Maryland Injury Attorney Blog

October 31, 2011

When Police Officers Deliver Tragic News : Someone Has Been Killed in a Maryland Drunk Driving Accident

In our 20+ years of work as Baltimore County, Maryland drunk driver accident injury lawyers, we’ve seen firsthand the terrible toll drunk driving crashes take on individuals and families. In an instant, lives are changed forever. In 2009, 162 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes in Maryland — an increase from the 145 Md. drunk-driving fatalities in 2008*. People who survive these crashes may suffer serious injuries, including debilitating brain and spine injuries. All because someone got behind the wheel and drove under the influence of alcohol in Maryland.

Baltimore County, Md. injury attorneys understand the grief families suffer when a drunk driving crash claims the life of a loved one. Maryland law enforcers also work with families who suffer tremendous loss in these traffic crashes. In fact, police are charged with the unimaginably difficult task of informing a family that a loved one has been killed in a drunk driving crash.

Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) announced a new training program to help law enforcement learn how to inform families of a drunk driving related death. MADD found that police officers are often not adequately trained to deliver such unthinkable news. According to a MADD blog article:

October 5, 2011

Baltimore Grand Jury Indicts Two in Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Traffic Accident Deaths

by Jeff Butschky

According to local media reports, a Baltimore, Maryland grand jury has indicted a man and woman in a hit and run pedestrian accident that left two young people dead.

The Baltimore Sun reports that a man and woman from Anne Arundel County, Md., have been indicted in the deaths of two teenage girls. The teenagers were struck by an automobile while attempting to cross Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near I-395 in Baltimore City. A 28-year-old Maryland man has been charged with two counts each of automobile manslaughter and leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death, as well as one count of driving under the influence of alcohol. A 26-year-old woman has been charged as an accessory after the fact.

Families may consult with Baltimore County accident injury lawyers when loved ones are injured or killed in auto or pedestrian accidents — including those cases that are tried in criminal court. In Maryland, civil lawsuits may follow car accident cases where criminal charges have been filed against the drivers and other parties. Suing for damages in the Maryland Civil Court System allows families who have been hurt to seek compensation from those held responsible. (See link to related Maryland accident attorney article below for more on how civil lawsuits apply to criminal cases in traffic accidents in Md.)

September 23, 2011

The Number-One Killer of Kids and Young Adults in Maryland

by Jeff Butschky

Maryland parents have a lot to think about. There’s the rough economy, job security, the down housing market, and making sure their children get a good education. Then, there’s the daily grind of getting kids to and from school as well as their numerous extra-curricular activities. When teens finally get their Maryland driver’s licenses, it can come as both a relief to schedule-frazzled parents — and another reason for worry.

Parents who think about their children’s safety in motor vehicles on Maryland’s highways, city streets, and rural back roads have cause for concern.

According to the Maryland Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Administration,

September 15, 2011

Lessons Learned Abroad: Why Auto Accident Death Rates Are Lower in Europe Than in the U.S.

by Jeff Butschky

There’s been some encouraging news regarding U.S. traffic safety: National motor vehicle crash fatality numbers are down to the lowest levels in years (an estimated 32,788 deaths for 2010). The same holds true for Maryland auto accident deaths (547 fatalities in 2009).

The gains are attributed to a number of factors, including safer vehicles with more technology enhanced safety features; increased public awareness and usage of safety devices such as seat belts, child car seats, and motorcycle helmets; and greater enforcement of driving and traffic laws to prevent car, truck, motorcycle, and pedestrian accidents from happening in the first place.

Traffic cameras are one tool that law enforcement uses to deter and catch speeders and other dangerous drivers. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that Maryland is one state where traffic cameras are, in fact, discouraging drivers from speeding — one of the leading causes of serious and fatal car crashes (see link to related articles about Maryland speed cams, below). The IIHS writes:

September 6, 2011

No Job in Maryland Worth Dying For : BLS Releases Preliminary Work Related Fatality Data for 2010

by Jeff Butschky

Did you know that in the U.S., an average of 12 people die on the job every day? As an experienced Baltimore County work injury lawyer will tell you — no one heads off to work in Maryland not expecting to make it home for dinner that night.

But for people in dangerous jobs, including shipyard workers, commercial truck drivers, farm and agricultural workers, and those in the construction fields, serious and fatal work accidents can and do happen in Maryland.

New Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal that the U.S. as a whole showed little change in the overall number of workers killed on the job last year as compared to 2009. Preliminary results from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries show that in 2010, an estimated 4,547 workers died from work-related injuries, down from 4,551 fatal work injuries in 2009. Some improvements…

August 30, 2011

Maryland Motorcycle Accident Fatalities : The Statistics Tell Part of the Story

by Jeff Butschky

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that Maryland motorcycle traffic accident deaths reached a five-year low in 2009 — at 69 motorcycle crash fatalities in 2009, compared to 91 deaths in 2008, and 96 deaths in 2007. Data is still pending for 2010, although preliminary data released by the Governors Highway Safety Administration (GHSA) showed an uptick in motorcycle accident deaths in Maryland for the first nine months of 2010.

Other statistics of note, from the GHSA report:

> Motorcycle traffic accident fatalities for all of 2010 nationwide are expected to be 4,376 or fewer — a decrease of at least 2% from the 4,465 fatalities of 2009.

August 22, 2011

Prevent Drunk Driving Accidents in Baltimore, Maryland This Labor Day Weekend

by Jeff Butschky

Labor Day weekend is nearly upon us. Here in Baltimore County, Md. and around the country, the long holiday weekend gives people one last chance to enjoy some R&R with family and friends before the fall school schedule swings into gear. Like all other holiday weekends, Labor Day is also a time of heavier traffic … and alcohol consumption.

More alcohol + more traffic on Maryland roads and highways is a bad combination that leads to serious and deadly Baltimore County auto accidents.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced its annual public awareness campaign to curb alcohol and drug impaired driving now through Labor Day Weekend. NHTSA’s Impaired Driving Division works cooperatively with law enforcement partners to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce traffic-related healthcare and economic costs resulting from impaired driving (that is, driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs).

August 8, 2011

Avoid Maryland Aggressive Driving Accidents : Baltimore Grand Prix Drivers Say Leave the Street Racing to Them

by Jeff Butschky

The Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix 2011 IndyCar Series is just around the corner, with Labor Day Weekend coming up fast. If you’ve been following the Maryland news or driving around downtown Baltimore, you may have noticed that the city is being turned into a racing circuit. The Baltimore Grand Prix is a professional street racing event, with a temporary street racing circuit being constructed in downtown Baltimore.

In late July, cornerstone track walls were set up in front of the Inner Harbor Amphitheater. The two mile, 13 turn street circuit will race around Camden Yards and the Scenic Inner Harbor in downtown Baltimore. (See link below to the Maryland Dept. of Transportation’s Baltimore Grand Prix traffic diversion plan.) The 5K pro racing event is sure to be a boon for Baltimore City — attracting visitors and spectators from around Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic states.

There’s something about watching pro race car drivers push their vehicles and their driving abilities to the limit that Americans find exhilarating. Even former Secretary of State General Colin Powell is getting in on the act as the event’s grand marshal. However the Baltimore Grand Prix pro drivers are cautioning fans not to take their “need for speed” behind the wheel of their own cars, trucks, and SUVs.

August 4, 2011

Is Your Maryland Workplace Unsafe? OSHA Announces Plans to Improve Whistleblower Protection Program

by Jeff Butschky

“Whistleblower.” The name itself conjures up images straight out of a Hollywood thriller. Many movies have been made over the years about the plight of whistleblowers — brave souls who try to expose corporate corruption, greed, and danger in the workplace — usually at their own peril. Memorable movies about whistleblowers include Silkwood (nuclear power plant dangers), The Insider (tobacco and smoking health risks), and Erin Brockovich (toxic waste dumping).

Some of these movies are based on the real-life stories of whistleblowers and the consequences they suffered from those who’d silence them. Whistleblowers are indeed real working people who speak out against their employers and bring problematic situations to light. Their grievances may center on workplace safety violations, illegal workplace practices, and poor working conditions.

As the experienced Baltimore, Maryland workers’ compensation lawyers at Butschky & Butschky, LLC know — it can be very tough to speak out against one’s employer. This is especially true in this struggling economy, where working people are happy to have any job at all. However standards for workplace safety in Maryland and around the country are required, not optional. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) wants to ensure that workers who have concerns about their workplace safety may raise those concerns without fear of reprisal from their employers. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act)…

July 22, 2011

Maryland Restaurant Sued for Liability in Fatal Drunk Driving Car Accident Case : SUV Crash Killed Girl, Age 10

by Jeff Butschky

As of this past April, 37 states had laws on the books holding liquor vendors liable or partially liable for serving patrons who become intoxicated and then get in drunk driving auto accidents causing injury, death, or damages. These are called “dram shop acts” or “dram shop laws” — and Maryland is not among states with such laws in place.

This is in part why a fatal DUI car accident case out of Montgomery County, Maryland, is garnering attention.

According to media reports, in Aug. 2008, a Fairfax, Va. man was consuming drinks at the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, Md. News reports state that the individual consumed a staggering 14 drinks and 2 shots — before starting a second tab. Restaurant staff reportedly served the individual 3 more beers and another shot, after which he got behind the wheel of his Land Rover. He reportedly drove south on Interstate 270 at speeds between 88 and 98 mph, crashing into a Jeep Grand Cherokee and killing a 10 year old girl sitting in the back. The child’s guardians sued the restaurant for $3.25 million in Dec. 2010.