Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Maryland Rollover Accident Update: New NHTSA Rule Looks to Reduce Occupants Ejected During Automobile Crashes

March 19, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Read almost any news story covering a serious rollover accident in Maryland or Washington, D.C., and you will likely learn about a victim who was killed or critically injured as a result of the traffic accident. Drivers who attempt maneuvers at high speeds in a sport utility vehicle or family minivan can sometimes find themselves out of control and possibly flipping the vehicle on its side.

A rollover car, truck or bus crash can cause terrible bodily harm to driver and passengers alike. In cases where passenger restraint devices fail to hold the occupants in place, head and neck injuries can easily result; traumatic brain injury is just one of a number of life-threatening outcomes of these rollover-type car or truck accidents.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my legal staff have been trained to help victims of car, truck and motorcycle collisions. Sadly, many rollover incidents can be fatal, and not only because of the injuries sustained when an occupant impacts the hard interior surfaces of the vehicle.

Many rollovers can cause one or more occupants to be ejected from the vehicle and onto the roadway. In fact, it is well known that drivers and passengers alike in greater danger of being killed or seriously injured if they are thrown from a vehicle during a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has conducted studies that show vehicle occupants who experience partial or complete ejection from a passenger vehicle are three-times more likely to be killed as those who remain inside the car or truck.

The NHTSA has maintained over the years that seatbelt use is one of the primary ways that a passenger can avoid being ejected from a vehicle involved in a traffic accident. Even so, it was announced not long ago that the federal government has instituted a new law requiring car makers to develop additional countermeasures to help prevent unbelted adult passengers from being thrown from a car or SUV during a crash, according to news reports.

Going into effect in 2013, the new ruling will require every new car or truck under 10,000 lbs to be equipped with this anti-ejection countermeasures by 2018. What this means is that in less than eight years every new vehicle must be able to prevent an unbelted adult passenger from moving any further than 4 inches beyond a vehicle’s side window opening during a traffic accident.

Baltimore Automobile Accident News: Two Die in Head-on Washington, D.C., Car Crash on Canal Road

March 17, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

With millions of miles of expressways, highways, rural roads and cities streets crisscrossing the U.S. it should come as no surprise that not every one of these public thoroughfares has been engineered correctly. While most high-speed roadways are correctly designed, many secondary roads leave much to be desired when it comes to convenience and even outright safety.

As Baltimore personal injury attorneys and auto accident lawyers, we have seen the aftermath of enough car, commercial truck and motorcycle crashes to make the average person cringe at the thought of a loved one being involved in such collisions. Yet traffic wrecks — whether single- or multi-vehicle crashes — do happen on a daily basis here in Maryland.

It could be said that many motor vehicle collisions occur as a result of another driver’s negligence. But other factors can come into play, which sometimes make it difficult to attach blame to any one party, until further investigation is conducted. Defective vehicle equipment is one such cause of injury accidents and fatal traffic wrecks.

Mount Airy, Maryland, Man Found Not Guilty of Negligent Homicide in Fatal D.C. Pedestrian Accident

March 13, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A sad fact is that traffic accidents involving pedestrians and motor vehicles hardly ever turn out well for the person on foot. When a man or woman is walking across the street and is struck by the full force of a vehicle traveling 25mph or more, the physical injuries can be quite extensive and also quite fatal. Even if an individual is only knocked over, just hitting one’s head on a hard concrete or asphalt roadway can cause brain trauma and possibly death.

Fractures, broken bones and lacerations are just some of the serious injuries that can happen when a pedestrian is hit by a car, motorcycle or commercial delivery truck. Internal injuries, neck and spinal cord damage, not to mention traumatic head injuries are only a few of the conditions that can result from such a crash.

As Maryland auto accident lawyers and Washington, D.C. personal injury attorneys, we understand the extent of bodily harm that can come to a person in such violent traffic accidents. Still, when an individual is injured or killed by a motorist, it isn’t always easy to prove negligence on the part of the driver.

Last month a man was acquitted in the case of a fatal pedestrian accident that happened in the District last November. Following a Sunday fundraising walk, 76-year-old Richard Greenstein and his wife were headed back to their vehicle near Madison and 12th streets NW when they were struck by a motorist attempting to back into a parking space.

According to news reports, 35-year-old Kevin Bucy had left his wife and four kids back at the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum, traveling on foot about a half hour to retrieve the family’s minivan so he could pick them up and spare them the 30-minute walk.

As Greenstein and his 73-year-old wife were stepping into a crosswalk on Madison Street, Bucy’s minivan hit them. As a result of the impact, Greenstein reportedly died from a skull fracture and severe brain injury, while his wife was only slightly injured. Based on news reports, Bucy was found not guilty of negligent homicide in a D.C. courtroom. Had he been convicted, he could have gone to jail for five years.

Maryland Mother and Children Hit, Severely Injured By Taxicab Driver Speeding on Suspended License

March 10, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The law requires passenger car drivers and commercial truckers, among others, to be properly licensed by the state. This is not just a way for Maryland and other states to create an income stream, it’s done to make public roads safe for all people. When a driver operates a motor vehicle on a suspended license, not only is he or she is breaking the law, that person could be endangering the safety of the road-going public.

The sad thing is that the same people who break the law and are punished by having their driver’s license suspended many times go right back driving illegally on the road. Every year, residents of Maryland and other states are injured or killed by people driving illegally on a suspended license, or no license at all.

As Baltimore car accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, we have seen the outcome of terrible highway wrecks and serious automobile collisions caused by unlicensed and unfit drivers. Fatal traffic accidents occur every day, but those that are caused by another person’s negligence can result in a wrongful death lawsuit being filed against an individual.

Maryland Auto Injury News: D.C. Motorist Dies in Fatal Car Fire in Family’s Garage

March 8, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Accidents happen is the phrase many people use when it comes to auto accident, trucking crashes and motorcycle wrecks. But for a person to die in a non-traffic-related car fire, now that’s a real tragedy. As Baltimore injury accident lawyers representing victims who have been hurt or killed as a result of another person’s negligence, we have seen our share of pain and suffering.

Over the past year or so, car companies such as Toyota, General Motors and Ford have been plagued by numerous safety recalls. Many of these recalls have been initiated by the government following fatal accidents that have taken the lives of many innocent people. Elderly drivers, parents and children, even experienced police officers have died in what some people have said were accidents caused by defective or poorly-designed vehicle components or systems.

In cases involving defective equipment, a products liability suit may be indicated. Depending on the source of the defect, one or more parties may be named as defendants in the suit. For automobiles, a part can be designed by the auto company, but manufactured by a second or third tier supplier.

Baltimore Traffic Safety Update: Maryland Drivers Rank 9th in Nation for Reported Seatbelt Use

March 5, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

If you’re a Maryland driver, chances are you can count yourself among the tens of thousands of motorists who wear their safety belts regularly to reduce injury in the event of a traffic accident when traveling in their car, light truck, SUV or minivan. As Baltimore auto accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, we are heartened to hear this and reminded that seat belts are one of the most important pieces of safety equipment found in motor vehicles.

Of course, air bags and other crash avoidance and mitigation technologies play large roles themselves in helping the occupants of cars and trucks better survive a serious passenger car or trucking traffic accident. Ask almost anyone who has lived through a multiple-vehicle collision or single car crash and you will probably find that he or she was wearing their seat belt at the time.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Maryland is one of the top-ten states in seatbelt usage. We rank ninth in the nation, says the CDC, when motorists were polled on whether or not they always use their safety belts. In fact, 89.6 percent of Maryland’s residents said they always use their seatbelt. This is a mere four percentage points away from first-ranked Oregon. And, residents in Washington, D.C., even scored higher at 93.7 percent, based on the CDC survey.

Maryland Car Accident News: Baltimore Trucker Survives Head-on Crash when Minivan Crosses Centerline on Rte 9

March 3, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

While passenger car drivers can certainly be seriously hurt or even killed as a result of a highway collision with a large commercial truck or bus, the drivers and occupants of those heavier motor vehicles can also be subject to severe or fatal injury. As Baltimore auto accident attorneys and Maryland personal injury lawyers, our job is to represent the victims of accidents who have experienced pain and suffering due to another individual’s negligent actions.

In cases where a traffic accident results in death, there may be sufficient evidence to support a wrongful death lawsuit against the other driver. Certainly, when a motorist causes an injury accident, there are instances where the victims may wish to recover some of all of the costs associated with the medical treatment and rehabilitation following such an accident.

Earlier last month, a Georgetown man crashed his vehicle head-on into an 18-wheel tractor-trailer rig along a stretch of Rte 9 on a Tuesday morning. According to news reports, 50-year-old Richard Baker was traveling west on Rte 9 when for some reason the man’s minivan crossed over the centerline, running head-on into a semi driven by a Baltimore trucker.

Baltimore Car Accident News: Driver Dies in Fatal Beltsville, Maryland, Automobile Traffic Wreck

February 28, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Faulty brakes, poorly designed suspension systems and incorrectly maintained running gear are just a few of the potential causes of fatal car or truck crashes. And, the odds of having a deadly single-vehicle traffic accident typically increases as the car, truck or motorcycle speed rises. While many one-car wrecks can be the result of driver error, police crash investigators typically consider the possibility of defective vehicle equipment when reconstructing a motor vehicle accident.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys and Baltimore auto accident lawyers, each of our staff works to represent the victims of car collisions and the families of individual killed as a result of another person’s negligence. Whether an accident occurs in the District, Hagerstown, Frederick, Salisbury, or any of the dozens of towns and cities across the state, the human toll of a commercial truck wreck or passenger car collision can be just as devastating.

A story not long ago described a crash that involved only one car, but claimed the life of the driver. Although police were still investigating the incident at the time of the news story, authorities had already ruled out drugs or alcohol as factors in the crash. Defective equipment, such as a broken steering linkage or blown-out tire could have contributed to such an accident, but there was nothing stated in the article to indicate that this was the case.

Early Evening Pedestrian Traffic Accident Leaves Grandmother and Grandchild Injured in Rockville, Maryland

February 27, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Most every family with small children has experienced the fear of seeing their child injured by an automobile. As kids grow up, and depending on the proximity of the public roads in the neighborhood, the chances of a youngster running or riding their bike into the street increases as those children become more mobile and curious.

As parents and grandparents, our job becomes even more serious when we leave the confines of our homes to take the kids on walks and other family outings. The danger of a pedestrian accident involving a small child is ever present once we step outside. As Baltimore auto accident attorneys and Maryland personal injury lawyers, we hear about traffic collisions that involve grownups and youngsters alike.

A while back, a news article talked about a grandmother and her young grandson were hurt in a pedestrian-car accident while crossing a street near home. This type of traffic accident can easily result in death, and so this story has somewhat of a happy ending. But many survivors of pedestrian or bicycle traffic accidents can be months or years away from a full recovery.

Baltimore Auto Injury News: Three Hurt when Train Hits Minivan in Wicomico, Maryland

February 24, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Negligence comes in many guises. Most people usually think of a faceless driver who causes a car, pedestrian or motorcycle accident and hurts another individual. But sometimes a negligent act can come someone other than a stranger. As personal injury lawyers and auto accident attorneys for Maryland and the Washington, D.C. area, I and my colleagues work to help victims of traffic wrecks and other types of serious injury accidents.

A negligent driver can be one who drinks and drives, or while speeding hits another car or commercial vehicle and kills or injures the occupants of the second vehicle; similarly, negligence can take the form of a driver who is responsible for the safety of his passengers and fails to exercise proper precautions and in doing so causes an auto accident that injures the occupants of his or her own vehicle.

Not long ago, a minivan was hit by a Norfolk and Southern freight train at a Fruitland railroad crossing in Wicomico County. According to a news article, three of the van’s passengers were seriously hurt when the collision occurred at the Rte 13 and Cedar Ln crossing just prior to 7pm. The motor vehicle was caught and dragged nearly 500 yards down the tracks before coming to rest.