Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

24-Year-Old Woman Dies in Fatal Single-car Crash along I-70 in Howard Co.

January 21, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Single-vehicle accidents can be caused by a number of factors, not the least of which is human error. While lapses in judgment or loss of concentration on the highway can lead to a serious auto wreck, mechanical problems can also cause a driver to lose control of a vehicle. In those types of cases, defective vehicle equipment is a likely reason for a crash.

As a Maryland car accident lawyer, I realize that every traffic wreck has its own characteristics, which means that no two accidents can be treated quite the same. All the more reason to enlist the services of a qualified legal professional, especially in situations where someone has lost their life in tragic wreck possibly caused by another individual’s negligence.

A short time ago, a young woman was killed on I-70 in Howard County when she apparently lost control of her vehicle while trying to avoid another, slower moving vehicle. According to police reports, 24-year-old Ashley Marie Matthews was driving a Ford Explorer carrying her and two other passengers. The sport utility vehicle (SUV) was traveling west on I-70 in Ellicott City when it came upon an unidentified white-colored SUV, which was reportedly going slower than Matthew’s Ford.

Maryland Automobile Injury News: Drug Use Suspected in Fatal 4-Vehicle Glen Bernie Co. Traffic Accident

January 17, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Having seen our share of auto-accident injuries over the years, I and my colleagues understand the damage and suffering that can result from a poor driving decision or other individual choice. In the more serious of injury accidents, a car crash can cause prolonged of even permanent damage to a person’s head, neck or lower spine.

As a Maryland personal injury attorney and car accident lawyer, I know how easy it is for a simple error in judgment to lead to a potentially life-threatening outcome. Drivers and passengers in automobiles, city buses and commercial trucks have from time to time died as a result of another’s negligent behavior.

Whether a serious traffic wreck occurs in Baltimore, Annapolis, the District or anywhere else across Maryland, the results can be difficult for the victims and their families going forward. A recent incident in Glen Burnie County illustrates what can happen when a driver is possible impaired due to use of controlled substances. Illegal drugs and even doctor-prescribed prescription medication can increase the chances of a bad collision depending on the individual circumstances.

The accident in this case involved a total of four cars and ended with one driver dead and several other people injured. According to county police, alleged drug use may have contributed to a chain-reaction crash that killed 24-year-old William Edward Gruber III on a Thursday morning.

Based on police reports, Gruber was driving a 1991 Honda Accord eastbound on East Ordnance Rd just before 8am when fore some reason the man’s vehicle rear-ended a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, driven by 59-year-old Linda Darnell Bohlen Lassiter, which was waiting to make a left turn onto Blades Lane. The force of the crash pushed the Chevy into the rear of Dodge pickup truck also waiting to make a left turn.

As a result of the initial collision between Gruber’s Honda and the Chevy caused the man’s Honda to spin across into westbound lanes of the roadway, where it was hit an oncoming Dodge Caravan driven by 58-year-old Elizabeth Mund of Pasadena, MD.

Maryland Auto Injury Update: Exercise Care Whenever Your Vehicle Becomes Disabled on the Roadside

January 15, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

While many people will be quick to advise a fast exit from a disabled vehicle on the highway or busy beltway, it’s important to realize that injury accidents can happen even when a vehicle is stopped on the roadside. Car and commercial trucks collisions happen daily in Baltimore, Frederick, Rockville and all across this state, and as Maryland auto accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers we can surely say that danger of injury or death still exists when your car, SUV or minivan is stranded on the shoulder of an expressway or heavily traveled rural route.

That said, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Not only do motorists risk life and limb whenever they get out of their vehicle, but in the event of a serious accident medical bills and lost wages can put a terrible pinch on an average family’s bank account. Not long ago, two people were killed outside of their cars in the Washington, D.C. area. This only illustrates, in the saddest of terms, my point about being extremely cautious when venturing out of the relative safety of a disabled motor vehicle.

According to new reports, one of the fatal car accidents occurred just after 1am on the Baltimore-Washington Pkwy in the Laurel area. In that instance, the driver did what many people (mainly men, we suspect) would do in a similar situation. Based on U.S. Park Police reports, a driver was in the process of pushing his vehicle along the southbound stretch of the parkway when he was struck from behind by another vehicle.

Maryland Accident News: Hazardous Winter Driving Can Lead to Injury Accidents as well as Property Damage

January 12, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

While it may be a too little too late, be advised that the latest spate of winter weather has caused thousands of traffic accidents throughout Maryland and the rest of the east coast. Car and truck crashes have accounted for numerous injury accidents over the past couple months in cities like Frederick, Annapolis and Washington, D.C. As a Baltimore auto injury accident lawyer, my concern is that driving conditions will continue to exacerbate what can be serious automobile and commercial truck wrecks throughout the area.

There are, of course, proper techniques to drive in snowy and icy road conditions. Although no amount of training can guarantee an accident-free commute, applying some tips from driver training organizations can go a long way toward improving one’s chances of arriving at a destination without serious injury.

Already, through the 2010 calendar year, the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) reportedly had a number of driving instructors who trained more than 8,000 students in the important skill of operating a motor vehicle. Even with this practical knowledge, however, many new drivers have had little or no experience with piloting a vehicle through snow, ice and sleet conditions.

While some students are “lucky” enough to have taken a driver’s ed class during the winter months, and thus received hands-on experience maneuvering a car through ice and snow, their numbers are few, according to experts. While most new drivers are schooled mainly in the art of changing lanes and merging into busy expressway traffic, most are unprepared for executing those same maneuvers when visibility is limited and road grip is greatly reduced by a coating of snow or ice.

For those who need a refresher course, here a few tips for winter driving from CSM’s driving instructors:

1) When stuck in snow, avoid spinning your wheels, which only melts the snow and turns it into ice. Use the lowest possible transmission gear and apply the accelerator gently. If your driver wheels start to spin again, let up on the gas and try again once the wheels have ceased spinning. When all else fails, call someone for assistance.

Single-vehicle Rollover Accident Kills Maryland Father; Mother Critically Injured, Kids Hurt in Crash

January 10, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Anyone who reads the morning paper or clicks on the local news should be no stranger to the stories of so-called rollover traffic accidents that appear on a fairly frequent basis all around the state. With the large number of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) plying Maryland’s highways and rural roads, rollover automobile crashes are not uncommon. As such, serious injuries and occasional fatalities are also quite common in this type of traffic accident scenario.

As a Baltimore personal injury lawyer, my firm has seen its share of victims from these kinds of violent car crashes. A fair percentage of rollover accidents involve a single vehicle, though multi-vehicle collisions can also precipitate a rollover, depending on the situation and road conditions at the time of the accident.

One thing remains relatively consistent for this category of auto wreck; the occupants are at high risk for severe and even fatal injury. This is due the rolling action of the vehicle, which can dislodge an occupant from their seated position and throw the individual against solid objects within the vehicle. Brain trauma, head and neck injuries, and other bodily injury can also result during such events.

Maryland Auto Injury News: 4 People Hurt in Baltimore County in Multi-car Traffic Accident

January 7, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It seems that some roads and stretches of interstate highways experience a preponderance of traffic accidents. Whether this is due to bad road maintenance, poor signage or other traffic related safety defect is hard to say. Human error can also make it difficult to point to any specific factor that makes a street or roadway appear to be dangerous for drivers and occupants of motor vehicles.

Regardless, when a driver makes a mistake that results in the injury or death of another individual, that person could be found to be negligent in a court of law. Especially in cases of fatal automobile crashes, wrongful death suits are sometimes brought against a motorist by the victim’s family.

As Baltimore personal injury lawyers and auto accident attorneys, our job is to represent car crash victims and their families. Situations that involve the loss of a loved one are particularly heartbreaking, especially when the accident could have been avoided — senseless car, commercial truck and motorcycle crashes happen far too frequently for anyone to be comfortable with.

La Plata Woman Dies from Serious Injuries following St. Mary’s County Car Accident

January 5, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

When a traffic accident happens — whether it involves two passenger vehicles, a car and a motorcycle or a small motor vehicle and a much larger commercial truck — the results can be tragic for the driver and occupants of either motor vehicle, although the smaller vehicle typically sustains the worst damage. One of the more difficult aspects of any highway or urban accident is when a death occurs in the aftermath.

As experienced personal injury attorneys and auto accident lawyers serving residents of Maryland and the District, we recognize how painful and costly a car or truck crash can actually be. While the initial medical treatment can be very expensive, not to mention absolutely necessary following crashes that are very nearly fatal, the recovery period and rehabilitation costs down the road can add up as well.

No one needs to be reminded that hospitalization can place serious financial stress on many families, especially in the current economy. While insurance companies will try to cut their loses and make a quick settlement, it is always wise to consult with an experienced auto injury attorney who knows the law. It’s easy to see one’s medical costs now, but future treatment for chronic problems arising from a car or truck wreck may not be as obvious.

Baltimore Traffic Safety News: Maryland Negligent Car Accidents Can Involve Police and Civilian Drivers

January 3, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Car, truck and motorcycle accidents happen with alarming frequency these days. In an editorial that asks the question of whether the police in Baltimore have trouble driving well, the author says that the answer depends on who one asks. Not surprisingly, we all expect police officers to maintain exemplary driving records, on- and off-duty. And why not? We expect that most every law enforcement officer receives extensive training in high-performance driving. And, we know that traffic patrol officers spend many hours each day driving hundreds of miles as part of their job.

Still, there is the reality that police officers are human, and just like most of us, they can suffer from the same distractions and potentially deadly driving situations that civilian motorists face. As the editorial writer suggests, pointing to a couple single-vehicle car crashes involving Baltimore officers this past fall, these accidents raise doubts about the quality of training, management and culture of the Baltimore force.

Surprisingly, the columnist said that while he received numerous complains about his column, he heard nothing from the Baltimore PD brass, nor the city’s commissioner of police.

One retired police officer responded to the author’s article, suggesting that sometimes things just go wrong. This is true, as many a Maryland motorist would likely attest; dangerous situations do occur from deer running into the road to another driver’s actions causing distraction at an inopportune moment. As a Maryland auto accident lawyer, I know that the range of possible factors that can lead to a car or motorcycle wreck are too numerous to list here.

To be fair, police officers take an oath to serve and protect the public, yet we ask of them almost super-human abilities. When an officer is racing to the scene of a traffic accident involving a minivan or passenger car and a commercial truck, time can be of the essence and seconds can litterly mean the difference between a serious injury and an untimely and tragic traffic death.

Paraplegic Man Convicted of Vehicular Manslaughter Arrested for Violating “No-driving in Maryland” Probation Condition

December 31, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A paralyzed man who had served seven years in prison for a terrible traffic accident in which a Hagerstown couple were killed in 2002 was recently arrested for violating a condition of his ongoing probation, that of not getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle in Maryland. As a Maryland auto accident attorney and personal injury lawyer, I’ve seen many cases where a motorist was convicted of negligent manslaughter and sentenced to multiple years in prison.

According to news reports, 31-year-old Matthew David Meyer of Ellicott City, Maryland, has been on probation for several years now, having served his jail time for the deaths of Gerald and Mary Dietrich of Hagerstown, MD. Based on police reports, however, Meyer was taken into custody in mid-December by Howard County Sheriff, James Fitzgerald, a couple weeks ago for violating a no-drive order as part of his probation agreement.

Meyer had been sentenced to serve seven years in jail, as well as receiving another seven-year suspended sentence following his plea of no contest to two charges of vehicular manslaughter. The charges arose out of an October 23, 2002, car accident in which the Dietrichs, 59 and 61 years old, were killed when their pickup was hit by a BMW driven by Meyer. In situations such as this, a wrongful death lawsuit is one option that the family of the victims can choose to pursue.

Maryland Auto Injury News: Prince Frederick Driver Seriously Injured in Single-car Calvert County Wreck

December 27, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Outside of driver error, single-vehicle traffic accidents can sometimes be caused by poorly maintained safety equipment, such as brakes or tires, or faulty component design or manufacture. Also know as defective equipment, incorrectly functioning vehicle parts and components can be a contributing factor associated with serious car, motorcycle and commercial truck accidents.

As Baltimore automobile injury accident lawyers, I and my colleagues have seen the results of car, truck and motorcycle crashes that have been caused by defective equipment. Situations involving bad part design that lead to a serious or fatal traffic collision go under the heading of products liability. The sad reality in many cases is that the accident could perhaps have been avoided if proper engineering or manufacturing procedures were followed.

As recent single-car accident, though not necessarily caused by a defective automotive component, nonetheless sent a man to the hospital with serious bodily injuries. According to news reports, the 20-year-old Prince Frederick driver was heading westbound along Leitches Wharf Road when for some reason he lost control of the vehicle. Police reports indicate that the crash, which occurred about one mile from Stoakley Road in Calvert County, MD.