Fatal Traffic Accidents

Maryland Automobile Accident News: Law Suits Claim Toyota Knew About Dangerous Acceleration Risk in 2003

November 6, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Defective automotive equipment can be just as deadly as a drunken driver when it comes to traffic accidents and fatalities on Maryland roadways. As a Baltimore car accident lawyer and personal injury attorney, I understand how poorly designed or maintained safety systems on cars, trucks and commercial motor vehicles can result in catastrophic roadway crashes leading to injuries and possible death.

Both the vehicle manufacturers and the maintenance facilities for those vehicles must do their part to ensure that all systems work as designed. Defective equipment can ihis include braking systems, steering components, lights and seatbelts, among others. If any system fails to work properly it could cause an accident or make any future accident more dangerous for the occupants, not to mention those motorists in the vicinity of a serious crash.

According to news articles, a law suit against the Japanese auto maker, Toyota, claims that the company knew as far back as 2003 about the possible acceleration risk on some of its vehicles. Based on reports, a Toyota technician stated in 2003 that sudden acceleration is an “extremely dangerous problem.” This was a full six years prior to the first of many recalls that the company has had to issue.

Maryland Auto Injury News: Man’s Family Accepts $100,000 Award from Fatal 2008 Bay Bridge Accident

October 31, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Every so often a life-altering event occurs that makes people think: What would I do in a similar situation? The death of a family member is always a shock to the survivors and everyone involved can be affected a different way. As a Baltimore automobile accident attorney and Maryland personal injury lawyer, I understand that reaching a settlement that will best help the victim’s family is one of the most important goals in a wrongful death suit.

Not only medical costs, but lost wages and other financial matters left in the wake of an untimely death are all concerns for the surviving family members. A recent wrongful death suit was settled, according to news reports, leaving the family of the victim with only $100,000 for the apparent loss of a husband and provider.

Based on court records, the family of 57-year-old John Short accepted the $100,000 limit payable by another driver’s insurance company in the case of a fatal crash on the Bay Bridge back a couple of years ago. According to reports, Short died on August 10, 2008, when he steered his semi tractor-trailer rig off the bridge as he tried to avoid hitting an oncoming vehicle driven by 19-year-old Candy Baldwin.

Maryland Auto Injury Accident News: Baltimore County Woman Dies in Fatal Anne Arundel Parkway Crash

October 14, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Defective vehicle equipment can be one cause of fatal or near-fatal automobile accidents. As a Maryland car accident attorney and personal injury lawyer, the potential for injury in a highway collision is quiet high when a critical vehicle system, such as steering or brakes, fails to function properly. As drivers, we rely on our vehicles to be not only trouble free, but remain safe for long periods of time and over tens of thousands of miles.

While many car and truck accidents are caused by another person’s negligence, instances of defective equipment can and do occur raising the question of product liability in the minds of victims and their attorneys. Not long ago, a Baltimore County resident was tragically killed when her vehicle was struck by another car whose driver apparently lost control of it.

According to news reports, the accident happened along a stretch of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway in Anne Arundel County at about 8:30pm on a Wednesday evening. Maryland State Troopers arriving at the scene determined that a ‘98 Toyota Camry traveling south crossed the median and hit a northbound ‘96 Chevrolet Metro driven by Stacy Alvater.

Maryland Pedestrian Injury News: Postman Dies in Prince George’s County after Being Hit by Police Car

October 11, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It would be nice to think that highly trained professionals, such as police officers, never have accidents, however this is not the case. Even professional truck drivers who are seasoned veterans in a career dedicated to driving on public roads can and do get into traffic accidents involving drivers of cars, minivans and light trucks, even with motorcyclists who can be seriously injured as a result.

As a Baltimore car accident lawyer, I see news reports every week of motor vehicle accidents that injure or take the lives of innocent people. Pedestrians are not immune to these tragic collisions and can usually be hurt far more seriously than occupants of cars and trucks.

Not long ago, a postal employee and Washington, D.C., resident was hit by a police car driven by an off-duty patrolman. The accident occurred in Prince George’s County just after 6am on a Tuesday morning. According to reports, a county policeman was traveling to work along Garrett A. Morgan Boulevard when 62-year-old Ronald Burgess apparently attempted to cross the street near FedEx Field.

Maryland Driver Travels Wrong Way on I-795; Causes Fatal Head-on Crash near Owning Mills

October 7, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Some auto collisions are preventable, others are not. When a driver becomes disoriented whether due to drug or alcohol impairment, or even from old age, the results can be devastating. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, my firm helps people recover the sometimes debilitating costs of a serious traffic accident, especially when another person’s negligence is found to be the cause.

Not long ago a Reisterstown resident died in a fatal head-on crash along Interstate 795 just south of Owings Mills. According to police, witnesses claimed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Corolla, was traveling against traffic with no headlights on.

According to a news article, Maryland State police were alerted to the situation by several early morning 911 calls reporting that a car was going south in the northbound lanes of I-795. Unfortunately, MSP troopers could not turn around quickly enough to catch up with the Toyota and try to flag down the driver.

Maryland Traffic Safety News: Fatal Highway Accidents Fall to 1950 Levels; Feds Credit Technology, Enhanced Enforcement

September 30, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Maryland automobile accident attorney, I respect the dedication of our state and the local municipalities in their ongoing fight to reduce traffic fatalities. And as a Baltimore injury attorney, I know that declining accident rates and motor vehicle deaths is a good thing even when the headlines don’t always indicate the progress of our traffic safety authorities.

According to a study lately from Washington, D.C., law enforcement departments from across the country definitely have some good news to boast about: Based on the latest data highway fatalities have dropped to one the lowest levels in more than half a century.

According to a recent article, law enforcement officials here and across the nation credit the reduction in car and truck accident deaths to a variety of enforcement technologies, coupled with strict drunk driving and drug DUI patrols and checkpoints. The news out of D.C. shows that deadly auto accidents along our public roads have drastically fallen to a level not seen since the 1950s.

Maryland Man Convicted of Alcohol-related Vehicular Homicide Gets Another 6 Years for Drinking Again

September 20, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Drinking and driving subjects everyone on the road to potential danger involving traffic accidents with injuries or even fatal car crashes. As Maryland personal injury attorneys and automobile accident lawyers, I and my colleagues work to help the victims of car accidents caused by another individual’s negligent behavior. Getting behind the wheel when intoxicated is one way to kill or hurt other drivers and passengers on the road.

According to a recent article, a 43-year-old alcoholic will get another six years in prison for taking a drink at a local gas station. Whether or not this was a so-called “moment of weakness,” the description would mean very little to a person injured by this man, should he not have been caught by police. According to news reports, the man was on probation after being convicted for automobile manslaughter back in 2005, but even that episode in his life didn’t seem to make enough of an impression to keep him from taking a sip of an alcoholic beverage.

Based on reports, Michael Thomas Spears pled guilty to violating his probation, which in this man’s case was spelled out as abstaining from alcohol. In his original vehicular manslaughter trial, it was argued that Spears’ negligence resulted in the death of 92-year-old Berkman Gatton and the partial blinding James Nichols, son of the elderly man.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Baltimore Woman Dies in Fatal Two-Car Crash along Interstate 70

September 18, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A tragic automobile accident took the life of a Maryland resident not long ago along a stretch of Interstate 70. As a Baltimore personal injury attorney and auto accident lawyer, I know that many dozens of people are killed every year riding as passengers in another individual’s car, pickup truck or SUV.

Motor vehicle accidents, both passenger car and commercial truck crashes, take the lives of thousands of people every year in this country Maryland. The result of this crash is sadly typical of many traffic collisions. In addition to the person who was killed, three others where taken to area hospitals for medical treatment.

According to news reports, the accident happened a little after 2am when a Nissan Altima, driven by 51-year-old Terrance Goode, hit a Volkswagen Jetta on I-70. Based on Maryland State Police reports, the Jetta was being driven by 24-year-old Ashley Gilbert of Monrovia, MD.

Maryland Automobile Accident Report: Two Passengers Killed in Queen Anne’s County Car Crash

August 31, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Once again drinking and driving has been pointed to as a contributing factor in yet another car accident in Queen Anne’s County. As a Baltimore personal injury lawyer and car accident attorney, I know all too well how alcohol can play a big role in traffic collisions. The pain inflicted on others as a result of another person’s negligent behavior can be extensive and long lasting.

In this latest incident, two people died when the vehicle in which they were riding crashed along a stretch of Maryland’s Route 8. According to news accounts, the accident happened around 8am on a Sunday morning when 41-year-old Victor A. Smith of Annapolis apparently lost control of his BMW, which then crossed the center line into oncoming traffic.

The Smith had been driving his black BMW northbound along Route 8 near Great Neck Road in Stevensville when the accident occurred. As the car veered into southbound traffic, 46-year-old Agnes C. Phelps tried to avoid Smith’s BMW by pulling off to the side of the road and onto the shoulder, according to police reports. Even so, Phelps’ car was hit by the BMW, which then caused both vehicles to leave the roadway.

Baltimore Personal Injury News: Maryland Driver Killed in Beltway Car Accident

August 29, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A single-vehicle passenger car accident can be the result of a number of factors, including defective vehicle components, bad weather, poorly maintained road surface, or driver error. As a Maryland car accident lawyer, I and my staff understand the pain and suffering that any serious traffic collision can inflict on drivers and passengers.

Whether the crash involves a single automobile, such as a sedan, minivan, SUV or pickup truck; a motorcycle or other two-wheeled motor vehicle; or a commercial truck, such as an 18-wheeler, box truck, or delivery van, the injuries sustained by the driver and/or passengers can be extensive depending on the circumstances.

Police investigators usually work to determine the cause of any serious accident to determine the contributing factors and ultimately who was at fault. In many cases, driver error is found to be the main reason for a car or truck crash — other factors can be listed such as excessive speed, alcohol or drug use, poor visibility, etc.