Although it’s difficult to imagine, at least for those who haven’t been in a car crash, a single-vehicle accident can be quite serious for those involved. And while the circumstances of a single-car or single-truck wreck are unique, the results are typically similar depending on the severity of the crash and the type of vehicle involved.
As personal injury attorneys serving residents of Baltimore, Frederick, Hagerstown and Washington, D.C., we have experience in helping victims of car, truck and motorcycle accidents. It’s probably true that a single-vehicle auto accident can cause as much damage and bodily harm as a multi-vehicle collision, naturally when more than one vehicle is involved the number of occupants caught up in a crash can up the ante from an injury standpoint.
In single-vehicle accidents, again depending on the circumstances, police and auto accident lawyers look at all the possible causes. While driver error is certainly at the top of the list, other factors such as weather, road conditions and even the vehicle’s mechanical condition are considered as potential contributing factors. In the case of mechanical problems, there is always a chance that a faulty component or other critical part may have caused the accident, or at least exacerbated the outcome for the victims.
Faulty safety equipment, such as airbags, seatbelts and car seats, can result in more serious injuries than typical for a car in perfect operating condition. Poorly maintained vehicle equipment, such as tires and brakes, may have contributed to the accident by not allowing the driver to avoid a collision or cause the vehicle to go out of control and result in a secondary crash.
Whatever the cause, the police investigators typically look for the causes of an accident and other factors that may have contributed to the severity of the wreck. Insurance companies will always have their own people looking into the cause of a car, bike or commercial trucking accident. The evidence that turns up will likely drive the course of the investigation, insurance claims and subsequent law suits, if any.
Not long ago a 20-year-old woman from Upper Marlboro, MD, was killed when her
2001 Chevy Malibu went out of control and crashed into a concrete barrier along a stretch of Rte 50 near Annapolis, MD. The crash occurred around half past three on a Monday morning, shutting down the highway for nearly five hours while police and emergency crews worked at the crash scene.
According to news reports, for some reason the victim, Jasmine Owens, lost control of her vehicle as it traveled along the eastbound span of the South River Bridge approximately one mile from the I-97 exit. Based on police reports, the vehicle reportedly hit the barrier and then bounced back into the traffic lanes where it was struck by a 1999 Dodge SUV Durango. That impact caused the victim’s car to roll over several times, throwing Owens from the vehicle.
Reports from the Anne Arundel Co. Fire Dept. indicated that when the woman was thrown from her vehicle the force of the event likely inflicted fatal injuries. Emergency personnel arriving at the site of the wreck pronounced the woman dead at the scene.
One of two occupants of the Dodge truck was transported to Anne Arundel Medical Center for treatment of apparently minor injuries. The other occupant, a 30-year-old Annapolis resident and the truck’s driver, refused medical treatment and was subsequently arrested for drunken driving. Police did not know, at the time of the news article, if alcohol could have caused or contributed to the fatal accident.
Crashes in county claim two lives, HometownAnnapolis.com, June 24, 2011