Auto Accidents

The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) recognizes the problem of Maryland work zone auto accidents and, in addition to its Work Zone Safety and Mobility safety program, has implemented its Safe Zones program. This automated speed enforcement program uses traffic cameras in work zones to cite motorists travelling at unsafe speeds. Work zones change the speed and direction of traffic and so it is important that motorists drive accordingly. Many motorists don’t, however, and endanger the safety of state employees, other motorists, and themselves.

The installed Maryland work zone cameras photograph drivers that are travelling at least 12 mph over the posted speed limit. Since the implementation of these cameras 17 months ago, they have amassed a total of 497,447 citations throughout the state. Each citation requires a fine of $40. The automatic issuing of citations is hoped to motivate drivers to decrease their speed in work zones, and thus prevent a Maryland work zone accident.

According to the SHA, an average of 584 fatal work zone accidents and 39,786 injury work zone accidents occur every year, causing an average of 636 fatalities and 63,253 injuries yearly. Many of these are rear-end auto accidents. The installation of speed enforcement cameras is expected to decrease these numbers in the years to come.

Even with decreased occurrences, Maryland work zone crashes are still a problem. When drivers do not follow the posted speed limit they endanger themselves and any motorists or pedestrians around them. If such a driver should cause an injury auto accident, they may be held liable for victims’ financial and/or emotional losses.

The knowledgeable Baltimore car crash lawyer, Steven Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer,” helps injured victims of Maryland auto accidents recover fair compensation from negligent parties. Call today for a free confidential consultation about your potential injury claim at 877-862-6288.

Three people suffered injuries in a three-vehicle crash near Hagerstown recently, according to an article in The Herald-Mail. The vehicles involved in the crash included a Washington County Public Schools bus, a car, and an SUV.

The accident occurred at the intersection of Downsville Pike and West Oak Ridge Drive. According to the state troopers investigating the crash, the car’s driver was trying to turn left onto West Oak Ridge Drive when she struck an SUV that was going through the intersection in the opposite direction. The collision between the car and SUV pushed the car into the school bus, which was sitting at the light on West Oak Ridge Drive.

The driver of the SUV and its two passengers, both children, were taken to Meritus Medical Center to be examined. The driver was treated for her injuries and released, but the hospital has not yet released any information on the children. The driver of the car was not injured. The school bus was dented, but its only occupant at the time was the driver, who was also unhurt. Typically, however, collisions that involve three or more vehicles are often more dangerous than those that involve only one or two cars. In a multi-vehicle accident, cars can be pushed into one another, increasing the risk of injury for the people inside.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident in Maryland, please don’t hesitate to contact experienced Maryland car accident attorney Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer.” Mr. Heisler will examine the details of your case and help you fight for compensation. To learn more or to schedule a free consultation, call 877-228-4878 today.

University of Maryland football coach Randy Edsall recently banned his football players from riding motor scooters around the Maryland campus after two players suffered injuries while riding them, according to a report in The Washington Post.

Edsall decided to prohibit the players from riding scooters after cornerback Dexter McDougle suffered a broken collarbone in a scooter accident last December. The injury prevented McDougle from playing in the Military Bowl. A few months prior to McDougle’s accident, freshman offensive tackle Pete DeSouza suffered two broken legs when his scooter was hit by a car. DeSouza spent just under 12 hours in surgery to repair the damage to his legs. Although he is expected to recover fully, the severity of his injuries and the medical treatment and therapy needed to mend them has kept DeSouza off the field.

As we noted in a previous blog post, the University of Maryland as a whole also began considering scooter safety after DeSouza’s accident. Former football coach Ralph Friedgen sent a letter to players’ parents, asking them to urge their children not to ride scooters on campus, but did not ban them entirely.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident while walking, bicycling, or using a scooter, please don’t hesitate to contact experienced Maryland traffic accident injury attorney Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer.” Mr. Heisler will examine your case carefully and fight for the compensation you deserve. To schedule a free and confidential consultation, call The Law Offices of Steven H. Heisler today at 877-228-4878.

A recent personal injury case in Maryland ended with a $3.1 million verdict in favor of the injured plaintiff, according to a recent article on The Washington Examiner.

The case arose when a 45-year-old Maryland woman was driving a vehicle that was struck by a car in Calvert County in 2008. The vehicle was a rental car driven by an undercover narcotics officer from Prince George’s County, who was off duty at the time. According to eyewitnesses, the officer’s car swerved across the center line after hitting the car ahead of it, but neither the officer nor the injured woman remembers the incident.

The injured woman suffered several broken and dislocated bones, and spent three months under hospital care and several additional months receiving physical therapy and other rehabilitation for her Maryland car accident injuries. A jury in Prince George’s County awarded the injured woman just over three million dollars, but under Maryland’s damages laws, she will receive only about $2 million. According to the injured woman’s attorneys, however, she would have received only $50,000 had she relied on the officer’s auto insurance, which is not enough to cover her medical expenses.

Car accidents are always a risk for those who drive. In a particularly severe accident, the costs of medical bills, therapy, lost wages, and other losses can be astronomical. The help of an experienced Maryland personal injury attorney can be indispensable in helping you receive the compensation you deserve. Attorney Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer,” has the experience to successfully represent survivors of severe car accidents. To schedule a free and confidential consultation, call 877-228-4878 to schedule a free case evaluation.

A Pennsylvania woman lost her life in a Maryland car accident recently when a tire came loose from a pickup truck and smashed into her windshield, according to Baltimore ABC affiliate WBAL.

The woman was driving northbound on Route 30 near Westminster in Maryland when the rear tire came off a pickup truck that was also driving in the northbound lanes. The tire bounced into the southbound lane, where it struck a passenger car before flying back into the northbound side of the highway and crashing into the woman’s vehicle. According to witnesses, her car then swerved sideways and drove through a fence.

Rescue workers rushed to the scene of the Maryland car crash, but were unable to save the woman’s life. The pickup truck driver whose vehicle lost the tire was not seriously injured, nor was the driver of the first vehicle that was struck by the tire. Route 30 was closed while police investigated the accident.

Negligent drivers cause hundreds of car crashes every year, and many of them are fatal. Even careful drivers can be injured when defectively manufactured or designed car parts break, or when a faulty repair job fails while the vehicle is in motion. When these kinds of accidents occur, you need the help of an experienced Maryland personal injury lawyer to protect your legal rights. Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer,” has the legal resources and courtroom experience to fight for the compensation you deserve. To learn more, call Steven H. Heisler today at 877-228-4878 to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation.

Two Maryland residents, a father and son, were traveling down Route 50 recently when their car struck a vehicle sitting on the road, according to an article in The Washington Post. The man was killed in the accident, and the boy suffered serious injuries.

According to police, the vehicle the Maryland pair hit was sitting in the road without its lights on, and it was dark out when the accident occurred. The vehicle, a 2004 Cadillac, had been reported stolen some time before. Police were not certain whether the Cadillac was occupied when it was struck, but had arrested two “subjects of interest” in relation to the Cadillac’s abandonment on Route 50. The two people who were arrested were not injured.

The boy and his father, residents of Queen Anne’s County, were returning from a Kent Island high school wrestling match. At the match, the boy, an avid wrestling fan, had presented a trophy to one of the high school’s champion wrestlers.

Maryland auto accidents like this one, which claimed the life of this father and injured his son, are often the result of another driver’s negligence, or careless disregard for the safety of other motorists. When negligence is involved in a car accident, Maryland residents have certain legal rights and options. Hiring an experienced Maryland car accident attorney can help you protect your rights after a car accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured or lost in a car accident, please don’t hesitate to call Maryland car crash attorney Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer.” Mr. Heisler will examine your case carefully and fight to win you the compensation you deserve. For a free and confidential consultation, contact Steven H. Heisler today at 877-228-4878.

An increasing number of students at the University of Maryland have started using motorized scooters to travel around campus, raising concerns about safety, according to a recent article published in The Washington Post. The University of Maryland is particularly concerned about safety issues after a Maryland offensive lineman was seriously injured in a collision with a car while riding a motorized scooter.

Scooters are becoming popular among students because they are an easy way to cut down travel time between classes. They’re also cost-effective and, on crowded campus streets, are easier to park than a car. However, scooter drivers are at a greater risk for injury in an accident. Road hazards like water or potholes can also hurt scooter drivers, who may fall off the scooter if it hits a pothole or puddle.

The University of Maryland is considering a number of ways to make commuting by scooter safer, including requiring scooter drivers to wear helmets while traveling on campus. Other campuses nationwide are considering requiring safety measures like protective eyewear and additional lights on scooters.

Due to their small size and lack of headlights, scooters can be difficult for drivers to see. In a car crash, scooter drivers are at a significant disadvantage than those protected by a motor vehicle. Colliding with a car or truck can cause a scooter driver permanent injuries, particularly if a driver is not wearing a helmet, which Maryland law does not require them to do.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a scooter accident, bicycle accident or similar crash, please don’t hesitate to contact an experienced Maryland traffic accident lawyer. Attorney Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer,” has fought for the rights of injured people in a wide range of traffic accident cases. To learn more about your legal rights and options after an accident, call The Law Offices of Steven H. Heisler today at 877-228-4878 for a free and confidential consultation.

In a program designed to teach teens safety behind the wheel, they drove while wearing vision-impairing goggles and practiced driving in cars designed to spin out, according to a recent article in The Baltimore Sun.

The program is called “Driving Skills for Life” and was offered by Maryland police officers recently on a closed course used for officer training. The course was held four times for different groups of teens. Among other skills, the young drivers were taught how to make lane changes quickly in an emergency and how to handle a vehicle that was spinning out of control to prevent a Maryland car crash. They also experienced what it’s like to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, thanks to special goggles that mimic the way a person’s vision is impaired when their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is over the legal limit.

The program is designed to complement a teen’s usual driver education courses. Activities like driving wearing the vision-impairing goggles or while texting are designed to teach teens how difficult and dangerous it is to drive distracted or under the influence, while other lessons such as how to correct a skidding vehicle are life-saving skills that can’t be practiced safely on public roads.

Due to their inexperience, teenagers are involved in Maryland car accidents at much higher rates than adults. Keeping teens safe on the road not only potentially saves their lives but also protects other motorists on the road as well. If you or a loved one has been in a Maryland car accident, please don’t hesitate to contact Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer.” As a father of three teenage children, two of whom are driving, Mr. Heisler understands the importance of adult involvement with teenage driving and will handle your accident case with sensitivity and efficiency. Call 877-228-4878 today for a free and confidential consultation with a skilled Maryland car accident injury lawyer.

On October 1, a new law banning drivers from holding their cell phones while driving takes effect in Maryland, according to the Baltimore Sun. Instead, drivers must use a hands-free headset or speaker system if they want to talk on their phones while driving. The new rule joins Maryland’s ban on texting while driving, which went into effect in 2009. Like the texting law, the hands-free rule is intended to keep Maryland’s roads safer by preventing distracted driving.

Under the new law, drivers may dial the phone or end a call while holding the phone, but they may not hold the phone while talking on it if they are also driving. Drivers can use a hands-free device, such as a headset or an in-car speaker system if they need to talk on the phone while driving.

Drivers who are caught breaking the new law will be fined $40 for the first offense and $100 for each offense after. The new rule is considered a “secondary” rule, meaning that drivers cannot be pulled over for talking on their cell phones. A police officer can, however, ticket you for talking on your phone while driving if you are pulled over for another offense, like speeding.

Distracted driving causes too many Maryland motor vehicle crashes. If you or a loved one suffers injury from another person’s distracted driving, please contact attorney Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer,” to discuss your legal rights and options after an accident. Call 877-228-4878 today.

According to WJLA, a new report shows that the fight against driving while distracted is working, but not everyone is engaging. Many drivers continue to text, place phone calls, and participate in other distracting behaviors instead of focusing attention on the road. As a result, local governments have passed stronger laws and education campaigns against distracted driving. In 2003, only 17 states collected distracted driving data if there was an accident. Today 43 states collect distracted driving data.

Maryland has made significant strides in its campaign to prevent distracted driving. It has a texting while driving ban. The governor recently signed into law a ban against using a cell phone without a hands free device. Drivers under 18 cannot use cell phones while driving, even with a hands free device. The Maryland Senate is also considering making it illegal to read a text message while driving. Maryland also has included distracted driving in its overall state safety program.

Tragically, in 2008, 34 residents were killed as a result of distracted driving in Maryland. Almost 6,000 people were killed in 2008 nationwide as a result of distracted driving. If you or someone you know was injured by a distracted driver, you have legal rights. The distracted driver may be liable for damages to your automobile, medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

For an experienced auto accident attorney in Baltimore who is dedicated to helping automobile accident victims obtain the compensation they deserve, contact Steven H. Heisler, “The Injury Lawyer”, at 877-228-4878 for your free consultation. As a Maryland injury attorney with years of experience handling car accident cases, Mr. Heisler has the legal knowledge you need to be successful with your case.