Fatal Traffic Accidents

Maryland Single-vehicle Traffic Accident Leaves Driver Dead; Sends Two Passengers to Baltimore Shock Trauma

December 8, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Whatever the cause of serious car or truck crash, the results can be terrible for the occupants and their families. Regardless of the reasons, a fatal automobile accident can deeply affect lives of victim’s relatives and close friends. A recent accident reported in the news brings up a point that bears repeating: Always wear your seatbelt.

If we could predict the future, those who choose not to wear their safety belt might do better over time, but since traffic wrecks are not predictable, drivers and passengers are smart to belt-up whenever going out onto the road. As a Maryland personal injury lawyer and auto accident attorney, I understand how extensive a person’s injuries can be following a bad car accident.

The fatal crash in question reportedly occurred in Montgomery County, MD, on a Friday night as three people were traveling in a Honda Accord sedan along Chandlee Mill Road around 10pm in the evening. According to police, 19 -year-old David Oughton somehow lost control of the vehicle which then left the roadway and hit a tree by the roadside. Based on police reports, the driver died at the scene. He was allegedly not wearing his seatbelt.

Baltimore Traffic Safety Update: Watch Out, Maryland’s Aggressive Drivers Cause Half of All Automobile Accidents

December 6, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Over the past year we’ve seen lot of traffic accidents resulting from aggressive driving. While it might be a dream to hope for complete harmony on Maryland’s roadways, the fact of the matter is being civil and courteous to your fellow motorists makes for a safer and more event-free commute. Sadly, there is a portion of the driving public that either has no thought for others or is simply too focused on their own agenda to worry about another individual’s rights or safety.

As Baltimore auto injury attorneys, my firm has represented dozens of people injured as a result of another person’s negligence. Aggressive drivers, it is now known, account for a large number of car and truck wrecks every year here in Maryland and across the U.S. Regardless of whether you living in Hagerstown, Rockville or Frederick, MD, you probably take one or more of Maryland’s highways to get to work, school or to go shopping. And the chances of getting caught in an accident caused by an aggressive driver are pretty high these days.

It’s a fact that the American Automobile Association (AAA) estimated that more than half of all fatal passenger car and commercial truck crashes were the result of some type of aggressive driving. Those who survive such accidents can end up with serious injuries as well as long-term medical problems, the cost of which can be a continuing burden on the individual and his or her family for years after the actual crash.

Maryland Auto Injury News: Drinking and Driving Suspected in Fatal Rockville, MD, Traffic Accident

December 3, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

With the holidays not far away, this may be a good time to remind everyone to be especially cautious when driving this winter. From the standpoint of traffic accidents, after-work parties, holiday gatherings and other festivities always invite some amount of alcohol consumption. While most Maryland residents are aware of the way in which beer, wine and hard liquor can impair a driver’s judgment, some individuals choose to ignore that fact and drive anyway.

As a Baltimore automobile accident and personal injury lawyer, I and my colleagues have seen the results of more than enough DWI and DUI accidents to know that it’s not worth the risk to drive while under the influence of alcohol. Passenger car crashes, motorcycle wrecks and commercial trucking collisions have all been caused from time to time by a drunken or drug-impaired driver.

The seriousness of any accident will typically impact the number and extent of any injuries sustained by the occupants of each vehicle involved in the collision. Depending on the kind of accident — head-on crash, rollover, side-impact collision, etc. — passengers can receive mild to severe injuries. From minor cuts and bruises to heavy concussions and spinal trauma, the potential for extensive and prolonged medical treatment is always present.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Alcohol Suspected in Fatal US 29 Traffic Accident in Prince George’s County

November 24, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Drunk driving is a known killer on Maryland’s highways and surface streets. And as long as alcohol is available to adults there will, sadly, be drunken driving accidents on our roadways. As a Maryland automobile accident attorney, I see reports every week of innocent people hurt, injured or killed as a result of another driver’s negligence.

In the case of driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and prescription medication, drivers have a responsibility not to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle when they are impaired. That’s why we have the concept of designated drivers; to help prevent serious and sometimes deadly drinking-related car, truck and motorcycle accidents from happening.

Some might say it’s a matter of conscience, but it should really be a matter of personal responsibility to oneself and the rest of society. Yet there are drivers every day who take the wheel of a potentially deadly two-ton weapon when they know full well that they have had too much to drink. Many get from Point A to Point B without killing someone; others aren’t as lucky. The innocent drivers who are killed or injured are always the unlucky ones.

Baltimore Traffic Accident News: Two Highway Construction Workers Killed in Fatal Crash on Rte 228

November 21, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Drivers see the signs all of the time: Construction Zone, Reduced Speed Ahead, Give ‘em a Brake. As Maryland motorists we enjoy the convenience that our highways and interstates provide and the ease with which we can cross the state or the country in our cars, trucks and buses. But the construction and maintenance of these concrete and asphalt ribbons is a constant job. That’s where highway workers earn their keep.

But safety for these men and women is a relative and fleeting thing. With hundreds of passengers cars, motorcycles, SUVs and commercial delivery trucks passing by construction zones every hour the opportunity for injury is always present. How those individuals function in such a dangerous environment most of us will never know, the fact is a number of highway workers are killed every year as a result of car accidents and just plain negligence on the part of some drivers.

Families of the victims may have a hard time making ends meet, what with possible medical bills and lost wages suffered as a result of a construction zone crash. Whatever the situation, it’s never easy for a family to recover emotionally from the death of a breadwinner, much less a mother or father, wife or husband. This comes to mind just a story hit the wires about two Maryland highway workers who were killed not very long ago on a stretch of Rte 228.

Maryland Injury News: Pasadena, MD, Pedestrian Struck and Killed by Passing Automobile

November 19, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

If there is any advice that we would give to people it would be take care whenever you cross the street on foot. Regardless of how well you know a stretch of road, never for a moment assume that cars and trucks will see you in the street, especially at night. As Baltimore personal injury attorneys and auto accident lawyers, I and my colleagues have the skills to help victims of car, truck and motorcycle accidents, as well as pedestrian-auto collisions.

The sad thing is we seem to be constantly bombarded by stories of pedestrian injury accidents, and sometimes fatal crashes. Again, when crossing a busy city street or a quiet country road, exercise the same caution you would want a loved one to use. The reason is simple: People on foot are no match for a larger and much heavier motor vehicle. Injuries sustained in a pedestrian-auto accident can range from cuts and bruises to traumatic brain injury and death. Cross the street safely and live to see another day.

As we say this, we are aware that accidents like the one that happened recently in Pasadena, MD, will likely continue to occur. According to the news, a man who was trying to cross the road in Pasadena was stuck and killed by a passing car. Police reports indicate that the victim, 49-year-old Adam J. O’Conner, was hit while crossing Fort Smallwood Road around 11pm.

Maryland Car Accident Report: Teenager Dies in Fatal Allegany County Crash on US 220

November 17, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Anytime a person dies in a traffic accident it is a tragedy, but when a young person is killed in a car crash the hopes and dreams of that child’s family also die. An entire future erased in a matter of moments. As a Baltimore auto accident lawyer and personal injury attorney, one of the most painful experiences is meeting with the parents of a child lost to a senseless car or trucking crash.

As drivers we are all expected to take care and use caution when traveling Maryland’s highways and surface streets. Of course, accidents happen, but no one wants to experience a fatal crash that takes the life of a loved one. When an individual, young or old, is killed as a result of another person’s negligence, it may be appropriate to file a wrongful death claim.

These kinds of law suits allow members of a family to receive compensation for their loss. While the death of a child does not usually result in lost wages, compensation is still possible in such cases. For example, compensation can also be for loss of comfort, love and or companionship, not just and financial support. One must always keep in mind that death does not preclude recovery for any suffering or pain that the victim may have experienced prior to death as a result of another’s wrongful or negligent actions.

Baltimore Automobile Injury News: Motorist Dies after Losing Control and Crashing Corvette in Carroll County

November 15, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Accidents happen for numerous and varied reasons. The ones that occur due to driver error are quite common and can range from simple fender-benders to deadly high-speed head-on collisions. As a Maryland personal injury lawyer working to help victims of automobile, trucking and motorcycle accidents, I know the pain and sadness that comes in the wake of a tragic and fatal traffic wreck.

When a person is believed to be at fault, it’s sometimes easier for a victim’s family to focus their anger. On the other hand, sometimes there isn’t an immediately known reason for a terrible car accident that takes the life of a loved one. Defective vehicle equipment, which usually comes under the heading of product liability, has no face and can sometimes be difficult to come to terms with.

No matter what the cause, when a person dies in a single-vehicle crash, questions loom both for the family and for the authorities. Police and other forensic investigators can usually get to the bottom of the cause for a loss of vehicle control. It’s not unheard of for a car or truck’s braking system to have proven faulty or poorly maintained. With such a critical safety system compromised by another’s negligence, a mechanical failure can quickly escalate into a fatal car or trucking accident.

Maryland Auto Injury Update: Four Killed in Fatal Crash; Speeding and Aggressive Driving Blamed

November 8, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Once again the senseless loss of life hits the news. This time, Maryland State Police point to speeding and aggressive driving as the likely cause of a horrendous accident that left three adults and one toddler dead in the aftermath. Describing the crash, law enforcement authorities say that the multi-car crash was “uncommonly violent.”

As a Baltimore personal injury lawyer who represents victims of traffic collisions and other automotive accidents, I have helped individuals following bad accidents. This particular crash likely should never have happened. One can only feel for the families of those killed and hope that the survivors make full and rapid recoveries.

According to the news reports, the head-on collision and subsequent deaths and injuries began when a Nissan Cube stuffed with seven individuals was being driven in what police termed and aggressive manner northbound along Rte 113. Based on reports, the driver of the vehicle was traveling very fast and passing other cars on the road in posted “no-passing” zones.

Maryland Automobile Accident News: Law Suits Claim Toyota Knew About Dangerous Acceleration Risk in 2003

November 6, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Defective automotive equipment can be just as deadly as a drunken driver when it comes to traffic accidents and fatalities on Maryland roadways. As a Baltimore car accident lawyer and personal injury attorney, I understand how poorly designed or maintained safety systems on cars, trucks and commercial motor vehicles can result in catastrophic roadway crashes leading to injuries and possible death.

Both the vehicle manufacturers and the maintenance facilities for those vehicles must do their part to ensure that all systems work as designed. Defective equipment can ihis include braking systems, steering components, lights and seatbelts, among others. If any system fails to work properly it could cause an accident or make any future accident more dangerous for the occupants, not to mention those motorists in the vicinity of a serious crash.

According to news articles, a law suit against the Japanese auto maker, Toyota, claims that the company knew as far back as 2003 about the possible acceleration risk on some of its vehicles. Based on reports, a Toyota technician stated in 2003 that sudden acceleration is an “extremely dangerous problem.” This was a full six years prior to the first of many recalls that the company has had to issue.