Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Baltimore County, MD, Resident Sentenced to 10 Years in Jail for Vehicular Manslaughter

October 28, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A man from Parkton, Maryland, was sentenced by a Baltimore County court to 20 years in prison for fatally injuring a Hereford, MD, woman when he smashed a stolen pickup truck straight into the victim’s home this past August. According to news reports, 30-year-old Aubry Miller Jr. will serve 10 years in jail for vehicular manslaughter and another 10 for felony auto theft. As a Baltimore auto accident attorney, my first thought is for this woman’s family, since she was killed by simple being at home that fateful night.

According to police reports, Mary Patricia Sullivan was fast asleep at 5am in the lower floor of her house on York Road in Hereford, Maryland, when the stolen truck driven by the defendant left the road, traveled across the yard and drive through the exterior wall of the 46-year-old’s bedroom, killing her instantly.

Police investigators determined that the thief had been on a spree of thefts, and was driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he killed Sullivan. The owner of the vehicle had only just noticed that truck was missing when the collision occurred.

Maryland Car Accident Update: Howard County Resident Dies in Multi-vehicle Crash

October 26, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Multi-vehicle auto accidents can occur day or night, but the results are very often serious. Head-on collisions especially can result in severe or life-threatening injuries, and many times death. Aside from the emotional anguish, a fatal car accident can cause great strain the victim’s family especially if that person was the primary bread-winner for the family.

As Maryland automobile accident lawyers, our firm is able to help families make it through these difficult times. Lebowitz-Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers handles cases not unlike a recent accident that took the life of one woman and injured the drivers of two other vehicles. According to news reports, a young woman from Ellicott City was driving westbound on Route 108 near Ten Mills Road just before midnight on Friday, October 2, when her vehicle crossed the centerline into oncoming traffic near Clarksville, MD.

Somehow the Toyota Corolla belonging to 20-year-old driver, Melissa Moody, of the 11600 block of Masters Run crossed the double-yellow line and sideswiped an eastbound Lexus IS 350 being driving by Joanne Chan, 32, a Brookeville resident in Montgomery County. According to police reports, Moody’s Corolla then hit a second eastbound Hyundai Elantra belonging to 29-year-old Derrick Jordan of Columbia, Maryland.

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.

Off-duty Maryland Police Officer Dies in Single-Car Traffic Accident

October 21, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It can happen to anybody, and the results are tragically similar no matter who the individual may be. Auto accidents can take a person’s life as quickly as a blink of an eye. Injuries are more likely, but the root cause is always suspect. In the recent case of the untimely death of a Maryland law enforcement professional, the question of driver error versus defective equipment comes into play. As a Maryland automobile accident attorney, my firm runs into situations like this all of the time.

According to reports, a Baltimore police officer died following a terrible single-vehicle accident on Black Rock Road. The 32-two-year-old off-duty patrolman was apparently on his way to work, driving his pickup truck eastbound just before 2pm in the afternoon of September 24.

Jason Simons, who was a seven-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department and assigned to the Towson precinct, apparently lost control of his vehicle in a sharp turn on a wet section of roadway. Investigators said that the vehicle hit a guardrail and then flipped onto its top, trapping the officer. When emergency crews arrived they extricated Simons from his truck and treated him. He was flown to Shock Trauma, however he died before doctors could save him.

University of Maryland Drunk Driving Checkpoint Dedicated to Student Killed in Fatal Accident

October 18, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Drunk driving in Baltimore and other parts of Maryland contribute substantially to annual traffic deaths. Many innocent people are killed or injured every year by drivers operating cars, trucks and SUVs under the influence of alcohol. This negligent behavior by these motorists causes much pain and suffering to individuals and families affected by their actions. As Maryland automobile accident attorneys, Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers is dedicated to helping those injured by drunk drivers.

A recent article mentioned a sobriety checkpoint near the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, that was dedicated to the memory of a young college coed who lost her life to the senselessness of a drunk driving accident. Traveling north on Maryland’s Route 1 the evening of September 24, motorists would have noticed an odd sight: a large photo of a smiling college-age girl.

The photo of Amanda Moore, a UMBC student who was killed by a drunk driver four years ago when she was 22, was placed at the front of a sobriety checkpoint set up by University Police.

Baltimore County Teen Dies in Fatal Single-car Accident on Interstate 83 Offramp

October 15, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A young man from Baltimore County, MD, was tragically killed after the vehicle that he was driving left the road near the junction of Interstate 83 and the Baltimore Beltway. The single-car accident occurred on a southbound I-83 offramp near Lutherville, Maryland. According to police, 17-year-old Kwest T. Logan, a resident of Cockeysville, was headed to the westbound Baltimore Beltway when his vehicle veered off the roadway and crashed some distance from the interstate.

As a Maryland car accident attorney, I know that a crash such as the one described here could have happened as a result of a number of causes. Driver error is always a possibility, however defective steering parts, a blow-out from old or improperly maintained tires, or warn out brakes could be the cause. In the end, defective equipment can many times be due to the negligence of another person or company.

In this case, according to the news report, Logan’s black 1997 Nissan Maxima for some reason left the roadway and hit a tree about 75 feet from the offramp, most likely during the evening hours of Sunday, September 27. It wasn’t until the next morning that a passing motorist called police after noticing light reflecting off the car while driving in slow-moving traffic during morning rush hour.

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.

Auto Accident News: Toyota Recalls 3.8 Million Vehicles due to Sticking Accelerator Problem

October 12, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Automobile accidents happen for a variety of reasons, not the least of which are defective parts or poorly designed vehicle components. As Maryland auto accident lawyers, the legal professionals at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers represent numerous clients who have been hurt as a result of negligence on the part of another person or corporation. Recently a news article brought up the subject of defective equipment and possible death or injury that can result to car, truck and SUV drivers and their passengers.

According to news reports, car maker, Toyota, has recalled nearly four million vehicles across the United States in what the media says is “Toyota’s largest-ever U.S. recall campaign. The problem is apparently with the removable driver-side floor mat, which could possibly cause the vehicle’s gas pedal to become stuck, resulting in a possible high-speed runaway situation leading potentially to a crash.

The recall involves popular Toyota models such as the Camry — the top-selling passenger car in America — and the company’s hybrid Prius models. News reports state that Toyota is working with officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to find a fix for the problem.

Baltimore County Woman Killed in Crash with Delivery Truck on I-795

October 8, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Baltimore County woman died from injuries sustained when her Honda Civic veered from a southbound lane of Interstate 795, traveled across the median and entered the northbound lanes where it was hit by a delivery truck. According to Maryland State Police, the 21-year-old driver identified as Amy L. Brooking initially survived the head-on crash with the truck, but later died after being admitted to Sinai Hospital.

As Maryland auto accident lawyers, we have seen this kind of scenario before. It is difficult to imagine a driver intentionally crossing an interstate median and heading into opposing traffic. Assuming the driver did not have some kind of an episode prior to the crash, one explanation for this accident could be a catastrophic failure of one of the vehicle’s critical systems or parts, such as the steering assembly, a suspension component or even a blown tire. One or more defective parts or components could have cause the young woman’s vehicle to go out of control.

According to police reports, the delivery truck attempted to maneuver out of the way of the Honda, which caused the truck to flip over on its side. Although emergency medical personnel were dispatched to the scene as quickly as possible to assist and transport the injured drivers to the hospital, Brooking’s injuries were such that doctors and nurses could not reverse the damage. She was declared dead shortly after being admitted. The driver of the truck, 32-year-old William K. Dodge of Hanover, PA, was taken to Northwest Hospital Center for treatment of what were assumed to be non-life threatening injuries.

Maryland Auto Accident News: Drunk Driving on the Rise for Women Drivers

October 5, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Maryland auto accident lawyers, our office has represented numerous clients injured as a result of a drunk driving traffic accident. Many of these people did nothing more prior to being in a car wreck than happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Although there could be a number of reasons for the apparent increase in drunk driving accidents, a recent article points to one surprisingly sobering statistic.

According to the Washington Post, there appears to be a definite rise in the number of female drivers being arrested for drunk driving lately. Unfortunately, not every drunk driver is arrested before causing an accident. Our firm, Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers has helped many victims of drunk drivers recover costs related to severe and sometimes fatal accidents.

Maybe TV has made mid-day wine-tasting parties look fashionable, enticing stay-at-home moms and real housewives to gather at friends’ homes to sip wine or mixed drinks with their friends. And while the television characters may get home just fine, in reality the aftermath caused by a drunk driver will more than likely end up on the local news, not the prime time lineup. Drunk drivers can and do cause serious injury accidents here in Baltimore, over in D.C. and across the entire area.