June 29, 2009

Maryland Car Accident on I-70 Kills Two; Police Blame Illegal Street Racing

A Baltimore County car crash that left two young people dead and another in critical condition is believed to have been caused by illegal drag racing, authorities report.

Two bystanders were killed and two suffered personal injury last Sunday when one car crashed into another on the westbound side of Interstate 70. Witnesses reported that a crowd had gathered to watch drag racers on the eastbound side of I-70 where the highway abruptly ends. Police had been observing this little-used area of the highway, which is tempting to amateur street racers. Cars parked on the roadside began to leave when they spotted the police cruiser. According to news reports, that's when a 2009 Chevy Impala struck the rear of a 2004 Chevy Cavalier.

The crash set off a chain reaction and two young bystanders on the shoulder of the road -- a woman age 22 and a man age 20 -- were struck and killed. A third bystander was struck and treated for serious personal injury and released, and a fourth was in critical condition at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

The stretch of highway where this fatal Maryland accident occurred is the result of a blocked expansion of the interstate into Baltimore city dating back to the 1960s. Maryland State Police and State Highway Administration officials are looking into ways to curb illegal street racing, including the use of video cameras and rumble strips.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Justice (DOJ), there is no database of street racing related fatalities at this time. A report for law enforcement published by the DOJ (see link below) notes that illegal drag racing has been depicted in films for years, including Rebel Without a Cause, American Graffiti, and Grease, and most recently in The Fast and the Furious. Identifying drag racing locations -- such as this site in Baltimore County, Maryland where young lives were lost -- is among the steps the DOJ recommends for police and highway authorities who seek to curb illegal street racing in their states and communities.

Md. police look to deter racing after deadly crash
Examiner.com June 22, 2009

Related Web Resources

Racers Against Street Racing

U.S. Department of Justice
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Street Racing: Problem-Oriented Guides for Police

June 22, 2009

Baltimore Drivers Ranked Among the Most Courteous in the Nation

A national survey conducted by auto club AutoVantage rates Baltimore, Maryland, as the USA's no.-3 most courteous city to drive in. Does this surprise you? Or sound about right? The top city was Portland, Oregon, followed by Cleveland, then our beloved city.

The AutoVantage survey was conducted to determine the causes of road rage, which can lead to car and truck accidents, personal injury, and wrongful death on the road. New York City ranked no. 1 for having the angriest and most aggressive drivers, unseating long-time champ Miami, which had topped the list for the past 4 surveys. NYC was followed by Dallas Fort Worth and Detroit as the places with the worst road rage.

The survey found that the top causes of road rage were other drivers driving badly (i.e., speeding, tailgating, failing to use turn signals, cutting each other off, or close-shave lane changing), talking on cell phones, and making obscene gestures. Other causes included bad weather, road construction, or simply people who are tired, angry, stressed, in a hurry, or otherwise "having a bad day." That pretty much covers just about everyone on the road, wouldn't you say? Yet Baltimore's courteous drivers have made the national news. Go Baltimore!

Baltimore car accident attorneys like us often see the worst in the area's drivers when we go to court to fight for clients who've been hurt in accidents due to the negligence or recklessness of others. It's good to hear positive news like that reported in the survey.

So let's give Baltimore drivers a hand for being so courteous. But still watch it out there when you're driving on our roads and highways and bridges: it's the minority of drivers who are rude, aggressive, angry -- and worse -- who can cause trouble leading to serious Maryland car crashes.

AutoVantage Road Rage Survey Reveals Best, Worst Cities
The Auto Channel June 16, 2009

Top Road Rage Cities: Baltimore Is Charming
abc2news.com June 16, 2009

June 16, 2009

Cecil County Man Killed in Hit and Run Traffic Accident

News sources reported that a man from Cecil County, Maryland, died when he was struck by a truck as he loaded a moped into his parked vehicle.

According to news reports, this Maryland hit-and-run death occurred in the early evening on June 12. The victim, a 44-year-old Elkton man, was crushed between his car and the pickup truck that hit him, driven by a 55-year old man. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Charges may be filed against the driver of the truck, pending a decision by the Cecil County State Attorney. This fatal car truck accident occurred on Elkton, Maryland area roads.

The U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has examined hit & run car accidents in the context of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. NHTSA reports that "it is well-known to law enforcement that many drivers flee the scene of a nighttime crash to conceal their alcohol-impairment." (Source: "Open Container Laws And Alcohol Involved Crashes," NHTSA, DOT HS 809 426, April 2002.)

According to Maryland state law, drivers involved in serious motor vehicle crashes are to remain at or as close to the accident scene as possible without obstructing traffic. The exact circumstances of this fatal Cecil County traffic accident remain under investigation.

Cecil Co. Man Killed in Hit-And-Run
WBOC 16 News June 15, 2009

Related Web Resource

Cecil County Maryland Government

June 8, 2009

Maryland Workers Compensation: The Top 3 Reasons Employers Tell Injured Workers Not to File (And Why You Shouldn't Listen to Them)

In our work as Maryland Workers Comp attorneys, we hear this all the time: People who are hurt on the job will say, "My employer said that I don't need to file for workers' compensation because we have disability insurance." Or, "They said they would pay me under the table while I take time off to recuperate." Or, "They said they would continue to pay me legitimately (i.e., on the books) while I'm off."

Those are the BIG 3 EXCUSES we hear employers using to discourage injured workers from filing Maryland Workers Comp cases. What happens in those scenarios, inevitably, is the employee gets paid for the time that they're off, but they really get shorted on the two most important things:

1. They don't get compensated for any permanent physical problems they're having.

2. Since they haven't filed a claim, if they have trouble down the road and they need surgery or additional treatment -- they’re likely to be completely out of luck. Because at that point, the employer will never pay for the expense of surgery and follow up treatment and medications, which could be $50,000 or more. Even worse, they may have missed the two (2) year Statute of Limitations, in which case they are in real trouble.

This is something we feel strongly that Maryland injury lawyers need to relay to people:

The real reason you file a work comp case isn't to get paid in the short run, it's to protect yourself in the long run.

Especially nowadays.

Why Workers Comp in Maryland Protects Injured Employees
Back in the day, our parents and grandparents tended to work for the same employer or just a handful of employers for their entire careers. Say you worked for a company and you knew the president, "Old Man Jenkins," since you were a little boy, and he coached you in Little League. You knew that if you were hurt in his shop, he would protect you, even if 10 years later that injury acted up again.

But it's not like that now. People change jobs yearly. And if you're injured at work and you haven't filed a claim and documented it, a doctor cannot make a "causal connection" if your injury flares up in the future and you need surgery or treatment. You're going to lose that work comp case if you've sat on your rights, because there's no way on earth you can link a current problem to a past work injury without proper medical and legal documentation.

In Maryland, you have two years to file a work comp case. Filing and winning are totally different things. Employees who report their injuries right away and document them, and who seek legal counsel from a qualified Workers Comp attorney, are the ones who fare best in the Maryland state system. Don't be afraid of offending or inconveniencing your employer. Your rights come first.

Related Web Resources

Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission

Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

May 27, 2009

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Accident: Maryland Families File Lawsuit Over Traffic Deaths

This past Memorial Day weekend, hoards of Baltimore, Maryland, and other Mid-Atlantic residents and visitors traversed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The dual-span bridge is one of Baltimore's most memorable historic landmarks and the subject of picture postcards. It's also been the subject of controversy surrounding its maintenance, repair and safety, and the site of Baltimore traffic accidents -- some of them deadly.

If you live or work in the Baltimore-Washington Metro area and you use the bridge to get where you need to go, you've no doubt been driven crazy time and time again by the bottlenecks that occur on the Bay Bridge. You've experienced headaches and frustration due to the ongoing redecking and restoration project, which causes officials to close lanes in spans of the bridge. If you don't like heights, being stuck in a traffic jam over the water isn't your favorite place to be. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we're aware of the legal cases that arise following traffic accidents on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

For example, a current lawsuit in the news concerns a fatal car crash that occurred on the Bay Bridge in 2007. The families of three men killed in a multi-car accident are suing the Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) and a number of drivers for $19 million. The accident occurred when a trailer being pulled by an SUV disconnected, setting off a chain reaction that involved multiple vehicles. Three men were killed and five other people suffered injuries.

According to a recent news report, the attorney for the clients suing the state in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, court asserts that the MDTA knew accidents had previously happened during two-way traffic on one span of the bridge that did not have a barrier. The state is claiming that two-way traffic was not a factor in this fatal Chesapeake Bay Bridge accident.

In 2008, a harrowing tractor-trailer truck accident on the Bay Bridge involving two other cars -- one of which was driven by a woman who, according to news reports, said she fell asleep at the wheel following a wedding -- caused the truck to hit the sides and go over the side of the bridge, killing the truck driver. The truck, which swerved to avoid the car, broke through the bridge's railing -- causing the structure's safety to be questioned.

Lawsuit accuses state of negligence in fatal crash
Examiner.com April 25, 2009

Bay Bridge Crash: 'It Was Like a Bomb Had Gone Off'
The Washington Post August 12, 2008

Related Web Resources

Maryland Transportation Authority Homepage

MDTA Bay Bridge

Wikipedia: Chesapeake Bay Bridge

May 21, 2009

Maryland Car Bike Accident Injures Two on Bike to Work Day

According to the Annapolis, Maryland police, two bicyclists were hospitalized last Friday for injuries suffered in an Anne Arundel County bicycle-car accident. The accident took place when a motorist parked on Main Street in Annapolis opened his car door into the path of the oncoming cyclists. One injured cyclist was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center and the other to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

The accident occurred on Bike to Work Day, a national and regional event to promote bicycling as an alternative means of transportation. The event attracted more than 1,000 riders in Baltimore. An experienced Maryland car accident lawyer helps families of a bicyclist injured or killed in a traffic accident determine if they have a legitimate claim against the operator of a motor vehicle.

Maryland Bicycle Traffic Accident Statistics and Helmet Laws
As we've discussed in the past, when motorcycle accidents occur on Maryland's highways and roadways, the operator is often at a huge disadvantage when a car, SUV, or truck accident occurs. Bicycle riders are at a disadvantage for many of the same reasons that put motorcyclists at risk: it takes them longer to brake and stop, they are more exposed to weather conditions and obstacles in the roadway, and when they are involved in a traffic accident, they are physically vulnerable to catastrophic injuries.

In 2007, 698 bicyclists died due to injuries suffered in accidents on our nation's roadways, accounting for 2 percent of all traffic fatalities. Of the 614 Maryland traffic deaths that occurred that year, 7 were pedacyclists. (Source: NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts 2007 Data: Bicyclists and Other Cyclists.)

The Maryland Bicycle Helmet Law "requires all bicyclists under the age of 16 to wear a bicycle safety helmet when riding on public property." Certain counties in Maryland have their own laws. For example, in Montgomery County, the law applies to riders under 18, and in Sykesville, Maryland, bicyclists of all ages must wear a safety helmet.

2 bicyclists hospitalized after accident in Annapolis
BaltimoreSun.com May 15, 2009

Bike to Work Day attracts record number of riders
BaltimoreSun.com May 15, 2009

Related Web Resources

Maryland’s Bicycle Helmet Law

Baltimore Metropolitan Council: Bike to Work Day 2009

May 15, 2009

Cecil County, Maryland Truck Driver Dies in Conn. Highway Accident

A trucker from Cecil County has been killed in a commercial truck accident on Connecticut's Interstate 95. According to news reports, Woodrow Phelps Jr., 68, of Elkton, Maryland, was killed May 13 when his tractor-trailer rig, heading northbound on I-95 in Milton, Connecticut, around 5:30 a.m., struck an SUV, setting off a chain-reaction.

News reports say six vehicles were involved in the chain reaction accident, including one other tractor trailer. According to State Police, Phelps, who had been driving a 2005 Freightliner for Penske Truck Leasing, struck an SUV that was merging onto the highway from a right-lane on-ramp. Phelps was pronounced dead at the scene. The SUV driver, who complained of leg pain, was taken to an area hospital.

The Associated Press reported that stretch of highway where the fatal motor vehicle crash occurred was undergoing work by the Department of Transportation, with traffic reduced to one lane. Police reported that the work crew was picking up from an overnight project when the accident occurred. Highway traffic was closed for eight hours following the crash. State police are investigating this fatal highway accident.

Maryland Large Truck Accident Statistics
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in Maryland in 2007, large trucks were involved in 69 roadway deaths. Because of their sheer size and weight, large commercial trucks need more room to brake, stop, and maneuver than passenger cars.

Maryland Intersection and Roadway Departure Accidents
As experienced Maryland car truck accident lawyers see in too many of their cases, roadway on-ramps, off-ramps, and intersections are frequently involved in fatal accident scenes.

NHTSA reports that in Maryland in 2007, of the total 614 traffic fatalities, 120 deaths involved intersections and more than half -- 362 fatalities -- involved a roadway departure (which is defined by the Federal Highway Administration as when a driver leaves his or her lane to the right or the left). Roadway departure crashes tend to be more severe, cause the majority of highway accidents, and account for 59% of all U.S. traffic fatalities (Source: FHWA.gov).

Trucker from Md. dies in crash on I-95 in Conn.
BaltimoreSun.com May 14, 2009

Police Continue Probe Of Fatal Truck Crash On I-95 In Milford
Hartford Courant.com May 13, 2009

Related Web Resource
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Safety Program


May 8, 2009

Baltimore County Single-Vehicle Accidents: Causes and Fatalities

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that single-vehicle traffic deaths in Baltimore County, Maryland have declined in recent years -- 45 deaths in 2007, as compared to 51 deaths in 2003. (Source: NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts for Baltimore County 2003-2007).

Single motor vehicle crashes may be caused by a number of factors, including


  • driving under the influence

  • driving while fatigued or distracted

  • exceeding the speed limit or going too fast for road conditions

  • weather and road conditions

  • swerving to avoid road debris, animals, or other obstacles

  • swerving to avoid another driver

  • errors in driver judgment causing loss of vehicle control

The Baltimore County Police Department offers maps of traffic fatalities and causes for 2002 - 2007 (see link below). NHTSA reports that overall Baltimore County traffic deaths have been on the decline -- 72 deaths in 2007, down from 86 deaths in 2003.

While statistics show improvement in Baltimore County's overall vehicle accident fatality rates, that's of little comfort if you're one of the unfortunate families who loses someone in a fatal car, SUV, truck accident or motorcycle crash.

Even in single vehicle collisions, another driver may be held liable if they cause you to have an accident. Actual vehicle-to-vehicle contact is not necessary. For example, let's say someone comes barreling toward your car on a dark evening, swerves and enters your lane of travel--causing you to leave the roadway and have an accident. If this driver can be identified, they are going to held liable for causing an accident, even if they do not hit your vehicle. Even if the driver flees the scene in this scenario, you would still be eligible to file what is called a "phantom vehicle" claim with your insurance company. Your company would then "stand in the shoes" of the at-fault driver, and (hopefully) negotiate a settlement with you or your attorney.

Finally, defective automotive equipment, tires, or faulty repairs could have contributed to the accident, and if so, the mechanic or manufacturer can be held liable for their negligence. A Baltimore County accident lawyer relieves grieving families of the burden of filing claims and when necessary, litigating to bring a responsible party to justice.

Baltimore County Maryland Traffic Fatality Maps

NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts: Maryland 2003-2007

Related Web Resources

Baltimore County Police Department

Roadtrip America: Wear Your Seat Belt

April 28, 2009

Maryland Construction Accidents: Stricter Crane Regulations May Save Lives

With the goal of reducing Md. construction injuries and deaths, the state has added teeth to what are already among the strictest crane regulations in the country.

New regulations went into effect for Maryland earlier this month following several serious construction crane incidents, such as a fatal Anne Arundel County accident that occurred in April 2008. According to a Baltimore news report, workers in Annapolis Towne Centre were dismantling an end section of a crane when an accident occurred, crushing a construction worker between two sections of the crane 200 feet up. Another worker was injured.

The new regulations will require all construction workers operating cranes as well as those who load and signal them to receive intensive training on the equipment. Employers are now required to carry out daily inspections and to keep training records. Maryland Labor and Industry Commissioner Ronald Julius told a local news outlet that state inspectors will be checking on projects where construction cranes are in use.

A Maryland workers compensation lawyer helps workers who've been injured on the job and their families determine whether the accident occurred due to negligence on the part of the employer. Construction is an industry fraught with hazards: Of all industry sectors, construction jobs rank with the most work-related deaths. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), one of every five work-related deaths occurs in construction.

Maryland Construction Worker Deaths and Crane Accidents
NIOSH (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) reports that while construction employs about 6% of the country's workforce, the industry comprises 20% of work-related fatalities. In 2006, the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) department reported 34 deaths in the Maryland construction industry. Federal and state regulations are put in place to keep these hard workers safe on the job. We hope the new Maryland crane regulations will do just that.

Stricter Crane Regulations In Effect
WJZ.com April 7, 2009

Related Web Resources

Maryland Crane Safety Regulations

Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH)

OSHA: Crane, Derrick, and Hoist Safety

April 20, 2009

Officer Pleads Guilty in Fatal Harford County Drunk Driving Crash on Maryland I-95

A county police officer involved in a Harford County hit-and-run accident that took a man's life may face up to seven years in prison. Officer Dane Hall, 29, of Perryville, Maryland, plead guilty to negligent homicide while intoxicated in addition to leaving the scene of an accident in the death of Antonio Martinez, 28.

In this unfortunate case -- as we Maryland car accident lawyers have seen time and time again -- the lives of not one but two families are changed forever when someone's alcohol-impaired driving causes a car accident that takes someone's life.

According to news reports, Hall admitted he had been drinking with several other police officers at an after-shift party the night of January 27, 2008. Hall left the party in the early morning hours of Jan. 28 and drove his Nissan Pathfinder into the back of Martinez's Ford Explorer on I-95 near the Maryland House rest stop. The impact sent the Explorer spinning out of control before it flipped over and landed in the southbound lane.

Officer Hall claimed that though he thought he hit something and knew his airbag deployed, he didn't see anything and drove his vehicle home. State Police found his license plate in the wreckage, linking Hall to the fatal accident. Hall will be sentenced July 24 and could face up to 7 years in prison -- the maximum sentence allowed in the plea agreement with the state.

This case of a Harford County, Maryland police officer convicted in a fatal hit-and-run drunk driving accident shows that alcohol-impaired driving can affect anyone, regardless of their profession.

Harford County, Maryland Car Accident Statistics
According to National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) data gathered for the year 2007...

  • Of the 29 traffic fatalities in Harford County, 6 deaths involved alcohol-impaired driving.
  • In comparison, Harford County drunk-driving deaths were lower than in neighboring Baltimore County, which saw 31 traffic fatalities due to alcohol-impaired driving (urban areas in Maryland have a higher traffic fatality rate than in rural areas). In nearby Carroll County, 1 of the 21 traffic deaths was due to drunk driving.
  • The state of Maryland had 614 traffic fatalities during that year, and of those, 179 deaths were attributed to drunk driving.

County officer guilty in fatal wreck
HometownAnnapolis.com April 18, 2009

NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts for Maryland 2003-2007 (searchable by county)

Related Web Resources

Harford County, MD, Government Home Page

Maryland State Police

April 14, 2009

Baltimore County Motor Vehicle Accidents: Fatalities Down for Cars & Trucks (But Up for Motorcycles and DUIs)

Last week, NHTSA announced that projected numbers of motor vehicle fatalities across the U.S. in 2008 will fall to a near 50-year low (the actual counts will be released this August). A continued drop in Maryland traffic accident deaths is expected, in keeping with trends across the country. Let's look at some Maryland car crash statistics available today:

  • In 2007, a total of 614 people died in motor vehicle accidents in Maryland, down from 650 fatalities in 2003.
  • Of those 614 fatalities, 179 involved alcohol-impaired driving and 216 involved speeding.
  • More people died in urban traffic accidents (369 deaths) as compared to rural locations (245 fatalities) in Maryland in 2007.

Baltimore County, Maryland Traffic Accident Statistics
The NHTSA website allows visitors to research Maryland traffic deaths by years, county, and type of accident. Let's look at Baltimore County, for example.

  • In 2007, Baltimore County traffic accidents caused 72 fatalities, as compared to 86 deaths in 2003.
  • Single-vehicle crashes caused 45 deaths in 2007, down from 51 deaths in 2003
  • Large truck accidents caused 6 deaths in 2007, down from 8 deaths in 2003
  • 17 pedestrians died in motor vehicle accidents in 2007, down from 21 in 2003
  • Motorcycle crash fatalities increased, up from 7 deaths in 2003 to 13 deaths in 2007
  • Alcohol-impaired driving deaths also went up, from 24 in 2003 to 31 in 2007

Public safety programs and laws measure their effectiveness with statistics. So any time the numbers of traffic fatalities go down, we know something is working. But what we've also learned as Baltimore County car accident lawyers is that behind the stats are people. For every single traffic fatality there is a story of somebody going somewhere who didn't make it. Fewer deaths on Marylands roads and highways is always good news. But like we've said before, even one motor vehicle accident death is too many when it's someone you love (or you).

NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts for Maryland 2003-2007

NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts for Baltimore County 2003-2007

Related Web Resource

Baltimore County, MD, Government Home Page

April 7, 2009

Maryland Car Accident Statistics: NHTSA Reports Fatalities Down to 1961 Level

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) predicts that the nation's motor vehicle traffic fatalities for 2008 will have declined to a level not seen since 1961. NHTSA projects that the total number of traffic-related fatalities for the U.S. in 2008 will be 37,313 deaths -- down 9.1 percent from the 2007 statistic of 41,059 fatalities. (NHTSA will report the actual numbers in August 2009.)

NHTSA attributes the decline in car crash deaths to a number of factors, including...

  • improvements in motor vehicle technology

  • tougher enforcement of seat belt laws

  • law enforcement efforts to get repeat drunk-driving offenders off the road

  • an increase in use of public transportation

  • fewer people driving due to higher gas prices and the economy

Maryland Car Crash Fatalities
Maryland is among 16 states to achieve a 90% or more rate of seat-belt use along with our neighbors Delaware and District of Columbia. Michigan had the highest seat-belt use rate of 97%, while Wyoming, Massachusetts and New Hampshire had the lowest rates, with less than 70 percent of drivers in those states buckling up.

In 2007, there were 614 Maryland car crash deaths (NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts, Maryland 2003-2007). In the new report, Maryland, DC and Delaware, which are in NHTSA region 3, are expected to see a 12% decline in fatalities in 2008 as compared to 2007 -- one of the highest rates of car crash fatality decline in the country. Interestingly, the region with the highest expected decline in car crash fatalities -- region 1, New England, expected to see a decline of 14% -- has some of the same states with the lowest rate of seat belt use. Region 6, which includes Texas and surrounding states, is expected to have the lowest decline of just a little over 1% -- but a decline in deaths nonetheless.

Of course, even one motor-vehicle related death due is too many if it's you or someone in your family. A Maryland car accident lawyer works with bereaved families to relieve them of the burden of the insurance claims process and when called for, litigation. The new NHTSA statistics show that safety programs, law enforcement, and improvements to motor vehicle equipment and technologies do save lives. But driving defensively is always wise -- it was in 1961, and it still is today in 2009.

Early Estimate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities in 2008
NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts March 2009

Traffic deaths decline as more people are buckling up
ConsumerReports.org April 6, 2009

Related Web Resource

Newest safety technology: Cars that avoid crashes
San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News March 20, 2009