Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Maryland Auto Safety News: Put Those Cellphones Away or Risk Being Ticketed by Police

October 19, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Driver negligence comes in many forms. Causing an accident because one is drowsy, hung over, or worse, drunk are all potential negligence suits waiting to happen. Add to that the possibility of maiming or killing another individual and a driver could be facing prison time and other civil penalties. But these are but several of the numerous causes of automobile and trucking-related crashes.

One hot button issue, which is now part of Maryland state law, is the use of cell phones in a moving vehicle. As a Maryland auto and trucking accident attorney and a Washington, D.C., personal injury lawyer, I have seen the result of distracted driving for years. Cell phone use is high on everybody’s list of major distractions — texting being one of the biggest distracters of all and one of the most likely causes of traffic collisions across the country.

Finally the state of Maryland has a new law on the books that prohibits talking on a hand-held cell phone when operating a motor vehicle. The Maryland General Assembly approved legislation last spring and now it is illegal for motorists across the state to use a hand-held cell phone while driving.

Maryland Auto Injury News: Every Vehicle Driven on Maryland Roadways Must have the Proper Insurance

October 17, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We hear about it all of the time; people being hurt in accidents by another driver who is either under-insured or carries no insurance whatsoever on their vehicle. Of course, by law, every driver must maintain insurance coverage on their vehicle. This not only a good idea, but it can protect you from difficult financial times if you cannot afford to pay for extensive vehicle repairs following an accident.

As a Maryland automobile accident lawyer, I know that car crashes happen with alarming frequency. As drivers, we may not expect to be caught in a highway collision with an 18-wheeler, but it could happen. Similarly, nobody wants to think about having their car stolen or vandalized, but in dense urban centers such as Baltimore, Annapolis and the District, this is always a concern.

From time to time it’s a good idea to look at auto insurance and reacquaint oneself with the available policies and coverages. We ran into an article on choosing the right car insurance and it had several important points to make. In general, however, automobile insurance boils down to deciding how much one is willing to pay out-of-pocket for possible repairs versus how much the insurance company may have to pay.

Many car owners feel that purchasing car insurance to be a bit confusing. The first step is to figure out your needs and then examine available policies in order to understand what your potential risk will be and how much you will be willing to take on yourself. There as a number of factors to consider, such as understanding your specific needs, knowing which discounts you may qualify for, being aware of Maryland’s specific legal requirements, among others.

One key is picking a policy with a balanced deductible. This is the key to choosing a policy because it states the amount that you, the owner, are willing to pay to have the vehicle made right after a crash. The deductible you choose will usually have a direct bearing on the size of the premium you end up paying for you car insurance policy.

Maryland Auto Safety News: Ford Recalls Half-million Minivans for Possible Dangerous Rear Axle Problem

October 16, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Residents of Maryland and other cold-weather states may find that they have a problem with that aging Ford minivan in the driveway. According to news reports, Ford Motor Company has issued a statement naming the Ford Windstar in a recall involving more than one-half million vehicles across several model years.

As a Baltimore auto accident attorney and Washington, D.C., injury lawyer, I understand the potential for injury resulting from a defective equipment problem in a motor vehicle or heavy commercial truck. Critical components found in such important vehicle systems such as the steering and suspension must operate correctly if a vehicle is to remain safe.

Whether a design error, incorrect material specification or maintenance issue, safety problems can lead to highway accidents, which may or may not involve injury or death to the occupants. According to the recent news reports, up to 575,000 Windstar minivans in the cold weather states could have a problem with their rear axle.

Maryland Auto Injury Accident News: Baltimore County Woman Dies in Fatal Anne Arundel Parkway Crash

October 14, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Defective vehicle equipment can be one cause of fatal or near-fatal automobile accidents. As a Maryland car accident attorney and personal injury lawyer, the potential for injury in a highway collision is quiet high when a critical vehicle system, such as steering or brakes, fails to function properly. As drivers, we rely on our vehicles to be not only trouble free, but remain safe for long periods of time and over tens of thousands of miles.

While many car and truck accidents are caused by another person’s negligence, instances of defective equipment can and do occur raising the question of product liability in the minds of victims and their attorneys. Not long ago, a Baltimore County resident was tragically killed when her vehicle was struck by another car whose driver apparently lost control of it.

According to news reports, the accident happened along a stretch of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway in Anne Arundel County at about 8:30pm on a Wednesday evening. Maryland State Troopers arriving at the scene determined that a ‘98 Toyota Camry traveling south crossed the median and hit a northbound ‘96 Chevrolet Metro driven by Stacy Alvater.

Maryland Pedestrian Injury News: Postman Dies in Prince George’s County after Being Hit by Police Car

October 11, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It would be nice to think that highly trained professionals, such as police officers, never have accidents, however this is not the case. Even professional truck drivers who are seasoned veterans in a career dedicated to driving on public roads can and do get into traffic accidents involving drivers of cars, minivans and light trucks, even with motorcyclists who can be seriously injured as a result.

As a Baltimore car accident lawyer, I see news reports every week of motor vehicle accidents that injure or take the lives of innocent people. Pedestrians are not immune to these tragic collisions and can usually be hurt far more seriously than occupants of cars and trucks.

Not long ago, a postal employee and Washington, D.C., resident was hit by a police car driven by an off-duty patrolman. The accident occurred in Prince George’s County just after 6am on a Tuesday morning. According to reports, a county policeman was traveling to work along Garrett A. Morgan Boulevard when 62-year-old Ronald Burgess apparently attempted to cross the street near FedEx Field.

Single-vehicle Anne Arundel County Car Crash Sends Three People to Maryland Shock Trauma Center

October 9, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Baltimore automobile and trucking accident attorney, I know how mixing alcohol and motor vehicles leads to bad results. Some people might argue that drinking and driving leads to unintended consequences, but at some point we must draw the line and consider personal responsibility. Every year tens of thousands of people are unnecessarily injured or killed in alcohol-related car, truck and motorcycle collisions. I won’t call these kinds of crashes “accidents” because drinking beer, wine or hard liquor is a conscious decision.

Sadly, even with strict anti-drunken driving laws and heavy police enforcement, night after night many Maryland drivers get behind the wheel of their automobiles and drive while intoxicated. Some of them will cause a car crash. Some will be hurt as a result. Others will either injure or kill another innocent person. Those victims and their families are the direct recipients of a drinker’s negligent decision to operate that vehicle while impaired.

Not long ago, an Anne Arundel County man was critically injured during a car crash in Arnold, MD. Police claim that a variety of factors may have been to blame, including excessive speed and possibly alcohol consumption. According to news reports, the driver and two other occupants of a 2010 Cadillac were all injured in the early hours on a Sunday morning when the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle, which then hit a tree on the side of the road.

Maryland Driver Travels Wrong Way on I-795; Causes Fatal Head-on Crash near Owning Mills

October 7, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Some auto collisions are preventable, others are not. When a driver becomes disoriented whether due to drug or alcohol impairment, or even from old age, the results can be devastating. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, my firm helps people recover the sometimes debilitating costs of a serious traffic accident, especially when another person’s negligence is found to be the cause.

Not long ago a Reisterstown resident died in a fatal head-on crash along Interstate 795 just south of Owings Mills. According to police, witnesses claimed that one of the vehicles, a Toyota Corolla, was traveling against traffic with no headlights on.

According to a news article, Maryland State police were alerted to the situation by several early morning 911 calls reporting that a car was going south in the northbound lanes of I-795. Unfortunately, MSP troopers could not turn around quickly enough to catch up with the Toyota and try to flag down the driver.

Baltimore Car Accident Update: Deer Season Brings Its Own Dangers for Maryland Drivers

October 5, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Well, it’s the time of the year when more and more deer are out and about on Maryland’s rural and county roads. As a Maryland auto accident lawyer, I know that this time of year drivers must be ever vigilant when it comes to bucks and does frolicking near the roadside.

Hitting an animal as large as a full-grown deer can cause a great deal of damage to a passenger car; such can and truck crashes are certainly sad for the animal, but can be extremely dangerous for the driver and passengers of a car or light truck. While many deer hits only result in property damage, the risk still exists for consequential damage or bodily injury, especially if the driver loses control of the vehicle and hits another object such as a tree or roadside guardrail.

In such collisions, one can expect injuries ranging from simple bruises and minor cuts to even more serious bodily harm like head trauma or spinal fracture, not to mention back internal injuries.

Maryland Traffic Safety News: Fatal Highway Accidents Fall to 1950 Levels; Feds Credit Technology, Enhanced Enforcement

September 30, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Maryland automobile accident attorney, I respect the dedication of our state and the local municipalities in their ongoing fight to reduce traffic fatalities. And as a Baltimore injury attorney, I know that declining accident rates and motor vehicle deaths is a good thing even when the headlines don’t always indicate the progress of our traffic safety authorities.

According to a study lately from Washington, D.C., law enforcement departments from across the country definitely have some good news to boast about: Based on the latest data highway fatalities have dropped to one the lowest levels in more than half a century.

According to a recent article, law enforcement officials here and across the nation credit the reduction in car and truck accident deaths to a variety of enforcement technologies, coupled with strict drunk driving and drug DUI patrols and checkpoints. The news out of D.C. shows that deadly auto accidents along our public roads have drastically fallen to a level not seen since the 1950s.

Ocean City, MD, Accident News: Drunk Maryland Man Causes Rear-end Injury Accident on Route 90

September 28, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Rear-end traffic accidents can cause multiple injuries to the occupants of the vehicles involved in the crash. The effects of these injuries, which can include neck and spinal trauma, can linger for months in not years following the initial car wreck. As a Maryland auto accident attorney representing individuals across the state, as well as in Washington, D.C., I understand the pain and discomfort that can haunt automobile accident victims throughout their lives.

A recent news article illustrated one of the more frequent causes of traffic accidents — a drunken driver. Driving while intoxicated is not a safe way to operate a motor vehicle. In fact, as many people know, the Maryland State Police, local law enforcement agencies and the state’s court system all take a dim view of individuals who drive under the influence of alcohol, much less cause injury accidents when inebriated.

According to news reports, a traffic accident along Route 90 near Ocean City was apparently caused by a man accused of driving drunk. Based on police reports, a vehicle operated by a 19-year-old motorist collided with second car on a Thursday morning resulting in minor injuries to the driver of the other vehicle.