Accidents

Summer is now in full swing and hope it turns out to be a great one for everyone out there. However, we all know that sometimes, summer fun can turn dangerous or even deadly. Swimming pool accidents and poolside injuries are the number two cause of death in children 14 and younger. Swimming pool accidents in Maryland can result in death. But they can also cause submersion injuries, traumatic brain injuries, concussions and spinal cord injuries. In Maryland, if you are a homeowner and a visiting child drowns in your pool as a result of your negligence or inattention, you could be liable for that accident and resulting injuries.

Backyard swimming pool accidents occur most commonly in Maryland. Recently, WBALTV reported that a 3-year-old girl died in backyard swimming pool accident in Annapolis, Maryland. The girl was apparently found to be in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived at the home.

Each state’s swimming pool laws vary; however, pool owners are generally expected to exercise a reasonable standard of care when it comes to visitors using their pool facilities. This includes an obligation to accurately post pool depth and other warning signs, to cover an unused pool, and to properly secure pool facilities not in use with fences, locks, and other barriers.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a swimming pool accident, seek appropriate medical care immediately and try to document the circumstances of the accident as accurately as possible. You would also be well-advised to contact skilled Maryland swimming pool accident attorney Steven H. Heisler who can advise you on which legal course to pursue and tell you whether you qualify to collect compensation for your injuries.

Motorcycle Season Coming Soon: The Fear of Accidents Rise

The Baltimore Sun reports in an article that the authorities have identified the 42-year old man who died this past Sunday, March 8, when his 2008 Harley Davidson Sportster crashed into a 2009 Mercury Grand Marquis near St. Agnes hospital, as Curtis Amburgey. There is no word on whether or not Mr. Amburgey was wearing a helmet while riding, even though Maryland law requires a helmet to be worn at all times when riding on public roads.

According to the Sun and Maryland State Police, 92 people have already died on the Maryland roads this year alone, as compared to the 77 from last year. In the current economic climate, more people are turning to motorcycles as the favored mode of transportation to save on fuel expenses, which could account for the increase in fatalities.

Experienced Maryland motorcycle accident attorney Steven H. Heisler reminds motorcyclists to stay safe by driving defensively this motorcycle season and cautions other vehicle operators to be alert and mindful of the motorcyclists on the roadways.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in Maryland, it is wise to seek legal counsel to help you navigate the legal system. Mr. Heisler has been helping Maryland personal injury victims for many years; he has the experience and resources to help you with the legalities after you have been injured in a motorcycle accident. For a free consultation with skilled Maryland personal injury lawyer Steven H. Heisler, call him today at   877-228-4878.

On the afternoon of Friday, January 9, 2009, a single-car crash claimed the lives of two victims and snarled traffic for several hours according to this Maryland auto accident report in the Baltimore Sun. Maryland State Police officials said that the auto accident occurred around 2:30 P.M. on January 9, 2009, on a Beltway ramp at the exit for the westbound Baltimore National Pike near the intersection of Interstate 695 and U.S. 40 in Catonsville.

Maryland State Police officials responding to the scene of the accident said that a 2002 Ford van had left the road, hit a telephone pole, then a tree and caught fire. They said that the two occupants of the van were killed at the scene and burned beyond recognition. The two victims of the Maryland auto accident were still unknown when the article was published, but police officials were waiting for forensics on the victims’ identities and investigating what caused the van to leave the road.

It is profoundly sad that so many people are injured and killed each year in Maryland auto accidents. Many times the causes of the accidents are slick roads, a driver’s inexperience behind the wheel, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, tailgating or driver error. For survivors of Maryland auto accidents, medical and other expenses add up quickly and make a bad situation even worse for accident victims and their survivors.

Maryland auto accident attorney Steven H. Heisler has been helping victims and the survivors of those killed in Maryland auto accidents for many years. With his legal assistance, Mr. Heisler has helped countless accident victims and their families receive financial compensation for the injuries they received in Maryland car crashes. The aftermath of a Maryland auto accident is a very confusing time for victims and their families, and they often have difficulty dealing with insurance companies. Maryland auto accident lawyer Steven H. Heisler understands that this is a very trying time and will use his legal experience to help victims understand their legal options in this difficult period of their lives. For a free consultation, contact Maryland auto accident attorney Steven H. Heisler at 877-228- 4878 today!

A two-time Maryland State Football Championship-winning football coach was killed just a mile from his home in a two-car crash New Year’s Eve according to this ABC News report. Suitland High School football coach and athletic director Nick Lynch, who led the school to two state championships and five straight playoff appearances, was killed early on the morning of December 31, 2008, when he attempted to make a left turn in his 2008 Dodge Magnum and was hit by a 2000 GMC Sierra pickup truck.

The 43-year-old Lynch won 117 games and two Maryland state titles in 2004 and 2006. Lynch’s brother Keith, a former Suitland High School assistant coach, said, “The football players had great respect for him. Where other people gave up on kids, he was there for them. A lot of them, man, he was a father to a lot of them. A lot of them grew up in broken homes.” Suitland High School principal Mark Fossett said, “He’s had an impact on so many people’s lives—not only football players, but students in general. It wasn’t like Nick was just the head coach of football.”

Maryland auto accidents claim the lives of many victims each year and countless more are injured as a result of Maryland auto accidents. Auto accident victims often end up many thousands of dollars in debt from medical expenses, rehabilitative costs, and loss of income. Unfortunately, many insurance companies are more concerned about looking out for their own interests rather than helping Maryland auto accident victims.

Maryland auto accident attorney Steven H. Heisler takes a tough approach when dealing with rich insurance companies and fights hard on his clients’ behalf. In over two decades as a Maryland auto accident lawyer, Mr. Heisler has helped his clients recover millions in compensation to help them with medical and other expenses from injuries they received in an auto accident. For a free consultation with an experienced Maryland auto accident attorney, call the law office of Steven H. Heisler at 877-228-4878 today.

Slick roads across Maryland resulted in several minor traffic accidents on Thursday, January 8, 2009, and kept Maryland’s law enforcement officials very busy investigating accident scenes and assisting the injured. According to this account in the Washington Post, a chain-reaction accident on Interstate 270 in Montgomery County resulted in a 10-car pileup which temporarily closed the thoroughfare while emergency personnel responded. A dozen people were injured in the I-270 Maryland car accident and sent to nearby hospitals, but only two of them had what hospital officials described as serious but not life-threatening injuries. The other 10 were treated for minor injuries and released.

The chain-reaction accident on I-270 was one of many different accidents caused by occasional patches of “black ice” that developed overnight on area roads. A supervisor in the Prince George’s County police communications office said, “We’re working quite a few . . . they’re just everywhere.” She also reported that a vehicle lost control in icy conditions and struck a utility pole at the intersection of North Keyes and Brandywine Roads—which temporarily closed the road until the scene was cleared. A spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Service said that the I-270 series of collisions began when a vehicle lost control in a HOV lane.

If you or someone you care for has been injured in an auto accident, Maryland auto accident attorney Steven H. Heisler may be able to help you receive compensation to help with medical costs. He offers free initial consultations, will begin an immediate investigation into the auto accident, and will defend your rights at all times. For a free consultation with a Maryland auto accident lawyer with over twenty years of experience helping clients who have suffered injuries in auto accidents, call the law office of Steven H. Heisler at 877-228-4878 today!

According to this MSNBC report, a Chambersburg man wanted by police for felony charges is in custody after leading law enforcement officials on a high-speed, multi-state chase which ended in downtown Hagerstown. Pennsylvania State Police officials said that officers attempted to stop Kevin Reese around 3:00 a.m. Saturday, January 3, for a routine traffic stop but Reese took off down Route 11 instead of pulling over and put drivers at risk of an auto accident.

The police pursuit continued over the Maryland border into Hagerstown where police say Reese began driving in the wrong direction on Pennsylvania Avenue, turned onto Jonathan Street where he hit three parked cars, and came to a stop after hitting another parked car on Summit Avenue. After Reese hit the last parked car, police were able to take Reese into custody. He was taken to Washington County Hospital for treatment for the injuries he received in the accidents and faces charges in both Maryland and Pennsylvania.

No one besides Reese was hurt as a result of the high-speed chase, but tragically thousands of people are injured and killed each year in accidents involving suspects fleeing and eluding law enforcement authorities. Many times these suspects are charged with gross negligence, reckless or aggressive driving, driving under the influence, vehicular homicide, and other charges stemming from the accidents they cause. If you or someone you care for has been injured as a result of an auto accident, Maryland auto accident attorney Steven H. Heisler may be able to help you recover medical and other expenses.

In over two decades of practicing law, Mr. Heisler has helped his clients recover millions of dollars on his clients’ behalf and is known as a Baltimore personal injury lawyer who won’t back down from anybody—including big insurance companies. His Maryland car accident law firm is focused on the needs of injured people and he will work tirelessly to protect their rights. For a free consultation with a dedicated, experienced Maryland personal injury attorney, call the law office of Steven H. Heisler at 877-228-4878 today!

A New Year’s Eve police chase ended when a fleeing suspect crashed his BMW into the back of an SUV belonging to a Berlin family. Hospital officials say that two members of the Espinoza family of Berlin, Maryland, are in critical condition at Peninsula Regional Medical Center from injuries they received when a car ran a red light at a high rate of speed. The report from the Delmarva Media Group indicates that Winston Doyle Douglas, 26, of Portsmouth, VA, had been drinking when a Berlin Police officer’s radar clocked his northbound BMW going 108 mph on Route 113.

The police officer said that he pursued the suspect with lights and sirens in an attempt to pull him over, but the high-speed pursuit continued when Douglas headed east on Route 50. Maryland State Police Trooper J. Brant said that Douglas ran a red light at Route 50 and Seahawk Drive, and collided with the Espinoza family’s Ford Expedition. Six members of the family were in the SUV when the Maryland car accident occurred—the driver, Marco Antonia Espinoza, 35, his wife Maria Espinoza, 38, twin 17-year-old sons Juvenal Fresca and Jose Fresca, 12-year-old son Jose Espinoza and a 22-year-old nephew, Brant said.

The nephew and 12-year-old son’s injuries were so severe that they were airlifted from the scene by a State Police helicopter to Peninsula Regional Medical Center. The other Espinoza family members were also treated at PRMC, as well as Douglas and the passenger in his car. Police found a loaded .45 caliber handgun in Douglas’ car, but police have not yet determined who the registered owner of the gun is at this time. Police have charged Douglas with DUI, handgun possession, speeding, aggressive driving, and fleeing and eluding resulting in bodily injury to others.

If you or someone you care for has been injured in an auto accident as a result of someone driving under the influence, driving aggressively or recklessly, running a traffic signal, speeding, or gross negligence, Maryland auto accident attorney Steven H. Heisler can help you recover your expenses. His Maryland auto accident law firm specializes in personal injury cases and has helped clients recover millions of dollars in medical and other expenses over the years. Baltimore personal injury lawyer Steven H. Heisler regards your personal injury case as his passion and priority. So don’t get pushed around by rich insurance companies—call our Maryland personal injury lawyers of Steven H. Heisler at 877-228-4878 today!

After a year of investigation, county prosecutors have decided not to indict a Prince George County police officer who faced several serious charges in a 2007 car accident that claimed the life of a University of Maryland student. According to a recent report in the Washington Post, Officer Mario Chavez had been drinking the evening of December 10, 2007, and traveling at a rate twice the posted speed limit when his cruiser struck a car that was turning left across his lane. The Maryland car accident resulted in the death of 20-year old Brian Gray, who was being followed home in another car driven by his mother, Mary Gray.

After a year-long investigation by county prosecutors, Officer Chavez was issued a speeding ticket but will not face any additional criminal charges. The decision shocked friends and family members who claim that Officer Chavez was given lenience due to his employment as a law enforcement officer. They claim that evidence gathered in a civil case against Officer Chavez suggests he should be held responsible for far more serious charges than a traffic violation.

“A speeding ticket is an insult to the value of my son’s life,” Mary Gray said. “If they were looking for things for an indictment, they weren’t looking very hard. This feels like it’s being swept under the rug—a cover up.”

Mrs. Gray also expressed outrage that her son’s blood alcohol level was checked, with no alcohol found in his bloodstream, but Officer Chavez’ was not. In a deposition from the civil case against Chavez, he admitted drinking ‘three or four beers’ that evening, but had slept on a friend’s couch to sober up before driving. But phone records indicated that Chavez had made a half-hour phone call to his wife during the time he claimed to be sleeping.

If you or someone you care for has been injured or killed in a Maryland auto accident, Maryland auto accident attorney Steven H. Heisler may be able to help you recover medical and additional expenses as a result of the accident. Mr. Heisler specializes in injury cases involving auto accidents and his knowledge and expertise has helped countless clients over the years. Don’t get pushed around by rich insurance companies! Call Maryland personal injury lawyer Steven H. Heisler today at 877-228-4878 for a free consultation!

A 57-year-old truck driver was killed on August 10, 2008, when a woman fell asleep at the wheel, crossed into oncoming traffic, and caused him to lose control of his truck which plunged off the bridge. According to this Washington Post report, 19-year-old Candy Lynn Baldwin admitted to reporters and Maryland police officials that she had fallen asleep at the wheel around 4 a.m. that morning. She told reporters at The Post she was exhausted that morning after getting little sleep over her mother’s wedding weekend.

Queen Anne’s County State Attorney, Frank M. Kratovil Jr., said his office’s investigation found that no criminal charges against Baldwin would be brought as she was not found to be grossly negligent in this Maryland car accident. But according to the National Transportation Safety Board, significant sleep loss degrades hand-eye reflexes in a way that is equivalent to blood alcohol content of 0.10 percent which constitutes being legally drunk in most states.

Drivers operating a vehicle while suffering from sleep deprivation have been found to be grossly negligent and convicted of vehicular manslaughter in many states and countries around the world. In 2005, a Maryland appeals court affirmed a drowsy driver’s gross negligence manslaughter conviction—concluding that “the deliberate failure of a driver to heed clear warning signs of drowsiness is evidence of a reckless disregard for human life.”

Despite the decision in this case, thousands of people throughout the country are needlessly killed and injured each year as a result of people operating vehicles while impaired by sleep deprivation or alcohol consumption. Maryland personal injury attorney Steven H. Heisler has represented many clients hurt in such accidents and has helped them recover millions of dollars in damages to offset medical and other expenses.

This Baltimore auto accident injury lawyer offers free consultations to clients and will launch an immediate investigation into the accident which caused death or injuries. His Maryland car accident injury law firm represents a wide range of people who have suffered personal injuries, and Mr. Heisler and his staff have earned the reputation of being very tough with rich insurance companies. Don’t get pushed around by rich insurance companies—call Steven H. Heisler today at 877-228-4878.

As a Maryland Auto Accident lawyer who has practiced for nearly twenty (20) years, it is my experience that nothing stirs more emotion among car accident victims than their automobile’s property damage.

I’ve had clients who were seriously injured in an Auto Accident get more upset over how much the insurance company was offering for their totaled vehicle than over the fractures or disc herniation they received in the accident.

The purpose of this article is to educate you about what you need to know if your automobile has been damaged in a Maryland Motor Vehicle Accident.

If your car is seriously damaged and is not drivable it will likely be towed away from the site of the crash. The police from the county where the accident occurred will usually call the tow operator who has the contract with that county to tow vehicles involved in accidents. The towing company will transport your vehicle to its facility or to the county tow yard.

Some jurisdictions, such as Baltimore City, will actually give the driver of the damaged vehicle the choice of having the automobile towed by the operator who has the city contract or the driver’s own tow operator.

If given the choice, it’s probably a good idea to have your own company tow your car. Why? There is a good chance it will cost you more money when the county tow operator takes the vehicle. In Baltimore City, for instance, it will cost you $200.00 to have your vehicle towed to the city storage lot. After that, it’s $40.00 a day. Now it’s true that if you were not at fault for the accident the responsible party’s insurance company has to pay the tow and storage fees, but insurance companies don’t always accept blame for accidents that are the fault of its drivers. If the defendant’s insurance company disputes the claim, you have to pay the money up front to the tow yard to get the vehicle out and that can be expensive especially if the car sat in the yard for awhile while the insurance company was investigating.

Your own tow company will likely charge you a lot less to have the car towed and it will tow the vehicle to where you want it to go. One problem associated with using your own tow company after a Maryland car wreck is the police usually only allow you a short period of time to get your tow company to come to the accident scene and tow the car. Baltimore City police permit you only 20 minutes to have your company get to the site and tow it. If your car can’t be towed by the tow company in that period of time they will automatically have their tow contractor handle it.

Coming up next time- One big reason you don’t want your car towed to the county/city yard.