Posted on July 09, 2021 in Truck Accidents

Walking around the “big city” could bring a sense of wonder. Metropolitan areas in Maryland, along with the state’s suburban and rural locations, make sightseeing an adventure. People need to remain alert to any traffic in their vicinity since pedestrian accidents come with the risk of severe injury. In cities, pedestrians might find themselves at significant risk for an accident.

PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENTS IN CITY LOCATIONS

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration points out that more than 4,700 people died and 76,000 suffered injuries in pedestrian accidents in one year alone. Several reasons exist why so many pedestrians find themselves involved in accidents, and negligence stands as a common thread among them.

Not yielding the right of way contributes to the deadly figures. If a vehicle makes a turn when a light indicates it is okay for a pedestrian to cross the street, the driver might be liable for any resulting accidents. Conversely, pedestrians could be liable for their injuries when they attempt to cross the street when the driver has the right of way.

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 Posted on June 28, 2021 in Truck Accidents

Car accidents can be costly in every sense of the word. Regardless of the severity of the car accident, one pressing concern is establishing fault and determining who’s going to pay for the damage that’s been done.

Some states have a no-fault rule where motor vehicle crashes are deemed accidents, so no one can be held solely responsible. Maryland is not a no-fault state, meaning that whichever driver is determined to have caused the accident will use their liability insurance to pay for the other car’s medical and vehicle expenses.

HOW IS FAULT DETERMINED IN MARYLAND?

There are many things that can contribute to one driver being at fault versus another. When police officers are called to the scene, they’ll ask both drivers questions about what lead to the accident. Some of the questions they might ask include:

• Were you or the other driver on your phones?

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 Posted on June 08, 2021 in Truck Accidents

Getting into a car accident could be a scary and stressful event. Even those who aren’t hurt may feel shaken and want to move along. No matter who is at fault, drivers involved in an accident must follow Maryland law. Otherwise, penalties might follow.

AVOIDING COMMON MISTAKES AFTER AN ACCIDENT

Leaving the scene of an accident might turn out to be a terrible decision. Some drivers might know they are at fault, so they bolt away, hoping to avoid any “hassles” or claims. Leaving the scene of an accident could result in felony or misdemeanor charges, and capturing a vehicle’s license plate is not too challenging in the era of smartphones and dashcams.

That’s not to say stopping and admitting fault is wise, either. A person who admits fault makes defending a civil case potentially harder. Also, a driver may think he or she is at fault, but a review of the evidence may point to another cause, such as a poor brake job.

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 Posted on May 26, 2021 in Truck Accidents

Responsible drivers in Silver Spring and the D.C. area already know that distracted driving is dangerous. Still, seeing statistics about the harm distracted driving causes can truly help us understand what a public safety crisis it is.

Unfortunately, the facts are grim. AAA Mid-Atlantic says that distracted driving car accidents kill nearly nine people every day in the United States.

To put this shocking statistic another way: in 2019, car accidents caused by distracted driving in the U.S. were responsible for 3,142 fatalities. That worked out to 8.6 deaths per day and was about a ten percent increase over 2018. Not only is distracted driving a terrible traffic problem, but it also appears to be getting worse.

LOCAL DISTRACTED DRIVING CRASH STATISTICS

Fortunately, the death rate based on distracted driving seems to be lower in this part of the country, but it still needs to be taken seriously. AAA reported that distracted driving injured more than 126,000 people in Maryland in 2019. Distracted driving contributed to about 48 percent of collisions that year.

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 Posted on May 24, 2021 in Truck Accidents

elf-driving cars represent incredible innovations in technological progress. One day, they may become familiar sights on Maryland roads. For now, their ownership and appeal are somewhat limited. Worries exist about the dangers of these vehicles, and several publicized accidents make many unwilling to purchase one. Some do put faith in the models, but a question remains. If a self-driving car does cause an accident, who is held responsible?

SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES AND QUESTIONS ABOUT NEGLIGENCE

A self-driving car does not enter public roads unless someone directs the action. So, anyone responsible for the vehicle’s operation could face negligence claims if the vehicle causes an accident. For example, a “gig economy” food delivery service might own a fleet of self-driving cars. The vehicle may operate without human assistance, but a “driver” in the car could stand by to deliver food and take control of the car if something goes wrong.

When the driver chooses not to pay attention and opts to watch a video on a multimedia screen, that driver appears derelict in his or her duty. So, if someone walks in front of the vehicle and it doesn’t stop, the driver may face a negligence claim. So might the gig service for any contributory negligence, such as not screening a driver’s past moving violations or using a self-driving car with known problems.

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 Posted on May 11, 2021 in Truck Accidents

Maryland drivers who choose to ride a motorcycle know that it comes at a higher risk compared a car. While motorcycles only made up 3% of all the registered vehicles throughout the country, they accounted for 14% of all traffic fatalities in 2017. It’s plain to see that riding a motorcycle can be risky.

A LOOK AT ACCIDENTS

Back in 2017, there were a total of 5,172 motorcycle deaths in the United States. It’s more important than ever before for all drivers on the roadway to understand the common reasons for motorcycle accidents and what they can do to help prevent them from happening in the first place.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has revealed that the majority of motorcycle accidents are typically not the fault of the motorcycle driver. Rather, these accidents tend to be the fault of automobile drivers. The typical reason is that the car driver was unable to see the motorcyclist.

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 Posted on April 27, 2021 in Truck Accidents

Drivers in Maryland and across the country are perpetuating a hazardous behavior that results in an increasing number of motor vehicle accidents. This behavior is referred to as drowsy or fatigued driving. Unfortunately, many drivers are culpable of it at one time or another.

A GROWING TREND

A recent study revealed that 40% of adult U.S. drivers have admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel at some point throughout their driving career. A scarier statistic is that 20% of the people surveyed admitted to falling asleep while driving within the past year. Being on the roadway when another driver is asleep behind the wheel can be a recipe for disaster.

HOW DROWSINESS AFFECTS YOUR DRIVING ABILITIES

Many drowsy drivers will notice a severe impairment in their driving abilities. These include weaving back and forth between lanes, tailgating other vehicles and even driving off the roadway. These negative behaviors are resulting in car accidents ranging from minor to fatal.

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 Posted on April 26, 2021 in Truck Accidents

Truck drivers transport all sorts of items throughout Maryland and the rest of the country. If you own or manage a trucking company, it’s imperative to keep your truck drivers safe. Fortunately, you can achieve this important goal by following a few simple tips.

1. HAVE YOUR DRIVERS PRACTICE DEFENSIVE DRIVING

One of the most important safety tips for truck drivers is to have them drive defensively. You can do this by ensuring truck drivers keep a close eye on their blind spots. It’s also important to encourage drivers to avoid engaging with any other drivers, which often leads to dangerous incidents involving road rage.

2. PLAN AHEAD FOR BAD WEATHER OR ROAD CONDITIONS

Many truck drivers work long hours transporting goods hundreds or thousands of miles. Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee that your drivers will always have great weather and safe or non-congested roads to look forward to. Considering that, having backup routes for your drivers to take can help your company avoid late deliveries or getting involved in truck accidents.

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 Posted on April 14, 2021 in Truck Accidents

Fatal motor vehicle accidents can be far-reaching and traumatizing for Maryland residents. They can also be financially devastating with exorbitant medical bills and funeral costs. If the deceased was the family breadwinner, survivors may worry about how they will survive in the long term.

WHO CAN FILE A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT?

If you’ve lost someone in a car accident, you probably have many questions about how to seek compensation for their death. First of all, it’s important to know that only certain close family members including parents, siblings, grandparents, children and spouses can file a wrongful death lawsuit against the person who caused the accident. The person who caused the accident could be the person driving another vehicle or the person driving the vehicle your loved one was riding in.

Most often, the spouse and children are the first parties eligible to file wrongful death cases. In the event that they do not want to deal with the legal proceedings, other family members including parents, siblings and grandparents can file the case.

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 Posted on April 02, 2021 in Truck Accidents

After a car accident, people do not always gather all the evidence they need about a crash. For instance, you might be injured and need to go to the hospital right away, or you may not realize there was more information available before leaving the scene.

Whatever reason there may have been for not collecting more information after an accident, it can be helpful to know that there are ways to get what you need after the fact.

COLLECTING CRASH DETAILS

Some information can be available well after a crash scene is clear. You just need to know where to look.

For instance, parties must file a police report after many types of accidents in Maryland. Police reports can have an enormous amount of helpful information. As  this article discusses in more detail , they can include everything from information on the weather and road conditions at the time to notes about the crash and witness contact information.

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