Multi-vehicle Accidents

Luck, Among Other Factors, Can Play a Large Part in Surviving a Maryland Automobile Accident

September 18, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Work as a personal injury attorney long enough and one can see where fate plays as much of a part in the outcome of serious traffic accidents as most any other factor. Fate, luck, divine intervention; call it what you will, but not every roadway collision follows the same “game plan.” Many times, the result of a serious injury accident versus a fatal car or commercial trucking wreck can be as simple as what the driver had to eat that morning. We’re being a bit facetious here, but often one finds similar types of accidents lead to vastly different outcomes.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my staff of legal professionals are focused on helping the victims of car, truck and pedestrian accidents. Although the various kinds of car and truck crashes can be classified in a number of different categories, the reasons why certain people survive and why others perish are much more varied and mostly unknowable prior to the actual incident. The automobile, life and commercial insurance industries remain viable for just this reason; that is, property damage and personal injury accidents are fairly random and can rarely, if ever, be predicted.

Of course, when it comes to traffic accidents, it would be possible to mostly avoid being involved in one given the requirement that a person would likely never travel on a public road. While this is an extreme example, and likely nobody would willingly and totally divorce themselves from vehicular travel, there are still other areas of everyday life that allow for multiple opportunities for bodily injury.

Maryland Police Say Driver of County School Vehicle Responsible for Fatal Harford County Traffic Accident

September 8, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Hundreds of people all around the U.S. die in fatal head-on traffic accidents involving a range of vehicles, from passenger cars, SUVs and minivans to semi tractor-trailers, commercial delivery trucks and even motorcycles. The mere physics of a head-on roadway collision can spell danger to most any occupant who is unlucky enough to be riding in one of the vehicles involved in such accidents. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my legal staff understand the stakes of such collisions.

When vehicles of equal mass, or weight, collide with each other, it is a fair bet that the drivers and passengers of both vehicles will experience similar effects of that crash. Modern passenger cars are better designed to absorb a significant amount of impact energy from a head-on traffic crash than those of even a decade ago. But depending on each vehicle’s speed at the time of the wreck, there may be very little margin for survival. Still, fate can sometimes intervene and surprise even the most pessimistic observer.

While many head-ons are fatal — killing at least one of the vehicles’ drivers and/or passengers — other collisions can result in multiple injuries of varying degree. Depending on a variety of factors, occupants in the vehicles involved in a head-on traffic collision may receive only minor injuries all the way up to head, neck and spinal cord injuries. Surviving these kinds of injuries can, for some victims, be a miracle in and of itself, but recovering from a massive head injury (also known as traumatic brain injury) can be a long uphill struggle with many individuals fighting a continuous battle for months or years.

Failure to Yield Results in Death of One Driver in Fatal Howard County Car Wreck

August 16, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It seems that at almost every turn we run into examples of poor driving causing death and injury on Maryland roadways. It’s not so surprising as it is disheartening to see the numerous victims of these senseless car, truck and motorcycle crashes. Not only the victims, but their families are affected by the devastating effects of a bad injury accident, never mind the awful irreversible results of a fatal highway collision.

As auto and truck injury accident lawyers, our firm helps the victims of accidents here in the Baltimore area, as well as the rest of the state and over in the District of Columbia. Because so much is at stake when a loved one is sent to the hospital by the negligent act of another driver, we understand the financial, emotional and psychological hurdles that a car, motorcycle or trucking accident victim must deal.

Whether a driver or passenger is due to the negligence or thoughtlessness of another individual, the range of medical complications can be vast depending on the kind of crash, type of vehicles involved and the rapidity with which emergency responders arrive at the crash site to lend aid. From economy cars and motorcycles to sport utility vehicles and large full-size vans, occupants can suffer minor injuries such as bumps and bruises to cuts, deep lacerations and traumatic brain injuries.

Protect Your Family: Maryland Auto and Truck Crashes Can Injure Multiple Victims in a Single Incident

July 30, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Baltimore personal injury attorneys, my firm is well aware of the consequences of a slip-and-fall accident, injuries sustained at a poorly run nursing home, or prescription error by a local pharmacy. All of these types of personal injury events can result in a range of bodily injury from relatively minor to life-threatening; it all depends on the circumstances and the health of the victim prior to the mishap.

What each of these kinds of accidents have in common is that they generally occur to a single person at a time or, perhaps, to a few individuals within a measurable period of time. Although they can be serious or even deadly, they are not the same as traffic-related accidents, where a handful of victims can be affected by just one negligent act.

As car, truck and motorcycle injury accident lawyers, I and my professional legal staff understand how a seemingly minor action on the part of a negligent driver can put one or more people in the hospital within a very short time. It is also an area where individuals can be killed outright in the blink of an eye. All in all, automobile and commercial trucking-related collisions can be quite devastating to one or more families.

Cecil County Man Found Guilty of DWI Death of Friend in 2010 DWI Car Crash

July 27, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It took jurors just two hours to find a 61-year-old Elkton, MD, motorist guilty in the drunken driving death of his best friend during a traffic accident in 2010. The defendant was charged by authorities with negligent homicide by motor vehicle following the November 2010 crash that sent 66-year-old Kenneth Hampson to the hospital with fatal injuries; the victim died just hours later following the deadly alcohol-related collision.

As a Maryland personal injury attorney, my job and that of my staff of qualified legal professionals is to represent the victims of car, truck and motorcycle road accidents. Whether one is a driver, passenger or bystander, being hurt as a result of another person’s negligent actions can be grounds for a personal injury legal suit. Relatively minor injuries, such as cuts, bruises and lacerations, can be one thing, but serious bodily injury like compound fractures, internal organ damage, spinal cord injury or closed-head trauma can cause serious medical problems, not to mention life-threatening complications going forward.

The case described above is a good example of how a serious or fatal traffic wreck can happen just feet from one’s own home. It also shows that drinking and driving is not only foolhardy, but can be downright deadly, not only for the driver himself, but for the occupants of his vehicle as well. In this instance, the victim was riding with the defendant as a passenger in his car when the traffic collision occurred.

Maryland Police Officer Hurt in Traffic Accident on Interstate Overpass Sues Motorist Over Injuries

July 18, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It shouldn’t come as any real surprise to hear that police officers and first responders and other emergency personnel face a great deal of risk when carrying out their offical duties along our state’s roadways. Whether curbside in urban areas like Annapolis, Bowie or Washington, D.C., or on the roadside along a stretch of the Beltway, approaching vehicles of all types can pose a serious hazard to patrolmen, firefighters and tow truck drivers. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my colleagues represent clients from every walk of life who have been injured in a car, truck or motorcycle accident.

One of the more stark differences between the occupants of passenger cars and police officers doing their job, is that a patrolman places himself in danger on an almost constant basis. Drivers and passengers riding in sedans, SUVs, pickup trucks, and even city buses, don’t usually face the same potential for injury as public safety officers, though they can be hurt just as seriously in a traffic wreck.

A while back, one of Baltimore’s finest was badly injured when she was apparently pushed over the edge of an overpass during a car crash between a moving vehicle and another stationary one she was standing near. At the time of the accident that took place, along a portion of Interstate 83, Officer Teresa Rigby was helping a stranded motorist last year in June. Based on news reports at the time, the officer was out of her patrol car when she was thrown over the edge of the roadway wall, causing her to fall 20 feet to the pavement below.

Use Care When Driving; Traffic Accidents Kill or Injure Marylanders Every Year

July 16, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Representing victims of automobile, motorcycle and commercial trucking accidents, we have seen the aftermath of these sometimes devastating traffic accidents. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my staff of legal professionals understand that being involved in a traffic collision may be one of the most traumatic events a person has had to face in their lifetime. With serious injuries ranging from deep cuts and lacerations to internal injuries and closed-head trauma, many of these life-threatening conditions, a victim and his family are surely preoccupied with physical recovery.

But on top of all the medical treatments, physical rehabilitation and emotional counseling is the similarly large consideration of financial recovery. Depending on the type of insurance coverage and willingness of a carrier to cover a victim’s medical costs, there can many times be large gaps in monetary support for injuries sustained as the result of another individual’s negligent acts.

For those unlucky enough to end up with a chronic, long-term condition following a serious or near-fatal roadway collision, insurance may not satisfy the months or years of rehab and ongoing medical attention required to maintain a useful and rewarding life. In cases where costs exceed resources, it may be wise to contact a qualified personal injury lawyer for advice.

Dangers Lurking with Every Potential Car Accident — Head, Neck and Back Injuries Abound

July 13, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Most drivers in the Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington, D.C., areas know that they could be involved in a passenger car or commercial truck accident some time during their driving careers. Accepting risks, at least reasonable risks, is all part and parcel of living in the modern world. One hundred years ago automobile accidents were few and far between, since cars were new to the scene and accidents occurred at slower speeds.

These days car, truck and motorcycle wrecks can happen at much higher speeds than in the pioneering days of internal combustion. Fortunately for us, and unlike our ancestors, advances in medical science can significantly improve an accident victim’s chances for survival following a severe or near-fatal traffic collision. This doesn’t mean necessarily that doctors and healthcare professionals can completely reverse the damaging effects of a bad car crash; there are significant downside risks for any personal injury victim.

Case in point: the head and spinal injuries that can take place during a high-speed automobile, truck or motorcycle crash. Closed-head injuries can be some of the most vexing when it comes to returning a victim to normal function, even in these days of advanced medical procedures and treatment techniques. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, we understand how so many drivers and passengers can end up paralyzed for extended periods, if not for life.

Single-Vehicle Traffic Accidents in Maryland can be Caused by Driver Error or Defective Vehicle Equipment

July 11, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We see the headlines quite often: “Car Leaves Road, Rolls Over, Driver Dies at Scene” or “Driver Loses Control of SUV, Smashes into Storefront, Pedestrians Severely Injured.” On the face of it, these headlines indicate that one or more people were affected by a traffic accident; one that may have been caused not by driver error, but a failure of one or more of the vehicle’s critical control systems — such as steering or braking systems. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my legal staff know how serious a car crash can set an individual or family back if they aren’t financially prepared for such an event.

Just like driver error, defective vehicle equipment can result in loss of vehicle control or an inability to correct a bad situation following a collision or avoidance of same. In single-vehicle accidents, it can usually be assumed that the driver perhaps lost control of his or her car or motorcycle prior to the crash, however there can be instances where a catastrophic failure of one or more safety-related systems may have resulted in the initial loss of driver control. Occasionally, a mechanical failure can possibly exacerbate the effects of a crash by not allowing the motorist to regain or maintain control of the vehicle.

Statistically, a percentage of multi-vehicle traffic accidents likely are the result of a system malfunction. This can be as “simple” as a blown-out tire or as complicated as a problem with a car’s anti-lock braking system (ABS) or drive-by-wire throttle control. Whatever the cause, the associated loss of control can send a passenger car into opposing traffic or cause a big-rig semi to jackknife in heavy traffic. The resulting injuries can range from cuts, bruises and broken bones to neck and back injuries, even closed-head trauma.

Spinal Cord Injuries from a Traffic Accident Can Mean Long Recovery for Maryland Accident Victims

July 8, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Understanding as we do the crippling effects of car, truck and motorcycle collisions, there is nothing funny about being laid up in the hospital for days or weeks following a bad traffic wreck. The mere fact that one’s health, or the well-being of one’s family, may have been compromised due to the negligence of just one person should be enough to consider speaking with an experienced personal injury lawyer.

Here in the Baltimore area, I and my colleagues understand very well the negative outcome that a serious roadway accident can have on some individuals. Whether takes place in Owings Mills, Gaithersburg, Bowie or Washington, D.C., the long-term outcome could be temporary paralysis, chronic pain or permanent disability depending on the type of injuries sustained in the crash.

Every year, dozens upon dozens of Marylanders endure spinal cord injuries as a result of a variety of automobile and commercial trucking wrecks. These days, with the ever-increasing volume of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, being hurt as a result of a traffic collision seems to be less of a possibility and more of a certainty. This isn’t to say that overall vehicle safety has waned, but that increasing traffic density may tend to increase the odds of a random collision happening more often to occupants of passenger cars, city and charter buses and those individuals on foot.