Posted on October 22, 2020 in Truck Accidents

Ridesharing service such as Uber and Lyft may seem like safe ways to travel in Maryland. However, they are still driven by humans who can act recklessly and cause catastrophic car accidents. According to one study, collisions caused by ridesharing have not gown down the way these services would like to claim.

RIDESHARING IS NOT AS SAFE AS IT SEEMS

While the number of drunk driving accidents have gown down since ridesharing began in 2010, the overall number of accidents involving ridesharing has not seen a decline. Specifically, accidents at pick-up and drop-off sites saw an uptick in collisions involving other motorists and pedestrians, leading victims to suffer injuries.

Distracted driving may be one factor behind this uptick in crashes. Inexperience in city driving may also be a contributing factor to the increase in collisions.

WHAT CAN I DO IF I’M SERIOUSLY INJURED WHILE RIDING IN AN UBER OR LYFT?

If you are injured in a ridesharing accident, you are not alone. Uber and Lyft drivers can act recklessly or negligently, just like other drivers.

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 Posted on October 13, 2020 in Truck Accidents

When you receive injuries from a car accident, you expect your auto insurance company (or the other driver’s) to step up and settle your claim. You deserve to focus on your recovery after an accident, but that can be incredibly difficult to do if an insurance company refuses to settle your claim.

WHY INJURY CLAIMS AREN’T SETTLED

Some of the reasons insurance companies won’t settle an auto accident injury claim include the following:

1. Insufficient proof. When you report your accident and injuries to your insurance company, an insurance adjuster will evaluate your claim. The evaluation process includes reviewing the police report, witness accounts, accident reconstruction, and any photos or surveillance video. If the adjuster doesn’t find enough proof of your injuries or who is liable for the accident, that can hinder your ability to get your claim settled.
2. Pre-existing conditions. Maybe you suffered from chronic back pain for years, but your back was feeling better before your accident. Due to the accident, however, you now need weekly chiropractic appointments and massage sessions. Sometimes insurance companies try to deny accident victims a settlement claim because of pre-existing conditions. If the accident aggravated a pre-existing condition, you should be able to get coverage for your recovery and treatment costs.

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 Posted on October 09, 2020 in Truck Accidents

After a motor vehicle accident caused by someone’s negligence, insurance companies are usually chomping at the bit to escape liability and having to payout compensation to victims. That means that if you’ve been injured in one of these wrecks then you need to be prepared to be bombarded with settlement offers that try to get you to commit to a certain amount of money in exchange for not pursuing a personal injury lawsuit at trial. While accepting a quick payout might sound tempting, it might not be right for you.

HERE’S WHAT TO CONSIDER

Before accepting or declining a settlement offer, you need to carefully analyze your case. The presence of the following factors might mean that it’s better for you to take your case to trial:

• Your damages far exceed the settlement offer: Insurance companies always try to lowball your damages, but if they’re way off the mark, then you might want to consider going to trial.

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 Posted on September 25, 2020 in Truck Accidents

After an accident, many drivers file a personal injury claim in the hopes that they will receive compensation to cover their medical expenses. Unfortunately, insurance providers frequently offer an initial settlement far below the actual value of a claim, if they don’t reject the claim entirely.

If you have experienced this firsthand, you may have already tried negotiating your settlement without success. If that’s the case, your best option is to file a personal injury lawsuit against the party or business responsible for your injuries. Before doing so, however, it’s important to understand the costs involved in litigating a personal injury case and how that might factor into your settlement.

CONTINGENCY FEES EXPLAINED

When pursuing litigation in a personal injury case, many people believe that the attorney’s fees are not worth the price of admission. However, most personal injury attorneys operate on contingency fees and only receive compensation if the case is successful.

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 Posted on September 25, 2020 in Truck Accidents

Not long after a motor vehicle collision, the scene of the accident can become chaotic with emergency personnel and law enforcement arriving to assist. Tow trucks take damaged vehicles off of the road and crews remove debris off the roadways.

Capturing photographs of your surroundings immediately following a car accident helps you preserve all evidence for future use before the scene of the accident has been altered. Photos of specific types of evidence can prove to be especially helpful in providing an indisputable perspective of the accident once it comes time to file an insurance or personal injury claim.

1. VEHICLE DAMAGE

Take a variety of pictures to capture the severity of the damage. Capture clear, detailed pictures of your own car’s damage from the accident, as well as any other vehicles involved in the crash. Do not forget to photograph any internal damage, such as deployed airbags.

2. ACCIDENT SCENE

To support your case and the information from your statement, police reports and witness accounts, you need to take pictures of the entire accident scene. This includes videos and photos of skid marks, weather conditions, debris, traffic signs, road conditions, traffic patterns, surrounding businesses and anything else relating to the accident.

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 Posted on September 23, 2020 in Truck Accidents

Sport utility vehicles (SUV) are big and rugged, providing plenty of clearance and great visibility. It isn’t surprising that they are popular, but their popularity comes at a price. Multiple studies have shown these heavy vehicles are much more likely to cause fatal injuries in pedestrian crashes and collisions with bicyclists.

According to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), pedestrian accidents rose 13% from 2009 to 2016, but the percentage of pedestrians killed increased by more than twice that rate.

The 2018 IIHS report states that pedestrian fatalities in crashes with SUVs rose more than 80% from 2009 to 2016, while fatalities caused by cars and other types of vehicles rose by half that or less.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that more than 850 bicyclists are killed each year in the approximately 47,000 collisions between motor vehicles and bicycles.

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 Posted on September 11, 2020 in Truck Accidents

Losing a loved one is always difficult, but when families have no time to prepare for it and rely on the deceased for emotional or financial support, it creates an incredibly challenging situation. This is especially true if their loved one earned a significant amount of the family’s income.

However, families of victims who lost a loved one in a fatal accident may be able to receive compensation through a wrongful death action to relieve some of the financial difficulties they may experience.

POTENTIAL TYPES OF COMPENSATION

Bereaved families can receive compensation for their pecuniary losses. This generally consists of the victim’s remaining lifetime income they will never receive due to their untimely death. It can also include compensation for services that the victim provided for the family that they will now have to pay others to complete.

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 Posted on September 10, 2020 in Truck Accidents

After a crash, people often report the claim to their insurance company and wait for a check. In many cases, accident victims accept the first offer from their insurance because they think it seems adequate, and they may just want to get some money quickly and move forward.

However, before you accept an offer, there are some things to consider.

1. You could deserve far more than the insurance company is offering. An insurance check may seem fair after a crash. However, the chances are high that it will not account for the total cost of your damages. It may only cover some repairs to your vehicle, but not other costly factors like missed work or ongoing therapy you need for chronic pain.
2. There could be multiple parties at fault. Crashes can involve multiple vehicles or commercial trucks, and there could be several liable parties. Holding each party accountable allows you to maximize the damages you receive, especially when one of the parties is a trucking company, for instance, as they have more financial resources than individuals.

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 Posted on August 27, 2020 in Truck Accidents

Despite huge repercussions like jail time, some irresponsible Maryland drivers may choose to drive off after causing an accident. If a negligent driver strikes a pedestrian, they may be especially inclined to drive away from the scene of the accident since their car likely did not suffer catastrophic damage.

HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENTS ARE TOO COMMON

One such accident happened on John Hanson Highway in Prince George’s County. According to police, a driver operating a sedan struck and killed a pedestrian who was walking along the shoulder of the road.

The driver left the vehicle near the scene but fled without helping the victim or speaking to the authorities. Police have yet to make any arrests but did conduct an investigation which closed the road for several hours.

OPTIONS AFTER A HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENT

Unfortunately, many hit-and-run accidents go unsolved. In some cases, police may locate the driver only to discover that they have neither money nor insurance to pay any compensation for their negligence. This can leave a Maryland victim, or the surviving family, wondering where to turn.

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 Posted on August 13, 2020 in Truck Accidents

When you are in a major car accident in Virginia caused by someone who is clearly breaking the law, you will want to take quick and decisive legal action against the negligent individual. When a person violates traffic laws, leading to a car crash, they should be held accountable in a court of law. Violating traffic laws are generally deemed negligent behavior

Earlier this summer, the commonwealth of Virginia enacted a law against handheld cellphone use while driving that will start being enforced in January 2021.

THE PROBLEM WITH HANDHELD CELLPHONE USE WHILE DRIVING

In Virginia, distracted drivers cause over 1,500 crashes annually, killing between seven to 10 people. When a person is handling a cellphone while driving, they are distracted in three major ways:

1. They are visually distracted because their eyes are on their phone, not on the road.

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