Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Maryland Auto Safety Update: D.C.-area Car Owners Now Exempt from Annual Vehicle Inspections

October 13, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Will a recent decision by officials in Washington, D.C., to eliminate the annual vehicle inspections previously required of District residents result in more auto accidents, injuries and deaths? That’s a good question and one that will require at least a few years to assess. As Maryland car accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers, our first thought is for the safety of all drivers and pedestrians on this state’s roadways. Will cars owned by D.C. drivers be anymore accident-prone? Only a mechanic can know for certain.

A recent op-ed piece brought this to mind. Since a poorly-maintained vehicle is much more likely to have something go wrong, it would seem logical that we might see more accidents involving the vehicles driven by District of Columbia residents, such as failed brakes, incorrectly aimed headlamps, breakdowns on the highway and other traffic hazards.

As of October 1, citizens of Washington, D.C., will apparently have one less annual concern, but the rest of us may pay for it in increased accidents. According to reports, the District has ended its safety inspection program, although this doesn’t include anything related to a vehicle’s emission system — hence, emission inspections will continue as usual.

Auto Accident News: Toyota Recalls 3.8 Million Vehicles due to Sticking Accelerator Problem

October 12, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Automobile accidents happen for a variety of reasons, not the least of which are defective parts or poorly designed vehicle components. As Maryland auto accident lawyers, the legal professionals at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers represent numerous clients who have been hurt as a result of negligence on the part of another person or corporation. Recently a news article brought up the subject of defective equipment and possible death or injury that can result to car, truck and SUV drivers and their passengers.

According to news reports, car maker, Toyota, has recalled nearly four million vehicles across the United States in what the media says is “Toyota’s largest-ever U.S. recall campaign. The problem is apparently with the removable driver-side floor mat, which could possibly cause the vehicle’s gas pedal to become stuck, resulting in a possible high-speed runaway situation leading potentially to a crash.

The recall involves popular Toyota models such as the Camry — the top-selling passenger car in America — and the company’s hybrid Prius models. News reports state that Toyota is working with officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to find a fix for the problem.

Baltimore County Woman Killed in Crash with Delivery Truck on I-795

October 8, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Baltimore County woman died from injuries sustained when her Honda Civic veered from a southbound lane of Interstate 795, traveled across the median and entered the northbound lanes where it was hit by a delivery truck. According to Maryland State Police, the 21-year-old driver identified as Amy L. Brooking initially survived the head-on crash with the truck, but later died after being admitted to Sinai Hospital.

As Maryland auto accident lawyers, we have seen this kind of scenario before. It is difficult to imagine a driver intentionally crossing an interstate median and heading into opposing traffic. Assuming the driver did not have some kind of an episode prior to the crash, one explanation for this accident could be a catastrophic failure of one of the vehicle’s critical systems or parts, such as the steering assembly, a suspension component or even a blown tire. One or more defective parts or components could have cause the young woman’s vehicle to go out of control.

According to police reports, the delivery truck attempted to maneuver out of the way of the Honda, which caused the truck to flip over on its side. Although emergency medical personnel were dispatched to the scene as quickly as possible to assist and transport the injured drivers to the hospital, Brooking’s injuries were such that doctors and nurses could not reverse the damage. She was declared dead shortly after being admitted. The driver of the truck, 32-year-old William K. Dodge of Hanover, PA, was taken to Northwest Hospital Center for treatment of what were assumed to be non-life threatening injuries.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Drunk Driving on the Rise for Women Drivers

October 5, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Maryland auto accident lawyers, our office has represented numerous clients injured as a result of a drunk driving traffic accident. Many of these people did nothing more prior to being in a car wreck than happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although there could be a number of reasons for the apparent increase in drunk driving accidents, a recent article points to one surprisingly sobering statistic.

According to the Washington Post, there appears to be a definite rise in the number of female drivers being arrested for drunk driving lately. Unfortunately, not every drunk driver is arrested before causing an accident. Our firm, Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers has helped many victims of drunk drivers recover costs related to severe and sometimes fatal accidents.

Maybe TV has made mid-day wine-tasting parties look fashionable, enticing stay-at-home moms and real housewives to gather at friends’ homes to sip wine or mixed drinks with their friends. And while the television characters may get home just fine, in reality the aftermath caused by a drunk driver will more than likely end up on the local news, not the prime time lineup. Drunk drivers can and do cause serious injury accidents here in Baltimore, over in D.C. and across the entire area.

Maryland Man Dies from Injuries Sustained in Single-car Accident on MD-194

October 3, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Single-vehicle traffic accidents can be both serious and deadly. In Maryland, we see numerous car crashes involving just one vehicle, and many times a rollover is involved. Sad to say, but many passenger vehicles, such as pickup trucks and SUVs, do not always provide the necessary protection in the case of vehicle rollover. Being experienced auto accident lawyers, we are able to represent victims and their families in cases where a car or truck crashes due to defective equipment or poorly-maintained roadways.

In a recent news article, a Walkersville man was killed this past Friday in the late afternoon. According to Maryland State Police, officers responded to a single-car crash along MD-194 at Stauffer Road. Initial police reports indicate that the driver, Roger Robinette, was speeding along that stretch of road when he apparently and lost control of the vehicle.

According to reports, Robinette’s car went airborne then rolled over on impact, coming to rest in a nearby cornfield. During the crash, the driver was thrown from the vehicle, which caused him to sustain life-threatening injuries.

Two Marland Residents Dead following Fatal Charles County Single-car Auto Accident

September 30, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A hospitalized St. Mary’s County man died from injuries sustained one week earlier as a result of a fatal single-vehicle crash on Route 6 near the town of La Plata, MD. Adrian Paul Proffer, a resident of Hollywood, Maryland, was the second person to die from the September 8 crash — a third person survived the wreck, but not without receiving life-threatening injuries herself.

Although police believe speed was a contributing factor, because this was a single-car accident defective equipment is also a possibility. As Maryland automobile accident lawyers our office handles personal injury cases caused by poorly designed or improperly maintained vehicle equipment.

This is a tremendous tragedy for all of the families involved. According to news reports, Proffer was scheduled to babysit his niece that morning and was late returning home from a night out. His aunt, Dottie Proffer, believes the driver was rushing him home for that reason when the deadly accident occurred.

Jury Awards $4 Million to Family of University of Maryland Student Killed in Car Crash

September 28, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Prince George’s County jury recently awarded $4 million to the family of a University of Maryland student who was killed in a 2007 automobile wreck involving an off-duty county police officer in Bowie, MD. The civil case ended with a decision showing that the officer, Cpl. Mario Chavez, was negligent in the fatal accident that killed 20-year-old Brian Gray on December 10, 2007.

As Maryland car accident lawyers, we have great respect for law enforcement professionals and the work they do, however a police officer cannot afford a lapse in judgment, especially when it comes to causing the death of an innocent person. This jury’s award is a message to police agencies throughout Maryland that off-duty officers should conform to the same rules of the road that other motorists are expected to observe. This crash is an example of that lack of consideration.

According to news reports, the victim was on his way to take an exam in College Park when his Chevrolet Beretta was hit broadside at nearly 50mph by a police cruiser driven by Chavez, who was off duty and heading home at the time. The posted speed limit in that area is reportedly 25mph.

Auto Accident News: Maryland Residents should Beware of Potentially Uninsured Courtesy Drivers

September 26, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A recent editorial in the Baltimore Sun brings to light a very important topic and something that every Maryland resident should consider the next time they consider hailing a hire car at a supermarket or anywhere else for that matter. Auto accidents can happen anywhere, and while it is difficult to turn down a bargain basement fare price for a ride around the city, if you are injured in a vehicle that is not properly insured, you may have a harder time recovering medical and other costs.

Remember that legitimate cab and hire car companies charge higher rates because, among other things, they carry the proper insurance. As Maryland auto accident lawyers, Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers is well aware of the risks involved in riding with an uninsured or under-insured driver.

According to the editorial, taking such a hire car is dangerous. Apparently the risks are so misunderstood that managers of the grocery stores where hacks are operating as “courtesy drivers” either do not know or, worse, they are ignoring their potential liability. These so-called “hackers” operate illegally in part because they do not care to pay for commercial auto insurance, which the law requires.

The Maryland Auto Insurance Fund, which provides coverage for many sedans and taxis, currently has a base rate of about $4,000 per year for such vehicles operating in Baltimore. Hackers may very well have personal auto insurance, but that won’t necessarily cover them if they injure a paying customer, especially if they are operating their vehicle without the knowledge of their insurance company.

As the editorial further explains, hackers do not operate solely in areas not serviced by legal cab companies. The writer goes on to remind the public that hackers operate all over the Baltimore metropolitan area. And because they are not paying, among other things, the high insurance premiums that legitimate companies pay, hackers can charge much less. But that low fare may not be such a great deal if you are hurt or severely injured in a crash.

Should the driver be involved in an accident and his or her insurance company learns that they were working as a for-hire driver at the time, it is almost a certainty that the insurance company will deny any and all claims related to that accident.

Maryland Auto Accident Update: Car and Truck Wrecks can Easily Result in Head and Back Injuries

September 25, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As auto accident and personal injury lawyers, we see everyday the results of car and truck crashes. Many automobile collisions are not fatal, however they can cause serious and long-term injuries to vehicle occupants, as well as pedestrians and onlookers. Scrapes and bruises are the least serious, but in high-speed or head-on crashes, head, neck and back damage can easily occur. Safety belts and airbags help, but can’t always protect victims of traffic accidents.

Tramatic Brain Injury

When it comes to a head injury, sometimes referred to as traumatic brain injury, more than one million individuals sustain some kind of TBI annually as a result of a car crash. Many traumatic brain injuries are caused a jolt or a blow to the head, not uncommon in a medium- to high-speed car or truck accident. The impact from such a crash can disrupt the brain’s function, the severity of which can range from a mild concussion to severe brain damage, coma, or even death.

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.