Maryland Accident Law Blog

Maryland Says Allstate Must Repay $17.5 Million To More Than 20,000 Auto Insurance Policy Holders

October 26, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The state of Maryland says that insurance company Allstate must refund $17.5 million to more 20,000 auto insurance policy holders. According to the Maryland Insurance Commissioner’s office, the administration had received numerous complaints after the property and casualty insurer had sent premium increase notices to policyholders between January 2003 and March 2005 without detailing the violation or accident that each policyholder had committed which led to the premium increase. Refunds will average $850, and Allstate is being fined $100,000 for not complying with state law by sending the premiums without the required information.

A spokesperson for Allstate says that every policyholder who received the notice of a premium increase had a past violation or accident that justified the increase. They admit, however, that the specific statutory language was missing and have expressed their regret for the error.

Auto insurance laws in the State of Maryland require that all drivers must have:

Near Clarksburg, Maryland, Crash And Burn Accident Involving Flatbed Truck And Car On I-270 Leaves One Woman In Hospital With Burn Injuries

October 24, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland State Police are investigating a vehicle-related accident that took place Near Clarksburg, Maryland last Friday when a car moving south on northbound I-270 crossed a median, hit a flatbed truck, and caught on fire. The woman was pulled out of the truck and is being treated for life-threatening injuries, including burns.

According to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences:

· A burn is defined as tissue damage caused by a variety of agents, such as heat, chemicals, electricity, sunlight, or nuclear radiation. Most common are burns caused by scalds, building fires, flammable liquids, and gases.

Medical Malpractice Claims Attributed To 60% Physician Error In New Report

October 19, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine says that in almost 60% of cases, basic doctor-related errors played a role in incidents where patients were allegedly injured due to delayed or missed diagnosis.

Researches reviewed 307 medical malpractice claims from four U.S.-based malpractice insurance companies:

· 187 of these claims allegedly involved diagnostic errors that ended up harming patients

In Waldorf, Maryland, Cadillac, Dump Truck, and Police Cruiser Involved In Six-Vehicle Accident on Crain Highway

October 18, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Charles County Police are looking into a multi-vehicle accident that occurred last Thursday on the 2800 block of Crain Highway in Waldorf, Maryland.

Initial reports say that on the morning of October 12, a 1989 Cadillac driven by Shirley Ann Watson, 69, is believed to have drifted into the lane where Indian Head resident Charles Hurbert Posey, 79, was driving a dump truck. The Cadillac reportedly hit the truck’s front right tire. The dump truck is then said to have gone over the median, hit a Charles County Sheriff’s Office cruiser, and struck a pickup truck driven by Fort Washington’s Donald Raymond Lloyd,60. The pickup truck is said to have flipped over as a result. A Toyota matrix driven by Waldorf’s William Curry Peel, 74, hit debris from the cruiser, while a sixth vehicle managed to avoid the multi-vehicle collision and hit a curb instead.

Lloyd was taken to Prince George’s Hospital Center by a Maryland State Police helicopter and treated for injuries. Posey and his passenger were treated for minor injuries at Southern Maryland Hospital Center.

In Maryland, Two Senior Pedestrians Die In Perry Hall After Being Hit By A Dodge Van

October 17, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

County police in Maryland say that there have now been two pedestrian fatalities as a result of the October 6 accident in Perry Hall where, that night, a Dodge van hit two pedestrians who were crossing the 9600 block of Belair Road.

One of the pedestrians, Anne Silk, 69, died at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center that night. The other pedestrian, Anne Dauria, 77, died a few days later. Police are investigating the cause of the accident. The driver of the van was not hurt.

The CDC says that in 1999:

In Maryland, Accidental Drowning Of Anne Arundel County 5-Year Old Renews Calls For Greater Pool Safety

October 13, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The June 22 death of 5-Year-Old Connor Freed is causing residents and lawmakers to reevaluate whether there should be more monitoring and regulating of Maryland’s swimming pools.

Freed drowned this past summer at the Crofton Country Club. His parents later filed a $20 million wrongful death suit against the club and its pool management company. The suit claims that the club and company did not do enough to make sure there were enough experienced lifeguards on site.

Freed’s family has established the Connor Cares Foundation and hopes to persuade lawmakers to create new laws that will ensure stricter safety and security around pools in Maryland.

Maryland To Revoke Driver’s Licenses Of Underage Drunk Drivers For One Year

October 9, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Beginning October 1, 2006, underage drivers who are charged with drunk driving will lose their driver’s license for 12 months. According to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, there were 9,090 motor vehicle-related accidents caused by drunk drivers in 2003. 12% of those accidents involved teen drivers. The previous penalty for underage drivers arrested for drunk driving was the revocation of their license for 6 months.

The tougher penalties were approved by the Maryland General Assembly in April 2006.

In 2003, according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

Hagerstown Woman Injured During 2005 Car Accident Files A Personal Injury Lawsuit Against The Maryland Symphony Orchestra

October 6, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In Washington County Circuit Court last week, attorneys for Elisa Devore filed a personal injury lawsuit against The Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Inc., Orchestra Manager Sharon Ahrens, and Ahren’s insurance company.

Devore says that on April 19, 2005, she was forced to swerve into a guardrail after Ahrens crossed a median on Interstate 70, west of Md. 66, and hit another car in a head on collision. Devore says she swerved into the guardrail to avoid hitting the two-car collision. She is also suing the MSO because Ahrens had just returned from a rehearsal with the symphony. Devore claims that she injured most of her body parts in the accident and that Ahrens’s insurance policy did not cover all the injuries she sustained. She is asking for $100,000.

According to the Maryland DMV.org, the state of Maryland requires three types of insurance coverage:

In Maryland City, Three People Are Injured As Police Chase Stolen Truck

October 5, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In Maryland City last week, three people were injured on September 27 when a stolen Dodge Durango that was being chased by police hit two vehicles on Brock Bridge Road. Police say the truck hit a Honda minivan and a Mercury minivan. The driver of the Honda minivan, Lavinia Ann Solan and her passenger Beverly Gales sustained critical injuries. The driver of the Mercury Minivan, Monalisa Gribble, was treated for her nonfatal injuries at Laurel Regional Hospital.

The driver of the Durango, a 17-year-old male, has been charged with multiple traffic violations and felony theft. Anne Arundel County police say he was speeding at 46 mph in a 25 mph zone.

A person who has been critically injured in a car accident due to the negligence of another driver may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit. Involvement in a hit and run accident or drunk driving incident may also make you eligible to file a claim.

In Washington D.C.,A 7-Year-Old Child Is Hit By A Car On Stanton Road

October 4, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Yesterday, A 7-year-old child was hit by a motor vehicle after she ran onto the 2900 block of Stanton Road. According to police, the child is being treated for bruises and scrapes. This is the second child pedestrian-related accident on a D.C. street in the last few days.Just five days ago, 4-year-old girl was killed by a truck.

In 2005, According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA):

· 64, 000 pedestrians were injured.