Single Vehicle Car Accident Claims Another Life

Single vehicle accidents resulting in personal injuries are often caused by speed or reckless automobile driving. However, weather conditions can also play an important role in these traffic accidents. The recent rain storms have caused flooding in some areas and left roadways very slippery.

A recent single vehicle accident claimed the life of a 21-year-old woman. She was driving her Lexus on Snowden River Parkway in Columbia, Maryland when she swerved to avoid a collision with another vehicle. As a result of her swerving, she struck a tree and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

An accident re-constructionist could be called to the scene to help determine the cause of the accident. If skid measurements were taken by an expert, the speed at the time of the cars impact could have been determined. Proper measurements, done timely, with eye witness testimony, could assist in determining if the driver in this accident either lost control of her vehicle, or was cut off by another driver, or if her vehicle was not working properly.

In some cases, even if the other driver leaves the scene, fault could be attributed to that driver if a proper investigation is conducted. Our personal injury lawyers have been involved in several lawsuits that hinged on a thorough accident reconstruction.

If you, a family member, or someone you know has been involved in automobile accident where someone was injured or if you would like more information on car accidents, please contact Portner & Shure for a free consultation.

Rollover Crash Injures 4 People: Is the Driver Responsible for the Car Accident?

In late March, a vehicle traveling on Interstate 70 in Frederick County, Maryland lost control and rolled over several times. In the vehicle were four people. All the individuals in the vehicle were transported to a local hospital for observations. Although the cause of the accident is unclear, the Maryland State Police noted that there was a steady rain falling at the time of the accident which could have attributed to the cause of the accident.

All automobile drivers need to be cautious when driving in adverse weather conditions to avoid automobile accidents. Failure to do so could be deadly or lead to serious bodily injuries. Remember that in heavy rain, a driver still maintains an obligation to drive his car at a reasonable and prudent speed with is consistent with the current weather conditions. In other words, if a driver is traveling at the posted speed limit, he or she can still be found negligent of exceeding a safe speed if the weather conditions are hazardous.

If you have been involved in an automobile accident and are not sure of your legal rights, you may contact Portner & Shure for a free legal consultation.

Ice Patch May Have Caused Death of Prince George's County Police Officer

On February 27, 2010, a Prince George's County Police Officer was involved in a serious car accident when his vehicle struck a patch of ice and slid into a utility pole. Officer Thomas Jensen was transported to a nearby hospital where he was treated for his injuries. However, on March 9th, he died of those injuries.

All drivers have an obligation to drive at a reasonable and prudent speed with is consistent with the current weather conditions. In other words, if a driver is traveling at the posted speed limit, he or she can still be found negligent of exceeding a safe speed if the weather conditions are hazardous. What happened in this situation was a tragedy and is a reminder to all of use to be mindful of the weather conditions as we travel. It is also yet another example of terrible injuries occurring at an impact speed that was not over fifty miles per hour.

If you, a family member, or someone you know has been involved in a motor vehicle accident involving the weather conditions or if you would like more information on car accidents, please contact Portner & Shure for a free consultation.

Hazardous Road Conditions in Harford County Contribute to Accident.

The first of the major snow storms to hit Maryland had just started to fall on Friday, February 5, 2010, when a 2002 Chevrolet Ventura being operated by Carrie Ann Brown drifted to the right and struck a 1987 Mack dump truck. The dump truck, which was under contract with the Maryland State Highway Administration and being operated by Robert Singleton, Jr. of Forest Hill, was parked on the shoulder of the road on standby for the pending snow storm. The accident occurred on Paradise Road in Aberdeen near the I-95 overpass.

The driver of the Chevrolet and her 15 year old daughter were both taken to Bayview Hospital in Baltimore City in serious condition. Brown's two other children were also transported to nearby medical facilities for less serious injuries. Hazardous road conditions were believed to be the cause of the accident.

As the record snow fall for Maryland continues to grow, so does hazardous and icy road conditions that are the cause of the growing number of accidents over the last couple of weeks. In situations when an accident is due to poor road and/or weather conditions it can be hard to prove negligence, unless the person who caused the accident was not driving in accordance with the proper precaution for the poor weather conditions. What constitutes proper precaution is normally common sense. It is important to seek the advice of an attorney to assist you with accidents that occur in hazardous weather conditions, since different rules do apply.

If you, a family member or someone you know has been injured in an automobile accident that was the result of icy or snow covered roads or any other weather or poor road conditions you can contact Portner & Shure for a free consultation.

Snow and Ice Conditions Causing Countless Problems

The recent snow storms have caused problems for the State of Maryland. Many counties were not prepared for such a large amount of snow to fall in such a short period of time. Road crews have been working around the clock in order to clear the snow covered highways and roads. However, despite these efforts the lower temperatures have also caused freezing conditions especially on bridges, highway ramps and back roads. Drivers have been cautioned about the presence of the ongoing efforts of the State Highway Administration to clear our roads.

On February 11, 2010, a State Highway Administration worker was struck while clearing Baltimore National Pike in Baltimore County when he was struck in the rear by a tractor trailer. The Maryland State Police cited the driver of the tractor trailer with failure to control speed to avoid a collision. The SHA worker was flown to the University of Maryland Trauma Center. It is very important to follow the recommendation of the local government especially when they have asked for drivers to remain off the roads. Doing so only helps speed up the process of snow removal and will help prevent needless accidents.

If you, a family member, or someone you know has been involved in an automobile accident as a result of weather conditions or if you would like to learn more about car accidents contact Portner & Shure for a free consultation.