Traffic Safety

Baltimore Injury Accident Update: Pedestrian Safety Called into Question in Maryland’s Prince George’s County

March 1, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s not surprising that automobile accidents involving pedestrians can often be fatal, and at best sometimes inflicting serious bodily injury to the person on foot. Whether you are a walker, jogger or runner, you know the risks you take every time you cross a busy street. City’s like Baltimore, Annapolis and the District can be dangerous for individuals hoofing it for health or just to save a few dollars in parking fees or bus fare.

As a Maryland auto accident attorney, the emphasis on safety can never be too high. I and my colleagues have seen the result of too many terrible car-pedestrian crashes to feel any other way. It’s difficult to imagine no longer being able to walk with your spouse or push your grandchild in her stroller, but these realities are just a part of life for some victims of traffic accidents.

A recent editorial pointed out the seriousness of having clear and easy-to-use pedestrian walkways in a city. The complaint in this case involves Prince George’s County’s apparent failure to clear the county’s pedestrian pathways following the recent bout of heavy snow and bad winter weather that has pummeled the East Coast. The result of this poor response according to the author? People, pedestrians, are being killed by trucks and automobiles.

Maryland Auto Accident Update: Speed Enforcement Cameras Help Police Give Out 8,800 Speeding Citations

February 28, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

There may still be a debate as to whether “speed kills,” but one thing is for certain, the higher the speed the more severe an accident is likely to be. In this regard, speed does make for more deadly auto wrecks. And while automobile accidents are typically caused either by driver error or as a result of faulty or defective equipment, when high vehicle speed is added to the mix, serious injury and sometimes death can result.

While speeding in cities occurs, the speeds involved are not as high as those on rural roads, highways and expressways. High speeds can also contribute to roll-over accidents, especially with vehicles that have high centers of gravity, such as SUVs (sport utility vehicles) and minivans. In construction zones, car-pedestrian accidents can also be caused by excessive vheilce speed. Whatever the cause, speeding doesn’t help the situation.

Recent news indicates that the radar speed cameras in used around the Baltimore area are doing what they’re designed for. According to news articles, Maryland highway officials say nearly 8,800 citations were issued during the first six weeks of the state’s speed camera enforcement program.

Maryland Auto Injury News: High-speed Street Racing Blamed for I-70 Fatalities in Baltimore County

February 25, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It goes without saying that street racing has no place on public roads. Aggressive driving can and usually does result in injuries. For those who would argue the point, I suggest you buy a helmet, join a bona fide racing organization like the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), and take your car on a closed course where proper car and spectator safety measures are in effect.

As an automobile accident attorney and personal injury lawyer, I read all too frequently of innocent motorists and pedestrians killed or injured by one or another case of aggressive driving. It makes little difference if it’s a so-called “planned” event like an illegal street racing meet, or if it’s a spur of the moment, road-rage incident, people can and do get hurt. A high-speed crash can cause broken bones, head and neck injuries, or even death. Spectators can also be killed by a driver’s mistake, which then invites possible vehicular homicide charges.

According to news reports, concrete barriers have been added to Interstate 70 in an effort to try and cut down on the amount of street racing incidents. This latest change followed a fatal car accident last year that claimed the lives of two spectators during one of many illegal speed events.

Maryland Traffic Safety Update: iPods, Bluetooth Headsets can Open the Door to Tragic Auto Accidents

February 4, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Traffic safety is always a hot topic, but more so these days as drivers in Maryland and around the country have more and more distractions that conspire to take their attention away from the most important task at had, safely driving their vehicle in traffic. As a Baltimore auto accident attorney and injury lawyer, my firm represents drivers, passengers and pedestrians injured through the negligence of other motorists.

Car and truck crashes can result from numerous causes, from outside influences such as poorly maintained pavement or bad weather, to mechanical problems such as worn out steering components or bald tires, all the way to driver error. One subset of driver error would have to be self-imposed distractions, such as fiddling with the radio or talking on a cell phone.

It’s no secret that cell phones are more and more being singled out as potentially dangerous instruments in the hands of motorists in Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere in our area. Because it is everyone’s responsibility to watch out for dangers on the roads, drivers and pedestrians alike should consider the growing threat that all mobile devices pose to public safety.

Baltimore Automobile Injury News: Maryland Ranked Higher in Auto Safety than Most of the Nation

January 12, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Baltimore auto injury attorney, I wouldn’t get too complacent just yet, but it’s heartening to read that our state received high marks for traffic safety recently. Fatalities and injuries from car crashes represent a fair percentage of our annual accident statistics here in Maryland. But according to a recent report, we can rest a bit easier knowing that we scored pretty high in the area of traffic safety.

According to news reports, Maryland is ranked among the top four states on a yearly “report card” put out by the group known as Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (AHAS). According to the AHAS, the recently adopted anti-text-messaging legislation now in effect gave us a big boost in the rankings. This law alone could co a long way toward cutting the number of automobile crashes.

Maryland reportedly gets credit for adopting nearly 12 of the AHAS’s 15 “model laws,” which it recommends every state take on. Achieving a fourth-place ranking was apparently nothing to sneeze at since the group has raised its requirements year over year.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Speed Enforcement Cameras Go Up Around Baltimore

November 11, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Although there are many causes for car accidents, fatal or otherwise, one thing is for certain: speed is a contributing factor to the severity of any car crash or truck wreck. As Maryland automobile accident attorneys, Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers are well versed in the area of wrongful death and personal injury suits. Our job would be a great deal less heartbreaking if accidents occurred at lower speeds. We can only hope that the new speed cameras being placed around the city will help to reduce the number of serious accidents.

According to news reports, the city’s first speed enforcement cameras are now in operation. Designed to take photos of vehicles going through one of Northeast Baltimore’s busy intersections near City College, the cameras have been in operation since October 1. In the first week of operation, according to police, 50 warnings were mailed out to drivers who exceeding the 30mph limit by 12mph or more.

Police reviewed an additional 323 photos and videos that could also turn into violations. Police report that fastest car through that intersection was traveling southbound at 70mph on October 6 along the Alameda at 33rd Street.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Autumn means More Deer Collisions on Country Roads

October 23, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

To be sure, the beautiful fall colors bring everyone out to the country. But fall also is a time for increased deer collisions. Dangerous? You bet. More than one car or truck accident has been caused by deer randomly crossing Maryland’s roads. Trying to avoid a deer on the highway can also have unintended consequences, such as vehicle rollovers or hitting another vehicle. In such cases, serious injury or even death can result.

As Maryland automobile accident attorneys, we know the damage a 400-pound buck can cause as it crashes through a vehicle’s windshield. It’s wise during these cooler days to be aware of the area you’re driving in; and make certain that if you’re a passenger you remind the driver to proceed with caution in areas with high incidences of deer collisions.

According to a recent study by State Farm Insurance, the rate of car versus deer collisions in the United States has gone up by 18.3 percent in the past five years. Released just last month, the report estimated there were 2.4 million incidents in which deer and vehicles collided in the two-year period between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2009 – that’s about 100,000 every month.

Maryland Auto Safety Update: D.C.-area Car Owners Now Exempt from Annual Vehicle Inspections

October 13, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Will a recent decision by officials in Washington, D.C., to eliminate the annual vehicle inspections previously required of District residents result in more auto accidents, injuries and deaths? That’s a good question and one that will require at least a few years to assess. As Maryland car accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers, our first thought is for the safety of all drivers and pedestrians on this state’s roadways. Will cars owned by D.C. drivers be anymore accident-prone? Only a mechanic can know for certain.

A recent op-ed piece brought this to mind. Since a poorly-maintained vehicle is much more likely to have something go wrong, it would seem logical that we might see more accidents involving the vehicles driven by District of Columbia residents, such as failed brakes, incorrectly aimed headlamps, breakdowns on the highway and other traffic hazards.

As of October 1, citizens of Washington, D.C., will apparently have one less annual concern, but the rest of us may pay for it in increased accidents. According to reports, the District has ended its safety inspection program, although this doesn’t include anything related to a vehicle’s emission system — hence, emission inspections will continue as usual.

Fatal Car Crash in Maryland’s Washington County Won’t Move Authorities to Install Traffic Signal

August 22, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

For anyone has had a loved die in a senseless traffic accident as a result of poor roadway design or traffic signal placement, it’s hard to imagine that local governments would be slow to remedy even the least dangerous traffic hazards. Still, as Maryland automobile accident lawyers, we at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers have represented clients who even the most casual observer would say had a legitimate claim against a local or state government for not doing its utmost to protect motorists.

In Washington County, MD, just such a situation is brewing. Although a reduced speed limit, as well as other changes have been made on Eastern Boulevard since June, news reports suggest that traffic safety in the area near a local YMCA entrance is not nearly what it should be.

According to reports, there had been three accidents on that stretch of road in the span of two months, one of them fatal. On June 16, four days after that fatal accident, the county’s highway department reportedly reduced the speed limit on Eastern Boulevard from 40 mph to 30 mph for about 600 feet on either side of the intersection in an effort to cause drivers to slow down.

Ocean City Bicycle Fatality Reminds Maryland Cyclists to take Precautions, Be Alert

July 19, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A sad story of a fatal bicycle accident in Ocean City, MD, came across the wires recently and points to the dangers inherent any time a bike rider travels on public roads. It happened on Maryland’s Coastal Highway as 23-year-old Kristin Anne Stormer was taking a leisurely summer ride. While riding her bicycle along a pedestrian crosswalk, she was struck and killed by a southbound delivery truck.

As a Maryland auto accident lawyer, I’ve represented numerous individuals who have been injured in automobile-bicycle accidents. Although the roadway in question has a 35mph posted speed limit, at those relatively low speeds even a small car, much less a full-size delivery truck, can seriously injure or kill someone on a bike. Without knowing the specific details, it’s hard to say if the truck driver was responsible for this woman’s sad and unfortunate death.

Summer is a great time to out and about. But whether you’re riding a bike, a motorcycle or driving a car, even a relaxing trip along the coast must be done with a degree of caution. As motor vehicle operators and as bicycle riders, we all have a responsibility to follow the rules of the road. In this case, reports state that the woman may have been listening to an iPod while riding her bike. This is can be a dangerous activity for anyone operating a vehicle in traffic and it is actually illegal in Maryland.