Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog
There is nothing more wrenching for a family than to find out that a loved one has died in a tragic and fatal traffic accident. Individuals who lose their lives on Maryland roadways more often than not have died in vain and the surviving family members have little with which to console themselves save their memories of happier times. As Baltimore personal injury attorneys and automobile/truck accident lawyers, our thoughts go out to the victims and their families of these senseless and sometimes violent motor vehicle crashes.
Whether you live in Rockville, Annapolis, Gaithersburg or the District, you probably know a family who has been touched by tragedy. For some relative, the death of a close relative is sometimes not known for a day or two, and while this may be a rare occurrence for some, the interval between which a husband or wife last saw their spouse and when the authorities inform that family of the devastating news can be an eternity.
Depending on the circumstances of a fatal car, truck or motorcycle wreck, there is sometimes a chance that a wrongful death lawsuit may be brought against the negligent party. In cases where a person has died wrongfully at the hands of another motorist, the family can claim damages in the form of compensation for pain and suffering, not only for themselves but for the deceased relative, who may have suffered for days or weeks before dying from from injuries, such as life-threatening internal organ damage, severe head trauma or spinal cord damage, sustained as a direct result of the crash.
A wrongful death claim allows a family to receive compensation following the death of a loved one. It can include monetary damages such as financial support from the lost earnings of that individual as well as other benefits that would have been received had the deceased relative not been killed. The defendant in a wrongful death suit can also be ordered to compensate the victim’s family for non-tangibles, such as loss of love, comfort and companionship that those relatives can no longer enjoy with that individual.
Not long ago, a man died in a two-vehicle accident on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway during the early evening commute. The car crash, which happened just after 6pm on a Tuesday, involved to passenger vehicles. According to police reports, the collision occurred in one of the northbound lanes of the roadway not far from Good Luck Rd.
Police reports indicate that the two vehicles made contact, causing one of the cars to leave the parkway and hit a nearby tree. That driver, who was not identified by authorities until a day or two later, apparently died upon impact with the tree. U.S. Park Police arriving on the scene could do nothing for the man, who was later identified as 34-year-old William Ward from the Washington, D.C., area. Ward was pronounced dead by police at the scene, while the driver of the other vehicle was transported to Prince George’s Hospital Center with only minor injuries.
Based on news reports, police had received a 911 call from another motorist who may have witnessed the crash along Rte 410. The female caller reportedly saw some activity by the roadside, which may have been related to the fatal crash, however the call was dropped before police could get the woman’s contact information. At the time of the news item, the cause of the accident was still being investigated by authorities.
Police Identify Man Killed in Fatal Car Crash, Patch.com, May 26, 2011
Fatal Car Collision Shuts Down BW Parkway, Patch.com, May 24, 2011