Pedestrian Accidents

Baltimore Auto Injury News: Anne Arundel County’s Growing List of Hit-and-Run Accidents

October 13, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We touched on this in a previous item, but the problem of hit-and-run automobile and commercial truck collisions is nothing to take lightly, especially in urban areas like Annapolis, Frederick and Washington, D.C. The question for more people is why would someone who apparently knows full well that he or she just struck another person with a motor vehicle not stop to lend aid or at the very least call 911 to report the incident and wait at the scene of the crash until the police arrive.

Personal responsibility, or the lack of it, is the underlying issue here. As members of society we all have a responsibility to our neighbors and fellow citizens. Without this basic trait, an individual shows that he may have less of an appreciation for life and the rules of a civilized society than those around him.

Of course, self preservation can be one explanation for running from the scene of a hit-and-run accident, especially one that proves fatal to the victim, but this is not looked upon by the community as a redeeming characteristic; nor does law enforcement or the judicial system find such behavior acceptable. As Baltimore car and motorcycle accident attorneys, as well as Maryland personal injury lawyers, we find it a sad commentary on our modern times when we see so many cases of fatal and near-fatal hit-and-run crashes across this state.

A recent article lists a number of serious traffic accidents that have occurred during the past year in the county. These accidents have killed numerous people and left others seriously injured. There is little excuse for the actions of those responsible, yet the list is bound to get longer as the year comes to an end. We can only hope that the trend my reverse at some point, but that is something no one can predict.

Anne Arundel Traffic Accident News: County and Law Enforcement to Address Fatal Pedestrian, Bike Collisions

September 30, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Here in Baltimore, as in many other cities and towns across the state, car-pedestrian and car-bicycle accidents occur on an alarmingly frequent basis. While every traffic accident can pose serious medical issues for those involved, pedestrian crashes are particularly difficult to walk away from. As Maryland automobile and trucking accident lawyers, we know the extent to which a victim of such a collision may be injured, prevention is the best approach.

However, with densely populated areas like Annapolis, Frederick and Gaithersburg, avoiding injuries or deaths due to car, truck and motorcycle accidents is a tall order. Although car-to-car and truck-to-car accidents are more frequent than car-to-pedestrian or truck-to-bicycle collisions, the latter can be many times more dangerous for the berson on foot or riding their bike.

According to reports, authorities in Anne Arundel County have been attempting to raise awareness in the area of pedestrian and biking safety; particularly in the eastern portion of Anne Arundel, which sees more than its share of fatal pedestrian crashes.

The latest statistics show that eight persons on foot and one cyclist were killed in motor vehicle crashes this year to date across the county; four of those deaths occurred in the earner half of the county, which is where police have been targeting pedestrian and bicycle safety following these fatal accidents.

Based on news items, police in towns such as Brooklyn Park, MD, were given the assignment to stop motor vehicle drivers, as well as walkers, jogger and bikers whenever an officer observed someone violating the rules of the road. This included not only motorists who may have been ignoring bike lanes, but also pedestrians who are seen jaywalking in the street. Issuing of warnings has generally been the order of the day; however officers have not been shy about writing tickets for more egregious offenses.

Baltimore Auto Injury News: Maryland Driver Gets 20 Years for Fatal DWI-related Traffic Accident

September 25, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

If you handle automobile accident cases such as those that occur every week here in Maryland, it doesn’t take long before one sees a drunk driving-related injury accident. And while serious traffic collisions are not uncommon, fatal car, truck and motorcycle wrecks happen frequently in and around Baltimore, Rockville, Gaithersburg and Washington, D.C.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys and car accident lawyers, I and my staff represent individuals and families who have been adversely affected by the negligence of other drivers. Whether through inattention, carelessness or malicious motivation, innocent victims of highway or urban automobile and commercial trucking crashes can be permanently disabled or killed as a result of a traffic wreck.

As mentioned in these pages on numerous occasions, the human toll from car and truck accidents can range between mild and severe, sometimes even fatal. Not only can passengers receive painful injuries such as broken bones, compound fractures, deep lacerations and dislocated joints, internal injuries as well as closed-head and spinal cord injuries can result from medium to high-speed collisions.

Trucking-related crashes can be some of the more intense wrecks and cause serious and sometimes fatal injuries to the driver and other occupants riding in a smaller passenger car that is hit by a big rig or commercial delivery vehicle. Of course, even collisions between smaller passenger cars can have serious repercussions for the occupants of sedans, minivan and sport utility vehicles (SUVs).

In particular, drunken driving accounts for a significant percentage of traffic fatalities here in Maryland and across the nation. State and local law enforcement agencies are constantly watching for intoxicated drivers, however many of these inconsiderate drivers go months or years without being involved in a serious car, truck or pedestrian accident. However, when a collision does occur, the results can be catastrophic for the occupants of either vehicle.

Fatal Pedestrian Traffic Accident Involving Maryland State Trooper Leaves Woman Dead in Queen Anne’s County

September 23, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Pedestrian-automobile traffic accidents; this is a common topic in these pages and for good reason. In any urban area where foot and vehicular traffic mix there are bound to be serious and sometimes fatal collisions between walker, jogger and bicyclists and the larger passenger cars, light trucks, SUV and commercial vehicles. The fact of the matter is, pedestrian injuries and deaths happen with alarming frequency in Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington, D.C., as well as many other towns and cities throughout the state.

As Baltimore automobile / motorcycle accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, we are hardly surprised anymore that Maryland residents traveling on foot or cycling tend to be struck by passenger vehicles and delivery trucks more often than those elsewhere around the nation. These kinds of accidents can result in closed-head trauma and other potentially fatal injuries.

If there is anything good about the situation, it is that added coverage of these mostly senseless accidents has hopefully raised public awareness to the point that people are taking more precautions when crossing city streets or other high-risk intersections and crosswalks. The same goes for bicyclists who not only must be aware of the dangers of the roads themselves, but also of the car and truck traffic with which they share the roadway.

We’ve mentioned it here before, but the statistics for pedestrian-car accidents are simply jaw-dropping, with an average of three individuals struck daily — that’s people every day — by a car or commercial truck in Washington, D.C., alone. Add to that figure, the more than 80 pedestrians and cyclists who were killed in fatal traffic collisions in 2010 across the District, Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland.

Nationwide, literally thousands of people die every year across this country after being hit by a car or truck. Sadly, many of these deaths that came at the hands of a negligent individual could possibly have been prevented with the proper awareness training or safer crosswalks and bike lanes.

Maryland Pedestrian Accident News: Pasadena, MD, Man Killed on Roadside by Hit-and-Run Driver

September 18, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As motorists ourselves, we and the rest of the driving public here in Maryland can quite often the dangerous situations in which police officers and emergency responders find themselves on a daily basis. While patrolmen, firefighters and EMS personnel immediately come to mind when thinking about roadside car, motorcycle and trucking accidents, it’s easy to forget the sometimes overlooked tow truck driver.

As Baltimore auto, truck and motorcycle accident lawyers, as well as personal injury attorneys, we know that there are dozens of occupations that could be termed hazardous. And while it’s no surprise that high-iron construction workers and electrical linemen live their working lives on the edge, tow truck drivers and other roadside emergency personnel sometimes go unsung.

Over the past few years, police agencies have issuing policy changes to help their officers survive potential highway collisions while making traffic stops, attending to stranded motorists and controlling traffic at automobile and tractor-trailer crash scenes. The tow truck driver, many times on his own, is exposed to a high volume of vehicular traffic just scant feet away and whizzing by at 70mph or more.

It’s not surprising that these individuals make up a percentage of all roadway injuries and fatalities every year, across this state and the nation. Not long ago, a tow truck driver from the Pasadena area was killed by an alleged hit-and-run driver. According to news reports, 38-year-old James Schreiber, Jr. was helping the driver of a sewage hauler along a stretch of Rte 100 just before the Oakwood Rd. exit when he was reportedly hit by a Nissan sport utility vehicle that left the scene without stopping.

Baltimore Auto Accident News: Medevac Choppers Help Get Victims of Traffic Accidents to Hospitals Quickly

August 28, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

How often have we all read the words, “Accident victims were evacuated to local hospitals by Medevac helicopter,” yet it’s not often that people give much thought to the life-saving advantages of a medical chopper flight to a not-so-local hospital. While many readers might consider medevac services truly useful only when an individual is injured in car accident that occurs in a remote part of the countryside, such as a state park or other more rural setting, it’s not uncommon to have emergency responders call for a medical evacuation chopper in instances where the best medical care more than a 30-minute ambulance ride from the scene of a severe car or pedestrian traffic accident.

The fact is, medevac helicopters can get a person injured in an auto accident to the right medical facility for treatment of specific or life-threatening injuries. It can be said that in a percentage of accidents, just taking an injured driver or passenger to the closest hospital may not be in that person’s best interest. This is especially clear in cases of traumatic brain injury — also known as closed-head injury — where the nearest local medical facility is poorly equipped for such specific and critical care.

As Baltimore auto accident lawyers and Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my staff understand the importance of getting a car, truck or motorcycle accident victim stabilized as quickly as possible to avoid future complications. So many factors come into play following a highway collision that only the medical personnel at the scene can assess each victim and determine the most immediate and effective care.

Maryland Traffic Injury News: Baltimore Police Officer Sent to Hospital with Life-threatening Injuries Following Wreck

July 31, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s true that even with extensive training, police officers can be taken by surprise by a traffic situation that results in bodily injury to that patrolman. Over the past several years police departments and law enforcement agencies have put in place safety-related policies for officers whose work is conducted almost exclusively on roadways, not far from high volumes of traffic.

But even with safety training and procedures, the potential still exists for an officer to be hit by a passing car, commercial truck or motorcycle. The message here, for those in the general public, would be to use extreme caution whenever you or a family member is stranded by the roadside with a car-related mechanical problem or other event. Fatal or severe injury is just a step away on Maryland’s highways and surface streets, where pedestrians and motor vehicles are in close proximity.

As Baltimore automobile and commercial truck accident lawyers, we represent individuals who have been hurt in a traffic accident or other kind of personal injury accident in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Whether a person is hurt in a roadway collision injuries can range from mild to severe, with some people being laid up in the hospital for weeks or months recovering from such problems as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, or trauma to internal organs.

Not long ago, a police officer was critically injured when she was thrown off an elevated roadway after her patrol car was struck by another passenger vehicle along a northbound stretch of Interstate 83 in the Baltimore area. According to reports, 27-year-old Officer Teresa Rigby fell more than 25 feet, landing on the hard concrete surface of a parking area below the highway. Eye witnesses said that they looked up after hearing screeching tires just in time to see the officer fall from the upper roadway.

Maryland Pedestrian Accident Report: Two Teens Die in Hospital Following Fatal Baltimore Street Accident

July 29, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It is sometimes hard to believe that thousands of people are killed in pedestrian accidents every year across this country. And the sad fact is that many of these deaths, at least those that were the result of another person’s negligence, could likely have been prevented. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my staff provide representation for the victims of automobile accidents and their families.

Pedestrian injury cases can arise when the driver of a motor vehicle hurts or fatally injures an individual on foot who may be traversing a roadway in a marked crosswalk, walking through a parking lot or occupying an area where cars and people share a common space.

Although individuals walking, running or jogging on sidewalks, park paths or marked pedestrian crosswalks must take proper precautions to insure their own safety, people can and are hit by commercial trucks and passenger cars at an alarming rate, especially in densely populated areas, such as Gaithersburg, Frederick and Washington, D.C.

While some people are killed outright in pedestrian-related traffic accidents, the majority of incidents result in a variety of injuries. These can range from “simple” cuts and bruises to more serious bodily injuries, such as broken arms, cracked ribs and compound fractures of the leg. In very severe cases, a victim of a car- or truck-pedestrian accident may suffer closed-head trauma or spinal damage, which may require months or years of rehabilitation at great cost.

A tragic pedestrian accident occurred in Baltimore not long ago, which sent two teenage girls to the hospital where they both subsequently died from their injuries. These sad deaths were precipitated by a hit-and-run driver who struck the two girls as they attempted to cross four of the southbound lanes of Baltimore’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. late on a Monday night. According to police reports, the girls were in a marked crosswalk a little before midnight when the two were hit by a passing motorist.

Based on new reports, the two teens and long-time friends were on their way to meet another friend just before 12am when a southbound vehicle hit the 16 and 17 year olds in the crosswalk at W. Pratt St. Police stated that the car then left the scene without stopping.

Maryland Pedestrian Injury Accident News: Police Officer among People Injured in Anne Arundel Car Crash

July 8, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s time again to remind drivers in Annapolis, Rockville, Baltimore and the District to be alert when approaching police patrol cars and other emergency vehicles stopped on the roadside; this is because injury accidents do happen to law enforcement officers and emergency personnel while doing their jobs on Maryland’s highways and surface streets.

While this may seem like an obvious warning, believe us when we say highway and urban automobile and commercial truck crashes happen with alarming frequency, even to patrolmen, firefighters and EMS personnel while helping others on public roads.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers and auto accident attorneys, we represent all manner of individuals hurt in traffic accidents while driving in their cars, SUVs and motorcycles. Now that the summer is in full swing, more and more people are enjoying outings with family and friends, all the while not realizing that a serious accident could be just around the next bend.

High-speed car, truck or motorcycle crashes can injure or kill drivers and passengers inside a motor vehicle, as well as bystanders and other individuals near the crash site. Highway patrol officers are one of the groups at higher risk for injury due to a traffic accident. Once an officer is outside his or her police cruiser, they are as vulnerable as any pedestrian to an impact from a passenger car or semi tractor-trailer rig.

Of course, law enforcement officers are also trained to manage this added risk and they know to be aware of their surroundings so that they might avoid becoming a statistic. Not long ago, an officer from the Anne Arundel County police department was critically injured when another vehicle struck the patrolmen’s unmarked police SUV.

The crash occurred during a routine traffic stop on a Friday night a little after 11pm in Glen Burnie, MD; The incident took place along a stretch of Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. not far from Castle Harbour Way.

According to news reports, an older GMC pickup being operated by 32-year-old Steven Parsons from Millersville, struck the back end of the police car as the officer was conducting the traffic stop. And while the police vehicle was reportedly unmarked and only partially on the shoulder of the roadway, it did have its emergency lights activated, according to police reports.

No Drunken Driving Charges for Annapolis Motorist in Fatal New Years Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Accident

July 5, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Charges of drunken driving were apparently not pressed against an Anne Arundel driver who allegedly caused a fatal pedestrian-car crash in the Annapolis area on New Year’s Day, 2010. According to police reports, the driver left the scene and when he turned himself in he refused a breathalyzer test to check for blood-alcohol content (BAC). Because of that fact, police could not substantiate the man’s alleged drunkenness at the time of the traffic accident.

As Maryland injury attorneys, I and my colleagues understand the anguish that a family feels for the death of a relative at the hands of a negligent driver. Any fatal car accident is tragic, not simply because that crash may have been avoided, but also because of the great distress to the victim’s family that such an event can cause. Wrongful death suits can be one avenue for a victim’s relatives to recover damages, including those for pain and suffering that the victim may have experienced prior to his or her death.

In the case of that fatal hit-and-run accident, the Anne Arundel prosecutor’s office decided to drop the charge of drunk driving against 22-year-old Thomas Judge following the collision that killed a 40-year-old Maryland resident, Alfred Byrd as he traversed Bay Ridge Road in the early morning hours of January 1, 2010.

The defense argued that Judge was not drunk at the time of the fatal crash and that the victim himself had contributed to his own death by wearing dark clothing and apparently having used some amount of cocaine prior to the accident as he staggered across the road, according to court records. The prosecution alleged that Judge and some friends drank boilermakers during a New Year’s Eve party before going downtown around 10pm to continue celebrating at several bars along West and Main streets.