A Maryland State Trooper was sent to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in critical condition earlier this month, after being hit by a car on Route 100.
Maryland State Police say the trooper was hit violently by a driver who failed to obey the “Move Over” law. At around 1 a.m., another state trooper had pulled over a suspected drunk driver. The injured trooper arrived to assist, but was hit as another car violently crashed into her as she walked along the shoulder of the highway.
Maryland State Police say the driver was reportedly intending to get off at Catherine Avenue when he hit the trooper. The impact was so strong it sent her flying into the air, into the back of another trooper’s windshield, which her body reportedly broke, crashing into a K-9 cage within the car. The trooper then fell into a nearby ditch. She was transported to Shock Trauma with a broken arm, head injuries, and cuts and contusions. Fortunately, her condition was recently reportedly downgraded to serious.
The “Move Over” law was implemented by the Maryland General Assembly in 2010. Charges are pending against the driver who hit the trooper. Maryland State Police say he was not driving under the influence.
This accident should serve as a reminder not only to attempt to move over or substantially slow down when bordering law enforcement, road crews, or construction crews, but also when any car is in the shoulder for whatever reason. Accidents like this one are more likely to occur when drivers are traveling at high speeds.
Whatever the circumstances, car accidents typically occur because one driver was at fault. Most times, the driver who is injured due to another’s reckless or erratic driving can in many cases bring a lawsuit for personal injuries and other damages suffered. The theory of fault in these types of cases is usually negligence, meaning that the driver failed to act reasonably in the operation of his or her vehicle. A driver is required to drive in the way that a reasonably prudent person would drive. A driver cannot drive in such a way as to needlessly endanger other motorists or pedestrians. Deviations from safe driving habits or blatant violations of relevant traffic laws often provide sufficient evidence that the driver at fault was not driving in accordance with the reasonably prudent person standard. Although fault may seem obvious to the person injured, the burden of showing negligence is on the one who brings the case, or the plaintiff. The plaintiff must show that the driver of the other vehicle was not acting as a reasonably prudent driver would have acted and that the failure caused the party’s injuries, resulting in quantifiable damages.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car accident in Maryland, contact the experienced car accident attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers immediately. We have many years of experience in advocating aggressively on behalf of individuals and families who have suffered due to personal injury or wrongful death as a result of a car accident. If you believe that your car accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, please contact us today by calling 1-800-654-1949, or through our website, in order to schedule your free initial consultation.
More Blog Posts:
Street Racing Suspected in Multiple Vehicle Collision, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published October 7, 2013
Maryland Driver Charged in Striking 8 High School Students, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, published October 3, 2013