Uninsured Motorist

Baltimore Auto Accident Update: Uninsured Drivers Pepper Maryland Roads; Be Ready for Them

August 27, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In a previous post we discussed the possibility of more than a few drivers out on Maryland roadways who may be risking their insurance coverage, not to mention their family’s financial future, by underinsuring themselves and trying to save on their monthly insurance premiums. Is it worth it? We would have to say, emphatically, No. This is especially true when one considers the extreme downside of such as strategy, if one could even call it that. Yet, in light of all this, there is a percentage of the motoring public plying the roads of Annapolis, Bowie, Gaithersburg and The District who may be in even more danger of a catastrophic auto or motorcycle accident: these individual constitute the ranks of uninsured drivers.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers we are not about to lay odds that you or anyone you know will NEVER be involved in a car, bike or commercial trucking collision; statistics tell us that a certain number of people will be caught up in a traffic wreck at some time in their lives. This is, in fact, why we have car, home and business insurance in the first place. To go through life without insurance is only to tempt fate. Of course, insurance companies are businesses and they will do their best to avoid paying or limiting what they will pay to the best of their ability. This is why automobile and personal injury attorneys like our firm exist to help those who may be facing difficult circumstances following a bad accident.

Still, some individuals who may feel that they have little to lose sometimes forego car insurance in an effort to avoid paying for coverage. Some of these people may have such a bad driving record that insurance companies either will not offer any coverage or will charge such a high premium that it is financially impossible for that individual to make ends meet. Yet, instead of finding alternate methods of transportation, they choose to drive without coverage and against the laws of this state.

Trying to Cut Corners with Your Insurance Company Can Get Drivers in Very Hot Water

August 3, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Maryland and Washington, D.C., personal injury attorneys, my firm is dedicated to helping those individuals who have been injured or hurt as a result of another person’s negligent actions. Because we cover automotive, trucking and motorcycle accident cases, we have the skills to represent motorists who are suffering the effects of a bad traffic collision. For those families who have lost a loved one to a senseless roadway accident, we also handle wrongful death lawsuits, as well.

The point we would like to make today is that there are likely numerous motorists one the road throughout Maryland who either do not carry insurance on their vehicle or who have knowingly or unknowingly under-insured themselves. For those who choose to drive uninsured, they risk fines and other penalties for simply not following the law. For those who may unfortunately be injured by an uninsured driver, additional problems exist.

If one is caught up in a traffic accident with an uninsured or under-insured driver, the only way the victim can become compensated is if that person carries uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage from his or her automobile insurance company. In such instances, the victim’s insurance company must pay for all of the victim’s loses incurred by that roadway collision. This includes, but is not limited to, vehicle damage as well as medical treatment and even loss of income due to the inability to work.

Baltimore Traffic Accident News: Pedestrian Hit-and-Runs around Maryland Still Cause for Concern

October 29, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Most anyone who has been following the news over the past few months likely could not help but notice the spate of hit-and-run motor vehicle accidents involving cars, pedestrians and bicyclists throughout parts of Maryland. Of all the different kinds of roadway collisions that can occur, pedestrian accidents are among the most likely to cause serious bodily harm and even death.

People on foot or riding their bikes who are hit by a passenger car, motor scooter or commercial delivery truck can be thrown to the ground with tragic results. While the lucky ones may only receive bumps and bruises, other injuries, such as cuts and lacerations, broken bones and contusions, as well as head and back injuries can also occur.

Closed-head trauma (or traumatic brain injuries) are not uncommon and can place the life of the victim in jeopardy depending on the severity of the impact and the extent of the damage inflicted to the individual’s brain. Partial or complete paralysis, trouble with motor function and cognitive ability and other life-threatening conditions can result from a blow to the head or injury to a person’s spinal cord.

A recent news article made clear the concern that Maryland residents are feeling in the wake of recent hit-and-run accidents around the state. As Maryland auto injury attorneys and Washington, D.C., personal injury lawyers, we too are shocked by the apparent heartless, thoughtless and callous actions of those few individuals who leave the scene of an injury accident without so much as a thought for fellow human beings who may be hurt or critically injured in the wake of a roadway accident.

According to reports, Anne Arundel County police released a surveillance photo of a vehicle that allegedly struck and killed 38-year-old James Schreiber, Jr., just one of many people killed or injured by careless individuals plying Maryland’s roadways. In the Schreiber case, police believe that the vehicle which killed the man had a temporary dealership or vehicle transporter tag affixed to the tailgate on the driver’s side tailgate, just below the rear window.

While police investigators suggest that this upswing in hit-and-runs is simply an anomaly, the observation is little comfort to the victims of these potentially deadly collisions. Crashes like the one that sent a 20-year-old Bulgarian university student to the hospital with a broken clavicle after he was hit by an unidentified vehicle on August 23 while bicycling with friends along a stretch of Forest Drive.

Maryland Auto Injury News: Every Vehicle Driven on Maryland Roadways Must have the Proper Insurance

October 17, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We hear about it all of the time; people being hurt in accidents by another driver who is either under-insured or carries no insurance whatsoever on their vehicle. Of course, by law, every driver must maintain insurance coverage on their vehicle. This not only a good idea, but it can protect you from difficult financial times if you cannot afford to pay for extensive vehicle repairs following an accident.

As a Maryland automobile accident lawyer, I know that car crashes happen with alarming frequency. As drivers, we may not expect to be caught in a highway collision with an 18-wheeler, but it could happen. Similarly, nobody wants to think about having their car stolen or vandalized, but in dense urban centers such as Baltimore, Annapolis and the District, this is always a concern.

From time to time it’s a good idea to look at auto insurance and reacquaint oneself with the available policies and coverages. We ran into an article on choosing the right car insurance and it had several important points to make. In general, however, automobile insurance boils down to deciding how much one is willing to pay out-of-pocket for possible repairs versus how much the insurance company may have to pay.

Many car owners feel that purchasing car insurance to be a bit confusing. The first step is to figure out your needs and then examine available policies in order to understand what your potential risk will be and how much you will be willing to take on yourself. There as a number of factors to consider, such as understanding your specific needs, knowing which discounts you may qualify for, being aware of Maryland’s specific legal requirements, among others.

One key is picking a policy with a balanced deductible. This is the key to choosing a policy because it states the amount that you, the owner, are willing to pay to have the vehicle made right after a crash. The deductible you choose will usually have a direct bearing on the size of the premium you end up paying for you car insurance policy.

Baltimore Car Accident News: Maryland Residents May See Auto Insurance Rates to Increase

April 19, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a Maryland auto accident attorney, I know how costs can add up for the average family. When a car, truck or motorcycle accident causes a wage earner to be hospitalized for injuries suffered during a crash, medical costs and lost earnings can put many families into a terrible bind. Because carrying auto insurance on your vehicle is required by law, premiums are another cost that simply cannot be avoided.

Recently, news out of Annapolis shows that the state legislature is working on a bill that would likely increase insurance premiums for nearly every one of the 61,000 Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund customers. At the time of the news article, the bill passed through the House despite the protestations of the Republican side.

The bill would require policyholders to carry a minimum security of $30,000 for individuals and $60,000 for multiple drivers. Currently those minimums are $20,000 and $40,000 respectively and have not changed since 1972 when MAIF was established following legislation that made auto insurance mandatory.

Baltimore Traffic Injury Law: Uninsured Cabs are Cheap…Until You’re Injured in a Severe Accident

March 31, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In my Baltimore injury law office we often hear of accidents involving service vehicles. Taxi cabs, hire cars, limousines and shuttle busses can all be involved in traffic collisions. As passenger, you can be seriously injured in even the simplest automobile accidents. It doesn’t take much to cause an unbelted occupant of a motor vehicle to sustain broken bones, cuts and bruises and even debilitating injuries.

Every Maryland resident who rides as a passenger in a cab, bus or other type of fare-paying transportation should be aware of the potential problems associated with uninsured carriers. And even if you don’t travel in these potentially costly conveyances, you may have an elderly relative or friend who often uses one to get to and from the supermarket or other metropolitan location.

This is especially important because, as we all know, automobile accidents can happen anywhere, any time. People on a fixed budget will find uninsured cabs and hire cars particularly difficult to turn when they offer such low fares. But you must ask yourself the question, “Is it worth the possibly devastating medical or work-loss costs should you become a victim of that driver’s error or negligence?”

Auto Accident News: Maryland Residents should Beware of Potentially Uninsured Courtesy Drivers

September 26, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A recent editorial in the Baltimore Sun brings to light a very important topic and something that every Maryland resident should consider the next time they consider hailing a hire car at a supermarket or anywhere else for that matter. Auto accidents can happen anywhere, and while it is difficult to turn down a bargain basement fare price for a ride around the city, if you are injured in a vehicle that is not properly insured, you may have a harder time recovering medical and other costs.

Remember that legitimate cab and hire car companies charge higher rates because, among other things, they carry the proper insurance. As Maryland auto accident lawyers, Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers is well aware of the risks involved in riding with an uninsured or under-insured driver.

According to the editorial, taking such a hire car is dangerous. Apparently the risks are so misunderstood that managers of the grocery stores where hacks are operating as “courtesy drivers” either do not know or, worse, they are ignoring their potential liability. These so-called “hackers” operate illegally in part because they do not care to pay for commercial auto insurance, which the law requires.

The Maryland Auto Insurance Fund, which provides coverage for many sedans and taxis, currently has a base rate of about $4,000 per year for such vehicles operating in Baltimore. Hackers may very well have personal auto insurance, but that won’t necessarily cover them if they injure a paying customer, especially if they are operating their vehicle without the knowledge of their insurance company.

As the editorial further explains, hackers do not operate solely in areas not serviced by legal cab companies. The writer goes on to remind the public that hackers operate all over the Baltimore metropolitan area. And because they are not paying, among other things, the high insurance premiums that legitimate companies pay, hackers can charge much less. But that low fare may not be such a great deal if you are hurt or severely injured in a crash.

Should the driver be involved in an accident and his or her insurance company learns that they were working as a for-hire driver at the time, it is almost a certainty that the insurance company will deny any and all claims related to that accident.