Monday, December 28, 2015

Maryland Bus Accident Lawyer: Megabus Crashes into Car and Kills One Person

          Yesterday morning, two people were in a car that was driving on I-695 and merging onto I-295 north. At that time, they lost control of their car and slid into other lanes of oncoming traffic.  A Megabus that was carrying 18 passengers on its way to New York City crashed into the vehicle.  The driver of the car was taken to shock trauma with serious injuries and the passenger became trapped in the vehicle.  Tragically, she later died at the scene due to her extensive injuries.

            Preliminary investigations do not appear to show any negligence on the part of the Megabus driver, but this accident does show the horrific consequences of accidents involving buses.  Just like large trucks and tractor trailers, buses are very large and powerful and cannot stop suddenly to avoid an accident.  In addition, a majority of buses do not have seatbelts for passengers to wear, therefore, in the event of a rollover accident, passengers have no way to protect or secure themselves.

Police are still investigating this accident to determine how and why the vehicle lost control and skidded all the way into the fast lane.  Fortunately, none of the 18 passengers onboard the bus were injured in this accident.


If you or a family member has been injured or killed in a bus accident that is caused by the fault or negligence of another person and would like to consult an experienced Maryland personal injury attorney for free, contact us at (301) 854-9000 to schedule an appointment at one of our office location in Glen Burnie or throughout Maryland or visit us online at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Auto-Accidents/Bus-Accidents.shtml

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Bel Air Car Accident Lawyers, I95 Motor Vehicle Fatalities

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Recently, Harford County has seen a startling spike in motor vehicle accident fatalities on I-95 between Route 24 and Route 152.  At the height of the holiday season, and with gas prices at their lowest levels in years, more Marylanders are on the road than ever.   The improving economy and surge in online gift buying has also caused an expansion of the volume of trucks sharing the roads.    
On December 9, 2015, a three vehicle accident on I-95 north resulted in the tragic death of a 21 year old Baltimore County woman.  The initial impact occurred between her pickup truck and a tractor trailer.  After striking the jersey wall, the pickup truck rebounded into another woman’s vehicle.  The driver of that vehicle was rescued in critical condition after being extricated from the wreckage.   All northbound and southbound lanes were closed for the medevac helicopter to land on I-95 south, causing traffic backups nine miles long.
Only two days later, on December 11, 2015, another fatal crash occurred in nearly the same location.  A Honda Accord that had led police on a chase from Eastern Avenue in Baltimore City onto I-95 northbound lost control and crossed the grassy median, causing a head on collision with a Kia Sorrento heading southbound.  Both vehicles were carrying two passengers.  One passenger in each vehicle was killed in the crash, amounting to two fatalities.  Four people were taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, one by medevac  helicopter.   Again, both northbound and southbound lanes on I-95 were closed for the helicopter to land on the highway. 

If you or a family member has been injured or killed in an automobile accident, truck, bus or motorcycle accident, and would like a free consultation or if you would like more information on car accidents please feel free to contact our office at 410-995-1515.


Monday, December 14, 2015

Columbia Car Accident Attorney: Employee Spotlight December 2015

               Katherine Henriquez, our newest receptionist, has recently joined the Portner & Shure family.  Katherine was born in Los Angeles, California, but she grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina.  She is fluent in Spanish and assists our Spanish Department immensely.  Katherine’s husband is in the Army and was previously stationed in Hawaii.  Two months ago, they moved to Maryland because he had been reassigned to Andrews Air Force Base.  Katherine has a 2 year old daughter, Sophia, whom she loves spending time with. In her free time, she loves cheering on the San Francisco 49ers and reading books. 

Greenbelt Auto Accident Attorney: Litigation News December 2015

                Recently, Portner & Shure attorney, Kevin Ruby and paralegal, Amy Patton, settled a Virginia auto accident case for $112,000 just before trial was set to begin.  This accident occurred on Duke Street in Alexandria, Virginia in the midst of stop and go traffic.  The Defendant admitted to not paying attention and rear-ended our client.  Since the Defendant driver was not paying attention while driving in heavy traffic, he hit our client’s vehicle with great force because he did not apply the brakes.  The insurance company involved in the case refused to make any settlement offers initially because they were arguing that a majority of our client’s injuries were pre-existing.  Injuries to our client resulting from the accident included injuries to her head, neck, hip and knee. We filed suit in this case, which likely prompted the insurance company to begin settlement negotiations in order to avoid going to trial.  Eventually, the insurance company made a very favorable offer of $112,000 that our client was more than happy to accept.

Frederick Auto Accident Lawyer: What Clients Are Saying December 2015

“I'd like to thank Portner & Shure, and specifically my paralegal, Christiana Rowland, for the fantastic work done to help me with my auto accident. From handling the total loss of my vehicle to obtaining a great settlement on my behalf, Mrs. Rowland's communication and explanation of the claims process was extraordinary. I would (and have) recommended this firm to anyone in my family.”


This case was handled by our Paralegal, Christiana Rowland, who works out of our Frederick, MD Office.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Bel Air Truck Accident Lawyer: Deadly Tractor Trailer Crash on I-95

           Wednesday night, a horrific accident occurred on I-95 near Bel Air in Harford County, Maryland.  A 21 year old Towson University nursing student tragically lost her life in the accident.  The young driver was changing lanes in her Honda when a tractor trailer rear-ended her.  The Honda then began to spin and lose control, and eventually ended up hitting a wall where a pickup truck crashed into her.  
            
           This accident goes to show the dangers involved when driving near tractor trailers, especially on the highway.  State police say that the 21 year old made an “erratic” lane change that may have contributed to the truck rear ending her.  However, investigations into the exact cause of the accident continue.  No one else was injured in the crash.
            
           As we often write about, rear-end collisions are some of the most dangerous and most common types of accidents.  When the vehicle that is rear ending another vehicle is a tractor trailer, the resulting injuries to the victim car tend to be very severe.  Due to the size and power of tractor trailers, it is difficult for truck drivers to bring their rigs to a quick stop.  Since we do not know the exact cause of this accident, we do not want to speculate who is to blame, but if the accident victim did make a sudden lane change in front of a tractor trailer, it was likely difficult for the truck driver to stop in time.  All drivers on the roads and highways should always be extra cautious when driving near, next to, or in front of tractor trailers because there is a greater risk for a serious accident.


If you or a family member has been injured or killed in a truck accident caused by the fault or negligence of another person and would like to consult an experienced Maryland personal injury attorney for free, contact us at (301) 854-9000 to schedule an appointment at one of our office locations in Bel Air or throughout Maryland or visit us online at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Auto-Accidents/Truck-Accidents/

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Deadly Silver Spring, MD Accident: Tractor Trailer Crushes Woman in SUV

           Early Monday morning, a woman was killed in a horrific accident on Cherry Hill Road in Silver Spring, Maryland.  A woman and another passenger were in an SUV which collided with a USPS tractor trailer that flipped over on top of their vehicle.  The passenger in the SUV was rescued from the SUV and taken to the hospital in serious condition.  Sadly, the driver of the SUV did not survive the crash.  The truck driver only suffered minor injuries.  Police continue to investigate the accident to determine the cause and which party was at fault.
            
           We see this all the time with tractor trailer-involved accidents.  The size, power, and force of a large truck are a danger on the roadway for anyone in a typical car, truck, SUV, or motorcycle.  Deadly accidents involving tractor trailers occur far too often.  The truck drivers are not always at fault, however.  Sometimes, other drivers do not drive cautiously around tractor trailers and are the ones to cause an accident.  Drivers cannot assume that the truck driver can see them, therefore, it is best to be very cautious when trying to drive close to a tractor trailer.  Other times, the truck drivers are negligent in causing an accident because they are using their cell phone while driving, speeding, or driving drowsy.  Just remember to be careful when driving near tractor trailers—they have larger blind spots, make wide turns, and cannot stop as suddenly as cars and other vehicles.


If you or someone you love has been injured in a tractor trailer accident caused by the negligence of the truck driver or another driver, please call us today at (301) 854-9000 to set up an appointment at our Silver Spring office or one of our other office locations located throughout Maryland for a free case evaluation or visit us online: http://www.portnerandshure.com/Auto-Accidents/Truck-Accidents/