Rollover Accidents

Maryland Injury Accident News: Car Crash on I-95 Sends 2 People to Shock Trauma in Baltimore

April 16, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Any time a vehicle rolls over following a multiple-vehicle traffic collision or single-car wreck, the occupants of that car, minivan or SUV could be injured in a number of ways. Besides being thrown against numerous hard surfaces within the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle as it rolls, occupants have been known to be ejected during such a crash event.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers representing victims of serious traffic accidents, I and my colleagues know that half of all deaths in rollover vehicle crashes are the result of a person being thrown from the vehicle. Rollovers are rather common with sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) as well as large, 15-passenger vans, mainly due to these vehicles’ higher centers of gravity. But even smaller passenger cars have been known to roll over given the right circumstances.

In any case, it is well known that a vehicle’s occupants are much more likely to be killed or seriously injured if they are ejected from the car or truck during a crash. This is because of the much higher chances that a person will come in contact with a hard object, which can result in traumatic brain or spinal injuries, paralysis, internal bleeding and multiple fractures.

Washington County, MD, Accident News: Hagerstown Man Killed in Multi-car Crash on Interstate 70

April 14, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Many vehicle accidents happen for reasons not initially understood. Although driver error is many times to blame, other factors such as bad weather conditions, improper signage or a poorly-designed roadway can contribute to a serious car, truck or motorcycle accident. When fault is found with a driver, numerous reasons are possible including impairment due to alcohol or improper prescription drug use, drowsy driving, distracted driving due to cellphone operation, or medical emergency, as well as others.

As Baltimore car accident attorneys and Maryland personal injury lawyers, our job is to find evidence of negligence on a driver’s part that may have led to a collision that injured another individual. In instances of a fatal wreck, there is always the possibility of a wrongful death lawsuit depending on the circumstances and facts specific to that case. Occasionally, an accident is caused by failure of a critical automotive component, such as a steering tierod, brake system part, poorly maintained tires, or a damaged suspension component, among others.

Not long ago, 69-year-old Ray S. Linebaugh died in a collision with a Megabus parked on the shoulder along a stretch of I-70. Linebaugh, a Hagerstown resident and former head of the Joint Veterans Council of Washington County, was reportedly driving westbound on the freeway when for some reason his pickup truck veered across the median and entered the opposing traffic lanes near the Big Pool exit.

Based on police reports, Linebaugh’s vehicle careened into the disabled bus as it was parked on the roadside awaiting for a repair vehicle and second bus to transfer the passengers. Linebaugh was declared dead at the scene, while several other people who were passengers on the bus received minor injuries and were taken to the hospital.

Police reported that another vehicle carrying a woman and her two children crashed as the driver attempted to avoid the out-of-control pickup truck as it crossed the eastbound lanes. The mother and kids also received injuries as a result of the incident and were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Maryland Auto Accident Update: Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries can be Frustrating, Yet Also Amazing

March 31, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Bodily injuries suffered as a result of an automobile accident can range from minor cuts and bruises, to broken bones and closed-head injuries. The latter, also referred to as traumatic brain injuries, can spell serious trouble for victims of traffic collisions. Yet as scary as head trauma can be, the recovery can turn out to be quite amazing, according to some experts.

As a Baltimore car and truck accident lawyer and Maryland personal injury attorney, I and my colleagues have seen the aftermath of many car, truck and motorcycle wrecks, as well as the human toll. But as the story of U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has shown, the road to recovery from traumatic brain injury can be just this side of miraculous.

While it’s surely too early to tell — according to medical professionals a patient’s progress in this area is best measured at the six- to 12-month mark following a closed-head injury — Ms. Giffords progress shows that there is hope for many people who have suffered serious trauma to the brain.

Maryland Rollover Accident Update: New NHTSA Rule Looks to Reduce Occupants Ejected During Automobile Crashes

March 19, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Read almost any news story covering a serious rollover accident in Maryland or Washington, D.C., and you will likely learn about a victim who was killed or critically injured as a result of the traffic accident. Drivers who attempt maneuvers at high speeds in a sport utility vehicle or family minivan can sometimes find themselves out of control and possibly flipping the vehicle on its side.

A rollover car, truck or bus crash can cause terrible bodily harm to driver and passengers alike. In cases where passenger restraint devices fail to hold the occupants in place, head and neck injuries can easily result; traumatic brain injury is just one of a number of life-threatening outcomes of these rollover-type car or truck accidents.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my legal staff have been trained to help victims of car, truck and motorcycle collisions. Sadly, many rollover incidents can be fatal, and not only because of the injuries sustained when an occupant impacts the hard interior surfaces of the vehicle.

Many rollovers can cause one or more occupants to be ejected from the vehicle and onto the roadway. In fact, it is well known that drivers and passengers alike in greater danger of being killed or seriously injured if they are thrown from a vehicle during a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has conducted studies that show vehicle occupants who experience partial or complete ejection from a passenger vehicle are three-times more likely to be killed as those who remain inside the car or truck.

The NHTSA has maintained over the years that seatbelt use is one of the primary ways that a passenger can avoid being ejected from a vehicle involved in a traffic accident. Even so, it was announced not long ago that the federal government has instituted a new law requiring car makers to develop additional countermeasures to help prevent unbelted adult passengers from being thrown from a car or SUV during a crash, according to news reports.

Going into effect in 2013, the new ruling will require every new car or truck under 10,000 lbs to be equipped with this anti-ejection countermeasures by 2018. What this means is that in less than eight years every new vehicle must be able to prevent an unbelted adult passenger from moving any further than 4 inches beyond a vehicle’s side window opening during a traffic accident.

24-Year-Old Woman Dies in Fatal Single-car Crash along I-70 in Howard Co.

January 21, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Single-vehicle accidents can be caused by a number of factors, not the least of which is human error. While lapses in judgment or loss of concentration on the highway can lead to a serious auto wreck, mechanical problems can also cause a driver to lose control of a vehicle. In those types of cases, defective vehicle equipment is a likely reason for a crash.

As a Maryland car accident lawyer, I realize that every traffic wreck has its own characteristics, which means that no two accidents can be treated quite the same. All the more reason to enlist the services of a qualified legal professional, especially in situations where someone has lost their life in tragic wreck possibly caused by another individual’s negligence.

A short time ago, a young woman was killed on I-70 in Howard County when she apparently lost control of her vehicle while trying to avoid another, slower moving vehicle. According to police reports, 24-year-old Ashley Marie Matthews was driving a Ford Explorer carrying her and two other passengers. The sport utility vehicle (SUV) was traveling west on I-70 in Ellicott City when it came upon an unidentified white-colored SUV, which was reportedly going slower than Matthew’s Ford.

Single-vehicle Rollover Accident Kills Maryland Father; Mother Critically Injured, Kids Hurt in Crash

January 10, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Anyone who reads the morning paper or clicks on the local news should be no stranger to the stories of so-called rollover traffic accidents that appear on a fairly frequent basis all around the state. With the large number of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) plying Maryland’s highways and rural roads, rollover automobile crashes are not uncommon. As such, serious injuries and occasional fatalities are also quite common in this type of traffic accident scenario.

As a Baltimore personal injury lawyer, my firm has seen its share of victims from these kinds of violent car crashes. A fair percentage of rollover accidents involve a single vehicle, though multi-vehicle collisions can also precipitate a rollover, depending on the situation and road conditions at the time of the accident.

One thing remains relatively consistent for this category of auto wreck; the occupants are at high risk for severe and even fatal injury. This is due the rolling action of the vehicle, which can dislodge an occupant from their seated position and throw the individual against solid objects within the vehicle. Brain trauma, head and neck injuries, and other bodily injury can also result during such events.

Maryland Automobile Injury News: Multiple Injuries Following Rollover Accident in Anne Arundel County, MD

September 22, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A rollover accident, no matter what the circumstances, adds an extra level of danger and potential injury for the occupants of that vehicle. While minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks are prime candidates for rollover accidents due to their inherently higher center of gravity, even passenger sedans and other relatively short vehicles have been known to roll over during a traffic accident.

When a rollover crash occurs, the relatively weak roof supporting structure of some vehicles can collapse, causing injury to the driver and other occupants of the car or truck. Traumatic head and neck injuries can be sustained in such wrecks, both of which can cause life-threatening or life-altering medical conditions. Fatalities are quite common in such accidents.

As a Maryland auto accident lawyer, I and my staff have the skills to represent victims of such accidents who wish to recover costs such as medical expenses, lost wages and other financial troubles caused as a result of this kind of horrendous crash.

Baltimore Auto Injury News: Maryland Man Seriously Hurt in Sharpsburg Car Crash and Rollover Accident

September 16, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Rollover accidents can result in rather serious, if not life-threatening injuries. As Maryland personal injury lawyers and car accident attorneys, I and my staff have seen dozens of automobile, motorcycle and trucking accident victims throughout our careers.

Most traffic accidents result in some kind of bodily injury, but when it comes to rollovers, head and neck injuries are much more common. Depending on the circumstances, an occupant who is not belted-in can occasionally be ejected from the vehicle during the crash, which usually means severe injuries and many times can result in an untimely death.

It’s a sad fact that a family who loses a bread-winner — such as a single working mom or a father who is trying to hold down multiple jobs to support the family — has a much harder time of it when a motor vehicle fatality takes a life. That moment can come quickly and unexpectedly — there is never a good time for any life altering car accident to happen, especially to the survivors.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Child Killed; Seven Injured in SUV Rollover Accident on Perring Parkway

June 12, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Alcohol use is one of the biggest factors when it comes to traffic accidents. To say that an individual is not responsible for his actions when drunk is to ignore the fact that the very same person made a conscious decision to begin drinking in the first place. Regardless of a person’s intent when entering a bar or taking a drink at home prior to getting into a motor vehicle, the results of such actions can be long-lasting, if not permanent or even fatal.

As Baltimore auto accident lawyers, I and my associates work to help victims and their families recover from tragic and life-changing car and truck collisions. Adding alcohol or prescription drug use into the equation turns an already sad event into a regrettable and heartrending experience for all of the affected parties.

Not long ago a news article caught our attention in which excessive vehicle speed and possibly alcohol consumption were likely factors in the fatal crash of an SUV along Perring Parkway. The single-vehicle accident occurred in the early evening hours on a Sunday, killing a six-year-old boy and injuring seven other passengers and the driver.

Maryland Auto Injury News: Three Persons Injured in Route 665 Rollover Accident near Annapolis

April 2, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Automobile wrecks, including trucking-related crashes, can cause severe injuries to drivers and passengers. Traffic accidents on high-speed roads can result in even worse injuries and sometimes fatalities. When it comes to vehicles with higher centers of gravity, a rollover accident is very possible depending on the circumstances. Head, neck and back injuries can result when an SUV, minivan or other large vehicle rolls over on the highway.

Being Maryland auto accident attorneys, my office sees numerous victims of rollover crashes every year. The cost of medical care and reticence on the part of insurance companies to pay claims only makes the physical injuries of a car, motorcycle or trucking-related accident that much more painful. Recovering from cuts and bruises, spinal damage and traumatic brain injury is just the start of a traffic accident victim’s path to normalcy.

Recently a double rollover accident caused injury to three individuals on Maryland’s Route 665 near Annapolis. According to news reports, the crash occurred in the late morning when two vehicles collided and rolled over on in the westbound lanes of Route 665. Based on information from the fire department officials, it took 12 firefighters almost 10 minutes to free a 31-year-old woman trapped inside one of the vehicles.