Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Car Accident in Mechanicsville Sends Two Children to Trauma Center

June 28, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

This past Sunday, just after 1 o’clock in the afternoon, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office responded to an accident near the intersection of Thompson Corner Road and Dawn Acres Lane.

According to authorities, a driver of a Ford Bronco was traveling south on Thompson Corner Road, when he lost control of the vehicle. This caused him to leave the roadway, striking a utility pole, and several trees before his vehicle overturned.

The car reportedly had two juvenile passengers. The rear seat juvenile passenger was partially ejected from the vehicle, and had to be flown to Children’s Hospital. The front seat juvenile passenger was flown to another hospital as a precaution, and the driver of the Bronco was taken to another hospital for treatment of his minor injuries.

Additionally, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Collision Reconstruction Team responded to the scene and began their investigation. So far alcohol and excessive speed do not appear to have been a contributing factor in the accident.

Driver Fleeing Police Causes Collision in South Baltimore

June 21, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A man attempting to flee from police in his sedan caused some extensive damage in South Baltimore. The chase began when an officer attempted to approach the man’s vehicle in the Mount Clare Junction area. The driver then drove away, eventually coming down Carey Street, where he hit a pickup truck passing through the Washington Boulevard intersection. The collision sent both vehicles into a tailspin, which came to rest near a light pole.

According to reports, the man was traveling with a 1 year old, who was not seriously harmed, and a 26 year old woman, who witnesses stated suffered a serious arm injury.

Police later identified the 26 year old man, and reported that he fled due to being wanted for assault and a narcotics violation. He was subsequently taken to Shock Trauma for non-life threatening injuries.

Following the collision, a team of firefighters worked to extricate the driver of the truck, which had ended up on top of the sedan. Authorities reported that the driver was transported to Shock Trauma for minor injuries.

Young Driver Killed in Md.194 Car Accident

June 14, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to Maryland State Police, an 18 year old young woman died last week, when she lost control of her vehicle in Taneytown and was hit by a van as a result.

Just after 8 last Monday morning, officials say the young woman was driving her car northbound on Md. 194, when she lost control of her vehicle while coming around a curve. The woman’s car then reportedly rotated into oncoming traffic, and was hit by a van. The young woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and the man driving the van was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

While the cause of the accident remains unknown, it is under investigation.

What stands out about this unfortunate accident is the young age of the woman killed, and the circumstances in which the incident occurred. While it is still under investigation, it seems that the two potential causes were either distracted driving or driving inexperience.

Single Vehicle Car Accident in Silver Spring Ends in Tragedy

June 7, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A tragic car accident in Silver Spring has lead to the death of one man, and the serious injury of another. According to police, the accident occurred early Thursday morning, at just before three a.m., when a man’s Honda Civic, which was travelling eastbound on University Boulevard West, lost control for unknown reasons as it was going around a curve just past Dennis Avenue. The car then veered off of the right side of the road, causing it to strike a tree and a brick wall, before coming to rest in a nearby parking lot. The driver later died as a result of his injuries. The man’s passenger was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of his serious injuries.

While the cause of this single vehicle crash remains unclear, single vehicle crashes are becoming increasingly common. They have many potential causes, and can be due to the negligence of another driver or individual. Common causes of single vehicle crashes include things such as:

an obstruction or other hazard in the road

something falling out of a truck towing a load

an animal running into the street

swerving to avoid hitting another car that has stopped suddenly

turning to avoid running into another collision

distracted driving

aggressive driving

Whatever the cause, if you are hurt or a a loved one has been killed as a result of another person’s negligence in a single vehicle crash, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries or wrongful death.

America’s Roads Allegedly Safe as Ever

May 31, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Despite recent major traffic incidents across the country, the Associated Press is reporting that the nation’s roads are as safe as they’ve ever been.

According to their statistics, derailments and accidents at railroad crossings have been on the decline, despite an increased reliance on trains for transporting raw materials and finished products.

Purportedly, the numbers are as follows:

A 43% decrease in train accidents, to a total of 1,712 occurring from 2003 to 2012;

A 34% decrease in accidents occurring at railroad crossings, to 1,960 over the same period;

A 19% decrease in the number of deaths to a total of 705, which breaks down to an average of approximately 70-80 per year, nationwide.

Over time, railroads have made capital investments, strengthened employee training, and explored technological advances in order to anticipate the potential problems that lead to derailment.

According to the Federal Railroad Administration spokesman,
“Last year was the safest year on record for the railroad industry.” This may come as a surprise following the Baltimore accident this Tuesday, and the derailment of a commuter train in Connecticut earlier this month.

Failure to Observe Stop Sign Ends Tragically in Maryland

May 30, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, one Maryland driver’s alleged decision to run a stop sign resulted in the death of another woman, whose vehicle was struck in the collision.

The accident happened around 6 p.m. on May 9, according to Maryland State Police, at the intersection of Point Rocks and Lander roads. A driver of a Kia Sorento, which was traveling south on Lander road ran, the stop sign, and crashed into another woman’s Ford Escape, which was traveling west on Point of Rocks Road.

While the driver of the Escape was flown by police helicopter to Shock Trauma, she was pronounced dead upon arrival. The driver of the other vehicle was also injured, and taken to the hospital by ambulance. The accident led to the closure of Point Rocks Road for several hours.

This tragic accident is an all to clear illustration of the dangers that can result when drivers fail to obey traffic signals. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, in 2008 alone, there were more than 2.3 million intersection related collisions, resulting in 7,770 fatalities and approximately 733,000 injuries. Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) found that red-light running crashes alone caused 762 deaths in the same year. At least 165,000 people are injured annually by red-light runners alone, according to estimates.

Tragic Accident on Md. 91 When Driver Crosses over Double Yellow Line

May 22, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to Maryland State Police, one man is dead and one woman is in critical condition, following a two vehicle crash that happened Wednesday morning on Md. 91, a mile north of Deer Park Road.

According to a Maryland State Police news release, the collision occurred at around 9:30 in the morning, when the man’s Chevrolet Silverado crossed over the yellow center line, and struck the woman’s Toyota FJ Cruiser head on, which was traveling in the opposite direction. Neither vehicle contained any passengers. The man was pronounced dead on the scene, and the woman was transported by ambulance to the Shock Trauma Center.

The cause of the crash remains unknown, but the Maryland State Police are investigating.

Maryland Junior Dies in Clinton Area Single-Vehicle Crash

May 9, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to reports, a 17 year old Maryland high school junior died earlier this month in a single vehicle car accident in Clinton. He was allegedly driving a car he had purchased just days earlier.

The young man reportedly crashed just before three in the afternoon near the 11900 block of Brandywine Road in Clinton. He allegedly ran off the road and crashed into a tree, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the crash remains unknown.

According to local residents, the twisting stretch of Brandywine Road is known for causing car accidents. One resident told a news agency that he had placed giant rocks in his front yard in order to protect his house from potential crashes.

While the cause of this particular tragic traffic accident remains unknown, statistics reflect the fact that young drivers are more susceptible to being involved in car accidents, whether as passengers or drivers, than their more experienced counterparts. According to a list compiled by the California DMV, in 2008 alone 103 teens aged 15-20 died in Maryland in car accidents.

Attention Maryland Mothers and Fathers: Double Check Your Child Safety Seats for Proper Installation

April 23, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Baltimore personal injury attorneys, we can’t stress enough the importance of proper safety procedures when driving a motor vehicle on Maryland roadways. We have seen too many people, young and old, who have been seriously hurt as a result of a bad automobile, commercial truck or motorcycle crash. Taking any shortcuts when it comes to your safety or that of your passengers is only inviting potential tragedy.

Naturally, nobody expects to become caught up in a highway accident or a traffic collision on a street in any city such as Bowie, Gaithersburg, Washington, D.C., or Columbia, but keep in mind that if you don’t plan for the worst, you may pay a high price for it later. With that in mind, it may be a good time to remind everyone that auto accidents are one of the chief causes of childhood injuries or death in this country.

To this end, the law requires that kids under 40 pounds be strapped into an approved child safety seat whenever traveling by car, minivan, sport utility vehicle or other motor vehicle. Some new parents may even be surprised that the hospital where their baby was born will want to check out the family vehicle to be certain that it is equipped with the proper safety seat for a newborn infant. This is not just a thoughtful service; it reflects the law as well.

Baltimore Auto Injury News: Several Marylanders Injured in Five-Car Pileup on Merritt Blvd. in Dundalk

April 21, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

With the number of car wrecks that happen on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis here in Maryland, is it really a wonder that more people are not hurt as a result of some kind of traffic-related accident at least once in their lives? It’s a sad truth that as long as we have motor vehicles and roadways on which to drive them, that there will likely continue to be mishaps on city streets, in rural areas and on every stretch of interstate expressway in this state.

Quite frankly, with the literally millions of vehicle miles racked up every year all across the U.S., it shouldn’t be too surprising that there are on average five to six million automobile, motorcycle and trucking-related crashes annually. As Baltimore personal injury attorneys representing victims for traffic accidents — from passenger car collisions and commercial motor vehicle crashes, to motorcycle crashes — we have met many people who have received very serious injuries as a result of another driver’s negligent actions.

Whether through the other person’s negligence, thoughtless or careless actions, or even reckless disregard for anyone else’s safety or well-being, our job is to help the victims of these typically senseless incidents recover the costs of medical treatment, rehabilitation and even long-term care following a bad roadway accident.