion, or stalled semi tractor-trailer rig. From bumps and bruises to closed head injuries, these traffic accidents can result in long-term disability and sometimes death. As Maryland auto accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers, I and my staff understand how a seemingly simple crash can turn into a medical emergency for more than one occupant riding on a commercial motor coach.

Not long ago, an Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) bus was involved in a traffic accident along a stretch of Philadelphia Road in Baltimore Co. The ensuing collision sent a dozen of the bus’ occupants to the hospital with mostly minor injuries. The interesting aspect of this particular wreck is the vehicle that hit the city bus, a Kia passenger vehicle, was many times smaller than the commuter vehicle. Had that vehicle been a larger delivery truck or commercial big rig truck, the outcome may have been much more serious.

According to news reports, Baltimore County fire officials arrived at the scene of the accident to find that the small sedan had crashed into the rear corner of the bus. The crash reportedly happened because the driver of the Kia was apparently unable to stop in time before striking the larger vehicle. Although 12 of the passengers received non-life-threatening injuries, 10 of them were taken to Franklin Square Hospital for observation and possible treatment. Two of the injured refused to be taken to the hospital.

One of the passengers, a three year-old-boy traveling with his mother, reportedly hit his head as a result of the impact. The boy’s mother was quoted as saying that the youngster said his head hurt following the collision. According to news reports, the female driver of the Kia was also taken to the hospital with minor injuries -- the woman’s car, however, was severely damaged according to authorities.

MTA Bus Crash In Baltimore County Injures 12, WBALTV.com, May 8, 2011

Downsville Pike was the scene of a three-vehicle accident near Hagerstown that resulted in three people being injured. One the vehicles involved in the collision, which occurred on a Thursday morning, was a school bus servicing Washington County schools, although no students were aboard that vehicle at the time of the collision.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, we can understand how parents worry about incidents like this. School buses, like city buses, can carry a large number of passengers, which means that if the vehicle is hit or somehow is involved in a traffic accident, those occupants are at risk for injury. Although every situation is different, depending on various factors such accidents can result in passengers sustaining cuts and bruises, simple and compound fractures of the arm or leg, head and neck injuries and sometimes traumatic brain injuries.

In this case, police reports indicate that the accident was apparently the result of a passenger car driver failing to yield to another motor vehicle. Based on news articles, the crash occurred shortly past 9am when a southbound Honda driven by an elderly woman turned left directly in front of an oncoming Kia sport utility vehicle at the intersection of Downsville Pike and W. Oak Ridge Dr.

The collision caused Karcher's Civic to crash into the school bus that was waiting for the traffic signal at the same intersection. The Kia SUV, driven by 36-year-old Jeanette Shank of Hagerstown, ended up pointing north on the shoulder of the pike. Two young children were in the vehicle with Shank; a 4-month-old baby and a 4-year-old child. All of them were taken to Meritus Medical Center for a routine exam to rule out any injuries – all three were subsequently released.

According to Maryland State Police, no children were injured in the accident as the school bus was empty, having dropped students at nearby Washington Co. Technical High School just prior to the accident. The bus driver was reportedly unhurt as a result of the crash. Karcher was issued a citation by troopers for failure to yield to traffic while making a left-hand turn. Both passenger cars had to be towed from the accident scene, while the bus, which sustained a large dent in its bodywork, was driven away under its own power.

Three injured in 3-vehicle crash near Hagerstown involving school bus, Herald-Mail.com, March 24, 2011

Bodily injuries suffered as a result of an automobile accident can range from minor cuts and bruises, to broken bones and closed-head injuries. The latter, also referred to as traumatic brain injuries, can spell serious trouble for victims of traffic collisions. Yet as scary as head trauma can be, the recovery can turn out to be quite amazing, according to some experts.

As a Baltimore car and truck accident lawyer and Maryland personal injury attorney, I and my colleagues have seen the aftermath of many car, truck and motorcycle wrecks, as well as the human toll. But as the story of U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has shown, the road to recovery from traumatic brain injury can be just this side of miraculous.

While it’s surely too early to tell -- according to medical professionals a patient’s progress in this area is best measured at the six- to 12-month mark following a closed-head injury -- Ms. Giffords progress shows that there is hope for many people who have suffered serious trauma to the brain.

According to a recent article, while recovery from closed-head injuries can be a long and uncertain road, patients can exhibit recoveries that are nothing short of amazing. Experts in this medical field urge caution and remind the public that traumatic brain injuries take many forms and lead to various outcomes.

Gunshot wounds to the head, as well as serious brain injuries caused by high-speed car and motorcycle crashes can result in extensive damage to the various parts of the brain controlling speech, motor control and memory. Recovery can take years, and start with a grueling routine of speech and physical therapies. Even the most simple tasks have to be relearned, such as getting dressed, eating and speaking again.

Still, it’s no secret that the brain itself has tremendous capacity to rebuild and renew damaged areas. Evidence from research with animals indicates that the brain has the ability to reorganize and regenerate, producing new synapses as it grows additional neurons and blood vessels.

Experts say that the process of recovering from traumatic brain injuries can take years, even after initial improvements. In fact, many victims continue to make progress as far as three to five years later. For Ms. Giffords, we can only wish her the best for a swift and full recovery.

Recovery from traumatic brain injury a long, uncertain road, BaltimoreSun.com, January 21, 2011

It’s a good bet that most people never consider the possibility of being injured while riding on public transit, yet traffic accidents involving city buses, commuter trains and taxi cabs occur every day across the country, in cities like Baltimore, Annapolis and even the District. Although safety measures are in place to help avoid injuries, collisions between buses, commercial trucks and passenger cars can and do happen with alarming frequency.

As a Maryland personal injury lawyer, I know that accidents involving buses, taxis and limousines can result in serious injuries, such as broken arms and legs, cracked collar bones and ribs, skull fractures and spinal injuries. Depending on the road conditions, a bus or taxi cab accident can even result in death -- fatal wrecks like these are the most heart-rending and regrettable accidents, since the victims usually have a fair expectation of safety when being transported by professionals.

Not long ago, a Hagerstown driver died when his pickup truck collided with a city bus along Interstate 70 near Big Pool, MD. According to Maryland State Police, 69-year-old Ray Linebaugh was apparently traveling westbound in his 2004 Dodge Ram when for some reason the vehicle veered into the median, crossing over into the eastbound lanes of I-70 and collided with a Megabus that was broken down on the roadside with mechanical problems.

The accident, which occurred late on a Monday morning, injured three people on the bus, including the driver. By the time police and emergency responders arrived on the scene, Linebaugh was already dead, killed by injuries he sustained in the crash. Based on police reports, the other victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported by ambulance to Hagerstown’s Meritus Medical Center.

Police were still investigating the accident at the time of the news report, however this type of accident can occasionally be caused by faulty steering equipment or failure of some other safety-related component on a passenger car. In this particular case, although the exact reasons were still unknown, the pickup truck reportedly hit the left side of the 2010 Van Hool commuter bus, which was loaded with nearly 20 people and headed to its ultimate destination of Washington, D.C.

Police could not name a specific cause for the crash, but did say that the Megabus was parked on the shoulder of the interstate waiting for another bus to arrive and take the passengers the rest of the way to D.C. a team of traffic accident investigators was expected to look into the reasons for the crash, and the body of the deceased pickup driver was scheduled for an autopsy by the Baltimore Medical Examiner’s Office.

UPDATE: Hagerstown man identified in Interstate 70 crash, TheRecordHerald.com, March 1, 2011

Being personal injury lawyers representing individuals in Maryland and Washington D.C., our office sees the sad results of car, truck and SUV accidents every month. Although many traffic collisions do not cause fatalities, these kinds of auto wrecks can produce serious and long-term injury to one or more passengers in a vehicle. Pedestrians as well can be affected by car and truck accidents in city centers.

Cuts and bruises are the most minor of injuries, but during high-speed collisions head, neck and spinal damage can easily be sustained by the occupants of a vehicle. While seatbelts and airbags do provide a fair amount of protection, severe and sometimes fatal injuries often do occur.

Tramatic Brain InjuriesHead injuries, many times referred to as traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are very commonplace in emergency rooms across Maryland and the rest of the U.S. More than a million people receive some kind of TBI every year as a result of a car, minivan, SUV or pickup truck crash. Traumatic brain injuries are usually caused by a blow to the head, quite uncommon in medium- to high-speed car or truck accidents. The impact from such a crash can cause a disruption of the brain's neurological functions, the severity of which can range from a mild concussion to severe brain damage, coma, or even death.

It’s a known fact that more than five million persons across the U.S. are living with disabilities caused by a TBI incident. The leading causes of these injuries include motor vehicle crashes, motorcycle or bicycle accidents, even slip-and-fall accidents. When such accidents occur due to another person’s negligence, this is cause for a possible legal suit.

Spinal Cord Injury
Car accidents can also result in serious back and neck injuries. Anyone who can walk away from a high-speed trucking accident or car crash can count themselves lucky, however it is possible to sustain a spinal cord injury in such accidents, the effects of which could remain with you for months or years to come.

The most common types of spinal cord injuries (also known as SCIs) are the compression type as well as the contusion type. A compression injury to a person’s back can cause excess pressure on the individual’s spinal column, including the flexible discs separating the individual vertebrae. A contusion type of injury can result in bruising of the spinal cord.

As with severe head trauma, a person suffering from these types of traumatic spinal injuries, caused by or resulting from another individual’s negligence, should consider seeking the services of a qualified legal professional. Because of the potential lingering effects of such spine-related injuries, no one should take themselves for granted. Your health is one of your most important assets, and you must protect yourself.

Some have likely heard this said: “That wasn’t such a bad traffic accident; the damage to the vehicle was minimal.” If you haven’t, then you probably have not dealt with an insurance company as a plaintiff in an injury case. Having represented hundreds of victims of car, truck or sport utility vehicle (SUV) crashes, my firm understands that it is quite easy to be seriously hurt in an automobile accident even though the repairs to the vehicle don’t amount to much at all.

This is a case of major bodily injuries, yet relatively minor vehicle or property damage. Sadly, this familiar, yet deceptive argument is used very frequently by defense attorneys and insurance companies when auto collisions are concerned. And it’s one of the best reasons to consult a personal injury lawyer experienced in the area of auto accident law.

Whether you live in Baltimore, Annapolis, Columbia or the D.C. area, car accidents can occur most anywhere, some of them with devastating consequences. Insurance companies many times will try to downplay the extent of an accident to try to justify a reduced settlement to the injured parties. This is done sometimes by introducing evidence in the form of distorted, grainy or out-of-focus photos showing minor vehicle or property damage.

But this is done without offering any expert testimony regarding the direct and causal relationship between the extent of the property damage and the victim’s bodily injuries. Brain trauma as well as neck injuries can occur even when a vehicle has sustained minimal outward damage itself. Yet every year, hundreds of auto accident victims settle for less than what they deserve due to these kinds of tactics.

The purpose of the defense is to disprove, usually by false implication, what has been proven by medical evidence and expert testimony -- typically by a licensed physician. It’s easy to forget how much energy is released – or inflicted on a victim’s body -- as a result of a traffic accident. Yet insurance company attorneys will usually make no mention of the sudden and very high energy forces that are transmitted throughout a motor vehicle in the milliseconds following a collision.

Continue reading "Maryland Auto Injury Update: So-called Minor Car or SUV Accidents can Cause Serious Personal Injury" »

Depending on the speed of a car or truck accident, injuries to the occupants of the vehicles can be substantial. Seatbelts, also known as safety belts, provide a first line of defense against severe injury or death. Bus accidents are particularly dangerous since passengers rarely use or even have seatbelts available to them. Being a Maryland auto accident and personal injury lawyer, I know how critical using seatbelts is to passenger survival.

According to a recent news report, eight people were injured as a result of a bus-car crash in Baltimore, MD. The motor vehicle accident occurred in the early morning of December 19. Based on that report, Maryland police personnel along with EMS emergency crews arrived at the accident scene not long after the crash. The bus involved in the wreck was carrying individuals with special needs, according to police.

The crash, which took place at 8am on the 3200 block of Philadelphia Road in Baltimore, was apparently caused by a small passenger sedan that had rear-ended a taxi, which had stopped on the road prior to the accident. Police reported that following the collision, the sedan subsequently crossed the road’s center line, heading into the oncoming traffic lane where it struck the special needs bus.

There were eight victims who sustained injuries in the crash. Emergency crews helped to transport eight people to local medical facilities for treatment of their injuries. Two of the eight victims were transported via ambulance to the Shock Trauma center. Two more victims were transported to Bayview Medical Center, while four others were transported to Upper Chesapeake for treatment by medical personnel.

The identity of the driver in the passenger car was not immediately know, nor were the extent of that person’s injuries. As for the others injured in the accident, healthcare officials at the various medical facilities had not released the identities or the condition of those delivered to hospitals in the area.

8 Injured In Collision Involving Bus, WBALTV.com, December 29, 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

More than 20 Maryland residents received various injuries on Saturday, June 6, when the MTA city bus they were riding in was hit by a Chevrolet Malibu in Baltimore County. The Route 20 bus was traveling toward Security Square when the driver of the Malibu apparently lost control and slammed into the larger vehicle at an intersection in West Baltimore.

The incident occurred at the intersection of West Baltimore and Carey streets. Although details of the car-bus accident have not yet been released -- the investigation is ongoing -- crashes like this can be the result of a number of possible causes. Driver error -- for example inattention, confusing the accelerator with the brake pedal, or driving under the influence of alcohol -- is such cause. Another common area is a vehicle mechanical problem, such as poorly maintained brakes, failure of the steering system, or even a blown tire.

Regardless of the cause in this case, nearly a dozen innocent passengers on the bus were hurt as a consequence of the accident. Many of those riders were taken to three different hospitals in the Baltimore area for treatment of their personal injuries. No one was killed in the accident, but the driver of the car was badly injured and was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. As part of the police investigation, the bus driver was given a required examination for alcohol or drugs.

Continue reading "Multiple Injuries in West Baltimore after Car Crashes into City Transit Bus" »