Car Accidents

Harford County Woman Dies in White Marsh, Maryland Semi-Truck Crash

October 12, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Harford County woman has died after the sport-utility vehicle she was driving collided with a semi-truck on Sunday morning. Linda Buckland, 57, was pronounced dead at Maryland Shock Trauma. Her husband, 62-year-old Charles Buckland, sustained critical injuries.

Buckland was reportedly driving a Chevy Tracker west on Pulaski Expressway when the semi-truck crash happened. The Kenworth tractor driver, Irvine Jones, was charged with multiple violations.

Involvement in any kind of large truck crash can be overwhelming and frightening. This is not the kind of Maryland injury case that you want to handle alone. An experienced Maryland truck accident attorney can help you explore your legal options. In the meantime, there are steps that you or your loved one can take to help your case, including:

NHTSA Says More Traffic Deaths Occur on Rural Roads

October 7, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports even though more car accidents happened in urban areas, 56% of the 37,261 traffic deaths that occurred in 2008 took place on rural roads. There were 20,905 rural traffic deaths last year.

One reason for the number of deaths that occur in rural areas is that people tend to drive faster on roads that are not as designed and engineered as well as they are in urban areas. Two of the other reasons that rural auto accident deaths happen is people failing to use seat belts or driving drunk. It can also take longer for medical help to arrive at a rural car accident site. 222 of the 591 Maryland traffic fatalities in 2008 occurred in rural areas.

Findings from another traffic accident study, recently discussed in ScienceDaily.com, affirmed the NHTSA’s findings that driving in rural areas is not safer than driving in urban areas. The study, conducted by researchers abroad, reports that:

Preventing Maryland Car Accidents: Law Making Texting While Driving Illegal Goes Into Effect on Thursday

September 28, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

This Thursday, in an attempt to decrease the number of Maryland car crashes caused by distracted drivers, texting while driving will become illegal in the state. Anyone caught sending or receiving texts while operating a motor vehicle will be charged with a misdemeanor offense punishable by a $500 fine.

Lawmakers and many residents are hoping that the ban will prevent motorists from engaging in this bad habit that studies prove dramatically increases a driver’s car crash risk. Maryland State Highway Administration spokesperson Lori Rakowski notes that it is impossible for a person to drive safely while texting because both activities usually require the use of both hands and eyes.

A vehicle moving at a speed of 65 mph for just one second will have traveled 100 feet. This means that even just one (usually, texting requires more) second spent not looking at the road can cause a driver to crash into another vehicle, drive into a work zone, or strike a pedestrian who is running across the street.

Maryland law does not prohibit drivers from reading messages, using applications, or playing games. It also does not explicitly bar motorists from writing or sending Facebook messages, Twittering, or emailing. While Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Rowe says the new law can be interpreted to ban all forms of messages, one defense attorney says that legislators would have been explicit about stating such a complete bar if that was what they intended.

Texting while driving has caused many fatal motor vehicle crashes in recent years. It is also a negligent act that can be the grounds for a car accident victim or his or her family to file a Maryland injury complaint or wrongful death lawsuit.

AAA and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety says that about 8,000 traffic accidents a day involve a motorist who was engaged in distracted driving.

Texting while driving a road hazard, Baltimore Sun, September 27, 2009
To text or not to text, AAA Club South says “not,” WSAV, September 28, 2009
Related Web Resources:
The Facts about Distracted Driving – Know the Dangers/Avoid the Risks, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
Maryland Highway Safety Laws, GHSA

University of Maryland Student’s Mother Awarded $4 Million Prince George’s County Wrongful Death Verdict Over Deadly Bowie Car Crash Involving Off-Duty Cop

September 21, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Nearly two years after University of Maryland student Brian Gray was killed in a deadly car accident involving an off-duty cop driving a police cruiser, a jury has awarded his mother, Mary Gray, over $4 million for his Prince George’s County wrongful death.

Gray, a college junior, was driving to campus early on the morning of December 10, 2007 when a police vehicle driven by Cpl. Mario Chavez struck his Chevy Beretta. The 20-year-old’s body was thrown 85 feet past the Bowie car accident site, which was at the intersection of Beaverdale Lane and Belair Drive.

Chavez was driving 50 mph in a 25 mph zone. He admits that he drank three to five beers the night before the motor vehicle accident and was driving home after staying at a friend’s house when the fatal collision happened. Authorities did not make Chavez take a drunk driving test at the Maryland car crash scene.

Maryland Car Accident Lawsuit: Family of Teen Killed in Crash Plans to Sue Calvert County Sheriff’s Office for Wrongful Death

September 14, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The family of Dunkirk teenager Rachael Campbell is getting ready to sue the Calvert County sheriff’s office for her Maryland wrongful death. The 18-year-old died on July 24 when the 1997 Buick LeSabre she was riding was hit by a 2006 Ford Crown Victoria cruiser at Route 4 and Apple Way.

The driver of the cruiser, Deputy C. Wayne Wells, was headed to an emergency domestic violence call when the deadly Maryland car crash happened. His vehicle was moving at a speed of 110 mph in a 45 mph zone and his sirens and lights were activated.

Campbell was attempting to cross two northbound lanes when Wells struck her vehicle. Campbell’s vehicle caught on fire and she died at the Maryland auto crash site. Wells sustained life-threatening injuries during the traffic accident but was later released from the hospital.

Study Reveals that Marylanders Want Tougher Drunk Driving Measures

September 7, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A study by the University of Maryland School of Public Health reports that Marylanders want tougher drunk driving laws. Per the survey conducted, 7.5% of the approximately 850 participants this year admitted to driving after having several drinks within the last month. 13% of survey participants admitted to drinking and driving when the survey was first conducted in 2003.

Our Maryland car accident law firm is concerned by any reports that anyone might have been drinking while driving. As we all know by now, driving while inebriated increases the chances that a motorist might cause a Baltimore auto crash.

Over the last seven years, no more than 37% of survey participants have ever believed that drunk drivers will likely be apprehended. Marylanders appear to blame the state courts for the lax way that they deal with drivers who drink and drive. Per the latest survey, the majority of Maryland drivers would like there to be tougher drunk driving measures, including a mandatory $1,000 fine for a first offense.

More survey participants also said they would favor mandatory ignition interlock devices, which stops drivers from starting their vehicles when they are drunk. The majority of survey participants also said that they thought vehicle impoundment was an appropriate punishment for a drunk driver who was a repeat offender. Some of the people surveyed even thought that one strike should be enough to impose this penalty.

Today, law enforcement officers are wrapping up their crackdown on Maryland drunk drivers. Local police have been taking part in a nationwide campaign, organized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, committed to decreasing the number of impaired driving accidents and deaths through the Labor Day weekend.

Last year in Maryland, alcohol was a factor in 28% of traffic deaths, and over 24,000 drunk drivers are arrested each year.

It is interesting to note, however, that Maryland motorists are not as vehement about their convictions when it comes to using a cell phone while driving. While over 80% of those surveyed are now concerned about this form of distracted driving, the number of people who have used a cell phone while driving in the last 30 days has grown to over 60% compared to past years.

According to UM Professor Kenneth Beck, the study’s lead researcher, this appears to imply that Maryland motorists don’t think there is anything wrong with using a cell phone while driving as long as their the ones doing this—it’s just the other drivers that they are worried about.

Also, while survey participants are worried about aggressive drivers, there are still motorists who aren’t concerned when they break the speed limit.

Examples of Negligent Driving Habits that Can Lead to Maryland Injury Lawsuits if a Car Accident Happens:

• Drunk driving
• Texting while driving
• Talking on a cell phone while driving
• Speeding
• Road rage
• Driving while under the influence of drugs
Marylanders favor crackdown on drunken driving, Baltimore Sun, September 7, 2009
Maryland Law Enforcement Launches ‘Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest’ Crackdown on August 21, 2009, Earth Times, August 21, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Police Increase Efforts to Keep Roads Safe For Holiday …, Your 4 State, September 6, 2009

<a href="http://www.stopimpaireddriving.org/planners/HVEPlanner/planner/index.cfmDrunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.

Cell Phone Use While Driving: NHTSA Withheld Research Warning About Dangers

July 23, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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

Preventing Maryland Drunk Driving and Drugged Driving Accidents: NHTSA Roadside Survey Reports Decrease in Drunk Drivers

July 16, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs continues to destroy too many lives. Drunk driving and drugged driving are both careless acts that can be grounds for a Maryland car accident lawsuit if someone gets hurt or dies. On a positive note, however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s new roadside survey reported that the decline in the percentage of legally intoxicated drivers is continuing. Per the new survey, just 2.2% of drivers had a BAC of .08 or greater—compare this figure to 1973, when 7.5% of motorists had BACs registering at the legal limit or exceeded it.

The survey, gathered from roadside locations in 2007, also screened for other substances. 16.3% of nighttime weekend motorists tested drug positive for marijuana (8.6%), cocaine (3.9%), as well as prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs (3.9%). Drivers for the survey were chosen at random and given the opportunity to volunteer while remaining anonymous.

Out of 11,000 motorists, 90% gave breath samples and 70% gave saliva samples. Any motorist that was impaired or appeared to be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs was not arrested. However, he or she wasn’t allowed to get behind the steering wheel of the vehicle.

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood noted that while he was pleased that the fight against drunk driving is making headway, it was imported to remember that 13,000 people a year still die in US drunk driving crashes. He also emphasized the importance of reducing drug abuse and drugged driving.

The NHTSA wants to figure out how drug use is connected to driver impairment—especially as some drugs can stay in the body for weeks.

Other survey findings:
• There were 42% more male drivers than female motorists with illegal BAC levels.
• Motorists were more likely to be driving with a BAC greater than the legal drunk driving limit between 1am and 3am than during other hours of the day.

• Motorcycle riders were two times as likely to be drunk than the drivers of passenger vehicles.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, drugs are a factor in 18% of motor vehicle driver fatalities.

Driver Survey Finds Less Drinking, More Drugs, NY Times, July 13, 2009

Results of the 2007 National Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers, NHTSA (PDF)

Related Web Resources:
Impaired Driving, CDC
Drugged Driving

Two Men Killed in Potomac, Maryland Drunk Driving Accident

July 13, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Two people died last Tuesday when a drunk driver hit the pickup truck they were riding in. The impact of the Maryland motor vehicle crash caused their vehicle to go over a guardrail and 60-feet down an embankment. The vehicle landed on its roof.

Killed in the deadly Potomac car accident were driver Gradys Mendoza, 39, and passenger Franklin Manzanares, 37. They were returning home from a construction job site when the deadly Maryland traffic accident happened.

The alleged drunk driver, 33-year-old Kelli R. Loos, was charged with failing to stop at an accident scene involving bodily injury and driving under the influence. Her blood alcohol level was .20—more than twice the legal limit.

Following the Potomac drunk driving accident, Loos reportedly told investigators that she had been at a Maryland bar.

Just last March, Montgomery police cited Loos with numerous citations, including failing to provide a written ID, failing to insure her Jeep, and driving on a suspended Virginia license. A warrant was issued for her arrest when she did not appear in court in June. Last November, Loos was cited for failure to obey a traffic signal and driving with a suspended license. She also had six previous traffic and speeding violations going as far back as 1994.

Driving Drunk

Driving drunk is always dangerous and places people’s lives at risk. It is a senseless way to die let alone cause injury or death to others. You can sue a Maryland drunk driver for personal injury or wrongful death.

Signs That There May Be a Drunk Driver Sharing the Road With You:

• Driving on a lane marker
• Making very wide turns
• Coming very close to hitting a motor vehicle or another object
• Weaving from one area of the road to the next
• Driving on the wrong side of the road
• Driving on the shoulder
• Driving way below the speed limit
• Excessive speeding
• Following too closely behind a vehicle
• Braking for no reason or repetitively
• Driving without the headlights on
• Stopping the vehicle for no reason, including at green lights
Suspect in Fatal Beltway Crash Was Over Alcohol Limit, Police Say, Washington Post, July 9, 2009
2 Killed by Alleged Drunk Driver, WTOP.com, July 8, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Motor Vehicle Safety, CDC
Maryland Drunk Driving Law, Alcoholism.About.com

Maryland Wrongful Death Settlement Reached in 2007 Pedestrian Accident on Coastal Highway

July 10, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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.