Maryland Accident Law Blog

Police have identified the pedestrian killed in Thursday’s Baltimore tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 95 as Michael A. Coll, 36.The cause of the Maryland traffic crash is still under investigation. Following the deadly collision, all northbound roads were temporarily closed.

Coll’s death comes just two days after New Windsor bicyclist John Martin Jr.,51, was fatally struck in Union Bridge on Route 75 by a semi-truck that was making a right turn. According to a preliminary probe, trucker Anthony Edward Woodie failed to yield to the bicyclist when turning. He may face criminal charges.

Our Baltimore truck crash lawyers want to remind you that it is important that you not speak with the other party’s insurer without exploring your legal options first. Many trucking companies will take persuasive action to get you to settle for less than you may be owed for your injuries or a loved one’s death. It is important that you have a Maryland personal injury law firm advocating on your behalf.

In other recent Maryland truck accident news, the driver of a Corvette was injured on August 20 when his vehicle was mangled during a collision with a tractor-trailer on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Police have said that they believe the truck rear-ended the car.

Our Owing Mills truck accident law firm represents vehicle occupants, pedestrians, bicyclists, and truck drivers injured in Maryland traffic crashes. We represent Maryland injury victims from all towns, cities, and counties. Your first consultation with Lebowitz & Mzhen is free.

Police identify man struck, killed by tractor-trailer on I-95 in Dundalk, The Baltimore Sun, August 27, 2010

Carroll Co. cyclist killed after collision with truck, The Baltimore Sun, August 25, 2010

Tractor Trailer Rear Ends Car On Bay Bridge, WJZ, August 20, 2010

UNION BRIDGE: Man dies after being struck by tractor-trailer, Carroll County Times, August 24, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

A 14-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy were injured during an East Baltimore car accident yesterday afternoon. The two children were close to the intersection of North Highland Avenue and East Fayette Street when they were hit by a car. Charges are pending against the motorist that struck them.

Child Pedestrian Accidents
Many children lack the judgment and experience to protect themselves from Maryland pedestrian accidents. Although drivers must always refrain from negligent driving to avoid striking pedestrians of any age, they must exercise extra caution around children.

Steps motorists can take to avoid striking child pedestrians:
• Drive at a slower speed in residential neighborhoods and areas where children are likely to be playing or walking to and from school.

• Obey traffic signs and signage and respect crosswalks and speed limits.

• When backing up your car, do so cautiously and slowly. Many child pedestrians are injured in backover accidents each year.

• Don’t text message or talk on the phone while driving.

• Keep your eyes and attention on the road at all times.

In 2008, 270 children in the 14 and under age group were killed in US pedestrian accidents. Our Baltimore injuries to children and minors lawyers have seen the devastating toll pedestrian accidents can take on the victims and their families.

Serious Maryland pedestrian injuries have included traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, internal injuries, and wrongful death.

Teen, toddler hit by car, injured; charges pending against driver, Baltimore Sun, July 11, 2010

Children: 2008 Traffic Safety Facts, NHTSA (PDF)

Related Web Resources:
Pedestrian Safety, CDC

Pedestrians, NHTSA

Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Continue reading "Toddler and Teen Pedestrians Injured During East Baltimore Car Accident" »

A Harford, Maryland tractor-trailer crash has killed one man while critically injuring his wife. Leonard Clark, 38, and his wife Kimberly, 39, were standing next to I-95 on the night of February 24 when they where hit by a semi-truck.

The seriously injured couple was transported to Maryland Shock Trauma Center where Leonard was pronounced dead. As of last Friday, Kimberly’s condition was considered very serious.

Our Maryland tractor-trailer crash attorneys extend our sympathies to the Clark family. Losing someone you love and/or getting seriously hurt in a semi-truck crash is catastrophic. Tractor-trailers are so huge in size and heavy and weight that anyone struck by a semi-truck is at high risk of sustaining serious injuries and/or dying.

Just the day before the Maryland truck accident involving the Clarks, 22-year-old Boonsboro pedestrian Anthony Allen McChesney died when he was hit by a United Parcel Service semi-truck on I-81. The Hagerstown truck crash occurred at around 4:31 am.

Also last month, during the early afternoon of February 11, a State Highway Administration worker got hurt when a tractor-trailer hit his truck as he warned motorists that a crew was removing snow off the Baltimore Beltway. The SHA worker, James Flutka, sustained injuries. Truck driver Robert Scolaro, who was transporting diapers, was not injured. He did receive a traffic citation for failure to control speed.

D.C. man killed, wife injured in accident, The Washington Post, February 25, 2010

Boonsboro man struck and killed by tractor-trailer on I-81, The Herald-Mail, February 23, 2010

Even with the worst of two severe winter storms behind them, state police and roads officials are warning against complacency on the part of drivers, Carroll County Times, February 12, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Maryland State Highway Administration

Continue reading "Maryland Semi-Truck Crash Kills Husband and Seriously Injures His Wife" »

According to the Baltimore Sun, since January 2003 at least 29 Maryland pedestrian fatalities have occurred in the 52-mile section of US 40 where it merges into Interstate 70 in Western Howard County. At least 8 of the pedestrian deaths occurred in Baltimore City, and except for 2 fatalities, the other pedestrian deaths occurred in West Baltimore. 21 pedestrian fatalities occurred in Baltimore County, Howard County, and Harford County, with the 3-4 fatalities that took place in the Maryland cities of Rosedale, Ellicott City, and Aberdeen occurring within a few hundred feet of each other.

Maryland State Highway Administration spokesperson Dave Buck says US 40, a main arterial highway, was constructed before pedestrian safety was considered a priority. A recent report by Surface Transportation Policy Project and Transportation for America recently pointed to highway design as one of the main causes of pedestrian deaths.

The report noted that 56% of pedestrian fatalities occur on roads that weren’t designed with pedestrian safety in mind. The report says arterial roads usually have multiple lanes, high speed limits, and few (if any) crossing signals or crosswalks.

Other arterial loads linked to Baltimore pedestrian accidents include Ritchie Highway, US 1, Reierstown Road, Liberty Road, and Mountain Road. With so many pedestrians continuing to die and get hurt in US traffic crashes each year—4,378 US pedestrian fatalities, 69,000 pedestrian injuries, and 116 Maryland pedestrian deaths in 2008—local, state, and federal entities must make sure that roads are properly designed to limit the number of pedestrian injuries and deaths.

U.S. 40 among top danger spots for pedestrians, Baltimore Sun, November 23, 2009

Pedestrians, NHTSA (PDF)

Related Web Resources:
Read the Report (PDF)

Maryland Department of Transportation

Continue reading "Maryland Pedestrian Accidents: US 40 Considered a Leading Danger Zone for Injuries and Deaths " »

Miriam Frankl, 20, died on October 17 from the serious head wounds and other injuries she sustained during a Baltimore hit and run accident that occurred the day before. Frankl, a Johns Hopkins University student, was struck by a white Ford F-250 moving at a high speed on St. Paul Street during a hit and run Maryland truck crash. Witnesses say that the driver of the truck, a man, did not stop. Instead, he allegedly made an illegal left turn onto East University Parkway.

Frankl was placed on life support at Maryland Shock Trauma Center where she died at 2:30am the next day. Thomas Meighan Jr., the 39-year-old truck owner, was initially arrested on at least 18 driving offenses.

Witnesses say that Meighan’s truck drove erratically for hours that day, tailgating, attempting to cut off other motorists, making abrupt lane changes, running several red lights, driving at high speeds on small roads and driving the wrong way.

Most of the lesser charges have been dropped. The remaining charges against Meighan include driving on a suspended license, failure to remain at the scene of an accident involving death, failure to stop vehicle at bodily injury accident, failure to stop vehicle at death accident scene, failure to render reasonable assistance to injured person, failure to furnish required ID and license, failure to stop after accident involving vehicle damage, and failure to remain at scene of vehicle damage accident.

Police are trying to figure out whether they can charge Meighan with vehicular manslaughter in the hit-and-run death of Frankl. Meighan claims he was not driving his car on the day of the deadly Baltimore car crash that claimed the 20-year-old’s life.

Prior to the October 16 Maryland pedestrian accident, Meighan already had 21 motor vehicle convictions. 8 of those convictions were for drunk driving. Over six of the offenses took place in Carroll County.

Driver's truck terrorized Baltimore before killing student from Wilmette, Chicago Tribune, October 27, 2009

Charges pared in hit-and-run, The Baltimore Sun, October 28, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Hit and Run Maryland, Deadly Roads

Maryland Department of Transportation

Continue reading "John Hopkins University Student Dies from Injuries Sustained During Baltimore Pedestrian Accident involving Hit and Run Pickup Truck" »

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reportedly recommended as far back as 2002 that motorists not talk on cell phones while driving—unless in an emergency situation. The federal agency also recommended that drivers not use hands-held, as well as hands-free phones and even went so far as to note that establishing laws banning only handheld cell phones might not be enough to minimize the risks of using a phone while operating a motor vehicle.

The reason for this recommendation was that the NHTSA had in its possession hundreds of pages of research documenting the dangers associated with cell phone use while driving. Yet the recommendation and the research were never made available to the public. One reason for this was concern that Congress and other public officials would see the proposal as a form of lobbying.

The information finally became public after Public Citizen and the Center for Auto Safety, two public interest groups, managed to access the information via the Freedom of Information Act.

The question now being asked is how many lives could have been saved if people knew then what they know now about the risks involved with cell phone use while driving? When the NHTSA first made its proposal several years ago, there were more than 170 million people using cell phones in the country—now, there are more than 270 million cell phone subscribers. And now, more than ever, cell phone use while driving has become a bad driving habit that millions of motorist are finding hard to break.

Yet as more motor vehicle accidents are reported involving motorists that caused auto crashes because they were talking on a phone or text messaging, the consequences of cell phone use while driving can no longer be ignored. Even train operators have been found negligent for engaging in these bad habits and causing catastrophic train collisions.

While Maryland doesn’t have a ban on any kind of cell phone use for adult drivers—only for minor drivers—all drivers will be prohibited from text messaging beginning October 2009. The Maryland Highway Safety Foundation says it had been pushing for a hand-held cell phone ban, but with the latest revelations about the NHTSA’s suppressed findings, they may recommend a total ban on the use of all cell phones while driving.

U.S. Withheld Data on Driving Distractions, WBOC 16, July 22, 2009

Suppressed federal study having ripple effect in Md., Baltimore Sun, July 2009

The Truth About Cars and Cellphones, NY TImes, July 22, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Center for Auto Safety

Public Citizen

NHTSA

Maryland Highway Safety Foundation

Continue reading "Cell Phone Use While Driving: NHTSA Withheld Research Warning About Dangers " »

A little over two years after 21-year-old Tyler Adams was killed in a Maryland motor vehicle crash while crossing Coastal Highway on June 17, 2007, his family has settled their wrongful death lawsuit with the defendant.

Adams, an Easton resident, and his friend Dale Blankenship were crossing the highway before 2am when a Jeep Cherokee driven by Brian Scott, 19, struck them. While Blankenship, also from Easton, sustained minor injuries, Adams died from his injuries.

No criminal charges were filed against Scott. Adams’s family sued him for Maryland wrongful death in August 2007. Their civil complaint sought $1.75 million in punitive and compensatory damages. The terms of the Maryland wrongful death settlement are confidential.

While Scott, a minor at the time of the deadly Maryland car crash, ran a red light and was suspected to be driving under the influence, Adams was also suspected of being under the influence and not in the crosswalk when the pedestrian accident occurred. The issue of whether or not there was actual presence of malice in the case has been an issue of debate during two years of legal wrangling.

Adam’s death was one of the 614 Maryland traffic crashes that occurred in 2007. And while one motor vehicle fatality or one pedestrian death is one fatality too many, it is good to note that there were less Maryland traffic fatalities-591 traffic deaths in 2008. There were also less drunk driving-related deaths—178 Maryland alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2007 compared to 152 in 2008. The number of Maryland pedestrian deaths for both years—116 pedestrian fatalities—stayed the same.

Losing someone you love in a Maryland pedestrian accident is devastating and can feel incredibly senseless and unfair. There are steps that you can take, however, to hold a negligent motorist liable for your loved one’s wrongful death.

Several recent Maryland traffic accidents have led to a number of pedestrian deaths and injuries. In Ocean City, a 44-year-old pedestrian died while trying to cross the Coastal Highway. The man was reportedly not in the crosswalk when he was hit by a 2008 Nissan Altima operated by Russell Charles Mass, Jr. Mass, 18, was charged with drunk driving. Police are investigating whether the pedestrian, who sustained fatal head injuries, had also been drinking.

In Frederick, Maryland, three men were charged last week for the death of pedestrian Elizabeth DiNunzio. The Mount Saint Mary's University’s college senior was jogging last month when she was struck by a car driven by driver Joshua Cool on Old Emmitsburg Road. According to police, DiNunzio was running against traffic and in compliance with Maryland law.

While Joshua is charged with negligent driving, knowingly driving a vehicle that was uninsured, and not exercising the proper care to avoid striking a pedestrian, passengers Ann Cool and Joseph Cool were charged with knowing that they were riding in a vehicle that was uninsured.

Last month, a Clinton man sustained serious injuries in a Howard County pedestrian accident when he was hit by a car on Route 32 close to 95. Frank Trowell, Jr., 44, was taken to Shock Trauma in critical condition. Police are looking into the cause of the Maryland motor vehicle crash.

Also in May, a pregnant teenager and her friend were hit by a car in Crownsville. Police say that the driver of the vehicle, 23-year-old Karla Wagner, drove her 1999 Jeep off the road, striking the teens. One of the girls, who is 17, is from Crownsville. The other teenager, 19-year-old Melissa Truelove, was 7 weeks pregnant at the time of the Maryland traffic crash. Both pedestrians were knocked unconscious and later taken to a local hospital.

Following the Crownsville pedestrian accident, Truelove complained of bruising on her hip and back, pain in her left side, as well as vertigo. Her friend fractured her neck and both hips and also experienced bleeding in her kidney.

Pedestrian hit by car on Route 32 listed in critical condition, Explore Howard, May 29, 2009

Pedestrian Critically Hurt in Accident, WBAL.com, May 29, 2009

Three Charged In Accident That Killed Local Student, YourState, June 4, 2009

Pedestrian Injured In Late-Night Crash, MDCoastDispatch.com, June 5, 2009

Related Web Resources:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Pedestrian Safety, Maryland State Highway Administration

Continue reading "Recent Maryland Pedestrian Accidents Lead to Fatalities and Injuries" »

Baltimore County police say that two people were sent to an area hospital after they were involved in an Owings Mills multi-vehicle collision on Friday that ended when one car drove into an M & T Bank branch. The Maryland traffic accident occurred when a Hyundai Sonata struck a Toyota RAV4 that was at a red light, which then hit a Lincoln Navigator. Meantime, the Hyundai drove over a curb and into the bank. Fortunately, no one inside the bank was hurt.

In a Baltimore car accident that also occurred on Friday, police are looking for the driver of a van that fatally hit a man riding a dirt bike on Chatham Road. The van’s driver failed to stop at the crash site. Police are asking for any information that could lead to the capture of the driver involved in the deadly hit-and-run Maryland motor vehicle crash.

Also on Friday, Clinton resident Franklin Trowell sustained critical injuries in Howard County when a car hit him on eastbound Route 32 close to Interstate 95. Trowell had been standing on the shoulder of the road examining another accident when the catastrophic Maryland car crash occurred. The driver of the car, Leonard Supsic, 55, reportedly lost control of the 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier that struck Trowell.

Maryland Personal Injury
It can take some time to determine how much financial recovery you are entitled to receive after you’ve been injured in a Maryland motor vehicle accident. This is why it is important that you don’t rush to settle your car accident claim immediately. Your injuries may be more serious than you think, which means they could cost significantly more to recover from than what original estimates suggest. There also may be other parties that can be held liable for your Maryland personal injuries.

Clinton man in critical condition after being hit by car, Baltimore Sun, May 30, 2009

Police seek van driver who fatally hit man on dirt bike, Baltimore Sun, May 30, 2009

Three-vehicle accident sends car into bank, Baltimore Sun, May 30, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Car Accidents Overview, Justia

Personal Injury, Nolo

Continue reading "Recent Maryland Motor Vehicle Accidents Cause Injuries and Deaths" »

The Maryland State Highway Administration says that of the 589 Maryland traffic deaths that occurred in 2008, 124 of those fatalities took place in Prince George’s County. That’s almost twice as many fatalities than in Baltimore County, ranked number two with the most traffic deaths at 52 fatalities. Montgomery County came next with 52 traffic deaths. Baltimore had 49 traffic fatalities, and Anne Arundel County recorded 48 traffic fatalities. Officials from Maryland, Prince George’s County, and municipal police have vowed to address the issue of traffic safety and determine why so many Maryland traffic deaths occur in this county so they can fix the problem.

The county also recently registered the largest amount of Maryland pedestrian deaths over the past decade. For example, of the 111 Maryland pedestrian deaths that occurred in 2007, a significant number of the fatalities occurred in Prince George’s County:

Prince George’s: 28 pedestrian fatalities
Baltimore: 17 pedestrian deaths
Baltimore County: 17 pedestrian fatalities
Montgomery: 15 pedestrian deaths
Anne Arundel: 8 pedestrian fatalities

There were 115 Maryland pedestrian deaths in 2008—and the fatalities keep coming in 2009. Just last month, in Prince George’s County, two young pedestrians, 19-year-old LaRenta Vondale McFarland and 7-year-old Richard Young, died after a Jeep hit them while they were crossing Central Avenue in Upper Marlboro.

According to Maryland Highway Administration spokesperson David Buck, driver error seems to be the leading cause of traffic deaths in Prince George’s County. Common types of driver error include:

• Driver fatigue
• Speeding
• Drunk driving
• Driving under the influence of drugs
• Failure to obey traffic rules
• Talking on cell phone
• Failure to use seat belts
• Text messaging

More 2008 Maryland Traffic Facts:

• About 100,000 Maryland motor vehicle crashes occur annually.
• 196 drivers died in Maryland auto accidents last year.
• 65 of these motorists were not using seat belts or were riding in cars that lacked airbags.

Too Deadly a Place to Drive, Washington Post, May 10, 2009

Maryland State Highway Administration

Related Web Resources:
Maryland Traffic Information, Federal Highway Administration

Prince George's County, Maryland

Continue reading "Prince George’s County Logs the Most Maryland Motor Vehicle Accident Deaths in 2008" »

The parents of young girl who was struck by an SUV outside an elementary school in Pasadena have filed a Maryland personal injury lawsuit on her behalf. Brooke M Monday was just 7 when the pedestrian accident happened in April 2006.

Brooke broke her jaw, left leg, and nose in the Maryland pedestrian accident that her parents say occurred because a crossing guard negligently waved her to cross the street just moments before she was struck by the motor vehicle. The defendants in the Maryland injuries to minor lawsuit include Anne Arundel County, SUV driver Alison L Hahn, vehicle owner David Fischer, and Monday’s insurance company. Brooke’s parents, Vernon and Jennifer Monday, are seeking millions of dollars in personal injury compensation.

According to the couple’s Maryland personal injury complaint, Deborah L Johnson failed to keep a proper lookout or enter the middle of the street when she told Brooke she could cross. The Mondays’ attorney has even accused the crossing guard of being distracted from doing her job because she was conversing with a friend at the time the deadly Maryland pedestrian accident happened.

Johnson still works for Anne Arundel County and oversees the same intersection where Brooke got hurt. Meantime, Hahn, 17 at the time of the pedestrian accident, pleaded guilty to negligent driving in Maryland juvenile court. The Mondays have accused her of negligence and of causing their daughter unnecessary emotional and physical injuries.

In August 2006, Brooke transferred schools because she didn’t want to be known as the girl who was run over by a car. The couple also say that their son Tyler, now 12, suffered serious emotional trauma from witnessing his sister get hit by the SUV.

Adult school crossing guards play an important role in making sure that school children safely cross the street. They also serve as a larger, adult presence to remind motorists that they need to exercise caution, slow down, or stop because there are kids crossing the street.

If your son or daughter was injured or killed in an Anne Arundel pedestrian accident because a driver, a school crossing guard, or another party was negligent or careless, you may be entitled to Maryland personal injury recovery. As a minor, your child cannot sue the negligent party directly for Maryland personal injury, but you can file a claim on his or her behalf.

Lawsuit claims crossing guard was negligent, HometownAnnapolis, May 4, 2009

Adult School Crossing Guard Guidelines, SRTSGuide.com

Related Web Resources:
National Strategies for Advancing Child Pedestrian Safety, CDC

Pedestrians, Safe Kids USA

This week, the Maryland Senate approved by a 43 to 4 vote a bill banning drivers from text messaging whenever they are operating their motor vehicles. If the bill becomes law, it would make reading, composing, sending, or receiving text messages a misdemeanor crime punishable by a $500 fine. Maryland would also join a growing list of states and jurisdictions, including Virginia and Washington DC, that are banning text messaging—whether on a cell phone, PDA, or IPod Touch or another device—while operating a motor vehicle.

Sending short messages via cell phone or other electronic devices is a bad habit that has grown more popular in recent years—especially among younger, more inexperienced drivers. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, one of its studies last year found that about 50% of young drivers, ages 18 – 24, text message while driving. The study found that among drivers ages 45 and older, less than 5% engaged in text messaging while operating a motor vehicle.

Text messaging is a type of distracted driving, and like all other forms of distracted driving, including talking on a handheld cellular phone, applying making, or reading the newspaper, can lead to deadly auto accidents. ABC News says that a 2006 study showed that 65% of near-motor vehicle collisions and 80% of auto crashes occur because of distracted driving.

For example, one Maryland child lost her right forearm in a catastrophic bus accident that occurred while the bus driver was texting on his cell phone. 30 people were injured in this Maryland motor vehicle accident. In another traffic accident, a 26-year-old woman died last year in a truck accident when she was struck by a tractor-trailer while the truck driver had been texting.

These kinds of catastrophic motor vehicle collisions could have been avoided if the drivers had not been engaged in distracted driving.

Md. Is Latest State to Target Text Messaging by Drivers, Washington Post, March 18, 2009

Texting While Driving Could Spell Trouble, ABC News, May 8, 2007

Driving and Dialing Bus Drivers May Case Accidents, ABC News, Feb 7, 2007

Related Web Resources:
Examination of Maryland Senate Bill 98 (PDF)

Cell Phone Driving Laws, Governors Highway Safety Association

Continue reading "Maryland Senate Votes for Text Messaging While Driving Ban" »

The winter time can be a deadly time for Washington DC and Maryland motorists if they aren’t careful. Poor visibility and icy roads can only make the outcome of an auto accident, caused by negligent or careless driving, worse. To help prevent fatal auto accidents from occurring in snowy weather and icy conditions, Forbes.com offers a list of 10 common driving mistakes that can prove fatal in the wintertime:

1) Not checking the weather before you get in the car.
2) Driving too fast under current weather conditions. This can cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle on slippery roads.
3) Following too closely behind the vehicle or snowplow equipment in front of you. Allow greater distance between you and the other motorist than you would when there isn’t snow on the road. Do not drive using cruise control when the conditions are wet.
4) Overcorrecting your car on ice.
5) Driving while you’re tired.
6) Driving when there’s poor visibility.
7) Failing to get the car winter ready. Also, make sure you have an extra key that is easily accessible in the event that you get locked out of your vehicle.
8) Driving on back roads.
9) Not carrying an emergency tool with you, such as jumper cables, a spare tire, water, dried food, a cell phone, and warm clothing.
1) Leaving your vehicle if your car stops, which could be the warmest place for you to be.

According to a University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health study:
• Poor weather is a factor in 1.5 million of the car accidents that occur every year, resulting in 800,000 injuries and 7,000 deaths.
• Almost 20% of highway deaths involved poor weather as a factor.
• Driving the day after the year’s first winter storm is the most dangerous day of the year to operate a motor vehicle.

The National Safety Council recommends a number of safety tips for winter driving, including:
• Tune your engine.
• Check your battery.
• Make sure the fluids in your car are at the correct levels.
• Make sure your car is equipped with the proper equipment, including tire chains, a snow scraper, and a snow shovel.
• Have first-aid supplies and a compass with you.

In Depth: 10 Deadly Mistakes Of Winter Driving, Forbes.com

Safe Winter Driving

Related Web Resources:
All-Weather Driving Tips, Road & Travel Magazine

Baltimore, Maryland Weather, Maryland Weather

Continue reading "Maryland and Washington DC Drivers Should Watch Out for 10 Fatal Winter Driving Mistakes" »

The National Safety Council wants all US states to ban motorists from using cell phones while driving. NSC CEO and President Janet Froetscher noted that talking on the phone while driving increases a driver’s chances of becoming involved in an auto crash by four times more than if he or she were driving without using one.

Currently, six US states have laws banning the use of hand held cell phones while driving:

• District of Columbia
• Washington
• California
• Utah
• New Jersey
• Connecticut

Seven US States have a ban on text messaging while driving:

• District of Columbia
• Connecticut
• Alaska
• New Jersey
• Washington State
• Minnesota
• Louisiana

While some localities within US states that do not have statewide bans have imposed their own cell phone restrictions, including bans on hand-held phones and text messaging and bans affecting teen drivers and school bus drivers, the states of Kentucky, Florida, Nevada, Louisiana, Oregon, Mississippi, Utah, and Louisiana prohibit their localities from imposing any such bans.

The NSC is quick to point out that just because someone is using a hands-free phone does not mean that he or she is now operating the vehicle safely. According to a Harvard Center of Risk Analysis 2003 study, cell-phone use while driving is a contributing factor in 6% of auto accidents each year. Some 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries result from such collisions.

According to a Nationwide Insurance public opinion poll, 81% of US drivers use a cell phone when driving. Froetscher notes that cellular phone use while driving is more dangerous than talking to a passenger who is in the same vehicle. While talking to a real person makes the driver aware that lives are at stake if he or she doesn’t drive safely, talking on the cell phone places the motorist’s attention not on the road and in the present moment but elsewhere.

In addition to pushing for a change in current driving laws, the NSC is advocating more education about the dangers that come from driving with a cell phone, as well as better training.

National Safety Council Calls for Nationwide Ban on Cell Phone Use While Driving, NSC.org, January 12, 2009

Safety council urges ban on cell phone use while driving, CNN.com, January 12, 2009

Related Web Resources:

Maryland Cell Phone Law, DMV.org

Washington D.C. Hands-Free Law, Driving Laws.org

Cell Phone Driving Laws, Governors Highway Safety Association

Continue reading "National Safety Council calls for nationwide ban on cell phone use while driving" »

In Baltimore County Circuit Court, Judge Susan Souder awarded Sandra Lee Meade $250,000 for personal injuries she sustained in a pedestrian accident in an Arbutus traffic construction zone more than 5 years ago. The amount is part of a high-low agreement made between Meade and general contractor Dick Corp, with a “low” of $250,000 and a “high” of $2 million.

Meade sustained traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries after she was hit by a car while crossing Westland Boulevard, which was undergoing construction, on December 3, 2003. She now lives in a Maryland nursing home.

While police placed the fault for the pedestrian accident with Meade for crossing the street illegally—she tried crossing the street diagonally to catch the bus to work—Meade’s Maryland car accident lawyer accused Dick Corp. of failing to put in place a maintenance of traffic plan. He noted the "willy-nilly" placement of barricades and lines that were incorrectly painted on the road.

The car driver, who says he did not see her until she was on his vehicle, was not charged in the accident. He is not named as a defendant in Meade’s Maryland personal injury lawsuit, which her sons filed against Dick Corp. The lawsuit sought $8 million in damages on her behalf. Following the Maryland personal injury trial, a Baltimore County jury found general contractor Dick Corp. negligent but not responsible for Meade’s Maryland pedestrian accident.

High-Low Agreements
In a high-low agreement, the defendant and plaintiff are in accord that a case’s verdict will be no more than a set maximum and no less than a set minimum. If the jury verdict reached is greater than the “high” set by the agreement, the plaintiff receives no more than the maximum amount agreed upon with the defendant. If the verdict is below the “low” set by the agreement, then the plaintiff receives no less than the agreed upon minimum.

Woman struck in work zone to get $250K, The Daily Record, November 16, 2008

Related Web Resource:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

At University Boulevard and Piney Branch Road, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and other officials launched their Pedestrian Safety Initiative last week. Leggett’s Pedestrian Safety Initiative include:

• Targeting high-incidence areas where pedestrian injuries and deaths have occurred.
• Evaluating and enhancing pedestrian connectivity and network needs.
• Improving pedestrian signals.
• Evaluating and upgrading street lighting.
• Enforcing and educating drivers and pedestrians.

According to Recent Montgomery County Pedestrian Accident Statistics:

• About 400 pedestrians are injured each year.
• There are approximately 14 pedestrian fatalities annually.
• Motor vehicle collisions involving pedestrians is a major traffic safety problem in the county.
• Some 430 motor vehicle-pedestrian collisions happen each year.

The Piney Branch Road section is the first of several “high Incidence areas” in the county where pedestrian safety and injury prevention enhancements will be implemented. And with 29 pedestrian deaths taking place on University Boulevard between 1995 and 2005, this road that runs through both Prince George’s and Montgomery County is ranked as the number one deadliest street in the area for pedestrians.

Leggett Announces New Pedestrian Safety Initiative; Strategic Plan Designed to Reduce Collisions and Make County More Walkable, Montgomery County, September 4, 2008

Leggett Launches Pedestrian Safety Effort, WashingtonPost.com, September 3, 2008

Related Web Resources:

NHTSA

Pedestrian Safety, FHWA

Continue reading "Montgomery County, Maryland Launches Pedestrian Safety Campaign " »

In Maryland, investigators say that a police officer was speeding when he hit a 12-year-old pedestrian with his car in April in Montgomery County. Their probe found that Montgomery County Police Officer Jason Cokinos was driving more than 25 mph above the speed limit when he hit Luis Jovel with his car. Jovel was crossing the street close to his home in Clarskburg when the Maryland traffic accident happened.

Investigators says that the pedestrian accident would not have occurred if Cokinos, who was riding his cruiser while off duty, wasn't speeding above the 30 mph speed limit. The report quotes the 23-year-old police officer as saying that he thought the speed limit was 40 mph.

Jovel suffered brain damage and is still in rehab. No criminal charges have been filed against Cokinos, who is back at work. He did receive two traffic violations related to the crash.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 4,654 pedestrian deaths and 80,000 pedestrians injured in the United States in 2007.

The WalkingInfo.org Web site says:

• 5 to 9-year-old male pedestrians are at high risk for becoming injured in a pedestrian accident.

• 65% of pedestrian accidents happen at non-intersections, especially those involving young kids that may run out onto the street.

• Pedestrian accidents are more likely to occur during the busy morning and afternoon rush hours.

• Deadly pedestrian crashes are more likely to happen after 5pm.

Report: Speeding Caused Police Cruiser To Hit 12-Year-Old, WJLA.com, August 26, 2008

Officer was speeding when he hit Clarksburg boy, report says, Gazette.net, August 21, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Speeding, SafeRoads.org

Crash Statistics, WalkingInfo.org

Continue reading "Maryland Investigators Say Montgomery County Police Officer Was Speeding When He Hit 12-Year-Old Pedestrian" »

The baby of a New York woman who was struck by a runaway van and pinned under a bus while she was still pregnant with him has died. Sean Michael Justin Sanz passed away in intensive care on August 22 after being born prematurely on August 14.

His mother, New York Traffic Agent Donnette Sanz, underwent an emergency cesarean section procedure to deliver him. She died soon after.

Some 30 people tried to lift the front of the bus off the pregnant traffic agent. She was then rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital. The driver of the van was Walter Walker, a 72-year-old man with an extensive history of traffic offenses. In a statement to the New York Post, Walker said that his brakes wouldn’t work, and he tried to stop his van to avoid hitting Sanz.

Wrongful Death
Family members that have lost loved ones in accidents may be entitled to compensation from the liable party or parties. In Maryland, barring certain exceptions noted by the state’s wrongful death statute, the husband, wife, son, daughter, mother or father of the deceased can file a claim for wrongful death. If the decedent has no primary beneficiaries, secondary beneficiaries may be entitled to claim recovery.

Depending on the specifics of the case, wrongful death damages may include compensation for mental trauma, emotional trauma, loss of companionship, loss of society, loss of comfort, loss of parental care, loss of filial care, and other damages.

Dad loses his miracle: Bus baby's tragic death leaves pa numb with grief, NYDailyNews.com, August 22, 2008

Bystanders Lift Bus Off Pregnant Mom, CBSNews.com, August 15, 2008

Related Web Resource:

Maryland: Wrongful Death and Intestacy Statutes, USDoj.gov

Continue reading "Newborn Baby Delivered Prematurely After Pregnant Mother Was Struck by Runaway Van is Dead " »

An 11-month girl was injured after she was struck by a van that collided with an MTA light rail train on Thursday in Downtown Baltimore, Maryland. She was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital’s pediatric center.

The driver of the van was a U.S. Naval Academy midshipman. He also was taken to a local hospital but did not sustain any serious injuries. Several light rail passengers are reporting injuries from the accident.

The motor vehicle collision occurred early in the morning. The van reportedly ran a red light and was struck by the MTA light rail train. The force of the collision caused the van to spin onto the sidewalk and strike the stroller with the toddler in it.

If you believe that someone you love was seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident, you should contact our Maryland personal injury law firm right away. Our motor vehicle accident attorneys also handle cases involving injuries to minors.

Running a Red Light
Running a red light is a commonly occurring traffic violation that can lead to serious injuries for other drivers and pedestrians and cause serious property damage to motor vehicles involved in any related collisions.

According to the NHTSA, there were over 3,500 traffic accidents in Maryland involving red light violations in 1995—resulting in 34 fatalities and 4,256 injuries. Maryland is one of a handful of U.S. states that use red-light cameras in a few areas—including Montgomery and Prince George’s counties—in an effort to prevent people from running red lights.

Types of Accidents from Running a Red Light, include:
• Colliding with cars coming from the left or ride side of the driver’s path that now have green light authorization to move forward.
• Striking a pedestrian.

Rail commute delayed, several injured in downtown collision, Baltimore Sun, March 20, 2008

Red Light Violations in Maryland, NHTSA

Related Web Resources:

D.C. Red-Light Cameras Fail to Reduce Accidents, Washington Post, October 4, 2005

Red Light Running, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Continue reading "1 Toddler and Several Others Injured When MTA Train and Van Collide in Baltimore, Maryland" »

At least eight people are dead and five others injured in Accokeek, Maryland, after a car accidentally plowed into a group of people watching an illegal car race on the side of Route 210—also known as Indian Head Highway—at around 3:30 in the morning in Prince George’s County.

One woman who was in the crowd, Crystal Gaines, was able to grab her daughter out of the way. Her father, William Gaines Sr., 61, had a broken leg. He was unable to move away in time and is among those who died.

While CNN is reporting that there were 50 people in the crowd, one witness told Newsday that about 200 to 300 people had gathered to watch two cars speed racing down the road. The people moved into the road as the cars drove away and that was when the accident happened.

Some people that were struck in the crash flew as high as 15 feet in the air. Police had to circulate photos of the dead bodies so that family and friends could identify their loved ones.

The driver, in a Ford Crown Victoria, says he did not see the crowd because the smoke from the cars racing away made visibility difficult. Crystal Gaines, however, claims that the driver did not have the headlights of the car on.

Her brother, William Gaines Jr. said the Ford was moving so fast that he didn’t see the car until it had struck the crowd. Another person may have been injured when a tractor-trailer, trying to avoid the accident scene, have also hit someone. The victims ages range from 20s to 60’s.

Street races are a common occurrence on Indian Head Highway—although the races usually involve motorcycles. Police have placed speed traps and radar in the area.

Car accidents can lead to fatal injuries for pedestrians—especially when someone is struck by an auto, bus, truck, or motorcycle that is moving at a fast rate.

Our Maryland motor vehicle accident law firm can determine who is liable for your injuries or the death of your loved one and help you deal with insurance companies and the other party or parties so that you can recover for your losses.

Missing 8 killed by car at illegal racing site in Maryland, Newsday, February 17, 2008

Missing Street-race crash kills 8 in crowd, CNN, February 16, 2008

Related Web Resource:

Missing Should you pursue a personal injury claim? Nolo

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Continue reading "Eight People Killed in Maryland After Being Hit By Car During Street-Race" »