While it may seem that only innocent people are hurt in automobile crashes, there are many instances when the individual who was found to be at fault is also injured; sometimes severely. Numerous Maryland car, truck and motorcycle crashes are caused every year by drunken or otherwise impaired, distracted or just plain thoughtless drivers, and we are always amazed when we read of situations where the negligent party walks away from a devastating roadway collision with hardly a scratch.
As Maryland personal injury attorneys and auto accident lawyers, we have seen the extent of injuries that result from a high-speed car crash or commercial trucking accident. Aside from the usual bumps, bruises, cuts and abrasions, victims of violent car and truck accidents can also suffer traumatic brain injuries and spinal damage due to another driver’s carelessness or outright disregard for the health, safety and well-being of others around him.
Plus, we might add, surviving a bad car accident is just the first step in a long and often costly process for the victims. Medical bills, physical therapy, lost wages and other costs can conspire to put not only financial stress on a family, but also place an emotional strain on the members of that family. If the victim was the primary income earner for his or her family, the effect can be devastating for all concerned. Naturally, a fatal car crash is something no family ever wants to have happen to a loved one.
Last month a man who allegedly caused an accident by running a red light along a stretch of Baltimore Pike was himself injured in the accident. The crash occurred at around
4pm when a Kia passenger car driven by an unidentified motorist ran a red light at the Bond Street intersection. According to news reports, the accident happened a couple hours before a scheduled Fourth of July parade was due to traverse the intersection.
Based on police reports, the Bel Air traffic accident sent the suspect and one of his victims to the hospital. A spokesperson for Bel Air police department said that it was lucky there were no “early bird” spectators already waiting by the roadside at the time of the crash, since the suspect’s vehicle ended up off to the side of the roadway.
According to reports, a 48-year-old local resident was driving her SUV westbound on Baltimore Pike when an orange Kia allegedly blew through the intersection against the red. The sport utility vehicle hit the Kia, which was thrown to one side and ended up lodged against a utility pole at one corner of the intersection. It took emergency crews 15 minutes to cut the top off the vehicle and remove the man, who was subsequently taken to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.
The SUV driver and her 18-year-old daughter, who was riding in the passenger seat, were also taken to the hospital for evaluation and possible treatment. Although they didn’t complain of any other injuries, both the mother and daughter told EMS workers that they had chest pains, probably from the vehicle’s airbags, although their injuries were not considered at the time of the news article to be serious in nature.
Jaws of Life Rescue on Baltimore Pike, Patch.com, July 4, 2011