Fatal Traffic Accidents

Baltimore Auto Accident News: Maryland Woman Gets 4 Years for Death of Passenger in Fatal Crash

May 4, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Negligence on the part of one driver can result in the injury and death of one or many innocent people. As Maryland injury accident lawyers, I and my colleagues feel deeply for the families of automobile accident victims, especially in cases where loved ones have died as a result of a car, truck or motorcycle wreck. Of course, there is no amount of money that can bring a person back to life, but the recovery of medical expenses and any court-ordered award for pain and suffering can help a family get back to the job of living.

With this in mind, a wrongful death lawsuit is one way a family can punish an individual whose negligent actions brought about the untimely death of a loved one. These victims can be other drivers, innocent bystanders, and even passengers in the defendant’s own vehicle. Whether you live in Rockville, Gaithersburg, Annapolis or Washington, D.C., car, bus and commercial trucking collisions happen all too frequently. The results can be devastating, with even the survivors suffering long-term disability due to spinal cord damage, neck injury or traumatic brain injury.

Drunken driving is probably one of the most common causes of preventable traffic accidents, which take lives, destroy property and scar families for years to come. The choice of a driver to get behind the wheel in an impaired state is as much a function of poor judgment as trying to beat a red light, or speeding in dense traffic. It’s a sad fact that a driver’s bad choices on the road can and do result in injury and death to others around them.

Not long ago, an article caught our eye that illustrates how quickly one individual’s poor judgment can take the life of another vibrant and lively human being. According to news reports, a 33-year-old Laurel, MD, woman received more than fours years in jail (plus 3 years of supervised release) for the drunken driving-related death of a 31-year-old passenger in October of 2009. That passenger was a basketball player for Howard University, as well as James Madison.

Maryland Injury News: Aggressive Driving Cited in Fatal Car Crash that Killed Baltimore County Woman

April 30, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Baltimore automobile and trucking accident lawyer, I understand how easily a car crash can happen. Whether one is traveling on a city street in Annapolis, Washington, D.C., or Rockville, or if you are on the Beltway, even the simplest of mistakes or driving errors can result in a serious injury accident. As a motorist myself, I know that obeying our traffic laws is one way to help avoid the effects of a tragic car wreck.

Unfortunately, there are drivers among us who for one reason or another choose to tempt fate and drive in a less than safe manner. Exceeding the posted speed limit, weaving in and out of traffic, or driving without regard to the safety of other motorists can lead to a bad traffic wreck involving one or many vehicles. An aside here, some motorists are at higher risk when they become caught up in a traffic accident, namely motorcycle riders, due to less protection against bodily injury.

In any event, aggressive driving of almost any kind can not only precipitate a serious collision, but can also exacerbate the effects of a crash. From compound fractures of the arms and legs, to internal bleeding and closed-head injuries, a high-speed accident can surely result in serious medical complications, and sometimes even death. Some argue that surviving a motor vehicle accident may be worse, especially in cases where spinal cord damage occurs, leaving the victim paralyzed sometimes for life.

A news article pointed out the extreme downside of aggressive driving. Sadly for one Dundalk resident, her haste one evening on the Beltway apparently resulted in her own death. The only fortunate thing that can be said is nobody else was seriously injured as a result of that woman’s actions.

Baltimore Auto Accident News: Maryland Driver Found Guilty of Vehicular Manslaughter in Fatal 2009 Crash

April 28, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

You won’t find any argument from us; when it come to aggressive driving — whether its road rage, joy riding or illegal midnight drag races on public roads — fatal accidents resulting from unlawful driving behavior can only be viewed is negligence of the worst kind. Willful disregard for the safety of ones passengers, other motorists and innocent bystanders cannot be tolerated in a civil society.

Traffic laws are put in place primarily for the safety and well-being of all those who share the road. Whether one drives a passenger car, motorcycle, delivery truck or 18-wheel tractor-trailer rig, it’s all to easy under normal circumstances to become involved in a highway collision or rural traffic wreck. Injecting high-speed, sometimes alcohol-related street racing or other illegal vehicle operation only invites disaster.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my colleagues know that tragedy is just one mistake away when motor vehicles are involved. Even under “normal” driving conditions a typical crash can lead to serious injuries for the driver and passenger. Add to that highway speeds and heavier vehicles, like a commercial truck, and you’re looking at the potential for traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage and possibly death.

Maryland Driver Dies in Baltimore County Single-vehicle Traffic Accident; Police Suspect Drunk Driving

April 26, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Although a person’s chances of being killed in a car crash are less than the odds of an individual being severely injured as a result of an automobile collision, it’s a fact that thousands of people die in traffic accidents every year in the U.S. In cities like Annapolis, Rockville, Gaithersburg and Washington, D.C., fatal motor vehicle wrecks make up a definite percentage of all highway accidents.

While being injured or killed in a multi-car pileup is not uncommon, there are situations where a driver or passenger can die in a single-vehicle crash. When a passenger dies in a one-car wreck, the circumstances may call for an investigation, which can ultimately lead to a wrongful death lawsuit on the victim’s behalf.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers and practicing auto accident attorneys, we understand the heartache associated with a fatal traffic accident. Families of victims experience a huge loss, emotionally and financially, when the main breadwinner is killed as a result of another driver’s negligence. Nothing can truly make a family whole after such a devastating loss, but with medical bills and lost wages, a grieving family needs all of the help it can get.

Maryland Pedestrian Accident News: LaPlata Man Killed in Fatal Charles County Hit-and-Run Collision

April 22, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

If it seems that there have been a lot of auto-pedestrian traffic accidents these days, you wouldn’t be wrong. And for anyone living in Baltimore, Annapolis, the District or Rockville, it should come as no surprise at all that our city streets are veritable killing fields when it comes to persons on foot or riding bicycles. This is only a guess, but these serious and sometimes deadly pedestrian collisions are only going to get worse before people really sit up and take notice.

As Maryland automobile and trucking accident attorneys, we’re continually dismayed by the number of fatal and near-fatal car, truck and motorcycle accidents in this state. Folks hurt or killed while traveling on foot have sadly become just another column in the sad tally of traffic wrecks across Maryland. A smaller, but no less important group, would be those individuals struck by hit-and-run drivers.

Scanning the various news sources recently, we saw an article detailing yet another in a string of these hit-and-run accidents that have killed another of Maryland’s residents. This particular incident took place in Charles County, where a 57-year-old LaPlata man lost his life to an apparently thoughtless and negligent driver.

Baltimore Injury News: Maryland Woman Gets 2 Years in Prison for Fatal Drunken Driving Crash

April 20, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Vehicular homicide is a very serious charge, compounded in some cases by a additional charges of drinking and driving or driving under the influence of prescription medication or illegal drugs. In such cases, it’s conceivable that the family of the victim may bring a wrongful death civil suit against the individual for their negligent actions in the death of the family’s loved one.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we have seen the progression of litigation, from the initial traffic accident to courtroom. With the cost of medical care these days, a tragic automobile or trucking wreck can place extreme financial stress on the victim’s family, especially in cases of long-term physical injury, permanent disability and other life-long and life-altering conditions.

Last month, a U.S. District Court jury found 23-year-old motorist guilty of killing her friend, Ashley Roberta, and injuring Washington, D.C., soccer player Charlie Davies in an October 2009 single-vehicle traffic accident. According to news articles, Maria A. Espinoza pled guilty late last year to charges of involuntary manslaughter as well as maiming while driving in an intoxicated state prior to the deadly crash.

The accident occurred in the early morning hours after the three friends left a nightclub in the District. Based on court records, the three individuals got into an Infiniti FX35 with Espinoza at the wheel and headed south along the George Washington Memorial Pkwy. Espinoza was reportedly unfamiliar with the area and apparently wasn’t certain how to get to the road and how to get to Davies’s hotel in Crystal City, according to court documents.

Using a GPS device to find the hotel, Espinoza missed an exit; while looking away from the road to recalculate their route, the defendant apparently lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road and hit a guardrail. The force of the collision reportedly split the vehicle in two; the rear of the Infiniti rolled down a 17-foot embankment, fatally injuring Roberta who died at the scene.

Washington County, MD, Accident News: Hagerstown Man Killed in Multi-car Crash on Interstate 70

April 14, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Many vehicle accidents happen for reasons not initially understood. Although driver error is many times to blame, other factors such as bad weather conditions, improper signage or a poorly-designed roadway can contribute to a serious car, truck or motorcycle accident. When fault is found with a driver, numerous reasons are possible including impairment due to alcohol or improper prescription drug use, drowsy driving, distracted driving due to cellphone operation, or medical emergency, as well as others.

As Baltimore car accident attorneys and Maryland personal injury lawyers, our job is to find evidence of negligence on a driver’s part that may have led to a collision that injured another individual. In instances of a fatal wreck, there is always the possibility of a wrongful death lawsuit depending on the circumstances and facts specific to that case. Occasionally, an accident is caused by failure of a critical automotive component, such as a steering tierod, brake system part, poorly maintained tires, or a damaged suspension component, among others.

Not long ago, 69-year-old Ray S. Linebaugh died in a collision with a Megabus parked on the shoulder along a stretch of I-70. Linebaugh, a Hagerstown resident and former head of the Joint Veterans Council of Washington County, was reportedly driving westbound on the freeway when for some reason his pickup truck veered across the median and entered the opposing traffic lanes near the Big Pool exit.

Based on police reports, Linebaugh’s vehicle careened into the disabled bus as it was parked on the roadside awaiting for a repair vehicle and second bus to transfer the passengers. Linebaugh was declared dead at the scene, while several other people who were passengers on the bus received minor injuries and were taken to the hospital.

Police reported that another vehicle carrying a woman and her two children crashed as the driver attempted to avoid the out-of-control pickup truck as it crossed the eastbound lanes. The mother and kids also received injuries as a result of the incident and were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Baltimore Auto Accident News: Harford County Girl Dies in Fatal Head-on Collision with Light Truck

March 29, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Statistics tend to bear this out, but it should come as little surprise that younger drivers have a higher incidence of traffic accidents than more mature drivers. This is not an indictment of young people or their driving habits, but is simply a matter of fact that most every insurance company knows, as evidenced by the typically higher policy premiums charged to families with drivers in their 20s.

As Baltimore auto accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, I and my colleagues know how easily a traffic accident can take a person’s life. Car crashes, like commercial trucking accidents and motorcycle wrecks, happen with uncomfortable frequency throughout the state of Maryland and the Washington, D.C. area as well. One simply way of increasing one’s odds of surviving a serious car or truck collision is to wear a seatbelt. Combined with airbags, this can make walking away from a crash many times more likely.

Unfortunately, safety belt use is not always observed by young and old alike; but as fate doesn’t discriminate, these unbelted drivers and passengers run the risk of severe injuries such as broken bones, deep lacerations, internal injuries, spinal cord damage and closed head trauma. Not long ago a teenage girl died after the car in which she was riding went out of control and crashed into an oncoming vehicle.

Maryland Man Dies in Hagerstown Traffic Accident when Pickup Truck Hits Bus on I-70

March 27, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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.

Maryland Car Accident News: Driver Convicted in Fatal Drug-related Auto Wreck in D.C.

March 23, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Any driver who knowingly gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle — be it a passenger car, shuttle bus, or semi tractor-trailer rig — and operates that vehicle under the influence of alcohol, prescription drugs, or illegal substances is taking not only risking their own life and that of their passengers, but also is putting the lives of other motorists in jeopardy as well.

Being auto accident attorneys here in Baltimore, as well as personal injury lawyers for Maryland and the District, we understand the frustration, pain and anger that victims of car accidents and their families feel following a senseless traffic collision. As citizens and drivers, we all have a responsibility to operate our family cars, motorcycles, company vehicles and commercial trucks in a safe and legal manner — if not for ourselves and the safety of our family, at least for those innocent occupants in other vehicles.

According to news reports, a Washington, D.C., driver was convicted in connection with a fatal automobile crash last year, which killed a 37-year-old Mary Wimbush and injured the woman’s four children. Based on court reports, a D.C. jury heard the case in which 35-year-old Ajene Jones said he remembered buying PCP-laced cigarettes on April 19, 2010, before getting into his Dodge Ram truck and heading south along a stretch of Alabama Avenue SE.

Police reports showed that the man apparently veered across the centerline and into the path of Wimbush’s oncoming Toyota Camry. Jones reportedly told the court that the next thing he remembered was regaining consciousness in the rear of ambulance. Based on news reports, local prosecutors said that the man was high on that illicit drug when his vehicle collided with the woman’s sedan.

Court records showed that Jones’ truck was going 52mph in a 25mph speed zone. The resulting collision caused Wimbush’s Toyota to spin 180 degrees; apparently the vehicle was so badly damaged that it took emergency responders almost an hour to cut the woman out of the car. She died as a result of the violent crash, while her children all suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Court records indicate that Jones was convicted on a single count of vehicular manslaughter, as well as two counts of aggravated assault. That conviction came as a result of an Alford plea — meaning the defendant did not admit to any guilt, while at the same time acknowledging that the state had sufficient evidence to convict him.