Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog
We hear of pedestrian accidents almost every week here in the Baltimore area, though we know that they happen all of the time across the nation; 70,000 or more occur every year according to the statistics compiled a while ago in 2009. It’s no secret that in densely packed urban areas — like Baltimore and the District of Columbia — people on foot who mix with vehicle traffic have a high likelihood of being hit by a car, truck or bus. Being Maryland injury lawyers, we have the skills and training to represent victims of car-pedestrian crashes, as well as commercial trucking accidents involving bicycles.
Driver distraction — whether caused by talking on a cell phone, texting on a smartphone or even eating or drinking a beverage while driving down the road — can lead to some serious injuries on the pedestrian’s part; the driver in those instances rarely receives significant injuries. When a driver is not paying attention, for whatever reason, may fail to notice a pedestrian attempting to cross the street, walking along the shoulder of the road, or pedaling his or her bicycle in the far right-hand lane.
It is incumbent on us to mention that intersections, even those with clearly marked pedestrian crosswalks, can themselves be the scene of a severe or fatal collision between a car or commercial vehicle and a person on foot. Even motorcycle accidents involving pedestrians have been recorded. These can be just as deadly as ones involving more massive passenger vehicles, delivery trucks and 18-wheelers.
When it comes to pedestrian accidents, from the perspective of a personal injury claim, it is important to establish who is responsible to pay for the damages related to the victim’s injuries. In many instances, this is often the negligent driver who struck the pedestrian. In some cases, if there are deficiencies in safety of the intersection in which the accident took place, the local municipality may be responsible to some extent. Occasionally, when building a case for the plaintiff, a personal injury attorney may find that a faulty product — such as improperly designed or maintained vehicle brakes — may have contributed in some manner to the collision.
In the end, however, it is the event that starts the process. Sadly, many pedestrian accidents involve a fatality. This was the case in one of three separate collisions that took place within a two-day period last fall in Anne Arundel County. According to news reports, that particular incident occurred in Glen Burnie when a woman was fatally struck on MD-295.
Police reports indicated that the deadly crash happened around 2pm along the Baltimore Washington Parkway close to the intersection of Rte 100 nearby the municipality of Arundel Mills. The 18-year-old reportedly walked from the right-hand shoulder of the parkway into oncoming traffic, after which she was hit by a Mack truck driven by a 45-year-old Baltimore man. EMS crews arriving on the scene found the victim laying injured on the roadside; she was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center for emergency treatment, but she died before doctors could help her.
In another incident, this one near the crossroads of Mountain Rd. and Jumpers Hole Rd. in Glen Burnie, police discovered a man suffering from severe trauma a little after 7pm on a Tuesday evening. Police said the man appeared to have been attempting to cross the roadway (though there was no crosswalk in the area), during which he was reportedly struck by a hit-and-run driver behind the wheel of a maroon or burgundy SUV.
A third pedestrian accident took place in a parking lot near Ritchie Highway where a 43-year-old Pasadena resident was hit by a pickup truck a little after 1pm. According to news reports, the officers who were called to the scene found that the driver and a bystander had pulled the victim out from under the truck and were performing CPR on the woman. EMS crews arrived a short time later and took the victim to Shock Trauma; she was later said to be listed in critical, yet stable condition.
One killed, two injured in three pedestrian accidents in Arundel; BaltimoreSun.com; November 20, 2012