Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Baltimore Auto Injury News: Will Banning Hand-held Cell Phones Reduce Fatal Maryland Traffic Accidents?

May 7, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s already been discussed here that a recent study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that cellphone bans do not appear to lower the incidence of traffic accidents. Even so, Maryland legislators are still moving toward a proposed law that will ban hand-held use of cellphones and mobile devices when operating a motor vehicle.

Anything that can reduce automobile and trucking-related highway crashes would be a good thing, since thousands of people are killed in traffic wrecks every year around the U.S. As a Baltimore car accident attorney, I’m on the side of the victims and I know that every driver should be doing his or her part to cut down on the carnage on our public roads.

I’ve seen what can happen to the occupants of a passenger car when it’s hit by another vehicle. Cuts and bruises are the least of the injuries a person can sustain in a crash. Traumatic brain injury is common, as is damage to the neck and spine, any of which can put a person in a wheelchair sometimes for the rest of their life. The question here is would a ban on hand-held cellphones be too much of burden, even if it saved the life of just one person?

Consider your answer carefully because the life you save may be your own, or that of a loved one. An editorial in the Baltimore Sun speaks to this very issue as Maryland faces a ban on hand-held cellphone use.

Of course, nearly every motorist at one time or another has seen all manner of vehicle being driven hazardously. This includes instances of failure to yield where appropriate, drifting into oncoming traffic or suddenly making a turn without an appropriate use of turn signals. I’ll wager that, at least in the past 10 years, these kinds of activities may well have been caused by a so-called distracted driver with a cellphone to his or her ear.

The new Maryland law would restrict driver cellphone use to only hands-free devices. Although it isn’t quite clear that such technology (usually a headset or vehicle-mounted microphone/speaker arrangement) improves matters much, but it may be the new law of the land as Maryland joins the growing number of jurisdictions that ban drivers from using hand-helds.

Maryland Auto Injury News: Pedestrian Critically Injured in Baltimore County Hit-and-Run Accident

May 2, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It seems that we are reading more and more about pedestrian-auto accidents. Sadly, persons on foot have little in the way of protection against a 3,000-pound automobile, which usually spells disaster for the pedestrian how is hit by a car or truck. While laws are in place to make crossing streets and walking near roadways safer, there is no substitute for heightened awareness on the part of walkers, joggers and runners whenever motor vehicles are around.

As a Baltimore injury lawyer, my office has experience to assist victims of auto-pedestrian collisions. Injuries can be severe and long-lasting for victims and their relatives, mainly due to the sometimes lengthy recovery period following a severe impact. This past St. Patrick’s Day, a hit-and-run pedestrian accident in Woodlawn, Maryland, left an 18-year-old man in critical condition at a local hospital.

According to news reports, Baltimore County police were still looking for the driver nearly a week after the tragic traffic accident. Terrel Chambers was reportedly walking with his girlfriend down a busy stretch of roadway along the west side of Windsor Mill Road when a car came speeding up behind him, striking the man and then leaving the scene.

Maryland Man Sent to Hospital with Head Injuries after Washington County Police Chase

April 29, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

An out-of-state driver being pursued by police recently caused another innocent motorist to be hurt during a chase that ended with the suspect’s vehicle lying on its side. As a Baltimore auto accident attorney, I know how an unsuspecting driver can become a hapless victim of someone else’s mistake or misdeed. In this particular case, the victim received various injuries which required him to be transported to the hospital for treatment and observation.

According to news reports, a police chase ended badly for one man after his sport utility vehicle hit one vehicle and crashed into a utility pole. The incident began when a Maryland state police trooper observed the driver of a late model Honda Pilot operating his vehicle in “an aggressive manner” around 8:30am in Funkstown, MD.

The officer then saw the driver pull up to a red traffic signal behind two cars at the intersection of Baltimore Street and Edgewood Drive. Surprisingly, the man pulled past the two stopped vehicles and drove through the red light. According to police reports, the driver headed northbound on Edgewood Drive, but just prior to reaching Dual Highway he apparently made an abrupt U-turn and started going back south.

Baltimore Car Accident News: Alcohol Cited in Head-on Multiple Injury Car Crash on Maryland Route 100

April 27, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Maryland driver myself, I do worry about the mental and physical states of other drivers on the road. It is a matter of fact that we all take a daily risk as we share the road with hundreds and thousands of other motorists. It is impossible to know whether any one of those drivers could be drunk, overtired, impaired from prescription medication, or just plain distracted by their cellphone or mobile device.

Needless to say, any traffic wreck is one too many, and the causes are secondary to the aftermath as far as the victims are concerned. As a Baltimore auto accident lawyer and personal injury attorney, I can say that negligence takes many forms. Society has become very sensitive one form of bad behavior — drunk driving — with law enforcement and the court system ready and willing to prosecute offenders.

But even when an individual is convicted of vehicular homicide or injury by auto, the victims and their families must continue to deal with the emotional scars and financial costs of that negligent driver’s actions. This is why I and my colleagues try so hard to help people in need by suing to recover damages from medical costs, such as treatment for traumatic spinal injury, and lost wages due to a breadwinner’s incapacitation after a crash.

Maryland Car Accident Update: Washington, D.C., Area Drivers Sue Toyota over Alleged Acceleration Problem

April 25, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Defective equipment suits, also referred to as product liability lawsuits, against Japanese car manufacturer Toyota are cropping up all over the county. I and my colleagues have the skills and experience to represent individuals who believe their vehicle had a defect that led to an accident involving personal injury or death. Of course, nobody wants to be in an automobile wreck, but from time to time forces beyond a driver’s control can result in a terrible crash.

Head and neck injuries are typical of some high-speed traffic collisions, while bruises, cuts and minor lacerations may be the only injuries in a lower-speed car or semi-truck collision. Whatever the cause, injuries can be costly, not only from a financial standpoint but also over the longer term as some people never fully recover emotionally or physically from a horrible accident.

The latest spate of defective equipment claims against Toyota allege poor accelerator design in a variety of the manufacturer’s models. According to a recent news article, two local D.C. residents have filed suits against Toyota for accidents that left them in need of medical treatment.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Police Respond to Three Separate Car Crashes in Anne Arundel County, MD

April 22, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Accidents involving passenger cars, minivans and sport utility vehicles happen often and for a variety of reasons. Typically they are caused by driver error and many times can be the result of simple negligence. As a Maryland auto accident lawyer, I’ve seen my share of accident scenes and the human toll that can result from a violent traffic wreck involving cars or commercial tractor-trailer rigs.

Three automobile accidents recently caused injury to three persons in Ann Arundel County, MD. On crash occurred on Route 50 when a 30-year-old driver from Annapolis apparently lost control of his Chevy Suburban near Aris T. Allen Boulevard just before 7pm on a weekday evening. The man’s SUV reportedly hit an Acura in the middle lane.

As a result of the accident, the 56-year-old female driver of the Acura and a 27-year-old male passenger riding in the Suburban were both taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center with minor injuries. The driver of the Suburban, who police said was at fault in the accident, was flown by helicopter to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

Baltimore Car Accident News: Maryland Residents May See Auto Insurance Rates to Increase

April 19, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Maryland auto accident attorney, I know how costs can add up for the average family. When a car, truck or motorcycle accident causes a wage earner to be hospitalized for injuries suffered during a crash, medical costs and lost earnings can put many families into a terrible bind. Because carrying auto insurance on your vehicle is required by law, premiums are another cost that simply cannot be avoided.

Recently, news out of Annapolis shows that the state legislature is working on a bill that would likely increase insurance premiums for nearly every one of the 61,000 Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund customers. At the time of the news article, the bill passed through the House despite the protestations of the Republican side.

The bill would require policyholders to carry a minimum security of $30,000 for individuals and $60,000 for multiple drivers. Currently those minimums are $20,000 and $40,000 respectively and have not changed since 1972 when MAIF was established following legislation that made auto insurance mandatory.

Maryland Car Accident Law News: Never Assume a Minor Car or Truck Crash Causes Only Minor Injuries

April 16, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Having seen a number of car, commercial truck and SUV collisions over the past few months, it’s important to remind anyone who has been involved in a recent traffic accident that bodily injuries sustained as a result of a crash should never be compared to the damage that your vehicle may have received.

Why do I say this? The reason is simple, many insurance companies will attempt to paint a victims level of injury with the same brush as that of the vehicle involved in the accident. There is rarely a correlation between the two. And even if there was, you should always consult with a qualified Maryland injury attorney before signing any documents related to the accident.

Having represented hundreds of car-crash victims, I and my staff know that it is very easy for the occupant of a passenger vehicle to become seriously hurt in a traffic accident even though the repairs to the vehicle itself are relatively minor.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Man Found Guilty in Fatal Pedestrian Accident near Glen Burnie Church

April 13, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Inattentive drivers can be just as dangerous as drunk drivers; that’s a fact. And while the law has punishments in place for those whose drinking and driving results in the severe injury or death of another individual, distracted or careless motorists must also be held accountable if their negligence causes harm. As a Baltimore automobile accident lawyer, my aim is to help victims and their families to recover medical costs and other damages caused by another person.

Recently, a resident of Linthicum Heights pled guilty to a single count of vehicular manslaughter resulting from the August 22 pedestrian accident that left 59-year-old Glen Burnie woman dead. On that day, Mary Bernice Collins was on her way to Holy Trinity Catholic Church for evening mass when she was hit. She was reportedly standing on a sidewalk when hit by a vehicle driven by 27-year-old Matthew Evan Norwood.

Following the collision, Norwood reportedly left the scene. Based on circuit court reports in Annapolis, Norwood accepted a plea agreement in exchange for the prosecutor’s office to drop seven other related charges, not the least of which was for hit-and-run.

Maryland Traffic Accident News: Prince George’s Policeman Dies from Injuries Sustained in Weather-related Car Crash

April 10, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

No matter where you live or work in Maryland, injuries and potential fatalities are always lurking on the road. Even those trained for the worst can be caught off guard by a traffic accident. Whether you drive a passenger car or commercial truck, a surprise on the road can put you or a family member in the hospital. As a Baltimore injury lawyer and auto accident attorney, I understand all too well the worst-case results of a vehicle collision on a highway, city street or rural route.

We read recently of the tragic passing of one of Maryland’s finest, a Prince George’s police officer whose car hit some black ice during a spate of bad weather as he was responding to a call. The single-vehicle crash put the man in the hospital back on February 27. According to reports, 27-year-old Officer Thomas Paul Jensen died on March 9 from injuries he received during that crash.

Officer Jensen had been hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit at Prince George’s Hospital Center since the crash that occurred when he lost control of his vehicle on a patch of black ice and collided with a telephone pole in College Park, said a police spokesman.