Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog
Single-car or single-truck accidents can be the result of many factors. Top on the list is usually driver error, distraction or fatigue, followed by poor weather or road conditions, and even poor roadway design or bad badly placed signage. In some cases, a mechanical problem with the vehicle’s brakes, steering, suspension or other critical components may be partially to blame for a wreck.
When an accident happens on a low-speed surface street, the out come can range from minor injuries to death of the vehicle’s occupants. While higher speed interstate crashes can be serious as well, the lesser number of obstacles immediately adjacent to the roadway helps to reduce the number of fatal accidents. However, this is not to say that people don’t die on a regular basis as a result of bad highway collisions.
As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my legal staff are well-versed in handling injury and fatal car, truck and motorcycle crashes. Certainly, when a multiple vehicle accident occurs, one or more drivers may be to blame. Filing a wrongful death suit against another individual based on claims of negligent or thoughtless acts is not uncommon here in Baltimore, or over in Rockville, Gaithersburg or the District.
In the case of single-car or truck crashes, the injured party is typically the driver himself. If the driver was found to be at fault, having caused the accident, other passengers may decide to file a claim against that driver to recoup the costs of medical care or other claims of pain and suffering which directly resulted from that particular traffic wreck.
Not long ago, a Baltimore man died in a single-vehicle traffic accident along a stretch of northbound I-795. According to news reports, 46-year-old Lemuel Johnson apparently lost control of his vehicle while traveling on an exit ramp between I-695 and I-795. The crash happened early on a Tuesday just as the morning commute was beginning on the outer loop of the Baltimore Beltway.
Based on police reports, for some reason Johnson’s car veered off the left-hand side of the ramp, went through a guardrail, which caused the vehicle to roll over, after which it struck a nearby tree. Arriving at the crash site, Maryland State Police found the man dead in his vehicle. At the time of the news article, police were not certain what the exact cause of the wreck was; however, a determination was likely pending a complete accident investigation.
In addition to equipment failure, such as faulty braking system components or broken steering parts, problems with tires can be a contributing factor in a fatal or serious injury accident. Insufficient tread depth, old and deteriorating sidewalls, or very low tire pressure can each contribute to future tire failure. A blow-out at highway speeds can cause a driver to lose control of his or her vehicle with disastrous results.
Observing a simple maintenance schedule for car, truck and motorcycle tires is an easy way to catch problems before they become more dangerous. Especially important during the harsh winter months — when people generally don’t enjoy getting on the ground to visually check their tire treads or measure the tire pressure; if one doesn’t have the means or ability to check the tires, it’s always a good idea to have a qualified service technician do periodic inspections for greater peace of mind.
Police Release Name of Crash Victim, Patch.com, November 15, 2011