Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Baltimore Injury Update: Consider the Dangers that Pedestrians Face Every Day from Errant Motor Vehicles

January 9, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Few traffic-related accidents are as potentially life-threatening as those involving a pedestrian and a motor vehicle. Whether the scenario puts a Baltimore youngster riding a bicycle directly in the path of a passenger car or mail delivery vehicle, or if it takes the shape of a business man crossing a busy Washington, D.C., intersection and being clipped by a taxi cab or courier van, the results can be devastating.

For lack of a better description, car-versus-pedestrian collisions can impart serious injuries to a human body, some of which may be fatal. It’s doesn’t take a physics major to know that a 150-pound flesh-and-blood person is no match for two-tons of rolling steel. Even those “slow-motion” collisions between cars and people in local parking lots can be extremely deadly. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, our office is prepared to help those individuals who have been hurt or seriously injured as a pedestrian in a car accident or commercial vehicle crash.

Here in Maryland, 102 of the nearly 500 traffic-related fatalities in 2011 involved a person on foot, and this figure does not even count the hundreds of other victims who survived, but may have suffered, or continue to suffer, severe medical complications as a result.

Traffic Safety Update: Rubbernecking, Like Distracted Driving, Can Cause Maryland Roadway Collisions

January 7, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Anyone who has read this column at any length knows that roadway collisions are one of the leading causes of death among adults and children here in the United States. For children, especially, car crashes amount to what is truly known as the primary killer of small children and infants. Whatever the cause, the loss of any life is a sad and regrettable event; but the loss of a young life is a tragedy beyond words.

As Baltimore automobile and trucking accident lawyers, I and my colleagues are committed to helping those families who have lost a loved one in car truck and motorcycle-related traffic collision. When it comes to car accidents, one of the most common reasons that police and traffic safety experts point to is driver error. And much of what occurs in the way of driver error can be chalked up to distracted driving.

More than anything, we as drivers have an obligation to ourselves, our families, passenger riding with us, as well as other drivers with whom we share the road to be as alert and on-task as we possibly can be, regardless of the situation. We would even go as far as saying that anyone who cannot apply themselves 100 percent to the job of operating a motor vehicle should probably not get behind the wheel of a car, SUV or minivan any time soon.

Toyota’s Delay in Issuing Auto Safety Recall Results in Multi-Million Dollar Fine to U.S. Government

January 5, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

For those who have ever been involved in products liability lawsuit due to a manufacturing defect or a product that was intentionally marketed in a faulty manner, it may already be clear that it is possible to claim damages for injuries suffered as a result of the defect or improper marketing. As Baltimore personal injury lawyers, we come across instances of faulty product design, incorrect manufacturing processes, and incorrect labeling here in Maryland and across the U.S. Some of these instances can result in severe physical injury and occasionally wrongful death.

Here in Maryland, our state’s liability statutes clearly state that businesses which manufacturer and/or provide products to the public are usually better suited than anyone to make certain that any faulty or mislabeled products not enter into the consumer market. Because of this, the law holds that any company that does allow a faulty or poorly produced product to go into the marketplace, and which harms an individual or group of individuals, should be held responsible.

It’s important to mention here that over the years, the law covering products liability has evolved to the point that it has become a very complex matter to mount a claim, but not impossible. This is why, for those victims or their families, it is important to consult a personal injury attorney to better understand your rights as they apply to the particular case.

History of Fatal Traffic Accidents on Maryland Rte 32 Prompts Discussion on Adding Lanes in Clarksville

January 3, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

With one of the most deadly holidays — traffic-wise — behind us, it’s perhaps a good idea to review the dangers facing motorists these days. Car, truck and motorcycle collisions happen all of the time, but for some of us we find it hard to accept that people are dying in traffic wrecks all across the country on a daily basis; and maybe while you are reading this very sentence.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my colleagues understand that nobody can eliminate traffic deaths completely, save removing every car, bike and commercial delivery truck from the roadways. But as we have alluded, that is not a practical solution to the problem of highway fatalities in Maryland and across this great country.

Over in Clarksville, the stretch of Rte 32 between Interstate 70 and Rte 108 has long been the scene of many a fatal traffic wreck. Yet people are still arguing over what should, could and might be done to make that section of roadway safer for individuals and families living in the area or just passing through.

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.