Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

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.

Maryland Auto Accident Update: NHTSA’s Revised Passenger Car Safety Ratings Look to Improve Occupant Safety

December 25, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Maryland auto injury attorneys serving individuals in cities such as Baltimore, Cumberland and Frederick, MD, as well as Washington, D.C., I and my colleagues look forward to a day when serious injuries and deaths from traffic-related accidents are a thing of the past. While that day may be well off, constant improvements in vehicle design and constantly evolving government safety regulations indicate some progress.

Because tens of thousands of people are killed on this nation’s roadways every year, there is always room for improvement. The cost from traumatic brain and spinal injuries sustained during a car crash can be astronomical for a family of limited means. Not only is medical care expensive, the cost to a family when one of the primary wage earners is laid up for an extended period can be financially devastating.

Protecting the occupants of a motor vehicle that is involved in a traffic collision on an expressway, country road or city street is the job of that motor vehicle’s passenger restraint system, as well as other safety components located throughout the car or truck. Granted, there’s a big difference in the protection offered by a car, SUV or minivan than what is provided to a motorcyclist involved in a similar road accident, but those occupants in a passenger car are still at risk nonetheless.

Recent changes in the 5-star safety ratings set fourth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) may help to increase the level of protection that motor vehicle passengers can expect in the future. According to news reports,

Starting with 2011 models, new vehicle crash tests will likely make drivers and passengers alike feel safer and more secure when traveling in new cars. Based on reports, the new crash evaluation criteria include an enhanced 5-Star Safety Ratings System for new vehicles. The new testing now includes a side pole crash test and evaluation of in-vehicle crash prevention technologies. The latest criteria also marks the first use of female crash test dummies are to be used in crash scenarios.

As in the past, vehicles are rated from on a scale of one to five stars (one being lowest and five the highest). Under the old NHTSA guidelines, many vehicles received the maximum, 5-star rating, however that will likely change with the new system now in place. This is reportedly because the new standards are much more strict. In fact, many previous 5-star rated vehicles are likely to drop in the rankings under the new system.

Maryland Joyriders Crash into Second Car Killing Three People in Fatal Baltimore County Traffic Accident

December 17, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Baltimore auto injury attorney and personal injury lawyer, I and my colleagues have seen all manner of severe and fatal automobile wrecks. Many crashes are caused by simple human error, while others can be the result of defective vehicle components, poor judgment, or worse, conscious decision to violate the laws of the State of Maryland.

Malicious or not, these kinds of terrible car accidents can and do claim innocent lives. Regardless of whether the accident involves an automobile, motorcycle of commercial truck, a driver who over-indulges in the consumption of alcohol, prescription medication or illegal narcotics before getting behind the wheel can many times be the cause of a deadly DUI crash. Other individuals, such as the two men implicated in a fatal car accident last month, actively choose to break the law and end up killing or maiming another person.

This latest crash combined a joyriding scenario with drinking and driving. The result was sad, yet not unexpected considering the potential for injury that high vehicle speeds and impaired vehicle operation can cause. According to the news, three innocent people are now dead as a result of a car theft gone wrong on a Sunday night.

Maryland Auto Injury News: Three Restaurant Customers Injured When Car Crashes into Building

December 13, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Anyone who watches the evening news will agree that you don’t have to be riding in a motor vehicle to be hurt as a result of a car crash. Pedestrians and bicycle riders are two groups of people that are constantly in the news due to traffic-related injuries. As a Maryland auto accident attorney and personal injury lawyer, I also can say that when it comes to car-versus-person impacts, the car or commercial truck almost always wins.

Frankly, it’s not uncommon to see fatalities in cases where pedestrians have been hit by an oncoming car, truck or city bus. Some people don’t even see the accident coming, especially in cases like the one in the news not long ago. According to reports, two diners at a local Mexican restaurant were sent to the hospital after a passenger car drove through the front of the building.

Police reports indicate that a Honda Accord crashed through the glassed-in entryway of La Promesa Taco Shop on York Road just before 3am on a Sunday morning. News reports show that around 30 people were in the restaurant at the time of the accident. Based on reports, witnesses said that the Honda drove through an adjacent Jiffy Lube facility then went over a curb and drove across the restaurant’s parking lot before hitting the building.

Tragic Car-related Accident Takes Life of Maryland Teen in Anne Arundel County

December 10, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Young people do some of the strangest things growing up, most are harmless and lead to nothing more than a rebuke by a parent or police officer. There are other instances, where automobiles, motorcycles and commercial trucks are involved, when a simple lack of judgment results in serious bodily injury and sometimes even unexpected death.

Fatal car crashes and truck accidents are nothing new in metropolitan areas such as Baltimore, Cumberland and Hagerstown. As a Maryland auto accident lawyer and injury attorney, I and my colleagues have the training and experience to help victims and their families recover costs related to serious car and motorcycle wrecks, such as extended medical treatment, lost income due to a car crash, and other related expenses.

Not long ago a young man was killed while riding in a vehicle that was traveling eastbound along Davidsonville Road in Anne Arundel Co. According to witnesses, the 19-year-old resident of Silver Spring, MD, was leaning out the right rear window of a 2004 Chevrolet truck apparently trying to get the attention of some friends walking across a nearby field when the vehicle reportedly sideswiped a utility pole.

Maryland Single-vehicle Traffic Accident Leaves Driver Dead; Sends Two Passengers to Baltimore Shock Trauma

December 8, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Whatever the cause of serious car or truck crash, the results can be terrible for the occupants and their families. Regardless of the reasons, a fatal automobile accident can deeply affect lives of victim’s relatives and close friends. A recent accident reported in the news brings up a point that bears repeating: Always wear your seatbelt.

If we could predict the future, those who choose not to wear their safety belt might do better over time, but since traffic wrecks are not predictable, drivers and passengers are smart to belt-up whenever going out onto the road. As a Maryland personal injury lawyer and auto accident attorney, I understand how extensive a person’s injuries can be following a bad car accident.

The fatal crash in question reportedly occurred in Montgomery County, MD, on a Friday night as three people were traveling in a Honda Accord sedan along Chandlee Mill Road around 10pm in the evening. According to police, 19 -year-old David Oughton somehow lost control of the vehicle which then left the roadway and hit a tree by the roadside. Based on police reports, the driver died at the scene. He was allegedly not wearing his seatbelt.

Baltimore Traffic Safety Update: Watch Out, Maryland’s Aggressive Drivers Cause Half of All Automobile Accidents

December 6, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Over the past year we’ve seen lot of traffic accidents resulting from aggressive driving. While it might be a dream to hope for complete harmony on Maryland’s roadways, the fact of the matter is being civil and courteous to your fellow motorists makes for a safer and more event-free commute. Sadly, there is a portion of the driving public that either has no thought for others or is simply too focused on their own agenda to worry about another individual’s rights or safety.

As Baltimore auto injury attorneys, my firm has represented dozens of people injured as a result of another person’s negligence. Aggressive drivers, it is now known, account for a large number of car and truck wrecks every year here in Maryland and across the U.S. Regardless of whether you living in Hagerstown, Rockville or Frederick, MD, you probably take one or more of Maryland’s highways to get to work, school or to go shopping. And the chances of getting caught in an accident caused by an aggressive driver are pretty high these days.

It’s a fact that the American Automobile Association (AAA) estimated that more than half of all fatal passenger car and commercial truck crashes were the result of some type of aggressive driving. Those who survive such accidents can end up with serious injuries as well as long-term medical problems, the cost of which can be a continuing burden on the individual and his or her family for years after the actual crash.

Maryland Auto Injury News: Drinking and Driving Suspected in Fatal Rockville, MD, Traffic Accident

December 3, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

With the holidays not far away, this may be a good time to remind everyone to be especially cautious when driving this winter. From the standpoint of traffic accidents, after-work parties, holiday gatherings and other festivities always invite some amount of alcohol consumption. While most Maryland residents are aware of the way in which beer, wine and hard liquor can impair a driver’s judgment, some individuals choose to ignore that fact and drive anyway.

As a Baltimore automobile accident and personal injury lawyer, I and my colleagues have seen the results of more than enough DWI and DUI accidents to know that it’s not worth the risk to drive while under the influence of alcohol. Passenger car crashes, motorcycle wrecks and commercial trucking collisions have all been caused from time to time by a drunken or drug-impaired driver.

The seriousness of any accident will typically impact the number and extent of any injuries sustained by the occupants of each vehicle involved in the collision. Depending on the kind of accident — head-on crash, rollover, side-impact collision, etc. — passengers can receive mild to severe injuries. From minor cuts and bruises to heavy concussions and spinal trauma, the potential for extensive and prolonged medical treatment is always present.