Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Baltimore Automobile Injury News: Traffic Safety and the Factors Behind Teenage Driving Accidents in Maryland

December 31, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Passenger car accidents involving teenage drivers are a common occurrence here in the Baltimore area, as well as in Bowie, Rockville, Annapolis and the District. What many people tend to forget is that teen’s simply do not have the experience and (some may say) wisdom that comes with age, or at least many years behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. As Maryland auto accident and personal injury lawyers, I and my staff know how easily anyone can be hurt in a car, truck or motorcycle/scooter crash, which is why we advise caution whenever driving in dense traffic or through busy parts of town.

Here in the United States, automobile collisions are the most common kind of fatal accidents that take the lives of thousands of teens every year. Representing about a third of all deaths among teenagers, traffic wrecks have been named by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) as one of the greatest caused of teen fatalities; citing, in the past, roadway crashes as the killer of about eight young people (aged 16 to 19 years) every single day, while injuring more than three-quarters of a million teenagers annually.

Since driving-age teens have the highest traffic accident rate of any age group, we are never that surprised when we hear of a bad accident — whether a serious injury collision or a fatal wreck — that has involved at least one young driver. But, sadly, even though our law firm knows that teenagers account for a percentage of fatal accidents, it doesn’t change the fact that a family who has lost a child has a long road ahead of it in terms of coping with that loss.

Maryland Driver Dies at Hospital Following Two-Car Accident in Carroll County, MD

December 29, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

All manner of injuries can result from a bad traffic wreck. As Baltimore area personal injury attorneys, I and my colleagues agree that being hurt in car, truck or motorcycle accident caused by another negligent individual can be reasonable cause for a legal action against the driver responsible for that particular traffic incident. To our way of thinking, there is hardly any good reason to accept the costs, in terms of pain, potential long-term disability and financial hardship, that a serious car or commercial trucking-related collision can impose on an innocent victim.

It seems only reasonable to hold that negligent party responsible for a victim’s hospital costs, medical and rehabilitation treatments, as well as other related expenditures. And the aftereffects of a roadway collision can be substantial and numerous; from simple, yet long-lasting whiplash injuries to soft tissue damage, broken bones, spinal cord damage and neck injuries, the complication from one or more of these can haunt an innocent accident victim for months or years to come.

In the case of soft tissue injuries, numerous structures throughout the body can be damaged or affected to the point that even daily tasks can be too painful for the average person to complete without assistance. Soft tissues include muscles and ligaments, as well as tendons and cartilage, all of which can be damaged to the point of excruciating pain during even the simplest of activities.

Baltimore Fatal Auto Injury News: Maryland Woman Dies in Two-Car Gaithersburg Traffic Collision

December 27, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Car and trucking-related accidents can catch almost anybody by surprise, but when it comes to older adults and elderly individuals, the results of any traffic collision can be amplified beyond what younger people might experience. Of course, any kind of roadway crash can be traumatic, but for a senior citizen, the effects may be too much for their older bodies to handle. Bone fractures, extensive internal injuries and even closed-head trauma can send an older person to the hospital with serious or even life-threatening injuries.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, we know that anyone can be hurt during a traffic wreck; regardless of whether the crash involves other vehicles or just one car, truck or motorcycle. For occupants of automobile, even the safety devices that are designed to prevent serious injury can cause some bodily harm. Seatbelts come to mind as one of the more frequent causes of injury to passengers involved in a car or commercial trucking accident.

Naturally, one should never choose to go without wearing a seat belt when traveling in a passenger car, SUV or minivan, especially in heavy traffic with the threat of a collision ever-present. Since traffic accidents are the main cause of death for those individuals aged five to 34 years, government safety regulations are tailored to help reduce fatalities due to traffic wrecks across the U.S. For years, the legislators in Washington, D.C., as well as safety experts, law enforcement agencies, and other organizations have continuously pressed the world’s auto makers for improved means of protecting occupants in the event of a collision.

Two Injured in Maryland Car Crash after Out-of-State Driver Hits Carroll County Home

December 24, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Being involved in any kind of a motor vehicle accident can be painful, to say the least, but closed-head trauma and spinal cord damage can be some of the worst and long-lasting injuries sustained by victims of passenger car and commercial truck wrecks. As Maryland automobile accident attorneys, I and my legal staff understand the extent of the pain and suffering victims of car, truck, bus or pedestrian traffic collisions can experience.

Whether one is hurt in a traffic collision here in the Baltimore area, over in Rockville or across in Washington, D.C., the potential long-term effects of a closed-head or spine injury can be daunting to families with limited means. Even those people who have good-paying jobs can end up losing their income due to an extended hospital stay, or worse, permanent disability and incapacitation. Lost wages, hospital emergency room treatments, rehab costs and long-term nursing care can each be a costly component of a serious injury accident.

Take, for instance, closed-head trauma; in the case of injuries sustained by a victim’s brain, the effects following that initial injury can range from concussion and brain contusions to bleeding within the brain itself. Unfortunately, unlike open-head wounds, which typically result in obvious signs of physical trauma — such as loss of consciousness, interrupted breathing, and bleeding – the effects of a closed-head injury can often be much more difficult to detect and treat right after the accident. For traumatic brain injury associated with a closed-head incident, the symptoms may be as simple as a slight headache to a possibly more noticeable telltale signs such as dizziness, tired feeling, impaired memory, nausea or vomiting, among others.

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.