Fatal Traffic Accidents

Baltimore Automobile Accident Update: Suing for Wrongful Death Following a Fatal Maryland Car Crash

May 26, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Any time a person dies it can be a sad and emotional time for the immediate family and relatives of the deceased person. Under the best of circumstances, such as death by natural causes, spouses, children and other dependants can face an uncertain future. But when loss of life is caused by possible negligence on the part of another individual, such as in a car, motorcycle or trucking-related accident, the tragedy is amplified many times over.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, my firm understands the difficult times that a family faces after the loss of a loved one. If a family member dies because of another individual’s negligent or wrongful behavior, it may be appropriate to file a wrongful death claim.

Such claims allow members of a family to receive compensation for their loss — including loss of comfort, love, companionship, and financial support. It must be kept in mind that death does not negate a family’s right to be compensated for its loss. Furthermore, it does not preclude recovery for any suffering or pain that the deceased experienced as a result of wrongful or negligent actions on another person’s part.

Wrongful death following an automobile accident is described as any death which is due in whole or in part to the negligence or deliberate misconduct of another person. The term “car accident” can be a poor choice of words in cases of wrongful death, especially since many auto and trucking wrecks are caused by another person who often is determined to have been operating their vehicle in an inappropriate manner that either caused or worsened the actual vehicle crash.

If a car accident claims the life of a loved one as a result of another driver’s error or negligence, this may be cause for a wrongful death lawsuit. Actions on the part of another driver that may point to wrongful death can include one or more of the following:

— Drunk driving
— Speeding
— Following too close
— Performed illegal driving maneuver
— Defective road conditions

— Defective vehicle safety equipment

In some instances the cause may seem minor, however when another driver is speeding, for example, not only is that person breaking the law, he or she is increasing the danger their vehicle poses to others on the road.

Baltimore Injury News: Bowie Resident Dies in Single-vehicle Car Crash on Maryland’s Route 301

May 19, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Single-vehicle auto wrecks can happen for a variety of reasons. While driver error is quite common, other causes can be attributed to these kinds of traffic accidents, with results ranging from simple cuts and bruises to head and spine trauma. Depending on the sped of the crash and other circumstances, fatalities are not uncommon.

Weather conditions as well as the state of the roadway can also be contributing factors in a car crash involving only one vehicle. As Maryland automobile accident lawyers, we are often called upon to represent individuals and their families in cases of defective vehicle equipment. Such cases can include failure of safety systems, broken or poorly maintained steering components, worn or damaged tires or suspension components.

Under the right circumstances, a defective vehicle component can prove to be an accident waiting to happen. At highway speeds, such component failures can result in death or severe injury to the driver and passengers. A recent accident along Route 301 near Mill Branch Road is a situation where defective equipment may be suspect.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Criminal Suspects Held Without Bond in Fatal Northwest Baltimore Car Crash

May 17, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Two accused criminals have been charged in connection with a car crash that eventually led to the death of an elderly man. The accident occurred in late April in Northwest Baltimore when the two suspects allegedly fled police and subsequently hit the victim’s vehicle.

Based on police reports, 86-year-old Elbert Davis was driving his Chevrolet Monte Carlo at the time he was hit by the pair of fleeing suspects. The men, 29-year-old Umar Burley and 26-year-old Brent Matthews, were arrested following the accident. Davis and another elderly passenger were the only occupants of the Monte Carlo. Davis suffered a heart attack as a result of the crash and died later that day.

Police reports show that the plainclothes detectives who attempted to arrest the two suspects prior to the accident did not initiate any car chase, which police authorities said would be against department policy. News reports indicate that the detectives were driving in the general direction that the suspects had fled when they came upon the accident scene less than a mile away. According to reports, Davis was the father of a city police officer.

Maryland Mother, 17, Dies in Fatal Pedestrian-Automobile Accident in Baltimore County

May 15, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Any person’s death causes us to reflect on the fragility of life. When a young mother dies, it’s a terrible tragedy, not only for the individual but for the family that she leaves behind. As Maryland auto accident attorneys, my office is dedicated to helping families of victims who are killed in car, truck and motorcycle-related accidents.

Regardless of the circumstances, the result of a parent’s death can put a strain on a small family, especially in uncertain economic times. The recent news of a woman who was killed while pushing her baby’s stroller across a street makes the heartbreaking point that pedestrian safety is paramount in an urban setting.

According to reports, over 35,000 vehicles use the intersection where Mavi Maldonado lost her life. Police reports indicate that the mother and her 14-month-old son were trying to get to the bus stop when the mom was struck by a pickup truck near the entrance to the Golden Ring shopping in Baltimore County. She passed away several hours later.

Head-on Crash Kills Driver after Toyota Truck Crossed Centerline in Fatal Baltimore County Traffic Accident

May 12, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Of all traffic accidents, head-on wrecks can be and usually are the most deadly. Vehicle speed has a great bearing on how bad such a car, SUV or minivan crash will be, but the results are many times fatal. Size disparity between the vehicles involved in undivided highway and surface street collisions can make a big difference in the outcome as well.

Operators of compact cars and motorcycles have a greater chance statistically of being killed or severely injured when hit by a larger more massive vehicle, such as a full-size sport utility vehicle (SUV), or worse, a commercial 18-wheeler (also known as a big rig or semi tractor-trailer).

Being a Baltimore injury lawyer and automobile accident attorney, my office has represented numerous clients who have been hurt in Maryland traffic wrecks. As mentioned, many head-on crashes result in death of one or more individuals. A recent wreck in Kingsville illustrates the tragic aftermath of such encounters.

Baltimore Auto Injury News: Will Banning Hand-held Cell Phones Reduce Fatal Maryland Traffic Accidents?

May 7, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s already been discussed here that a recent study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that cellphone bans do not appear to lower the incidence of traffic accidents. Even so, Maryland legislators are still moving toward a proposed law that will ban hand-held use of cellphones and mobile devices when operating a motor vehicle.

Anything that can reduce automobile and trucking-related highway crashes would be a good thing, since thousands of people are killed in traffic wrecks every year around the U.S. As a Baltimore car accident attorney, I’m on the side of the victims and I know that every driver should be doing his or her part to cut down on the carnage on our public roads.

I’ve seen what can happen to the occupants of a passenger car when it’s hit by another vehicle. Cuts and bruises are the least of the injuries a person can sustain in a crash. Traumatic brain injury is common, as is damage to the neck and spine, any of which can put a person in a wheelchair sometimes for the rest of their life. The question here is would a ban on hand-held cellphones be too much of burden, even if it saved the life of just one person?

Consider your answer carefully because the life you save may be your own, or that of a loved one. An editorial in the Baltimore Sun speaks to this very issue as Maryland faces a ban on hand-held cellphone use.

Of course, nearly every motorist at one time or another has seen all manner of vehicle being driven hazardously. This includes instances of failure to yield where appropriate, drifting into oncoming traffic or suddenly making a turn without an appropriate use of turn signals. I’ll wager that, at least in the past 10 years, these kinds of activities may well have been caused by a so-called distracted driver with a cellphone to his or her ear.

The new Maryland law would restrict driver cellphone use to only hands-free devices. Although it isn’t quite clear that such technology (usually a headset or vehicle-mounted microphone/speaker arrangement) improves matters much, but it may be the new law of the land as Maryland joins the growing number of jurisdictions that ban drivers from using hand-helds.

Maryland Car Accident Update: Washington, D.C., Area Drivers Sue Toyota over Alleged Acceleration Problem

April 25, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Defective equipment suits, also referred to as product liability lawsuits, against Japanese car manufacturer Toyota are cropping up all over the county. I and my colleagues have the skills and experience to represent individuals who believe their vehicle had a defect that led to an accident involving personal injury or death. Of course, nobody wants to be in an automobile wreck, but from time to time forces beyond a driver’s control can result in a terrible crash.

Head and neck injuries are typical of some high-speed traffic collisions, while bruises, cuts and minor lacerations may be the only injuries in a lower-speed car or semi-truck collision. Whatever the cause, injuries can be costly, not only from a financial standpoint but also over the longer term as some people never fully recover emotionally or physically from a horrible accident.

The latest spate of defective equipment claims against Toyota allege poor accelerator design in a variety of the manufacturer’s models. According to a recent news article, two local D.C. residents have filed suits against Toyota for accidents that left them in need of medical treatment.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Man Found Guilty in Fatal Pedestrian Accident near Glen Burnie Church

April 13, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Inattentive drivers can be just as dangerous as drunk drivers; that’s a fact. And while the law has punishments in place for those whose drinking and driving results in the severe injury or death of another individual, distracted or careless motorists must also be held accountable if their negligence causes harm. As a Baltimore automobile accident lawyer, my aim is to help victims and their families to recover medical costs and other damages caused by another person.

Recently, a resident of Linthicum Heights pled guilty to a single count of vehicular manslaughter resulting from the August 22 pedestrian accident that left 59-year-old Glen Burnie woman dead. On that day, Mary Bernice Collins was on her way to Holy Trinity Catholic Church for evening mass when she was hit. She was reportedly standing on a sidewalk when hit by a vehicle driven by 27-year-old Matthew Evan Norwood.

Following the collision, Norwood reportedly left the scene. Based on circuit court reports in Annapolis, Norwood accepted a plea agreement in exchange for the prosecutor’s office to drop seven other related charges, not the least of which was for hit-and-run.

Maryland Traffic Accident News: Prince George’s Policeman Dies from Injuries Sustained in Weather-related Car Crash

April 10, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

No matter where you live or work in Maryland, injuries and potential fatalities are always lurking on the road. Even those trained for the worst can be caught off guard by a traffic accident. Whether you drive a passenger car or commercial truck, a surprise on the road can put you or a family member in the hospital. As a Baltimore injury lawyer and auto accident attorney, I understand all too well the worst-case results of a vehicle collision on a highway, city street or rural route.

We read recently of the tragic passing of one of Maryland’s finest, a Prince George’s police officer whose car hit some black ice during a spate of bad weather as he was responding to a call. The single-vehicle crash put the man in the hospital back on February 27. According to reports, 27-year-old Officer Thomas Paul Jensen died on March 9 from injuries he received during that crash.

Officer Jensen had been hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit at Prince George’s Hospital Center since the crash that occurred when he lost control of his vehicle on a patch of black ice and collided with a telephone pole in College Park, said a police spokesman.

Baltimore Auto Accident Injury Law Update: Reckless Driving Bill Pending in Maryland Legislature

April 8, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Negligent drivers, whether they operate passenger vehicles or commercial delivery trucks or tractor-trailer rigs, should be help accountable for their actions behind the wheel. In Maryland, the penalties for reckless driving involving fatalities can appear to be hardly sufficient considering the results that are evident. Not a week goes by that it seems we hear at least one news story of a traffic fatality on one of this state’s busy roadways.

As a Baltimore automobile accident lawyer, I and my colleagues fight a seemingly never ending battle for car crash victims and their families. It makes not difference whether a person is hurt as a result of a semi truck hitting their car or another passenger vehicle slamming into their sedan, minivan or SUV. The pain and suffering sustained during the accident and afterward can be substantial.

Not long ago we reported on a bill introduced into the Maryland state legislature that would increase the penalties for drivers found guilty of reckless and negligent driving in instance where the driver’s action led to the death or serious injury of another individual. It’s heartening to know now that the bill has already received support in the form of a successful vote in the Senate and will soon be moving on to the House.