Posted on June 19, 2019 in Truck Accidents

In Maryland and elsewhere, a policeman’s job is not an easy one. However, being a policeman does not give one a pass in the event of the accidental death of a pedestrian. A crash that resulted in the death of a pedestrian during a summer car cruise event in Ocean City has resulted in a wrongful death lawsuit against the trooper who reportedly struck and killed the pedestrian.

The accident occurred about 11 p.m. The man who was killed reportedly looked both ways before stepping into the roadway. According to witnesses he crossed two lanes to the median and again looked both ways. As he crossed the two traffic lanes the trooper’s car approached, swerved and then struck the pedestrian.

The lawsuit asserts that the trooper was speeding and was looking down, not at the roadway, when he approached the intersection where the accident occurred. In addition, it is alleged that visibility in that area was at least half a mile at the time of the crash. The suit says that the trooper’s car struck the pedestrian with such force that it sent him flying through the air.

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 Posted on June 07, 2019 in Truck Accidents

People decide to join the ranks of first responders, such as the police or firefighters, with the understanding that rigorous physical training will be part of their preparations for becoming a first responder. The job of a police officer or a firefighter demands physical strength and the ability to defend and take care of oneself in multiple situations. In the case of a Maryland police academy training course, recruits suffered serious head injuries that resulted in a personal injury lawsuit being brought against the school.

The lawsuit was brought by two former students, a male and a female. The woman suffered a serious head injury as a result of a training exercise that the instructor told her she failed. The recruit was repeatedly struck in the head during five different fight scenarios. The instructor told her she would have to wait to retake the exercise because of the repeated head blows that she incurred but did not offer or recommend medical care. The woman reportedly suffered a severe brain injury as a result of the repeated blows.

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 Posted on June 03, 2019 in Truck Accidents

Summer is the ultimate season for any motorcyclist. The weather is warm, the skies are clear and everyone wants to enjoy the outdoors. However, summer is a particularly deadly season for drivers, specifically motorcyclists.

Luckily, motorcyclists can make sure their bikes are road ready before their trip, like any other driver. All they need to do is create a pre-ride routine that prioritizes safety and efficiency for everyone on the road.

What can riders do before hitting the highway?

Riders need to implement a few simple steps before any major ride, including:

1. Gathering the proper protection – Every motorcyclist knows they need to wear a helmet anytime they are on the road. But there are also other forms of protection, like gear to protect legs and arms, boots, gloves and brightly colored coloring. All these pieces are necessary to protect a rider in the case of a severe accident.

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 Posted on May 20, 2019 in Truck Accidents

Growing up is full of rites of passage, and one of the most eagerly anticipated of these is getting one’s driver’s license. Teens in Maryland eagerly look forward to the freedom enabled by having a driver’s license. What teens must remember is that a license is a privilege, not a right, and as with so many other privileges, there are responsibilities. One of the greatest of these responsibilities is to not be a distracted driver. Distracted driving can lead to motor vehicle accidents.

In today’s world, the presence of electronic devices and social media can serve as a constant distraction to young drivers. Such a distraction may have contributed to a recent fatal crash. The accident happened around rush hour on a recent Friday afternoon. A woman was driving north on US 113 when she was struck by a southbound vehicle. The car heading south was driven by an 18-year-old man.

The southbound car had crossed over the yellow line for an unknown reason and struck the oncoming car nearly head-on. The woman who had been driving was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash caused that section of the roadway to be closed for about three hours. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

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 Posted on May 07, 2019 in Truck Accidents

Drinking and driving don’t mix. That statement is an old one and yet after years of continued tragic deaths caused by drunk drivers, the issue remains a major contributing factor to traffic deaths around the country. A recent death on a Maryland roadway may have contributed to the number of motor vehicle accidents that can be attributed to drunk driving.

The accident happened early one morning on a divided highway near Leonardtown. A man was driving the wrong direction on the northbound side of the highway when he collided with another vehicle. The collision was head-on.

The man driving in the wrong direction was taken to the University of Maryland Prince George’s Hospital with unspecified injuries. The driver of the other vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. It is not known how the one vehicle came to be traveling on the highway in the wrong direction. The cause of the accident is still under investigation and alcohol is suspected of being a contributing factor.

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 Posted on May 05, 2019 in Truck Accidents

Pedestrian safety requires the buy-in of both drivers and pedestrians. If one group isn’t respecting Virginia’s pedestrian laws, then someone is in danger. Most likely the threatened group is the pedestrian because they don’t have tons of protective steel surrounding them.

A troubling trend has emerged over the last few years. From 2015 to 2018, pedestrian fatalities have risen from approximately 75 per year up to 150. The Virginia Department of Transportation says increasing crosswalk and signage visibility are two things the government seeks to improve in effort of bucking this trend. The possibility of improved traffic controls to give drivers more notice of potential pedestrians.

These efforts to enhance pedestrian safety have the potential to be effective, but Virginia already has laws that define when a driver or pedestrian has the right of way. If you’re unclear on who has right of way and when, here is a refresher:

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 Posted on April 24, 2019 in Truck Accidents

Many people take medications and continue to perform successfully at their jobs in Maryland. However some medications carry warnings regarding such things as driving and operating heavy machinery. These warnings are frequently prompted by a propensity of the drug in question to cause drowsiness. In a horrific accident involving a trash truck and a multiple car pileup, a woman lost her life and the driver of the truck and his employer were named as defendants in a wrongful death suit.

The truck driver had been suffering from depression and was prescribed antidepressants including Abilify, Zoloft and Atarax. The medications all carry a warning regarding possible drowsiness and advise users to avoid operating heavy machinery. The prescriptions were ordered following the man’s hospitalization for symptoms of severe depression.

The morning of the accident, a string of cars was stopped at a red light. The garbage truck reportedly struck the line of stopped cars, causing a chain reaction crash. According to the police report, it did not appear that the driver of the truck either swerved or applied his brakes in an effort to avoid the collision. A total of five cars were involved in the accident, and the driver of one, a young woman, was killed as a result of her injuries. A wrongful death lawsuit followed, and the woman’s family was awarded $1.9 million in damages.

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 Posted on April 10, 2019 in Truck Accidents

Traffic congestion is a never ending problem on Maryland roads. With the constant congestion exists the constant threat of motor vehicle accidents. Accidents involving school buses can be particularly traumatic, and a recent accident in Prince George’s County serves to remind people to be on the lookout for school buses, to obey the flashing lights and exercise extra caution.

The accident happened about 6 a.m. when high school students are being picked up for the bus trip to school. The accident involved a school bus, a car and a tractor-trailer. The bus and the car were traveling east and the truck was coming from the south. The car became sandwiched between the bus and the truck.

The driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene. Eight additional people, at least two of them teenagers, suffered what appeared to be non life-threatening injuries. The bus had been heading toward Charles H. Flowers High School. A hazardous materials team was reportedly dispatched to assist with the cleanup and the cause of the accident remains under investigation.

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 Posted on March 27, 2019 in Truck Accidents

In virtually every profession, peer recognition is evidence of a job well done, a reputation earned – with respect gained among those with the same or similar qualifications. For Whitlock Law, LLC, such recognition includes national recognition.

Personal injury attorney, Morgan Whitlock, was recently selected to join to The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40. Licensed to practice law in both Maryland and Virginia, Ms. Whitlock has been practicing law for more than 10 years. Her achievements both in and outside of the courtroom, led to her acceptance into the prestigious national organization.

What the Top 40 entails

The professional organization consisting of the top trial lawyers under 40 throughout each region or state receive invitations based on peer recommendations and research related to a lawyer’s demonstrated skills, recommendations and established reputation. Throughout the evaluation process prior to admittance, The National Trial Lawyers evaluates each nominee in areas which include:

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 Posted on March 12, 2019 in Truck Accidents

No one will dispute that Maryland has severe traffic issues. Sadly, when there is heavy traffic there is the potential for serious motor vehicle accidents. A recent crash involving 12 vehicles took the life of a prominent area businessman, the president of Kline ShopRite, and a 7-year-old boy.

The crash occurred when a ShopRite tractor-trailer failed to stop at an intersection and crashed into several cars. The two people who died were traveling in separate vehicles. The truck caught fire after the collision. Two cars that had become pinned beneath the truck also caught fire. One of the fatalities occurred in one of those two vehicles.

The 7-year-old was in a car further behind the tractor-trailer that also became involved in the collision. The boy’s mother, who was driving the car, was taking him to his grandmother’s house so his grandmother could take him to school. The boy was transported to University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Medical Center where he later died as a result of his injuries. At least two other people were transported to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and the severity of their injuries is not known. No charges have yet been filed but the cause of the accident remains under investigation.

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