Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Maryland Auto Injury News: NTSB Urges Halt to Any Cellphone Use in Cars, Trucks

December 15, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s all over the news and on the lips of safety-conscious people across the nation; the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has urged state legislatures across the U.S. to move to ban any and all cellphone use in car and trucks on the nations roadways. While we occasionally hear of individual state legislators condemning the dangers of texting and hands-on cellphone use, it’s not often that a department of the federal government makes such a broad and sweeping recommendation regarding the safety of all drivers.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my staff have seen the results of auto, truck and motorcycle accidents caused by distracted drivers. The misery and suffering that a negligent act can inflict on a person and his or her family is far worse than any minor distraction that initially caused the traffic collision in the first place. Texting, cellphones and smart phones are just one more, albeit major, distraction that drivers deal with on a daily basis.

Now, with the NTSB’s recommendation, it seems that the issue of traffic deaths caused by distracted driving (due to any kind of cellphone use) is going to be a serious topic of conversation and possible legislative efforts in the months and years to come. For anyone who wonders, the NTSB is usually associated with serious plane and train accidents, rather than with everyday automobile and trucking-related crashes, which they also investigate when necessary.

However, the 3,000-plus deaths attributed to distracted driving in 2010 — as well as the close association that cellphones and smart phones have with driver distraction — has placed this issue front and center with other serious safety-related discussions.

Harford County Auto Accident News: Maryland Driver Killed in Route 22 Head-on Car Crash

December 12, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

During the holidays it is difficult to imagine that some families will lose a loved one to a tragic and likely preventable traffic collision. At the very best, a car, truck or motorcycle accident means that some amount of property damage will occur, however there is usually some kind of physical injury associated with most interstate, rural and urban automobile and commercial trucking wrecks.

Cars, trucks, minivan and SUVs have become much safer over the years thanks to advances in automotive safety technology. But even the best safety systems cannot, to date, prevent vehicle occupants from being injured or killed in 100 percent of motor vehicle crashes. Energy absorbing designs and materials, air bags, self-adjusting seat belts and other occupant protection devices all contribute to safer cars and trucks, but speed and circumstances still conspire to injure, maim and kill thousands of innocent people every year across the U.S.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my legal staff understand the pain and suffering that can result from a severe car, bike or pedestrian accident. Whether one lives in Rockville, Baltimore, the District or Annapolis, the news papers and TV reports are peppered with stories of individuals hurt or fatally injured as a result of a traffic collision.

Besides the typical bumps and bruises that always seem to happen in a crash, dislocated joints, fractured legs, arms, ankles and wrists can also occur during a car crash. Usually the worst type of bodily injury is that sustained when an occupants head hits a solid object inside the vehicle. Closed-head trauma, also referred to as traumatic brain injury, can put a person in the hospital for weeks or months; sometimes years.

Baltimore Traffic Safety News: Speed Cameras Credited with Changes in Driving Behavior in Maryland School Zones

December 8, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Depending on how one looks at it, so-called speed cameras either do nothing to improve traffic safety or decrease the chances of automobile collisions in dangerous and highly accident-prone intersections and roadways. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, as well as car and trucking accident attorneys, I and my colleagues can see the benefit of most any traffic safety device or effort where innocent lives are at stake.

While it has been reported previously that certain speed camera installations have not been effective in cutting the number of traffic collisions, others argue that these “big brother” devices do help to change the behavior of drivers when the existence of these cameras is made known to the motoring public.

Detractors likely point to reports documenting the use of more than a half-dozen speed cameras in and around Baltimore County a couple years ago; those 15 cameras apparently resulted in an initial drop in speeding by (and hence the issuing of speeding tickets to) motorists in a number of school zones. At the same time, however, the number of car accidents was reportedly not affected. Baltimore police deduced that although drivers did indeed slow down, the accident rate in those areas was apparently unaffected.

Baltimore Personal Injury News: Negligence Suits Filed Against Maryland’s “All Good Music Festival” following Car Accident

December 6, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Not all personal injury lawsuits are filed against a driver of a car who hits another individual and causes bodily injury. Lawsuits against third-parties are often brought due to the circumstances that made the car, truck or motorcycle accident possible in the first place. For instance, it would not be unusual for a company that made faulty tires, brake system components or other safety-related replacement parts to be sued individually or together with a commercial trucking firm that installed the parts on their fleet vehicles.

While this aforementioned example is related to products liability suits, it is an example of how a third party can be sued by the victim(s) of am automobile or commercial trucking accident that may have been caused by the premature failure of such parts or components. Similarly, a third party that provided the conditions for an accident to occur may sometimes be sued, in addition to the person or entity that was directly responsible.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers and auto accident attorneys, we serve not only the residents of cities like Annapolis, Rockville and Gaithersburg, but also motorists and vehicle occupants who may have become injured in a traffic collision in Washington, D.C.

Once a person has been injured in an automobile or trucking wreck, it’s nearly impossible to turn back the clock to a time when that victim was well and free of bodily injury. Although many injuries can heal over time, such as minor cuts and bruises, the long-term effects of a head, neck and spinal injury can linger for months, if not years. Closed-head trauma is one such injury that can affect a person’s quality of life for years down the road.

Baltimore Car Accident Update: Things for Maryland Motorists to Remember following a Traffic Collision

December 3, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

For drivers working or residing in cities such as Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington, D.C., nobody needs to be reminded that high traffic volumes and congestion are a constant problem with little chance of letting up in the future. With high traffic density a fact of daily commuter life, it’s no surprise that car, truck and motorcycle accidents continue to occur on a regular basis.

As Maryland car and trucking accident attorneys, we know the frustration of being stuck in traffic following a major accident. But as personal injury lawyers, we also know that the victims of those “inconvenient” car and truck collisions are facing much more severe and painful recoveries; certainly more extended than the hour or so of delay the rest of us experience when a tie-up occurs due to a roadway accident.

It’s a matter of record that the driver and occupants riding in sedans, minivans, sport utility vehicles and other small passenger cars can be seriously injured or killed in a high-speed wreck with another motor vehicle. Although Maryland motorists have faced the prospect of physical injury for decades ever since the first horseless carriage hit another vehicle, the fact remains: car accidents can result in broken bones, deep cuts and laceration, back injury and closed-head trauma.

Of course, when a traffic accident does occur — whether between two cars, a truck and a bicycle, or a single-vehicle crash caused by a defective automotive component – the victims are often overwhelmed from the event. Still, if at all possible, it is important to make note of the facts following a car crash or commercial trucking wreck so that it is easier to determine if that motor vehicle collision was a result of a negligent act or the carelessness of another motorist.

Baltimore Traffic Safety News: Maryland Drivers Face Dangerous Roads in December Due to Increased Drunken Driving

November 30, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As mentioned prior to Thanksgiving, the end-of-year holiday season appears to be a good excuse for some Maryland motorists to drink and drive, making the state’s highways and secondary roads more dangerous for the rest of us. As Baltimore auto accident lawyers and personal injury lawyers, we know how a simple ride to school, work or the store can turn into a life or death struggle to survive a horrendous traffic accident.

Sadly, the message that drunken driving is a danger to everyone — perpetrator included — has not made it to the ears of those most responsible for these kinds of accidents. As a result, drivers in Gaithersburg, Annapolis, Rockville and the District can expect to face continued threat of roadways collisions caused by drunk drivers.

This is not just a theory of ours, but a fact that recent news articles already have confirmed. According to reports, Drunk driving arrests are already up this season based on the opening weeks of a statewide law enforcement safety initiative. Injuries from auto, truck and motorcycle accidents are just as painful and debilitating whether they are caused by distraction, aggression or impairment from alcohol or other substances.

According to news reports, the interval between Thanksgiving and New Year’s has come to be regarded by traffic safety experts as one of the most dangerous times to be driving on Maryland roads. These experts point to a new crop of young adults who don’t remember Maryland’s targeted anti-drunk driving enforcement efforts begun in the late 1980s and carried on into the early ‘90s. Nearly 20 years ago, as news articles remind us, police agencies first began to notice a disturbing trend in drinking and driving. Now, with a new generation coming of age, those older initiatives are apparently not in the current consciousness, hence the renewed enforcement efforts of late.

Police departments across the state arrested nearly 20 drivers for driving under the influence on Thanksgiving eve, a figure that is practically two times that of last year. (The night before Thanksgiving has over the past several years become known as the most dangerous time due to the large number of motorists who likely drink and drive.)

Glen Burnie Auto Accident News: One Person Dies in Two-vehicle Collision on Crain Hwy

November 29, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Disparity in vehicle size can be a contributing factor when it comes to traffic accidents involving automobiles and other motor vehicles. Certainly most every driver has felt, at one time or another, a visceral twinge of fear or anxiety as they pass an 18-wheeler or other large commercial truck on the highway. The close quarters of some highways and surface streets can elevate that reaction among drivers and passengers of smaller, more vulnerable vehicles.

As Maryland automobile injury attorneys and drivers ourselves, I and my legal staff can relate to those feelings of danger when a semi tractor-trailer comes a little to close. But even smaller trucks, such as delivery vehicles and medium-duty work trucks can pose similar dangers without evoking the dread that larger motor vehicles do.

Because vehicle size usually correlates closely to vehicle mass, or weight, it’s not a stretch to say that some drivers worry every time they come near a big truck. But those medium-duty work trucks, though smaller than other large commercial vehicles, can also cause a great deal of damage in a traffic collision given the right circumstances; more than just a vehicle’s weight, the cargo that a truck may be hauling can pose significant danger in a roadway collision.

It’s not a stretch to imagine that a fully-loaded work truck can weight three to four times that of a small economy car. Given that amount of weight disparity, in a crash the passenger vehicle might end up sustaining serious damage; and the same goes for any occupants riding inside the car as well.

Baltimore Auto Accident Update: 25 Percent of Maryland Traffic Accidents Caused by Smartphone Use, Other Electronics

November 28, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Many people could be spared painful injury and potential death were it not for automotive negligence on the highways and surface streets. Every week in and around cities like Rockville, Gaithersburg, Frederick and Washington, D.C., occupants of passenger cars and city buses, pedestrians crossing urban streets, and motorcyclists are hurt or killed as a result of another person’s inattention.

As Baltimore personal injury attorneys, I and my staff have seen the results of traffic accidents caused by distracted driving. It makes little difference to the victim of an automobile or commercial trucking accident whether the individual who caused the accident was drunk, under the influence of prescription drugs, eating a hamburger, or texting a friend on their cellphone; the injuries are the same and the recovery typically slow and many times painful.

For those lucky enough to survive a high-speed collision, rarely do they walk away without a scratch. Usually, some kind of bodily harm occurs following a roadway collision, such as broken bones, cuts and bruises, and spinal injuries. Of course, not every accident is the result of inattention, but the large number that are could perhaps be reduced if drivers took a moment to consider their actions behind the wheel.

Recovering medical and rehabilitation expenses following a bad auto wreck can be difficult, which is why it’s always advisable to consult with a qualified personal injury lawyer. These days, many people have a hard enough time making ends meet, much less pay for a hospital stay that resulted from a car crash caused by a negligent party. Getting one’s medical bills covered is a priority for families whose earnings are already stretched to the limit.

Baltimore Automobile Safety News: Rte 235 Traffic Accidents Prompt St. Mary’s County to Add Red-light Cameras

November 25, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Personal injuries can result from most any activity. Whether one lives here in Baltimore, over in Frederick or out in Washington, D.C., it is a certainty that you or someone you know has been witness to a car, truck or motorcycle accident during your driving career. Many times, when someone calls our firm, it is because that person or a close family member has been hurt due to another individual’s negligent actions.

Malice is not the only cause of traffic-related collisions, just as it is not always the reason for a trip and fall incident or a medical error that has out someone into a nursing home. Very often, accidents that cause injury are a result of carelessness or distraction at a critical time. In the case of passenger car and trucking-related wrecks, the simple yet dangerous act of using a smart phone can and does lead to a serious and sometimes fatal roadway collision.

Innocent victims of these kinds of accidents may have just cause to bring a civil suit against the injuring party via a personal injury lawsuit. Such as claim is quite common if the victim or his family believes that the injury was caused either by intentional act or careless one. Needless to say, a defective or poorly designed consumer product can also cause harm to an individual, in which case the manufacturer, and even the distributor of that defective product — may be sued based on a plaintiff’s argument that the negligent party was legally responsible for the injury(s) sustained by the injured party.

‘Tis the Season for Drinking and Driving? Thanksgiving Holiday May Pose Dangers on Maryland Roadways

November 23, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, but the holiday weekend will continue for several days. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we feel it is important to advise caution when venturing out onto the state’s highways and surface streets during the coming holiday. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), 42.5 million motorists nationwide will be hitting the roads this holiday weekend.

Here in Maryland, experts estimate that nearly 90 percent of residents will at one time or another be driving during the coming days — 800,000 people traveling to destinations all across the state. With this in mind, it is essential to remember that Thanksgiving has in many parts of the country become known more as drinking holiday than for the traditional family gatherings of the post.

As Maryland auto and trucking accident attorneys, I and my staff know that roadway collisions can and do happen everyday. While crashes of any kind are quite common, motor vehicle wrecks involving alcohol can make up more than 30 percent of all fatal incidents. Driving during this coming holiday weekend should be undertaken with caution and eyes wide open.

Although gasoline prices are more than 15 percent higher than a year ago this time, traveling by car is still one of the more cost-effective modes, especially when going relatively short distances of 100 miles or so. The gradual rise in fuel prices is not likely to limit the number of cars, trucks or even motorcycles on the road this weekend.

Safety when driving is an important consideration when noting the increased number of cars on the road when compared to other traveling-related holidays. According to the AAA, Thanksgiving holiday traffic represents is the first significant increase in vehicular traffic of the entire year to date. Based on news reports, Memorial Day travel was, one the whole, unchanged from previous years, while the July Fourth and Labor Day holidays saw slight decreases in travel.