Pedestrian Accidents

Maryland Police Officer Hurt in Traffic Accident on Interstate Overpass Sues Motorist Over Injuries

July 18, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It shouldn’t come as any real surprise to hear that police officers and first responders and other emergency personnel face a great deal of risk when carrying out their offical duties along our state’s roadways. Whether curbside in urban areas like Annapolis, Bowie or Washington, D.C., or on the roadside along a stretch of the Beltway, approaching vehicles of all types can pose a serious hazard to patrolmen, firefighters and tow truck drivers. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my colleagues represent clients from every walk of life who have been injured in a car, truck or motorcycle accident.

One of the more stark differences between the occupants of passenger cars and police officers doing their job, is that a patrolman places himself in danger on an almost constant basis. Drivers and passengers riding in sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, and even city buses, don’t usually face the same potential for injury as public safety officers, though they can be hurt just as seriously in a traffic wreck.

A while back, one of Baltimore’s finest was badly injured when she was apparently pushed over the edge of an overpass during a car crash between a moving vehicle and another stationary one she was standing near. At the time of the accident that took place, along a portion of Interstate 83, Officer Teresa Rigby was helping a stranded motorist last year in June. Based on news reports at the time, the officer was out of her patrol car when she was thrown over the edge of the roadway wall, causing her to fall 20 feet to the pavement below.

Dangers Lurking with Every Potential Car Accident — Head, Neck and Back Injuries Abound

July 13, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Most drivers in the Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington, D.C., areas know that they could be involved in a passenger car or commercial truck accident some time during their driving careers. Accepting risks, at least reasonable risks, is all part and parcel of living in the modern world. One hundred years ago automobile accidents were few and far between, since cars were new to the scene and accidents occurred at slower speeds.

These days car, truck and motorcycle wrecks can happen at much higher speeds than in the pioneering days of internal combustion. Fortunately for us, and unlike our ancestors, advances in medical science can significantly improve an accident victim’s chances for survival following a severe or near-fatal traffic collision. This doesn’t mean necessarily that doctors and healthcare professionals can completely reverse the damaging effects of a bad car crash; there are significant downside risks for any personal injury victim.

Case in point: the head and spinal injuries that can take place during a high-speed automobile, truck or motorcycle crash. Closed-head injuries can be some of the most vexing when it comes to returning a victim to normal function, even in these days of advanced medical procedures and treatment techniques. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, we understand how so many drivers and passengers can end up paralyzed for extended periods, if not for life.

The Role of Emergency Medical Helicopters in Victim Survivability Rates following Automobile Crashes

June 18, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

With the number of serious traffic accidents in tens of thousands every year across this nation, it’s surprising that the death rate from car, truck and motorcycle accidents is not higher than it already is. While alcohol and drug use contributes to a vast number of injury- and fatality-related roadway collisions, the percentage of distracted driving incidents has been rising on its own as one of several major factors in modern-day automobile and commercial trucking wrecks.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we understand how even the most innocuous distraction — such as a crying child, spilled coffee or in-car conversation — can draw a driver’s attention away from the task at hand. More than a few motorists and their passengers have been killed thanks to a moments loss of focus on the highway.

While the number and frequency of auto and trucking accidents on our nation’s roads can at times be amazing, it is the actions of police, fire and other emergency personnel that can make the difference between a serious car or truck crash and a fatal one. Part of the response equation can involve the often cited medevac helicopter flights that ferry critically injured victims of traffic accidents from accident scenes all around the country to medical facilities for rapid, and hopefully life-saving treatment.

Maryland’s Traffic Death Count Includes More than 100 Pedestrians and Cyclists Each Year

May 24, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Maryland and Washington, D.C., personal injury attorneys, it’s not uncommon for individuals to approach our firm following a serious car-, truck- or motorcycle-related traffic accident. Quite a few of these individuals have likely received some type of serious bodily injury as a result of the collision in question. While more people survive car and trucking-related wrecks, there is a percentage of victims who do not make it home to their loved ones.

For those families who lose a parent, spouse, or child to a preventable traffic collision, there is not much anyone can say to alleviate the pain and loss that the relatives mush endure for years to come, if not a lifetime. Car accidents take many lives each year, but what many people don’t thing about when it comes to traffic-related fatalities is the pedestrian component of those statistics.

Based on numbers coming out of various agencies, it has been said that 100 people or more are killed every year as a result of being struck by an automobile or commercial delivery truck. This group of individuals includes those who may have been traveling on foot, standing near a street corner, or riding a bicycle in or near vehicular traffic.

Victim of Traffic-related Pedestrian-Car Accident Succumbs to Her Injuries 3 Months Later

April 27, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Representing individuals hurt or injured in automobile accidents, I and my colleagues are more than mildly aware of the potentially deadly results of car, truck and motorcycle wrecks. While injuries received in most traffic accidents may not result in serious medical complications or long-term disability, the possibility still exists. Of course, we also help the families of victims who have been killed in fatal roadway collision.

Whether through extreme negligence or even a lack of proper caution on the part of another person, the injuries sustained by a driver or passenger of a car, SUV, minivan, or vehicle used for public transportation, can be extensive. From cuts and bruises to compound fractures, internal injuries or closed-head trauma, a number of bodily injuries can continue to dog a person weeks or months — sometimes even years — down the road.

Some victims never leave the hospital after being hurt in an automobile or commercial trucking accident. These hapless, innocent victims linger for day, weeks or even months and years before they sadly cannot cope with the medical complications of their injuries. In such instances, the person’s bodily functions begin to ebb regardless of how much treatment is performed on the victim. In the end, the family must cope with the loss of a loved one, who may have continued to suffer in pain and discomfort all during their failed recovery.

Maryland Man Receives Critical and Life-threatening Injuries in Pedestrian Hit-and-Run Traffic Accident

April 25, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Sad to say, but it would be a shock if one day we woke up and there were no more automobile or trucking-related traffic accidents in Baltimore, or anywhere else for that matter. With the number of serious and fatal car, truck and motorcycle collisions that occur every month, it’s no surprise that a significant percentage of our society’s time, energy and financial resources go toward helping people recover from, many times, senseless car accidents.

In a perfect world there would be no single-vehicle, multi-vehicle or commuter-related wrecks anywhere in our state or across the nation. But enough dreaming, because in the real world people make mistakes and others pay for those mistakes by being injured or killed as a result.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, my firm sees first-hand the effects of senseless car and truck collisions on a weekly basis. Not a day goes by that somewhere across the state, someone innocent bystander or vehicle occupant has been hurt by the actions of another individual. In cases where a death has resulted from a negligent act, it’s not uncommon for the family of the victim to file a wrongful death suit against the person responsible for that fatality.

NHTSA Delays Latest Ruling for “Rear-View” Cameras in Production Passenger Vehicles

April 9, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my legal staff keep ourselves up-to-date on the latest federal and state legislation affecting car, truck and motorcycle accident law, as well as traffic safety and enforcement issues. Understanding that traffic accidents take the lives of many thousands of Americans ever year, as well as injuring, maiming and permanently disabling many more individuals whose only mistake was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Automobile and commercial trucking accidents are without a doubt a continuing threat to the health and safety of many Maryland motorists and their families. One of the more common accidents, this time involving pedestrians hurt by cars and trucks, is the typical reversing collision with a person on foot or injuring a bicycle rider. These sometimes fatal collisions can happen almost anywhere; from supermarket parking areas and multi-level parking structures to church parking lots and residential driveways.

As many of our readers may already have noticed, a number of automobile companies have had rear-view “backup” cameras from several years or more on selected vehicle models. And while more and more companies are including these devices as part of their multi-media hardware and software systems, there remain many cars that do not offer the feature.

Baltimore Roadway Injury News: Police Officers and Civilians Hurt in Several Maryland Traffic Accidents

March 23, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We’d like to take this opportunity to remind drivers in and around Maryland to always be alert to potential traffic dangers, be it in Rockville, Gaithersburg, Howie or the District. More to the point, be aware that police officers doing their jobs should be given a wide berth when approaching and passing police cruiser. Furthermore, while we all understand that it’s sometimes difficult to avoid staring at the scene of a car accident or other roadside emergency, this is no time to be losing one’s concentration on other aspects of the roadway and traffic in the immediate area.

As Maryland injury attorneys, we’ve seen enough victims of car, truck and motorcycle crashes to know the value of safe and conscientious drivers. And, having represented our share of individuals hurt by the negligent, careless or deliberately harmful actions of another motorist, we know the pain and discomfort that can accompany bodily injuries received in roadway collision.

High-speed car and trucking-related crashes can cause extensive injury or even death; both driver and passengers are at risk when something goes wrong at expressway speeds. As we said previously, highway patrol officers and other law enforcement and emergency personnel are members of a larger group of at-risk individuals when it comes to traffic accidents.

Baltimore Maryland Personal Injury News: Driver found Innocent of Neighbor’s Death following Fatal Late-night Pedestrian Accident

March 17, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Pedestrian injuries and fatalities can happen anywhere people on foot mix with automobile traffic; whether in crosswalks, at bus stops, near taxi stands or on neighborhood streets, there always exists the potential for an individual to be hit or run over by a commercial vehicle or passenger car; even as a result of a motorcycle collision.

Auto-pedestrian traffic accidents are not simple incidents, since they can very often result in serious injuries to the relatively unprotected and helpless victim. Numerous bodily injuries are possible as a result of pedestrian collisions (which also include car-bicycle crashes as well). The injuries sustained can range from minor cuts and bruises to more serious broken bones and compound fractures.

In addition, back and neck injuries can occur; and many times the worst can be a closed-head, or traumatic brain injury. As Baltimore, MD, personal injury attorneys representing individuals in Maryland and Washington, D.C., we understand how extensive these injuries can be, and also how difficult it is for a person to recover from one or more of the more serious ones.

Baltimore Personal Injury News: Maryland Pickup Driver Hits House in Anne Arundel County Traffic Accident

March 7, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Not attempting to be trite here, however it’s somewhat true that a car accident can happen anytime, anywhere; but in one’s living room? The fact is, every day automobile, commercial truck and motorcycle accidents happen all across the 50 states, resulting in property damage, personal injury and occasionally traffic fatalities. But how common is it for a motor vehicle to hit a house or commercial establishment?

Quite frankly, as Maryland personal injury lawyers, in our line of work it is not unusual for a potential client to walk through our doors complaining of pain or other injury-related problems resulting from a car or trucking accident. Some personal injury plaintiffs are actually hurt by cars and truck while seated in a restaurant, standing on a sidewalk, or shopping at a grocery store. It may not happen frequently, but nothing surprises us when it comes to so-called pedestrian accidents.

Of course, the distance that a building is from a roadway has a direct bearing on the odds of it ever being hit by an out-of-control car or semi tractor-trailer rig. Obviously, homes, apartments, motels and commercial buildings located adjacent to major thoroughfares are the most at risk. By extension, the innocent people inside those structures are also at risk, though they may not realize it until the unthinkable happens.