Maryland Accident Law Blog

Family Members on Bike Ride Injured in Anne Arundel County Car Crash Because Motorist Allegedly Lost Control of Vehicle

August 9, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Three members of a family of four who were on a bicycle ride on Sunday morning were injured in Anne Arundel County when they were hit by a car driven by a Laurel woman who lost control of her 2001 Nissan Altima. The driver of the vehicle, 63-year-old Laurel resident Romota Olumemisi Koletowo, died from her Maryland car accident injuries. She had to be extricated from her car, which had rolled over.

According to police, Koletowo drove her vehicle off the road, struck a light pole, and crossed a bike path before hitting the bench where 36-year-old Franz Clementschitsch was sitting. He was thrown some 38 feet and had to be rushed to the hospital for treatment of his life-threatening injuries.

Clementschitsch’s wife, Susanne, 38, and one of their 4-year-old twin sons, sustained injuries from the flying debris. All three of them were taken to Maryland hospitals, where they were admitted in serious condition.

Anne Arundel County Wrongful Death Lawsuit Claims 911 and Police Officers Botched Emergency Call

August 3, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A botched 911 call and the alleged failure by Anne Arundel County police to immediately help an unconscious woman at the scene of a medical emergency are two of the reasons cited in the Maryland wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Asha Clark. The 22-year-old mother of five died last summer.

According to the Anne Arundel County wrongful death complaint, on June 25, 2009, Clark’s boyfriend Maurice Brown called 911 because she was having a seizure. He says that he was placed on hold for three minutes. Clark fell unconscious. Police eventually arrived at the apartment building, but rather than tending to her immediately they first stopped to arrest someone in the hallway for allegedly dealing drugs.

Errors or negligence on the part of a 911 operator, paramedics, police officers, or fire fighters that arrive at the scene of a medical emergency can prove catastrophic. A 911 dispatcher neglecting to send emergency help right away or Maryland paramedic malpractice are just some reasons the entity that they work for might be sued for Maryland personal injury or wrongful death.

$34 Million Baltimore Carbon Monoxide Verdict Awarded to Ruth’s Chris Employees Claiming Brain Damage Against Pier Five Hotel

July 31, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

More than 20 Ruth’s Chris workers who say they suffered serious injuries because they were exposed to carbon monoxide at the Pier Five Hotel in 2008 have been awarded a $34 million Baltimore personal injury verdict. The steak restaurant, which is not considered at fault, is located at the downtown hotel. The workers contend that the exposure left them with permanent brain damage that have resulted in attention problems, memory problems, and personality changes.

Firefighters had to evacuate the restaurant after workers and customers fell ill. During the civil trial, the rescuers affirmed that the levels of carbon monoxide on the premises could have proved fatal. According to the plaintiffs’ Baltimore injury lawyers, fumes entered through cracks in the hotel’s walls over a four- to five-month period. The safety device for detecting carbon monoxide was shut off on several occasions. On February 2, 2008, that a pipe cap came off, resulting in the carbon monoxide leak.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Preventing Maryland Injuries to Children: Latest CPSC Baby Product Recalls Include Recliners, Pacifiers, Playards and Drop-Side Cribs

July 26, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Our Maryland child accident attorneys work hard to obtain the financial recovery that our clients’ families are owed by the manufacturers of defective products. The makers of consumer goods, especially furniture, accessories, and toys that are intended specifically for child and infant use, must make sure that there are no defects to their products that can cause injuries to a child. Failure to do so can cause serious Maryland personal injuries to a minor or wrongful death.

Just today the US Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 30,000 Nap Nanny® portable baby recliners. The recliners pose a suffocation hazard and fall danger. The CPSC is investigating a report involving the death of a 4-month old child who died while harnessed to the recliner She got stuck between the crib bumper and the recliner.

In another child entrapment accident involving the Nap Nanny®, the baby got caught between the crib’s side and the baby recliner. The infant sustained a forehead cut. There have been 22 reports of babies under 5-months-old who ended up either hanging our falling out of the recliner even though they were harnessed to it.

Last Tuesday, CPSC recalled about 44,900 Kariño Baby Pacifiers that don’t meet federal safety standards. No injuries or incidents have been reported, but the pacifier is an aspiration and choking hazard to kids.

On July 15, the CPSC and Health Canada recalled approximately 20,000 Cozy Indoor Outdoor Portable Playard Tents Plus Cabana Kits because they pose an entrapment hazard to children. In December 2008, a 2-year-old boy was found hanging with his neck trapped between the tent’s metal base rod and the playard. He died from his injuries. The child entrapment accident happened as the boy, who managed to pop off the clips that kept the metal base rod secure, was trying to get out of the playard. Three other incidents were reported involving kids who removed the clips and were able to put their neck between the playard and the tent. Fortunately, they were not injured.

The day before, Pottery Barn Kids recalled about 82,000 drop-side cribs because they pose suffocation, fall, and entrapment hazards. At least seven kids have sustained minor injuries when their legs got stuck between the drop side and the mattress and they fell out of the cribs. There have been 36 reports of drop-side detachment or malfunction.

Recalls and Safety Product News, CPSC, July 2010
Related Web Resources:

Kids in Danger

Potentially Dangerous Children’s Products, Good Housekeeping

Baltimore Tractor-Trailer Crash Caused by Allegedly Drowsy Truck Driver

July 20, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Two truck drivers were injured during rush hour today in a Baltimore truck collision involving a box truck and a tractor-trailer. According to Maryland State Police, the traffic collision happened when a box truck rear-ended the semi-truck on the Inner Loop close to Baltimore National Pike.

One of the truck drivers reportedly fell asleep while driving. Following the Maryland tractor-trailer accident, box truck driver Michael Ocasio was taken to Shock Trauma and admitted in serious condition. The semi-truck driver was treated at the hospital for nonfatal injuries.

Drowsy Truck Driving

Because of all the hours they spend behind the steering wheel of a large truck—often at odd times of the day and night, with little rest, and while having to navigate through some very long routes—truck drivers are at higher risk than most other motorists of falling asleep while driving. It doesn’t help in the event that a trucker is suffering from sleep apnea—especially when his/her condition has not been diagnosed.

Unfortunately, many motorists don’t realize that driving while drowsy or exhausted puts them at risk of causing a serious Maryland car crash. The National Sleep Foundation says that 60% of Americans polled say that they’ve driven when sleepy and 37% say that they’ve fallen asleep while driving. Sometimes a motorist can fall asleep while driving for just a few seconds. At other times, what may feel like just a blink of an eye may last long enough for the motorist to unknowingly drive off the road or, worse yet, into oncoming traffic or the back of another vehicle.

Drowsy driving can be grounds for a Maryland injury lawsuit if another party is hurt as a result.

Signs that you may be too drowsy to drive safely:
• Heavy eyelids
• Frequent blinking to keep your eyelids from closing
• Not being able to remember the last few miles that you just drove
• Constant yawning
• Lane drifting
• Missing your exit
• Your mind feels foggy and you are having a hard time thinking clearly
Truck Driver Falls Asleep And Crashes On 695, WJZ, July 20, 2010
Two lanes of Beltway Inner Loop reopen after crash, Baltimore Sun, July 20, 2010
Drowsy Driving, National Sleep Foundation
Related Web Resources:
Obesity Linked To Dangerous Sleep Apnea In Truck Drivers, Science Daily, March 12, 2009
Sleep Problems Linked To Truck Drivers’ Performance Behind The Wheel, Medical News Today, August 15, 2006
Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Toddler and Teen Pedestrians Injured During East Baltimore Car Accident

July 12, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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

ATV Accidents: Number of Spinal and Head Trauma Injury Cases are Rising, Say Researchers

July 8, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to the University of Utah Department of Neurosurgery, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of severe head and spinal trauma cases involving all-terrain vehicle. Its researchers’ findings, published in Neurosurgery, emphasis the need for better ATV stability, better rider training, and helmet use.

The research, which is to be published in the journal Neurosurgery, states that:

• ATV injuries resulted in 495 deaths and 1,117,000 emergency room visits in 2001—159% and 211% more, respectively than 1993.

Baltimore Couple Files $20 Million Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Alleging Wrongful Birth

July 6, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Jessica Young and Antoine McLeod are accusing American Radiology Services, Dr. Karen Y. Perkins, and the Johns Hopkins Health System Corp. of Maryland medical malpractice. In their $20 million wrongful birth lawsuit, the Baltimore couple is claiming that a medical record mixup prevented them from receiving information about their baby’s birth defects that could have allowed them to decide whether they wanted to terminate the pregnancy.

Antonio Jesse McLeod was born prematurely last year with a number of birth defects, including a hole in his diaphragm. Also, his stomach was in his chest cavity.

According to the family’s medical malpractice complaint involving Maryland injuries to a minor, the abnormalities were visible in a sonogram performed by American Radiology Services months before the baby was born but that the radiology testing company sent the test results to the wrong doctor. Another Dr. Perkins and not the Dr. Perkins who was Young’s obstetrician received the results. Because of this mistake, Young’s Dr. Karen Y. Perkins never saw the sonogram and thought the baby was healthy and the couple were never notified that their child was going to be born with any serious birth defects.

$1.65 Million Frederick County, Maryland Wrongful Death Award Issued to Parents of Man Who Died in Accidental Shooting

June 28, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Frederick County Circuit Judge John H. Tisdale has awarded the parents of Michael Abraham Brall $1.65 million in their Maryland wrongful death lawsuit against Brian Gregory Stone. Stone accidentally shot Brall on October 25, 2007.

The two men had been drinking at a local bar that night when the decided to go to Stone’s apartment. Stone, then 22, reportedly was showing Brall, 23, his roommate’s gun when it went off, sending a bullet into Brall’s chest. He died at the accident site.

At his 2008 criminal trial, Stone said he didn’t know the gun was loaded when he showed the gun to Brall. He says that Brall had asked to see the weapon. Stone was later found not guilty of reckless endangerment and manslaughter.

Prince George’s County Jury Awards $2.025 Million Maryland Wrongful Death Verdict to Family of Inmate Killed by Dump Truck

June 25, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The family and estate of Rodney Jennings has been awarded a $2.025 Maryland wrongful death verdict against dump truck driver Wayne Goss and the state of Maryland, Jennings, 28, died in August 2007 after he was hit by a dump truck on Interstate 495.

At the time, Jennings was an inmate serving time for a drug-related charge. The Prince George’s County dump truck accident happened while he picking up trash. Jennings was part of a work detail working under the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

On the morning of August 23, 2007, Jennings was struck by Goss’s 39-ton dump truck as he and other inmates on the work crew tired crossing the Exit 17 ramp for Route 202. His legs were crushed during the Maryland truck accident and, according to the family’s Prince George’s County wrongful death lawyer, Jennings experienced severe pain for about 45 minutes prior to his passing.