Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

No matter where you live or work in Maryland, be it Owings Mills, The District, Annapolis or Columbia, car wrecks, pickup truck crashes and SUV rollovers can happen without notice. In fact, traffic accidents across the state injure hundreds of people every year. Some of those injuries and even a few deaths could likely have been prevented had the occupants been wearing their seatbelts.

As an experienced auto accident lawyer in the Baltimore area, my years of helping others recover from injury accidents have taught me that certain habits can save lives; others, however, can sadly contribute to the loss of life on our public streets and highways. One habit I’m always happy to see is when a person buckles that safety belt. It’s a small part of every driver’s daily ritual, but it’s a significant one.

Seatbelt use is usually pointed at as one of the top reasons why people survive automobile wrecks. There are many out there, I suspect, who feel that airbags and other safety devices do a better job, but that’s not necessarily true -- all of these systems work together to imporve passenger safety. As basic as they may seem, safety belts play a key role in protecting occupants in the case of severe traffic accidents, including head-on collisions, roll-over accidents and other potentially fatal crashes.

It makes little difference what type of vehicle you drive -- SUV, pickup truck, luxury sedan or economy passenger car -- wearing your seatbelt mean the difference between living through a bad car or truck accident and dying in one.

Every week, it’s possible to hear more than one news report that shows a crash survivor was using his or her seatbelt at the time of the collision. Similarly, one can also find instances where the lack of safety belt use most likely played a significant role in the death of a driver or passenger. At best, broken bones or traumatic brain injury have been known to occur when an un-belted person impacts a stationary object within the vehicle during a crash.

Rollover accidents in particular are very dramatic and can happen independently, or as a result of an initial collision. This kind of accident can cause serious bodily injuries including broken bones and lacerations, as well as head and spine trauma and internal injuries. Lack of seatbelt use in a rollover crash can be fatal since the occupants themselves become projectiles, occasionally be ejected from the vehicle altogether during the incident.

While it is true that many car and truck accidents cannot be avoided, being prepared for the worse by wearing your seatbelt is an easy way of increasing the odds in your favor -- odds that can often be stacked against automobile drivers and passengers in our fast-paced and many times highly distracted commuting environment.

A head-on traffic collision on U.S. Route 220 sent four people to the hospital in Allegany County near Cresaptown, Maryland. According to news reports, the wreck occurred just before 9am on a Tuesday morning during rush hour. Information from the Allegany County Bureau of Police indicated that a 24-year-old out-of-state man driving a 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier crossed the center line, striking an oncoming pickup truck in the southbound lane.

The Chevy driver, Christopher Stouffer, was injured in the accident along with his two passengers and another driver in a third vehicle. Head-on motor vehicle collisions can cause serious injuries, such as head, neck and brain trauma. In many cases, depending on the speeds involved, such a car crash can be fatal to both driver and passengers. In this case, all involved were lucky to have survived the wreck without sustaining life-threatening injuries.

Based on news reports the driver of the pickup truck, Aaron Brooke Gray of Cumberland, MD, lost control of his vehicle, which subsequently hit a 2003 Toyota sedan being driven northbound by 57-year-old Cynthia Erzkus, also of Cumberland. Some of the victims were temporarily trapped in their vehicles before rescue crews from the Bowling Green and Rawlings volunteer fire departments extricated them.

Each of the victims was then taken by separate ambulance to the Western Maryland Regional Medical Center that morning. Transport of the injured was handles by the Cresaptown Volunteer Fire Department, LaVale Rescue Squad and Cumberland Fire Department.

Stouffer, who resides in West Virginia, was charged by police with failure to drive right of center. He and two passengers were taken to the hospital by ambulance. Erzkus was taken to the hospital but her passenger was not injured. None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening, police said.

Head-on U.S. 220 crash injures 4, Times-News.com, January 19, 2010

Injury accidents are commonplace on almost any roadway in Maryland. Whether it’s the city streets of Annapolis or D.C., the open highways across the state, or tight country roads, a car or truck crash can occur without warning. As a Maryland auto accident lawyer, I also know that drunken driving ups the ante when it comes to automobile collisions.

Not only does drinking and driving reduce a motorist’s reaction times, but it also dulls the cognitive portion of the brain, reducing a driver’s ability to make good and proper decisions. Mixing alcohol with a motor vehicle on a public road is just disaster waiting to happen. Yet this is what happens dozens of times every month. The pain and suffering that drunk drivers inflict on innocent motorists is already too high, yet police are constantly pulling these drivers over.

Unfortunately, sometimes it’s too late when a person driving under the influence of alcohol is taken into custody by law enforcement officer. A recent news report shows that as police try ever harder to limit the number of drunks on the road there is always one that gets through and causes an accident.

In this latest case, reports show that a Berlin, Maryland, driver caused a four-car accident that tied up traffic in Racetrack Road late in January. According to that report, the accident occurred just past 5pm on Route 589 near Cathell Road on a Monday afternoon.

Police reports states that a 72-year-old woman struck three other vehicles while she was allegedly driving while intoxicated in her 2003 Toyota sedan. The driver’s vehicle ended up in the southbound lane following the crash. The woman, who name was not available at the time of the news article, was taken to Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury with life-threatening injuries.

Police indicated that the driver’s name was included in a log of the week's driving under the influence arrests released to local media, however the a spokesman for the Maryland State Police said the driver had not been charged with DUI and that the police were still investigating the incident.

Pileup sends driver to PRMC, DelmarvaNow.com, January 19, 2010

Aggressive driving is the cause of many accidents on Maryland’s highways and city streets. Whether it’s road rage, joy-riding or just plain showing off, aggressive drivers can hurt or injure other innocent motorists without much concern for their own safety. As a personal injury attorney and car accident lawyer serving the residents of Baltimore and surrounding areas, I have seen the result of fast, thoughtless drivers over the years.

Car, truck and SUV accidents can easily result in multiple injuries to occupants and bystanders, especially in a dense urban setting. Regardless of the reasons, injuries from these kinds of accidents can include bruising and abrasions, broken bones, neck and back injuries and even fatal brain trauma.

A recent article points out how sometimes it is the aggressive driver himself who gets hurt during an accident of his own making. According to police, Clemmis Tommy Futrell, of the 3400 block of Winterberry Court, in Reisterstown, was changing lanes quickly while moving in and out of traffic along Reisterstown Road in the morning hours of January 11.

As the man approached the Garrison Forest School, he apparently ignored the red light in the front of the school. In doing so, Futrell’s Ford Expedition struck a passenger car driven by Baltimore resident, John S. Banks, who was trying to turn left into a nearby Home Depot parking lot. Banks was reportedly unhurt in the crash.

The force of the impact caused Futrell’s vehicle to crash into a BGE utility pole before overturning on the side of the road. Emergency crews responding to the accident found Futrell unconscious and trapped in his truck. After extricating the driver and treating him at the scene, they transported him by medivac chopper to Baltimore’s Shock Trauma Center. He was discharged later that day.

Reisterstown Road crash result of aggressive driving, ExploreBaltimoreCounty.com, January 12, 2010

Roll-over crashes are often a result of high-speed accidents or overly quick steering maneuvers. Sport utility vehicles (or SUVs) are particularly susceptible to these kinds of accidents. To make things worse, many light trucks, such as SUVs and pickup trucks, are not always designed with enough strength in the roof structure. In the event of a roll-over, the roof can be crushed sufficiently to seriously injure or kill the driver or passengers.

As a Maryland auto accident lawyer, my job is to help people recover the costs of an accident caused by another person’s negligence. This includes not only other drivers who may be at fault, but also the automobile companies who design and manufacture the vehicles whose roofs don’t always protect the occupants.

A recent accident on Northbound I-97 is an example of this kind of accident. It’ also shows how aggressive driving can cause other motorists harm, not to mention injury to the perpetrator as well. According to police, a 39-year-old driver was seriously hurt when his GMC Yukon crashed and rolled over on the interstate after hitting an out-of-control car that had been allegedly speeding moments before.

Based on news reports, witnesses told police that a Mitsubishi Lancer was traveling at more than 90mph on the afternoon of January 12 before the driver apparently lost control and hit a guardrail. Police reports show that the Mitsubishi driver had been weaving in and out of traffic prior to the accident. The driver reportedly lost control of the passenger car near Quarterfield Road.

After striking the guardrail, the vehicle bounced back into traffic and was hit itself by the larger Yukon, which then overturned on the roadway. The Mitsubishi ended up on the left-hand shoulder of the roadway.

After emergency crews arrived, the Yukon driver was taken by ambulance to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore with serious injuries. Police said charges are pending against the driver of the Mitsubishi, who was not seriously injured.

Man seriously injured in I-97 accident, Hometownannapolis.com, January 13, 2010

Three separate automobile accidents on a Monday morning resulted in one death and four people injured in Baltimore County recently. Maryland State Police responded to the accidents which included a fatal Pikeville side-swipe hit-and-run collision that killed a man on Interstate 695; the two other accidents, one on U.S. 40 and another in Garrison, MD, sent four people to area hospitals.

The hit-and-run crash happened shortly after 29-year-old Richardo Manchome of Pikesville pulled his Ford Pickup onto the should of the Beltway to check on an engine problem. According to police reports, the man was standing on the driver’s side of the vehicle while examining his truck’s engine when he was struck by another vehicle.

Apparently a car veered onto the shoulder where Manchome was standing, striking and throwing the man about 50 feet from his truck. When emergency crews arrived, the victim was declared dead at the scene.

Based on police reports, the car that struck and killed the Pikesville resident allegedly fled from the crash site. Witnesses reportedly described the vehicle as a black Honda or Acura. The suspect vehicle was thought to have exited the Beltway onto Route 40 east toward Baltimore. Police said the force of the impact likely caused considerable front-end damage and may have resulted in the in the car losing its right front fender. An investigation was underway.

Elsewhere, two other Baltimore County accidents sent four people to the hospital, three of them in critical condition, according to news reports. In the first accident, two men and a woman were ejected from a westbound pickup truck about 5:30am on U.S. 40. County police said all three victims landed in a lot at Martin's East near Holley Drive and were taken by ambulance to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore in critical condition.

Less than three hours later, a man driving in the 9800 block of Reisterstown Road in Garrison hit a taxi, swerved into a utility pole, and then rolling over several times. According to police, Clemmis Tommy Futrell, 44, was flown to Shock Trauma. The man is expected to recover from his injuries.

Police seek driver in fatal hit-and-run on I-695, BaltimoreSun.com, January 11, 2010

Search For Driver In Fatal Hit & Run, WBAL.com, January 11, 2010

Traffic safety is always a hot topic, but more so these days as drivers in Maryland and around the country have more and more distractions that conspire to take their attention away from the most important task at had, safely driving their vehicle in traffic. As a Baltimore auto accident attorney and injury lawyer, my firm represents drivers, passengers and pedestrians injured through the negligence of other motorists.

Car and truck crashes can result from numerous causes, from outside influences such as poorly maintained pavement or bad weather, to mechanical problems such as worn out steering components or bald tires, all the way to driver error. One subset of driver error would have to be self-imposed distractions, such as fiddling with the radio or talking on a cell phone.

It’s no secret that cell phones are more and more being singled out as potentially dangerous instruments in the hands of motorists in Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere in our area. Because it is everyone’s responsibility to watch out for dangers on the roads, drivers and pedestrians alike should consider the growing threat that all mobile devices pose to public safety.

More and more we hear news stories about people killed or injured as a result of apparent inattention when out in public. Safety may not be a concern when listening to an iPod while seated in a restaurant or movie theater, but move out to the parking lot, intersection or highway and you have a recipe for disaster, if not all-out tragedy.

Case in point, the teenager who was killed by a train while walking along railroad tracks on her way to school. According to reports, the Baltimore-area teen was walking with a friend while listening to music using earphones. Her friend, who was not using earphones, heard the train coming and was able to get out of harm's way. But the girl listening to the music was not so lucky. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

You can be certain that this situation also occurs on a daily basis with drivers on public roads. While it is against the law to wear headphones while driving, many people do. What this means is that it is too easy for these “plugged-in” drivers to ignore the sirens of emergency vehicles and other audible warning signals. Sometimes, those cars almost cause an accident as the ambulance of fire engine must steer out of the driver’s way.

Traffic accidents can and do cause death and serious, long-term injury. It is only common sense that drivers recognize the dangers of shutting off that all-important sense of hearing and make a change for the better. Drive safe and look out for yourself and your passengers. The life you save may be your own.

Safety issues arise as drivers, pedestrians plug in, tune out, Fredericksburg.com, January 10, 2010

A serious traffic accident can happen to anyone, anytime and almost anywhere. A recent news report shows that not only everyday motorists can be hurt or killed in truck or car crashes, experienced and highly trained law enforcement professional can also be hurt. Injuries from highway collisions can range from bruises and minor cuts to head and brain injuries. It’s not uncommon for a person to be seriously injured and later die from those injuries in the hospital.

According to reports, 39-year-old Trooper Kenneth Myers Jr. and another Maryland State Trooper were carrying out traffic enforcement duties on Route 50 around mid-day on January 19 when the accident occurred. Police reports indicate that Myers, of the Easton State Police Barrack, was driving an unmarked police car eastbound on Route 50. The 2006 Ford Crown Victoria carrying the two troopers was chasing another vehicle that was exceeding the posted speed limit and traveling around 80mph.

Details at the time of the news reports were not completely clear, however it is known that Myers cruiser hit a 2004 Toyota Avalon driven by 75-year-old Marjorie MacSorely at the intersection of routes 50 and 731 shortly after noon, according to reports. Based on police statements, it appears that MacSorely’s vehicle pulled into the path of the oncoming police cruiser.

Police could say how fast Myers, who has been working for the state police for four years, was driving at the time of the vehicle collision. Crash scene investigators will be going over all of the evidence to determine the cause of the wreck, and it is not know if the Myers had activated the emergency signal equipement on his cruiser or if the patrol vehicle's lights were working correctly or faulty. Police spokesmen said that the crash was serious and “something that we certainly don't want to ever have happened,” said Greg Shipley of the Maryland State Police.

First responders to the crash scene treated Myers, who was then flown to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. According to reports, a second Maryland State Police helicopter transported MacSorely to Peninsula Regional Medical Center. The woman’s daughter, 50-year-old Kathy MacSorely of Trappe, MD, was taken to PRMC by ambulance.

All three victims were reported to be in stable condition at the time of the news article.

Trooper, 2 others stable after crash, DelmarvaNow.com, January 20, 2010

3 Injured in Route 50 Crash Involving Md. State Trooper, WBOC.com, January 21, 2010

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" »

Police, fire and rescue crews put their lives on the line every day of the week. While law enforcement and emergency personnel make up a small percentage of the overall population, injuries to these public servants represent a significant percentage of their respective groups. Police officers in particular are subject not only to injury or death on the job as a result of shooting incidents involving criminal activity, but traffic accidents are also a danger in this line of work.

Car and truck crashes can also injure fire fighters, ambulance drivers and EMS workers. As a Maryland injury lawyer, I have a deep knowledge of the kinds of injuries that can be sustained during a high-speed traffic accident. Just a couple days ago, a police officer was injured in an automobile accident when his patrol car struck another vehicle in North Baltimore, MD.

According to new reports, the officer’s vehicle was apparently speeding to a destination with its emergency siren and lights activated when the accident occurred. The crash happened on York Road when the pickup truck reportedly pulled out of a parking lot and into the path of the oncoming police car. The resulting crash caused the patrol car to flip over on its roof.

Officers arriving on the scene stated that the injured policeman was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center with a possible broken leg or ankle. Debris from both vehicles littered the road. After striking the pickup, the blue and white Chevy Impala also struck a Mercury Tracer passenger car before hitting the brick front of a local Subway restaurant. The officer involved in the crash was not identified at the time of the crash.

City police officer injured after patrol car, truck crash, BaltimoreSun.com, January 4, 2010

Families of victims killed in fatal traffic accidents have a hard enough time without having the death be related to drunk driving. In Baltimore, the District, Annapolis or anywhere else in Maryland, drivers and passengers alike are killed every day in senseless car, truck and SUV crashes. Recently, the person whose actions may have resulted in the death last summer of a Tall Timbers, MD, motorist has been charged with vehicular homicide.

According to news reports, a 31-year-old Hollywood, Maryland, resident was indicted on charges of manslaughter by vehicle, drunk driving and reckless driving by a St. Mary's grand jury. The incident occurred around midnight on July 25 on Route 249. The head-on collision allegedly caused by George Michael Bowes, Jr. resulted in the death of Russell Edward Wenzel, 58, and the serious injury of his wife.

Bowes was released recently on $100,000 bond after he was served the same day with an arrest warrant and the indictment from the two-vehicle collision last July.

Based on police reports, Wenzel was driving his wife home just after midnight following a hospital visit when their southbound sedan was struck by a northbound pickup truck that crossed highway's centerline.

After rescue crews arrived, Melissa Wenzel, also 58, was flown by a helicopter to a hospital in Prince George's County, where she underwent surgery for an elbow injury. Reports indicate that Bowes was treated at St. Mary's Hospital and subsequently released.

A sample of Bowes' blood was obtained during the initial investigation, according to the local sheriff office, and the case was then referred to county prosecutors after accident reconstruction apparently showed Bowes was at fault.

According to news reports, Maryland Attorney Richard D. Fritz, whose previous campaign treasurer is Bowes' mother, requested that the matter be handled by a court-appointed prosecutor, and it was assigned to Calvert County Senior Assistant State's Attorney Andrew Rappaport.

As a Maryland auto accident lawyer, my office handles numerous cases every year not unlike this one. If someone you know has been killed or injured as a result of another driver’s negligence, I highly recommend that the victim’s family contact a qualified personal injury attorney to find out what their options are.

Driver faces manslaughter, DUI charges, SoMDNews.com, December 23, 2009

As a Maryland car and truck accident attorney, I interact every day with persons injured in automobile accidents. Many of these traffic collisions are caused by operator error, driver inattention or distraction. Occassionally, poor road or weather conditions can result in single- or multi-car accidents. The latest snow storm that we all experienced made driving more than inconvenient for many Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. residents -- at least one person died as a result of this storm.

Since bad weather almost always results in poor road and driving conditions, I always suggest to friend and family that they avoid going out in storms like the one we just had. Getting into a car or truck wreck because of slippery streets is always a possibility, which is something that happened to dozens of motorists this past week.

According to news articles, the winter storm that socked the East Coast stranded many motorists and caused numerous fender-bender crashes. Near blizzard conditions reportedly hit many residents of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states, slowing and even stopping travel throughout the region.

Highway crews in Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia sprayed brine on heavily traveled roads to help prevent snow and ice from sticking. The National Guard used Humvees to rescue stranded motorists in the Virginia area, while nearly 500 people moved into emergency shelters to keep warm after power outages caused furnaces to fail. At least one person was killed as a result of numerous traffic accidents.

Based on news reports, nearly two feet of snow fell in some areas, with parts of Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. experiencing blizzard conditions. Public transportation in the District of Columbia nearly ground to a halt, but it wasn’t enough to keep senators from staying in session to debate health care reform.

Eventually the slow-moving storm headed to the northeast but not before the mayors of Washington and Philadelphia declared snow emergencies while governors in both Virginia and West Virginia declared states of emergency.

Forecasters had said the storm system was expected to generate winds up to 35 miles per hour, which could cause near-whiteout conditions. It was thought that this could have been the most snow seen in the nation’s capital since February 2003, when nearly 27 inches of snow fell at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

East Coast storm update: Snow causes thousands of accidents, knocks out power, strands motorists, Syracuse.com, December 19, 2009

Regardless of what kind of vehicle you travel in -- car, SUV, minivan or pickup truck -- traffic accidents can result in injuries ranging from simple bumps and bruises to more serious compound fractures and internal bleeding. In the case of high-speed or head-on collisions, traumatic brain injuries, neck and spinal damage or even death can occur.

As a Maryland car accident attorney who has represented numerous individuals hurt in auto wrecks over the years, I know first hand the potentially serious injuries that can result from these kinds of crashes. A recent news story illustrated just how many people can be affected by a single highway accident.

According to news reports, nearly one dozen people were hurt in a Carroll County traffic accident earlier this month. The incident occurred just before 6pm on Friday, December 5 along Route 482. Based on a police investigation, the two-vehicle crash was a direct result of a blown-out tire.

The Carroll County Sheriff's Office reported that a 2005 Kia Sedona minivan with nine occupants was traveling westbound along Route 482 when one of its tires blew. This caused the driver of the van to loss control of the vehicle, which crossed the centerline into the eastbound lane. The minivan then struck a 2005 Nissan pickup truck that was pulling a flatbed trailer.

The minivan hit the pickup truck along the driver’s side of the cab and bed area, after which the minivan spun to a stop on the eastbound shoulder beyond the truck and trailer. The Nissan reportedly left the roadway and hit a utility pole on the eastbound shoulder.

Following the arrival of rescue crews, two women in their twenties were transported by helicopter to Shock Trauma, while an 18-month-old child was flown to John's Hopkins Children's Center with facial injuries. All three were reportedly in stable condition at the time of the news article.

Eight other people were transported by ambulance to Carroll Hospital Center, where they were treated for non-life threatening injuries and later released. Meanwhile, a traffic accident reconstruction team from the Carroll County Sheriff's Office was conducting a detailed investigation, the results of which were not available at the time.

11 People Hurt in Carroll County Crash, ABC2.com, December 5, 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

Defective automobile parts and components can result in minor accidents and even fatal crashes. Depending on what vehicle systems or safety equipment fail on a passenger car or truck, the resulting wreck can cause injuries from cuts and bruises to internal bleeding and even fatal brain trauma or serious spinal damage. As Maryland injury lawyers and auto accident attorneys, Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC has the experience to represent individuals injured in as a result of another person’s negligence.

A recent article shows that some fatal accidents are not a result of defective equipment, which brings into question the human factor. Driver error is one of the largest causes of traffic accidents. Depending on vehicle speed and road conditions the ultimate result can be devastating to the occupants involved in a sedan, sport utility vehicle (SUV) or pickup truck accident.

According to reports, investigators’ post-crash inspection of a Maryland State Police cadet's Ford F-250 pickup truck showed no specific defects or height violations, which could have led to the fatal head-on crash that left a Parsonsburg man dead in an earlier accident.

Police officials reported that investigators inspected the truck and found there were no mechanical defects or equipment violations, this according to Greg Shipley, a Maryland State Police spokesman. The vehicle was reportedly inspected by the state police automotive safety enforcement division following the fatal collision on Route 346 on a Friday morning in late November.

Police reports indicate that the cadet’s pickup came to rest on top of the Mercury Sable driven by 19-year-old Shawn Michael Williams. According to police investigators, Williams’ car crossed the center line and collided with the westbound Ford F-250 driven by Travis William Dennis, a 20-year-old Pittsville resident and Maryland State Police cadet.

Cadets are typically hired at around 18 years of age as civilian employees who assist state troopers. According to police, the cadet program is supposed to expose candidates to the duties and responsibilities of a trooper and in doing so help them prepare for the state police academy.

The investigation of the fatal collision is ongoing and could take another month or so to complete.

No violation found in Old Ocean City Road fatal, DelMarVa.com, December 2, 2009

Head-on traffic accidents are one of the more dangerous and potentially fatal of all vehicle collisions on our undivided highways. While urban accidents can include head-on crashes as well, the higher speeds of rural roads make these kinds of auto wrecks much more life threatening. As Maryland injury and automobile accident lawyers, our firm understands the severity of such crashes and the injuries that passengers can sustain.

Recently, a young Parsonsburg, MD, man was killed when his car unexplainably veered into the path of another vehicle on Maryland’s Route 364 just east of Esham Road in Wicomico County. Police reports indicate that the man’s Mercury Sable crossed the centerline and collided with a Ford pickup truck traveling westbound at that time.

According to news reports, 19-year-old Shawn Michael Williams from Parsonsburg was traveling eastbound on Route 346 when he apparently lost control and his car crossed into the path of an oncoming Ford F-250. According to Maryland State Police Williams not wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident and pronounced dead at the scene.

Police reported that speed did not appear to be a factor in the accident, nor were drugs or alcohol contributing factors, either. Defective equipment may have played a role, but no information was available at the time. The driver of the Ford pickup truck, 20-year-old Travis William Dennis of Pittsville, was taken to Peninsula Regional Medical Center for treatment and later released, according to reports.

Police reports show that both of the drivers were traveling alone in their respective vehicles. Sadly, this latest fatality happened during a period of relatively low traffic deaths in the county, at least according to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), whose data shows that fatal crashes in Wicomico County decreased from 18 in 2007 to 14 in 2008.

For comparison, Worcester County reported an increase in fatal crashes (11 in 2007 versus 18 in 2008), while Somerset County reported one fatal crash in 2007 and one in 2008, based on NHTSA information.

Parsonsburg man killed in collision, DelMarVa.com, November 28, 2009

Sport utility vehicle (SUV), pickup truck and car accidents can happen any time with little or no warning. The lucky drivers in traffic accidents such as these receive minor to moderate injuries. The unlucky ones can end up permanently handicapped or, worse, pronounced dead at the scene of the car or truck crash. As Maryland auto accident attorneys, I and my colleagues help to represent accident victims and their families to help recover some or all of the medical expenses, lost wages and other financial costs of such collisions.

A recent news report talked about couple of the lucky ones who survived a head-on car crash in Frederick, MD. According to police, two drivers traveling in separate vehicle were injured when their vehicles collided on Maryland 180 where the roadway crosses over U.S. 340.

Reports indicate that the accident occurred just before 12:30 in the afternoon, when a 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer driving westbound over the Maryland 180 bridge crossed the center line and collided head-on with a 2009 Ford Focus.

Emergency responders arriving on the scene treated both drivers before they were both transported to R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. The driver of the Trailblazer was identified as Tracey Lamar Andrews, 41, of Frederick. That driver, as well as the driver of the Focus, John Thomas Sparks, 28, of Cumberland, Maryland, were both flown from the scene by Maryland State Police Medevac helicopter.

At the time of the report, police had not yet determined if the accident had been caused by driver error, or if it may have been due to defective vehicle equipment. Fortunately, neither driver’s injuries appeared to be life-threatening; and there were no other passengers in either vehicle, according to police.

Two drivers injured in crash on Md. 180, Hearld-Mail.com, October 20, 2009

Drunk driving can and does cause tragic results. It’s amazing, then, that an 84-year-old Maryland motorist who police believe was driving under the influence of alcohol, did not kill anyone when he unknowingly drove the wrong way on Interstate 70 recently. As auto and truck accident attorneys, I and my colleagues have seen first-hand the results of similar events. This one, thank goodness, did not result in any fatalities or serious injuries, for that matter.

According to reports, Carroll Wayne Broome of Hagerstown was apparently intoxicated when he entered I-70 just after noontime on Monday, November 16, and drove eastbound through opposing traffic. Police say that Broome caused two separate accidents near exit 28 (near Maryland’s Route 632) and exit 29 (near route 65).

Surprisingly, no serious injuries were reported, according to reports. Law enforcement officials said that the first accident occurred when two other vehicles collided after Broome’s vehicle caused the other drivers to swerve to avoid the man near exit 28. The second accident occurred when a car, which was grazed by the man’s blue passenger vehicle, rear-ended another car that had slowed down to avoid a collision.

Reports indicate that Peter Nicklas Jr., 36, of Hagerstown -- involved in the second accident -- was taken by the Halfway Volunteer Fire Department to Washington County Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries and released. According to police, no one else suffered injuries that were serious enough to warrant a hospital visit.

News articles stated that a Maryland Department of Natural Resources officer found Broome’s car stopped in the median and facing the wrong was along the westbound lanes of I-70 just east of exit 29.

Troopers arriving at the scene gave Broome several field sobriety tests. They reportedly arrested the man and took him to the Maryland State Police barrack south of Hagerstown for processing. He was released pending a mandatory appearance in court.

Man charged with DUI after allegedly causing two accidents on I-70, Hearld-Mail.com, November 16, 2009

An Upperco, MD, woman was recently sentenced to eight years in prison for a fatal drunk driving-related traffic accident that occurred in 2008. According to reports, 65-year-old Mary Ann Farevagg received the sentence in a Baltimore County court. I and my firm, Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC, have handled dozens of wrongful death cases stemming from car collisions. Drunk driving is one of the more common causes of on-road fatalities, something that police and legislators have bee trying to combat over the years.

In this instance, Ms. Farevaag apparently entered a guilty plea in Baltimore County Circuit Court for the December 16, 2008, car crash that killed 47-year-old Richard Daniel of Hampstead, Maryland. According to news reports, Daniel was riding in a second vehicle driven by his mother Sara Daniel, 72, who was critically injured in the head-on collision. Court records show that Sara Daniel sustained life-threatening injuries that required extensive in-hospital treatment.

The accident occurred on Black Rock Road near Trenton Road in Baltimore County, about a mile from Farevagg’s home. Prosecutors said that the vehicle Farevaag was driving crossed the center line at 8:40am and struck the Daniel’s car first, then hit several other vehicles before ending up in a nearby field.

Police reports indicated that Farevaag’s blood alcohol level, which was tested two hours after the accident, was at 0.25 percent -- more than three times the legal limit in Maryland.

After pleading guilty to one count of automobile manslaughter and one count of causing a life-threatening injury while under the influence of alcohol, Farevaag was sentenced by Judge Susan Souder to 10 years in prison with all but five suspended on the manslaughter charge. She was also sentenced to an additional three years in jail on the charge of causing life-threatening injuries. The court ordered the sentences to be served consecutively.

Upperco woman sentenced to eight years for auto manslaughter, ExploreBaltimoreCounty.com, September 22, 2009

Police reported a fatal car wreck in Frederick Country, MD, recently that resulted in the death of a young motorist and injured four others in the victim’s vehicle as well as a second automobile. According to news reports, the crash occurred just after 7pm on October 5 when a 1989 Chevy Cavalier driven by 20-year-old Jimmy Hawkins of Damascus hit an oncoming vehicle at the top of a hill in Mt. Airy. The second car, a 1995 Chevrolet Corsica, was being driven by local resident James P. Valentine Jr., 51.

As Maryland car accident attorneys, Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC understands the pain and suffering of the victims of such horrendous head-on accidents. In this instance, one of the two drivers died from injuries sustained in the collision, while four others were taken to a Baltimore hospital for treatment. The crash happened in the 4000 block of Bill Moxley Road, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Such an accident can cause head, neck and spine injuries. And while the police were still determining the cause, there is a chance that it was the result of driver error. Depending on which vehicle crossed the centerline, a wrongful death suit could be pending. If defective equipment is to blame, then there may be some recourse for the victims.

According to news reports, the driver of the Cavalier died at the scene. He had two passengers, Ashley L. Caldwell, 19, and a 17-year-old male, both from Monrovia. Those two individuals were taken to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. The Corsica driven by Mr. Valentine had a single passenger, Deborah A. Valentine, 47. Both occupants were transported to Baltimore Shock Trauma.

One killed, four injured in Frederick County crash, Herald-Mail.com, October 6, 2009