Fatal Traffic Accidents

Despite Fatal Car Accidents, Maryland’s Highway Authority Says Seneca Hwy Speed Limit Will Stand

December 22, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

When most people think of a car, truck or motorcycle wreck, the most common image is that of two or more vehicles sitting damaged by the side of the road. While many passenger car and commercial truck-related collisions involve multiple vehicles, we do see numerous instances of single-vehicle crashes that involve just one car or truck. As Baltimore personal injury attorneys, we have represented dozens of individuals who have been hurt in an injury-related accident, be it auto, nursing home, medical malpractice or other incident that results in bodily injury.

The fact is, when it comes to roadway accidents, some crashes are caused not by another driver, but by the roadway itself. Weather conditions come immediately to mind, but there are other kinds of problems that can result in a traffic wreck. One area of personal injury law involves defective roadway claims. Many times, a car, truck or bus crash can because the actual road surface is intrinsically unsafe or has been temporarily made unsafe due to outside causes.

Passenger cars, commercial vehicles and two-wheeled motor vehicles all require a certain amount of friction between the road surface and the vehicle’s tires to maintain steering and directional control. Most people in cold-weather states know this very well, since an icy or snow-covered street can be slippery to the point of loss of control, either when steering, braking or accelerating. The same can be said when it rains, though less so in most circumstances.

Many Seemingly Inconsequential Automobile and Trucking-related Accidents Can Turn Deadly in Moments

December 20, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Baltimore personal injury lawyers, I and my legal staff have years of experience helping victims of car, truck and motorcycle collisions here in Baltimore County, as well as across the state of Maryland and Washington, D.C. One thing we know for our lengthy experience with auto, bike and commercial truck-related traffic accidents is that nobody fully expects to become involved in a bad car crash.

Furthermore, regardless of one’s age, level of education, overall health or socio-economic background, nobody should expect that EMS or other life-saving first responders will arrive at the scene of a roadway collision with time to spare; sometimes they simply can’t come fast enough. Granted, this all depends on the severity of the particular traffic wreck, as well as the distance from the nearest fire department or EMS depot; but the promise of a good outcome is never certain.

This is why, in incidents involving driver negligence — when an innocent victim dies as a result of another person’s mistake or thoughtless actions — that a wrongful death lawsuit is not out of the question. This is because some accidents result, tragically, in loss of life. And when someone is killed or otherwise losses their life because of someone else’s careless or negligent behavior, the family of the deceased may still be able to hold that negligent party responsible.

Baltimore Traffic Injury Update: Car-Truck Crashes Can Be Traumatic, Not to Mention Life-Threatening

December 18, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Anyone who has been involved in any kind of serious traffic accident knows how dangerous a car or trucking-related collision can be. As Maryland injury specialists, I and my colleagues are all too aware of the bodily injuries that can result from a collision between a passenger vehicle and a commercial delivery truck or semi tractor-trailer. (We won’t even talk about the fatal consequences that face individuals who become involved in a motorcycle-related roadway accident that entails a collision between a large commercial motor vehicle and a much smaller motorcycle, scooter or bicycle.)

Being automobile accident lawyers, we have seen the aftermath of many a traffic accident, here in the Baltimore area as well as other parts of Maryland and the District of Columbia. There are few roadway wrecks that can truly match the deadly and frightening effects of an 18-wheeler striking a smaller family sedan, sport utility vehicle or minivan. Unfortunately, in this day and age, trucking-related traffic accidents are an unavoidable part of modern life in large metropolitan areas.

Sharing the roadway with box trucks, construction vehicles, city buses and big rigs is just par for the course for many Maryland drivers. Despite the dangers — and remembering that every year, thousands of innocent victims are killed or injured in commercial vehicle accidents — drivers and passengers must go about their lives in the hope that nothing bad will transpire while they are on the road.

Maryland Driver Indicted for Fatal Traffic Accident that Killed Jazz Musician, Joe Byrd

December 6, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s natural for victims and their families to feel the need for closure following a severe or fatal traffic wreck. However, not every lawsuit or criminal case provides the needed emotional release for some people. Especially in cases of wrongful death as a result of a fatal car, truck or motorcycle crash, having the negligent party pay for his or her mistake through monetary penalties or through incarceration can take some of the sting away, but for those who have lost a loved one as a result of negligent or thoughtless actions, even this may not be enough to quell the pain and anger.

As experienced personal injury attorneys serving the people of Maryland as well as those hurt in car or trucking-related accidents over in the District, we understand the difficult and trying times between a tragic car or commercial truck crash and the culmination of a lawsuit in a Maryland courtroom. The wheels of our legal system turn ever so slow at times, and this can lead to additional aggravation and upset; all the more reason to choose a qualified attorney to guide one through the process.

We were reminded of this after reading an older news report stating that the individual accused of causing the death of well-known jazz musician, Joe Byrd, was indicated nearly six months after the fatal collision that took Byrd’s life. According to earlier news reports, the automobile crash that killed the jazz man was allegedly caused by a Lothian, MD, resident with a reportedly long history of traffic-related offenses.

Howard County Auto Injury News: Maryland Teenager Pleads Guilty to Fatal Car Accident That Killed Friends

November 30, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Being a party to a wrongful death lawsuit can be an emotional life event, especially when it is your relative or loved one who was killed in a car, truck or motorcycle accident on a Maryland roadway. With emotions running high, there are more than a few good reasons to lean heavily on the skills and experience of a qualified personal injury attorney. As a legal advocate for the bereaved family members, an injury attorney can address the situation from a legal point of view with a professional detachment that is needed to maintain perspective and do what is required for his or her clients.

For experienced Maryland auto injury attorneys, compassion for their clients’ circumstances is paramount, as is acting in the victim’s and family’s best interests. As mentioned previously, a wrongful death suit is something that requires discipline to help the victim and his or her family to legally recover the losses that resulted from a negligent act on the part of another party or parties.

Here in the Baltimore area, as well as Columbia, Glen Burnie and Washington, D.C., our goal is to help the plaintiff become whole. And while there are no guarantees, just as in life, we aim to provide as much assistance as possible to victims of traffic accidents, commercial trucking crashes and pedestrian mishaps. What may be the hardest of all is to look into the eyes of our clients and feel, first-hand, their pain and deep sorrow at the loss of a loved one.

Maryland State Police See Road Rage as Possible Cause of Fatal Harford County Traffic Accident

November 26, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Once you have seen the aftermath of as many car, truck and motorcycle wrecks as we have, you too might be all the more cautious on the road as we would like all of our friends and family member to be. While most people never expect to become victims of a bad traffic collision here in Baltimore (or elsewhere across the state and in the District of Columbia), it’s a sad fact that many people who become involved in severe or life-threatening car or trucking-related roadway crashes never would have imagined their day ending on such a terrible note.

As Maryland auto accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers, our main concern is for those who have been injured or killed in a car accident caused through the negligence, and sometimes because of the deliberate actions of another driver. Placing blame is one thing, but understanding that a severe or fatal auto accidents are something that can affect anyone at one time or another might be a better course to alleviating the frequency — and hence the suffering — of many individuals in the future.

While it is true that many traffic accidents are just that, accidents, if there is anything we have learned through our years of litigation in courts throughout the state of Maryland it is that a lot of accidents could possibly have been avoided if one or the other driver was paying more attention to the road. Furthermore, knowing how accidents materialize on the street can make for some serious introspection on the part of many people who work in personal injury law. What is truly disconcerting is that a percentage of car and truck crashes are actually caused by drivers intent on causing some kind of damage or injury to another person.

Speed Blamed in Double-Fatality Single-Vehicle Traffic Accident in Baltimore County

November 5, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We’ve all hear a lot about road rage here in Maryland, but that’s just one of many conditions that people can become involved in on our streets and highways, many times to someone’s ultimate detriment. While road rage can usually be accompanied by bouts of aggressive driving, driving in an aggressive manner is not necessarily accompanied every time by anger on the road. This may sound as if we are describing a medical condition, which would be for the healthcare community to decide; what we mean to discuss here is that aggressive driving on its own can cause serious and sometimes deadly traffic accidents.

As Baltimore area personal injury lawyers, I and my colleagues have enough experience with car, truck and motorcycle accidents to know that, for lack of a better phrase, speed kills. While the auto and traffic safety community is generally in agreement on this subject, many sports car enthusiasts and racing devotees would likely argue that speed doesn’t necessarily kill, but it makes a car or trucking-related collision that much worse, all things being equal that is.

Speed limits are established for one main reason: to keep speeds on public roads to a reasonable level while also maintaining quick, efficient and economical travel for members of the public who use the roadways. As we have said before, however, having laws and regulations in place is no guarantee that people will obey them, which is why we have police to enforce the laws and a judicial system to provide an unbiased forum for citizens who have been accused of a violation of those laws.

Street Racing in Maryland Communities: Does Aggressive, Dangerous Driving Threaten Innocent People on the Road?

October 26, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We all know that driving while intoxicated, texting or talking on a cellphone, and screaming kids in the back seat — even tuning the radio in a car or truck — can all be potential causes of traffic accidents. Certainly these scenarios can contribute significantly to injuries and deaths in car and trucking-related wrecks. Whether leading to a single- or multiple vehicle collision, each and every cause of serious accidents is a concern to police and traffic safety experts.

As Baltimore personal injury lawyers, my firm is interested in the effects of car, truck and motorcycle accidents, not only because we want to help the victims, but because understanding the causes might help others to avoid tragic incidents in the future. Sadly, even with public awareness, car and commercial truck crashes occur with alarming frequency. Preventing the random and unexpected can prove difficult, yet cutting the number of preventable motor vehicle accidents is theoretically within our power.

As mentioned above, drinking and driving and texting, as well as other potentially distracting activities, are things which motorists have an active part in preventing. Getting a sober ride or designated driver can help to prevent DWI- and DUI-related traffic injuries and senseless automotive-related deaths; not taking a cellphone call, putting off texting on a smartphone until one’s car is safely parked; and even using presets on the car radio are all ways to protect oneself, one’s passengers and other innocent people on the roadway.

18-Year-Old Maryland Driver Dies in Multi-car Accident in Harford County, MD

October 21, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As ever parent learns, from the day your first child is born one’s mind is switched into what we might refer to as “constant worry mode.” This is not a choice that most parents have, instead it is an inevitable part of having children and being responsible for them throughout their developing years and on into young adulthood. While it is true that when kids become adults, responsibility for their actions actually shifts to the children themselves. But the worry and concern for the health and welfare of one’s offspring tends to continue ad infinitum.

As anyone who has kids will heartily agree, there is no good age at which a parent’s concern for their child’s wellbeing subsides; but there are milestones of actual increased worry. These usually include first days at preschool, elementary school and, one of the biggest, the day your child begins to drive by themself. Setting a teenage driver out on the road of life can be an unnerving time for any parent, not only because of the potential increase in insurance premiums, but also the chance for a child’s injury and death. It’s not something any parent or guardian wants to dwell on. But the chance does exist.

It’s a fair bet that most mothers and fathers become somewhat desensitized to the constant threat of physical injury that a young and inexperienced driver can be exposed to. The problem these days is that many more distractions exist for our kids, what with electronic devices like iPods, iPhones and other smartphones, even the radio and other advanced controls in cars these days can divert an inexperienced driver’s attention at the wrong time.

Fatal Car Accident Claims One Life after Woman Dies when Automobile Drives into Restaurant

October 14, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s easy to assume that car accidents only injure those in other vehicles or kill pedestrians trying to cross busy streets, but motor vehicles of all sizes and descriptions injure men, women and children every year who are neither car or truck occupants, nor individuals standing by curbside waiting for a traffic light. The fact is, automobile and commercial truck crashes can take the lives of almost anyone given the right circumstances.

As personal injury attorneys serving victims injured in car, truck and motorcycle accidents throughout the state of Maryland, we can feel the anger and frustration of individuals who are hurt as a result of another driver’s negligence. For those who are less fortunate, people who for no fault of their own have been killed in a senseless traffic wreck, we offer our help to the victims’ families in an effort to bring at least a modicum of justice to the grieving survivors.

Whether one is injured in Annapolis, Baltimore or Washington, D.C., our job is to find fault and help to correct any injustice to these victims of car and trucking-related collisions. One thing that we know, after helping numerous clients to recover damages from responsible parties, is that a motor vehicle can be a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands. Although nobody expects to be hurt or killed by a car in their home, this too has happened, enough to say it is a potential event depending on the particular situation.