Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Baltimore Car Accident News: Drug-impaired Drivers Injure Many, But Prosecution for DUI Difficult

August 25, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s no secret that many traffic accidents are caused by impaired drivers. A subset of this group includes individuals who cause injury and death because they are intoxicated by alcohol, prescription medicine and illegal drugs (also referred to as controlled dangerous substances or CDS). People who are not fully in control of their faculties due to taking drugs or consuming alcohol can be the source of serious traffic collisions involving passenger cars, motorcycles and commercial trucks.

As a Maryland automobile accident attorney, I know the seriousness of injuries sustained by occupants of motor vehicles caught up in these kinds of impaired driving crashes or DUI-related accidents. What may be disconcerting to many people out there is that prosecuting these DUI offenders is not as simple as it may seem.

This is a shame, because thousands of people are killed or injured every year by the thoughtlessness of these individuals. From simple cuts and bruises to broken bones and permanent disability — even death — there is too much suffering imposed on so many by so few who lack a social conscience. Yet recourse against these irresponsible few is difficult according to experts.

A recent article points out the there is a delicate balance between individuals who have a legitimate need for prescription medication and the public good. More and more it is becoming common for drivers to be charged with driving under the influence of drugs following a car or commercial truck accident. According to law enforcement authorities, although drunk driving deaths have reportedly been dropping, there has been an increase in accidents caused by drivers impaired due to prescription painkillers, anti-anxiety medications, sleep aids and other powerful drugs.

The situation has become increasingly worrisome for police officials nationwide because, unlike the effects of beer, wine and hard liquor, there is no agreement on what level of drugs in the blood driving impairment occurs.

Of course, the behavioral effects of legally prescribed drugs varies from one person to the next. Some drugs, such as anti-anxiety medications, can reduce driver’s level of alertness and reduce reaction time. Stimulants, on the other hand, can promote risk-taking and impair a person’s ability to judge distance. Then there is the issue of mixing prescription medication, taking these legal drugs with alcohol or even illicit drugs. All of which can make worsen a driver’s level of impairment, causing a sharp increase in the chances that a driver will cause a traffic accident.

Baltimore Auto Accident News: Abington, Maryland, Woman Dies in Single-car Accident on I-695

August 22, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Defective vehicle equipment can be the cause of many accidents however the reasons for the specific fault are not always apparent. A car, truck or motorcycle crash can happen out of a number of causes, such as poorly manufactured tires, damaged or neglected safety systems, poorly designed yet critical vehicle components, such as steering and suspension, or sometimes incorrect maintenance of certain mechanical parts.

As a Baltimore automobile and trucking accident lawyer, my main concern is for the victims of traffic collisions and victims’ families. The burden of medical costs and lost wages can combine to put a strain on family members at one of the worst times of their lives. Add to this the possible death of a primary breadwinner due to fatal vehicle crash and you have a recipe for tragedy beyond that of the original car accident.

Recently, an Abington, MD, resident was killed when her vehicle left the roadway along a stretch of Interstate 695. According to news reports, 48-year-old Danita Marie Hasselbarth was driving her 1994 Chevy Camaro north along Harford Road toward the Baltimore Beltway. Once on the merging ramp the woman’s car apparently started to drift off the right-hand side of the road onto the adjoining grassy area next to the roadway.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Woman from Hagerstown Killed in Head-on Car Crash Out West

August 20, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Baltimore car and trucking accident lawyer, I am constantly aware of the preciousness of life. Looking at the news from day to day I am also reminded of the fragility and transitory nature of our lives here on Earth. This is especially true when it comes to the tens of thousands of unnecessary injuries and deaths that occur on our nation’s highways and city streets each year.

To anyone who picks up a newspaper or follows the evening news, it will come as no surprise that we as drivers live but scant moments away from possible death or severe injury. A recent news article brought that thought home lately when I read of a former Maryland resident who lost her life on a highway out West where she lived with her family.

According to reports, 40-year-old Kristen Ardinger Karn formerly of Hagerstown, MD, died recently following a tragic head-on car crash in Wyoming earlier this month. The accident occurred on a Monday morning while Karn was driving along a stretch of Highway 22 when her 2005 GMC Yukon was hit head-on by another vehicle.

Maryland Auto Injury News: Two Sunday Worshipers Killed in Tragic Church Parking Lot Car-Pedestrian Accident

August 18, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

While we would all like to think that a church might be one of the safest places, there is much to be said about the dangers lurking in any vehicular traffic situation, be it a parking lot, pedestrian crossing or even a quiet street. There are hidden threats that all of these places present to drivers and pedestrians alike. As a Baltimore automobile accident attorney, I’ve certainly examined my share of pedestrian, car and truck accident scenes, but finding a fatal accident outside a church on Sunday is probably the farthest from anyone’s imagination.

That said, there is a caveat to every person who has walked through a parking area or public roadway: Be careful out there. Especially in places that give us the most comfort and feeling of security, this is where many people drop their guard and possibly increase their risk of bodily harm. While fatal pedestrian accidents may be fewer near a place of worship, the mix of people and cars means that the danger always exists. Any death is tragic, but such deadly accidents should be avoidable if all concerned are doing their part to thwart trouble.

According to a news report, two older parishioners were killed and a third person injured when a sport utility vehicle driven by 63-year-old Mary G. Camilleri suddenly accelerated in reverse hitting the three people. According to a spokesperson for the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Camilleri’s vehicle slammed into another SUV and pushed it onto a sidewalk on North Seton Avenue. The vehicle then continued backwards and struck the pedestrians as they were attempting to cross the road. It came to a stop after hitting another parked car.

Baltimore Accident News: Maryland Teenage Dies in Traffic Accident Between Car and Garbage Truck

August 16, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Highway traffic accidents involving automobiles and heavy vehicles, such as 18-wheelers and commercial delivery trucks, can result in serious injury to the hapless occupants of the smaller passenger car. As a Maryland personal injury lawyer, I’ve seen trucking accidents that have killed some, yet miraculously allowed others to walk away. Mostly, however, these kinds of car-truck collisions can lead to tragic results.

A recent news article pointed out the fatal nature of such collisions on public roads. According to reports, a Westminster, MD, crash involving four separate vehicles took the life of a young Maryland teen this past month. Based on police reports, the collision happened on a stretch of Maryland’s Route 27 when a northbound Saturn driven by 19-year-old Nicholas Louis Vidi for some reason veered into the path of a southbound garbage truck. The young Sykesville resident reportedly died at the scene of the accident, which occurred in Carroll County just south of Kate Wagner Road.

As a result of the initial crash, two other vehicles following Vidi’s Saturn also were caught up in the accident. A Honda Civic driven by Barry Mulligan narrowly avoided Vidi’s Saturn, but was hit by a fourth car driven by Lori Ann Lowe of Westminster. Lowe and the driver of the garbage truck, Jeannette Zelaya of Westminster, were injured during the incident according to police.

Former High School Football Star Gets 18 Months for Fatal DWI Crash that Killed Teen

August 13, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Drinking and driving is one of the most common and most preventable causes of traffic accidents that modern society has faced. Deaths and injuries resulting from drunk drivers make the headlines of Maryland’s newspapers and local TV news programs more often than anyone would care to see.

Recently, a former high school football star from the River Hill school district was sentenced to a year and a half in jail after being convicted of a DWI-related traffic death late last year of a family friend. The accident happened in late November when now 23-year-old David Erdman was driving a 17-year-old friend, Steven Dankos, in his pickup truck in Howard County, Maryland.

A resident of Ellicott City, Edman pleaded guilty last May to negligent homicide as a result of driving while intoxicated. The charges stemmed from an early morning crash on November 30 when Erdman’s pickup hit several stone pillars. Dankos, who had been traveling in the bed of the pickup truck, was thrown from the vehicle to the ground. Police said that the vehicle was speeding at the time of the crash, which no doubt increased the severity of the accident.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Woman Dies, Other Injured in Head-on Crash along Seashore Highway

August 11, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Head-on collisions are one of the most terrible traffic accidents that can happen. Fatalities are quite common in such instances, while broken bones, head, neck and back injuries, and serious internal injuries are also commonplace. As a Baltimore personal injury attorney and Maryland automobile accident lawyer, I understand well the physical and emotional trauma that can result from such a violent car crash.

The reasons for head-on highway collisions vary as well. Driver error, intoxicated driving, distractions in the vehicle and external factors can lead to a serious and many times fatal accident. Outside of driver error, one possible reason for any kind of traffic accident can be defective vehicle equipment.

Defective automobile equipment and components, such as braking, steering or other critical systems, can fail unexpectedly and cause a driver to lose control of a car, SUV or commercial truck. Poorly designed or incorrectly manufactured car and truck parts can be the source of both serious and minor auto accidents.

Maryland Car Injury News: Columbia, MD, Man Gets Just 6 Months for Fatal Pedestrian Auto Accident

August 7, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Baltimore automobile accident attorney, I hear about numerous fatal car crashes that occur throughout Maryland every year. Some collisions happen as a result of driver error, while others are sometimes caused by defective vehicle equipment, such as poorly maintained brakes and tires, faulty safety components or defective suspension or steering systems.

Whatever the cause of a traffic accident, car-pedestrian collisions can be some of the worst, which also includes car-motorcycle and car-bicycle crashes. In all of these kinds of collisions, the person on foot or on two wheels has a very good chance of being severely hurt or even killed as a result.

A recent news article showed that one man, a Columbia resident, was sentenced to six months in jail following the death of an elderly woman he hit with his vehicle in November 2009. According to reports, 82-year-old Ayten Icgoren died the day after she was struck while trying to cross the street near the Owen Brown Village Center.

Baltimore Police Chief Sorry for Injuries Sustained by 5-Year-Old Maryland Boy in Traffic Accident

August 4, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

From time to time, as Maryland pedestrians, we all run the risk of being injured by a passenger car or commercial truck as a result of an unexpected traffic accident. But few people imagine that they will be injured by a policeman riding in a squad car. Kids are a whole different story, and their actions can result in serious and sometimes fatal injuries.

As a Baltimore and Washington, D.C., personal injury lawyer, I and my staff understand the physical pain and discomfort that can be associated with pedestrian-auto accidents. While nobody expects to be caught up in an accident with a motorcycle, SUV or minivan, fewer people still would picture themselves being hurt by a police car in their own neighborhood. However, this is apparently what happened to one poor child not long ago in North Baltimore.

According to news accounts, little Alvin Williams had his right leg broken when it was apparently run over by a Baltimore patrol car in July. The freak accident meant the 5-year-old boy would have to spend the balance of the summer with his leg in a cast, rather than playing with his friends. He likely suffered other injuries such as cuts and bruises during the accident.

Based on reports, the boy was playing with neighbors on a hot Tuesday evening when he reportedly ran across Sheridan Avenue as he followed another neighborhood kid. Police said that the youngster darted from between two parked cars and was subsequently hit by a police cruiser that had just turned off York Road. The department said that the officer did not see the child until it was too late.

The accident report shows that Alvin fell to the pavement after hitting the rear quarter panel of the police car cruiser, after which the vehicles back tire ran over the boy’s leg. According to witnesses, Alvin hit the front of the vehicle, fell down and was then run over by the cop’s front tire. While police claim the cruiser was traveling slowly, the boy’s grandfather said that the patrol car was “going at a good speed.” The grandfather also claims that the officer was distracted because he was looking for another person in the area.

Maryland Personal Injury News: Ford and Chrysler Join Toyota with Safety-related Automobile Recalls

July 29, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Additional recalls have been announced by several of the large automobile manufacturers; Ford, Chrysler and Toyota. The most recent safety recalls include 33,700 small commercial vans made by Ford Motor Company and are due to the vehicle’s headliner not being able to meet all required safety parameters specified for occupant head protection.

As Maryland automobile accident attorneys, we have experience in recall-related injury claims in the Baltimore, MD, and Washington, D.C. areas. The Ford recall is just one of numerous safety-related recalls that can affect the ability of a vehicle occupant to survive a serious car or truck crash. According to reports, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that the Ford defect increases the risk of injury to the driver or passengers in the event of a traffic accident.

Ford reportedly advised its dealers to stop delivery of its Transit Connect model, which include vans produced between December 2008 and May 2010. The hold on deliveries would supposedly be in force until a suitable revision of the vehicle’s headliner design could be produced and installed on those vehicles.