Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Despite Fatal Car Accidents, Maryland’s Highway Authority Says Seneca Hwy Speed Limit Will Stand

December 22, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

When most people think of a car, truck or motorcycle wreck, the most common image is that of two or more vehicles sitting damaged by the side of the road. While many passenger car and commercial truck-related collisions involve multiple vehicles, we do see numerous instances of single-vehicle crashes that involve just one car or truck. As Baltimore personal injury attorneys, we have represented dozens of individuals who have been hurt in an injury-related accident, be it auto, nursing home, medical malpractice or other incident that results in bodily injury.

The fact is, when it comes to roadway accidents, some crashes are caused not by another driver, but by the roadway itself. Weather conditions come immediately to mind, but there are other kinds of problems that can result in a traffic wreck. One area of personal injury law involves defective roadway claims. Many times, a car, truck or bus crash can because the actual road surface is intrinsically unsafe or has been temporarily made unsafe due to outside causes.

Passenger cars, commercial vehicles and two-wheeled motor vehicles all require a certain amount of friction between the road surface and the vehicle’s tires to maintain steering and directional control. Most people in cold-weather states know this very well, since an icy or snow-covered street can be slippery to the point of loss of control, either when steering, braking or accelerating. The same can be said when it rains, though less so in most circumstances.

Many Seemingly Inconsequential Automobile and Trucking-related Accidents Can Turn Deadly in Moments

December 20, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Baltimore personal injury lawyers, I and my legal staff have years of experience helping victims of car, truck and motorcycle collisions here in Baltimore County, as well as across the state of Maryland and Washington, D.C. One thing we know for our lengthy experience with auto, bike and commercial truck-related traffic accidents is that nobody fully expects to become involved in a bad car crash.

Furthermore, regardless of one’s age, level of education, overall health or socio-economic background, nobody should expect that EMS or other life-saving first responders will arrive at the scene of a roadway collision with time to spare; sometimes they simply can’t come fast enough. Granted, this all depends on the severity of the particular traffic wreck, as well as the distance from the nearest fire department or EMS depot; but the promise of a good outcome is never certain.

This is why, in incidents involving driver negligence — when an innocent victim dies as a result of another person’s mistake or thoughtless actions — that a wrongful death lawsuit is not out of the question. This is because some accidents result, tragically, in loss of life. And when someone is killed or otherwise losses their life because of someone else’s careless or negligent behavior, the family of the deceased may still be able to hold that negligent party responsible.

Baltimore Traffic Injury Update: Car-Truck Crashes Can Be Traumatic, Not to Mention Life-Threatening

December 18, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Anyone who has been involved in any kind of serious traffic accident knows how dangerous a car or trucking-related collision can be. As Maryland injury specialists, I and my colleagues are all too aware of the bodily injuries that can result from a collision between a passenger vehicle and a commercial delivery truck or semi tractor-trailer. (We won’t even talk about the fatal consequences that face individuals who become involved in a motorcycle-related roadway accident that entails a collision between a large commercial motor vehicle and a much smaller motorcycle, scooter or bicycle.)

Being automobile accident lawyers, we have seen the aftermath of many a traffic accident, here in the Baltimore area as well as other parts of Maryland and the District of Columbia. There are few roadway wrecks that can truly match the deadly and frightening effects of an 18-wheeler striking a smaller family sedan, sport utility vehicle or minivan. Unfortunately, in this day and age, trucking-related traffic accidents are an unavoidable part of modern life in large metropolitan areas.

Sharing the roadway with box trucks, construction vehicles, city buses and big rigs is just par for the course for many Maryland drivers. Despite the dangers — and remembering that every year, thousands of innocent victims are killed or injured in commercial vehicle accidents — drivers and passengers must go about their lives in the hope that nothing bad will transpire while they are on the road.

Baltimore Auto Injury News: Are Maryland’s Liability Rules Too Far Behind the Times?

December 15, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s been asked numerous times for years now, that is, should our states laws concerning liability in the case of accidents involving personal injury and property damage be update, scrapped or overhauled? As Maryland auto and trucking accident attorneys, I and my legal staff are well aware of the rules, regulations and statutes that affect various aspects of personal injury law. One area of Maryland’s liability rules involves the term “contributory fault,” which in many instances in the past has thwarted victims from obtaining their due compensation following an injury accident.

Whether one is hurt in Baltimore, Gaithersburg, Washington, D.C., or Rockville, being laid up in a hospital bed can be a traumatic event. Losing one’s life is far worse, of course, but being injured to the extent that one requires tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of medical treatment and possible rehabilitation and physical therapy can inflict a financial hardship that most families these days would find hard to pay for.

Being seriously hurt in a motorcycle wreck, by a dangerous product, through a drugstore’s or pharmacist’s negligence, even a medical error at a nursing home, can all result in some painful and long-term physical consequences. It may seem insurmountable at times, especially right after a bad injury accident, yet it’s very important to remember that we all have rights under the law and because of this anyone who is injured or seriously hurt through the negligence of another individual should contact a qualified personal injury lawyer.

Baltimore Auto Safety Alert: Nearly 900,000 Honda Vehicles Recalled; Maryland Drivers May Be Affected

December 12, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Many claims of product liability involve negligence, breach of warranty, strict liability, and other consumer-related claims against a manufacturer, distribution company or industrial corporation. In the area of products liability law, there are three main categories of liability claims. These are manufacturing defects, faulty product design, and failure to warn consumers and the general public about the shortcomings discovered in a certain product (also referred to as “marketing” defects).

As auto accident lawyers, my firm understands the impact that a defective vehicle safety component can have on a person or an entire family. Faulty safety devices and components designed to save lives can ironically result in the serious injury or death of an innocent person. Whether the victim is a child, older sibling, parent or grandparent, the incident is never easy for a family to deal with, especially in the case of wrongful death.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys who deal on a daily basis with the carnage wrought by negligent drivers of automobiles, light trucks and commercial delivery vehicles, our primary goal is to help our clients and assist those victims who have been hurt, maimed or killed due to another individual’s negligence. Occasionally, car, truck or motorcycle wrecks can be caused by a defective part or component, usually a safety-related device, that fails unexpectedly resulting in a highway collision or serious crash.

Maryland Auto Safety News: NHTSA Announces Benefits of Vehicle Stability Control Systems

December 11, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As motorists driving on public roads we all have a responsibility to other drivers, pedestrians and our passengers to operate our vehicles in a safe and prudent manner. Unfortunately, circumstances occasionally make safe driving difficult even for the best drivers. When an accident situation arises, the average driver doesn’t always have the necessary skills to perform rapid emergency maneuvers to avoid an accident.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, automobile and commercial trucking accident lawyers, we know that many accident situations are difficult to get out of simply because a two-ton vehicle traveling quickly can easily get out of control, especially at higher speeds. SUVs in particular, due to their higher centers of gravity and more pliant suspensions, can actually roll over given the right circumstance, which can threaten the lives of all the occupants, causing closed-head injuries, broken bones, and many times resulting in a person being thrown from the vehicle onto the roadway. Survival in that latter case is slim due to the violent action of being ejected from a moving vehicle.

Car, truck and motorcycle accidents happen in Maryland with amazing frequency. Emergencies on the highway, city streets, or rural routes can come in the form of another car or commercial truck that has lost control, a mechanical problem with one’s own vehicle, poor roadway conditions or bad visibility due to inclement weather. Whatever the initial cause of a potential traffic collision, a driver may be placed in a position where he or she must act instantly; deciding what to do and trying to guide their vehicle out of danger to the best of their ability. Quite often a driver is unable to avoid a collision likely caused by another driver’s negligence.

Maryland Driver Indicted for Fatal Traffic Accident that Killed Jazz Musician, Joe Byrd

December 6, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s natural for victims and their families to feel the need for closure following a severe or fatal traffic wreck. However, not every lawsuit or criminal case provides the needed emotional release for some people. Especially in cases of wrongful death as a result of a fatal car, truck or motorcycle crash, having the negligent party pay for his or her mistake through monetary penalties or through incarceration can take some of the sting away, but for those who have lost a loved one as a result of negligent or thoughtless actions, even this may not be enough to quell the pain and anger.

As experienced personal injury attorneys serving the people of Maryland as well as those hurt in car or trucking-related accidents over in the District, we understand the difficult and trying times between a tragic car or commercial truck crash and the culmination of a lawsuit in a Maryland courtroom. The wheels of our legal system turn ever so slow at times, and this can lead to additional aggravation and upset; all the more reason to choose a qualified attorney to guide one through the process.

We were reminded of this after reading an older news report stating that the individual accused of causing the death of well-known jazz musician, Joe Byrd, was indicated nearly six months after the fatal collision that took Byrd’s life. According to earlier news reports, the automobile crash that killed the jazz man was allegedly caused by a Lothian, MD, resident with a reportedly long history of traffic-related offenses.

Maryland Traffic Safety News: Illegal Dirt Bike, ATV Riding Still Major Safety Problem in Baltimore

December 4, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Whatever one’s take on motorcyclists in general, it’s important to remember that most riders are responsible people just like most of the driving public. The trouble is that many in the motorcycling community suffer from public misperceptions and a reputation born of the movies and TV. That said, there is always an element within some groups of people that can give the majority a bad name. For bikers, this can be those individuals who actively intimidate other motorists with their machines for whatever reason.

Regardless of what kind of bike any rider uses, be it a Harley-Davidson cruiser or chopper, a Ducatti or Honda sport bike or so-called crotch-rocket, or even one of the newer three-wheeled touring-style bikes, the average motorcyclist is not a danger to the public, though many will argue that he or she may certainly be taking risks for themselves that other, four-wheel motorists would never accept, much less take part in — all things being equal, a car accident or commercial truck crash is less likely to kill the driver, though the same thing cannot necessarily be said for bikers, at least based on motorcycle rider mortality rates.

Of course, getting back to the dangers posed to Maryland’s commuter public, we are all too aware of the trouble caused by groups of individuals within cities and towns who operate all-terrain vehicles and other unlicensed motorcycles in a reckless and negligent manner, causing traffic accidents and other incidents. These riders, many of whom according to police state are renegade bike riders who are causing havoc within our metropolitan areas, are acting in more of a criminal way than any normal rider would be expected to handle an off-road cycle or ATV.

Howard County Auto Injury News: Maryland Teenager Pleads Guilty to Fatal Car Accident That Killed Friends

November 30, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Being a party to a wrongful death lawsuit can be an emotional life event, especially when it is your relative or loved one who was killed in a car, truck or motorcycle accident on a Maryland roadway. With emotions running high, there are more than a few good reasons to lean heavily on the skills and experience of a qualified personal injury attorney. As a legal advocate for the bereaved family members, an injury attorney can address the situation from a legal point of view with a professional detachment that is needed to maintain perspective and do what is required for his or her clients.

For experienced Maryland auto injury attorneys, compassion for their clients’ circumstances is paramount, as is acting in the victim’s and family’s best interests. As mentioned previously, a wrongful death suit is something that requires discipline to help the victim and his or her family to legally recover the losses that resulted from a negligent act on the part of another party or parties.

Here in the Baltimore area, as well as Columbia, Glen Burnie and Washington, D.C., our goal is to help the plaintiff become whole. And while there are no guarantees, just as in life, we aim to provide as much assistance as possible to victims of traffic accidents, commercial trucking crashes and pedestrian mishaps. What may be the hardest of all is to look into the eyes of our clients and feel, first-hand, their pain and deep sorrow at the loss of a loved one.

Baltimore Auto Accident News: Could Future Autonomous Vehicles Eliminate Traffic Wrecks on Maryland Roadways?

November 29, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

With tens of thousands of innocent victims being sent to emergency rooms all over the U.S. every year as a result of untold numbers of car, truck and motorcycle accidents, it’s reasonable to ask why so many people are being hurt, maimed and killed more than one hundred years after the invention of the automobile. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, my firm is dedicated to helping those who been involved in a car crash or who experienced the loss of a loved one killed in a senseless traffic collision. But why do these incidents continue to happen?

While we can go on and on about how society should have moved on from the carnage of the 20th Century, at least in terms of roadway accidents and the related bodily injuries and wrongful deaths that occur on a daily basis throughout our country, we likely must resign ourselves to the fact that human nature is still a factor in many auto wrecks, commercial trucking crashes, pedestrian accidents and bicycle collisions. As long as human beings are behind the wheel of motor vehicles, there will always be mistakes and errors in judgment, all of which add up to people being hurt and killed in traffic accidents.

Yet, with nearly 90-percent of all automobile and trucking-related collisions on our public roads being preventable, at least according to safety experts, one would hope that there might be a way to reduce those senseless crashes and the injuries they cause. If we could drastically cut the number of closed-head injuries, broken and fractured bones, damage to internal organs and irreversible spinal cord damage, life for tens and hundreds of thousands of injured individuals and those soon-to-be injured could be vastly improved.