Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Maryland Auto Accident News: D.C. to End Annual Safety Inspections on Passenger Cars

September 24, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In a move that could portend a rash of car, SUV and light truck accidents down the road, the District of Columbia has announced that it will be ending safety inspections for most privately-owned vehicles beginning on October 1. As a Maryland auto accident and personal injury lawyer, I have seen first-hand the human cost and property damage resulting from poorly maintained passenger cars.

Single-car accidents, as well as multi-vehicle crashes can be caused by the failure of a single critical vehicle system. Will D.C.’s decision mean more fatal collisions and non-fatal injury accidents around the area? Only time will tell, but one thing I know is that automotive safety is something that everyone who travels on our public roads should be concerned about.

According to a recent news article, budget concerns have led to decision. Along with the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles, the Fenty administration has persuaded the D.C. Council to approve the change this year as a way to save $400,000. Although the safety inspection program is being terminated, emissions inspections will still be required every two years for all cars and trucks — as required by federal regulations. Under the latest decision, but motor vehicles that are not used for commercial purposes will no longer have to prove that they are road-worthy.

Three People Injured in Single-vehicle Accident in Snow Hill, Maryland

September 22, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Auto accidents are tragic enough, but when passengers are injured due to the actions of the driver of the vehicle in which they are riding, that’s even more heartrending. Children especially should never be subjected to the life-threatening injuries of an avoidable single-car accident. As a Maryland personal injury and auto accident attorney, my firm handles cases not unlike the one reported in a recent news article.

According to an investigation by the Maryland State Police, a 2001 Toyota Sienna minivan was headed southbound on Whitesburg Road near Oak Hill Road when it apparently went out of control. Police reason that the minivan driven by a Uyen Buu was traveling at an excessive speed — deemed too fast for conditions — and crossed the northbound lane of Whitesburg Road, then slid off the roadway and crashed into a tree in a nearby wooded area.

Police said that all of the passengers were injured as a result of the crash. The adult driver of the minivan suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center (PRMC). The two children, a five-year-old and a six-year-old, were transported to PRMC and then flown to John Hopkins in Baltimore.

Five Maryland Residents Injured in Auto Accidents around Anne Arundel County

September 20, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Separate traffic accidents occurred earlier this month in Anne Arundel County. Emergency responders helped five individuals who were hurt in Davidsonville and Glen Burnie, according to the county’s fire department. As Maryland car accident attorneys, the lawyers at Lebowitz-Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers are experienced in representing victims of fatal and non-fatal automobile accidents across the state. A news story coming out of Millersville, MD, reminds that one person’s negligence can cause much pain and suffering to many others.

According to reports, emergency personnel responded to a motorcycle crash in Davidsonville at 10:30am on September 7. In what appears to have been a single-vehicle crash, a 47-year-old motorcycle rider was found injured on the side of Patuxent River Road near Doublegate Road. It is not certain if this accident was a result of rider error or because of defective equipment, however rescuers aided and transported the man to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

Just after noon that same day, responders were called to the scene of a two-vehicle crash in Glen Burnie. The force of the collision, which occurred at the intersection of Ritchie Highway and Maryland Avenue, caused an occupant in one of the vehicles to become entrapped before firefighters were able to free the victim.

Maryland Route 4 Single-vehicle Car Accident Kills Two in Anne Arundel County

September 18, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A teenage driver was severely injured and his two passengers killed when the vehicle they were riding in crashed off Maryland’s Route 4 in Anne Arundel County last month. According to reports, the Bradley Buta, 19, was at the wheel and driving near Lowell Pindall Road when the incident took place.

The crash happened just before 6pm not far from the Calvert County line. Police investigators believe that the young driver somehow lost control of the 2003 Toyota Highlander he was driving, after which the vehicle went off the road and struck a traffic sign. The impact then caused the SUV to flip and roll into the nearby woods.

After emergency crews arrived, the driver was taken to Prince George’s Hospital Center with serious, but not life-threatening injuries. His two passengers were not as lucky. Katherine Marie Buta, 57, and Douglas Donald Houglund, 67, were both pronounced dead at the scene.

Maryland Man Found Guilty in Fatal Drunk Driving Accident in Pasadena, MD

September 15, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Maryland man was convicted recently of vehicular manslaughter stemming from a traffic accident last January that killed a Baltimore woman and severely injured her boyfriend. The defendant, Christopher Nelson, will face up to a year and a half in jail when he goes before a court in October for sentencing. As a Maryland car accident lawyer, I am committed to my clients. Although this man will be sentenced in October, the pain and suffering continues for the families of the victims.

The defendant was reportedly drunk when the crash occurred last January 8. Although he pleased guilty and claims to be sorry for the incident, that’s cold comfort for these victims. One person is dead and another suffered life-threatening injuries the physical and emotional scars from which will more than likely stay with him for many years to come.

According to reports, the 26-year-old Nelson was driving while intoxicated when he crashed his car head-on into a southbound vehicle on Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard in Pasadena. Elizabeth Meryl Fowler, 54, died in the wreck and her boyfriend, 45-year-old Steven Desombre, received multiple injuries to the head, chest and hip that required him to spend a month in a Baltimore hospital.

Pedestrian Killed by Car While Crossing Baltimore Street near Johns Hopkins Campus

September 9, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Pedestrian-auto accidents occur more often than one would imagine. When they do the results can be catastrophic — injuries from simple scrapes and bruises to fractures, head and spine injuries. Very serious injuries. Our firm, Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers represents all manner of clients, including the families of victims killed as a result of automobile accidents. As experienced car accident attorneys, we know the proper way to approach personal injury lawsuits to the best advantage of our clients. A pedestrian accident in downtown Baltimore last month is a painful reminder of how the simple act of crossing a street on foot can take a terrible turn for the worse.

According to police, a woman was struck by a Dodge Neon driven by a 71-year-old woman in the 3100 block of North Calvert Street near the Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus. The accident occurred around 9 p.m. on a Friday evening. Emergency personnel were soon dispatched to the scene and the victim was rapidly transported to Johns Hopkins Hospital, however she was pronounced dead around 11 p.m. that same evening. The driver of the car stayed at the scene, according to news reports.

A preliminary investigation by Baltimore City police indicates that the victim may have been crossing the street against the traffic light. To complicate matters, police added that the weather also may have contributed to the incident, in that visibility for the driver may have been reduced to some extent.

Maryland Auto Injury Law: Car Accidents Result in Untimely Deaths Too Often for Comfort

September 6, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We’ve all experienced it. Driving along a two-lane highway, taking a vacation up the coast, or just riding to work on a normal day — odds are you have driven past the scene of a fatal car accident whether you were aware of it or not. No matter where you live — Baltimore, Annapolis, D.C. or anywhere in and around Maryland — automobile and truck wrecks are a sad fact of life. As Maryland personal injury and auto accident lawyers, our firm knows how quickly a routine car ride can turn into a fight for life.

Tragically, many passenger car, pickup truck and SUV collisions result in death to one or more occupants. Depending on the speed, road conditions or other vehicles involved, a traffic accident can either be a fender-bender or a life-ending event. In cases where another party is at fault, there is also a chance that a wrongful death suit could be pursued.

When an individual dies because of another person’s negligent or wrongful behavior, it can often be appropriate to file a wrongful death claim against that party. Claims of this type allow the victim’s family to receive compensation for the loss of their loved one. The loss mentioned here refers not only to the victim, but also to the loss of the comfort, love, companionship, and financial support that individual would have given to surviving family members if the tragic event had not occurred.

Maryland Auto Injury Update: Car, Bicycle and Boat Accident News for Anne Arundel County

September 3, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Annapolis

A Glen Burnie motorist received a reduced 60-day jail sentence for his part in a near-fatal automobile collision in early 2008. The 24-year-old defendant, Jeffrey David Johnson Jr., pleaded guilty recently for his responsibility for inflicting a life-threatening injury while under the influence of alcohol — a blood test taken after the accident recorded the man’s blood-alcohol content at 0.25 percent, three times the legal limit in Maryland. Being auto injury attorneys in the Baltimore area, our office has represented many clients injured by drunk drivers even after a criminal trial has been concluded.

According to reports, the accident took place in the early morning of March 15 last year as Johnson was heading southbound on Crain Highway. The defendant’s car reportedly hit another vehicle attempting to make a left-hand turn from the northbound lane onto Old State Road. A passenger in the other vehicle was critically injured in the crash. The judge suspended all but 60 days of the two-year sentence due to the other driver not yielding right of way to southbound traffic.

Millersville

A 66-year-old driver was injured recently during a late-morning crash on Cecil Avenue, which caused one occupant to be trapped in the wreckage and left two other passengers with minor injuries. According to Anne Arundel county fire officials, emergency personnel received a call just before 11 a.m. in the area of Waugh Chapel. The woman’s injuries were listed as serious, but not life-threatening.

Odenton
For reasons as yet unknown, a pickup truck crashed into a local 7-Eleven convenience store during a mid-August afternoon. One person received minor injuries after the truck drove into the building. Firefighters were called to the scene where they transported the victim to Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie for treatment of minor injuries
Arnold

A bicycle rider from Cape St. Claire received serious and life-threatening injuries when she was struck in the face by the sideview mirror of an E-350 full-size van driven by an Annapolis resident. The accident occurred on College Parkway at Bellerive Drive shortly before noon on August 11. Emergency crews responded to the accident where they treated Shamika Baker, 22, for a severe head injury and then transported her to a local hospital. According to reports, police suspect alcohol may have been a factor, though the 42-year-old driver of the van, Shane Killeen, had not yet been charged.

Washington County Driver Dead, Passenger Injured in Single-car Crash on Maryland Route 632

August 30, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As automobile accident lawyers, Lebowitz-Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers represents the victims of injury accidents as well as the families of those killed in fatal auto and truck crashes. While the cause of most single-car accidents is driver error, many times the reason can be traced to the failure of a vehicle part or component, such as tires, steering gear or suspension components. Regardless of the cause, there is a strong argument for having a qualified auto accident attorney by your side when pursuing a lawsuit against a company or an individual for medical costs and other damages as a result of a car accident.

A recent news story is typical of the kind of accident that raises the question of faulty equipment versus driver error. The death of a 19-year-old Keedysville youth killed near Downsville as a result of his car leaving the roadway on state route 632 is a typical scenario.

According to Maryland State Police, at approximately 1:25 a.m., Matthew Goetzinger was driving a 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer on the southbound lane of Maryland Route 632 with another passenger in the vehicle. The teenager was allegedly traveling at a high rate of speed when he lost control of his vehicle about a quarter-mile north of the Maryland 63 crossroad.

Olympian Michael Phelps Unhurt Following Three-Car Baltimore Traffic Accident

August 28, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Fate doesn’t discriminate when it comes to sports heroes or entertainment celebrities, which is why it wasn’t too surprising to read that swimming sensation Michael Phelps was recently involved in a three-car accident in the metropolitan Baltimore. As a Maryland automobile accident lawyer, I have represented clients who have far less fame, but just as much claim to recompense for medical costs for injuries sustained or damages suffered as a result of a multi-vehicle collision.

In this case, the costs are most likely for bent metal and not for serious injuries, such as spinal cord injury, or wrongful death as occurs in high-speed automobile crashes. According to news articles, Phelps was driving his Cadillac Escalade through a downtown intersection when it was struck by another car whose driver apparently igonored a red traffic signal. Police said that the 28-year-old Maryland woman whose Honda Accord hit Phelps’ SUV will be cited for running the red light.

Fortunately for Phelps he only suffered a minor injury to his right ankle during the vehicle collision, which reportedly will not affect his upcoming training. On the other hand, the Olympian must still go to court because he allegedly was driving on a suspended Michigan driver’s license, which reportedly was due to Phelps not paying earlier fine for failing to show proof of insurance.