Litigation News May 2015

              Just recently, Portner & Shure won a $19,513 verdict for our client who was injured in a car accident in Prince George’s County because of a red light dispute.  The Defendant claims that he had the green arrow, but our client alleges that the other driver only had a solid green light.  A solid green light compared to a green arrow means that the driver making a turn must yield to oncoming traffic before turning.  After bringing in a traffic light sequence expert, it was determined that based on the timing during the incident in question, our client’s allegation that there was a solid green light was correct.

Seatbelt Safety: Deadly Teen Accident in Howard County

          With prom and graduation season in full swing, the worst has happened for a Howard County family: losing their 18 year old son.  Garrett Bonin of Howard High School was about to wrap up his senior year with prom one night away and graduation just weeks away.  Sadly, Garrett did not survive from a car crash Friday night as his car overturned on Old Frederick Road while driving home from a friend’s house.  Police say speed was a factor in the accident, as well as the lack of using a seatbelt.  Normally, Police in these types of single-car accidents expect alcohol to be a factor, but that was not the case here.

            There is never a good time to lose a child in an accident, but it is even more devastating when it happens so close to major life events: high school prom and high school graduation.  This tragedy might have been avoided if a seatbelt was being worn.  Drivers are constantly reminded about wearing seatbelts in the car and the life-saving benefits of using them.  Not only is it required by law, but it should be second-nature to get in the car and put your seatbelt on.  Again, we want to remind teenage drivers, as well as all other drivers on the road to use your seatbelt in the car.  There have been several accidents over the last few weeks where drivers or passengers in the car have been killed in a crash because they were not wearing their seatbelt.  Tragedies such as this one can easily be avoided with something as simple as wearing a seatbelt.  No family should have to go through losing a son, daughter, brother, or sister so close to a milestone in life just because a seatbelt was not being worn.

            For Garrett’s family and friends, this is such a devastating loss.  Garrett’s sister, Elise, plans to accept his diploma at graduation in his honor.

            Please, let’s avoid another deadly teen accident where a seatbelt is not used.  Parents, remind your teen drivers to use a seatbelt in the car.  Seatbelts can save lives.  Data from Maryland shows that around 91% of all drivers wear a seatbelt.  Compare that to only 78% in Virginia.  These statistics should be much closer to 100% because seatbelts have been proven to reduce the risk of serious injury in an accident by half.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car, truck, or bus accident or has died as a result of their injury suffered in a Maryland crash due to the negligence or fault of another driver, please call us at (301) 854-9000 to schedule an appointment for a free case evaluation in our Columbia office or one of our other offices located throughout Maryland, or visit us online to learn more about car accidents at: http://www.portnerandshure.com/Auto-Accidents/Car-Accidents/Fatal-Car-Accidents.shtml  

Seatbelt Safety: Fatal 3-Car Accident in Columbia, Maryland

         Wednesday afternoon, a three-car accident occurred on Cedar Lane, just north of Harriett Tubman Lane.  Howard County police said a Jeep Liberty crossed into oncoming traffic on Cedar Lane and hit a Toyota Tacoma.  Then in a chain reaction, the Toyota was hit by a Mazda 3 sedan.  The driver of the Jeep tragically lost his life in the accident as he was ejected from the car as a result of not wearing his seatbelt.  The driver of the Jeep, Ethan Kirshenbaum, was a third-year law student at the University of Baltimore and about to graduate next month.

            The drivers and passengers in the two other cars involved in the crash were either treated at the scene or at the hospital, and all are in stable condition.  All of the people in the two other cars were wearing their seatbelt.

            Just this week, two people have died in car accidents in Maryland and Virginia because they were not wearing a seatbelt.  One of the easiest safety mechanisms to use in a car, the seatbelt could have saved two lives.  Use of a seatbelt in a car is also required by law in all fifty states.  Nationally, just under 90% of people wear a seatbelt in the car.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, wearing a seatbelt can reduce the risk of serious injury and death in a car accident by half.  In 2012, about 55% of teens aged 13-20 that died in car crashes were not wearing a seatbelt.  In addition, those aged between 18 and 34 are less likely to wear a seatbelt than those over 35.  The best thing to do in order to increase seat belt use is for police to get stricter with enforcing seat belt laws.

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

 

Maryland & Virginia Traffic Cutters Cause Accidents

          We have all done it before, we see other drivers do it all the time as well, and it frustrates everyone who is stuck sitting in traffic.  Some refer to the move as “dive-bombing” because a driver will get in an exit only lane or on the shoulder and then cut back over to get ahead of the traffic.  Cars will “dive” in and out of traffic in an aggressive, and often illegal, manner.  If a driver takes the exit only lane all the way to the end and cuts back over across double white lines, it is illegal and the driver can be ticketed.  The biggest issue with this maneuver is the safety implication.  When cars are “pulling out of heavy traffic, speeding up, and then cutting back into the lane,” the risk of an accident increases substantially.  Stop and go traffic is already dangerous enough with sudden stops and starts, but when drivers are suddenly cutting over from exit lanes or shoulders, an accident is almost guaranteed to occur.  This dangerous maneuver also creates a problem for those drivers who are actually trying to exit, but the car in front of them is blocking the lane because they tried to sneak ahead of the traffic and cannot back over.

            Commuters in Maryland and Virginia have voiced their disapproval and anger over these moves, saying it is “unsafe and unfair.”  However, there are some who are defending the maneuver as a “good move because drivers are spreading out and using all available asphalt.  Traffic engineers argue that it is effective for drivers to use all parts of the roadway in terms of alleviating traffic.  As a result, highway officials are allowing drivers onto the shoulders during peak travel times to “expand” the highway without physically making any changes to the road.  For example, Maryland started opening up the shoulders on route 29 to bus traffic at peak travel periods, and Virginia did the same move on I-66 inside the Capital Beltway.  Green arrows will illuminate over the shoulders when it is legal to drive on them.  The use of shoulders on the inner loop of I-66 will be coming later this spring.  In addition, areas of I-95 in Maryland and I-66 in Virginia are increasing the length of merge lanes to help with traffic, but as a result, these lanes will have a more drastic cut off for drivers to get over.

            While there will always be drivers throughout Maryland and Virginia that use this maneuver to get ahead in heavy traffic, other drivers should be reminded to be extra cautious when driving in traffic.  Not only do drivers need to watch for sudden stops by cars ahead of them, they also need to be on the lookout for cars to their left and right who might look like they are exiting, but will suddenly cut in front of them.

If you or a family member has been injured or killed in an accident caused by a traffic cutter in Maryland and would like to consult an experienced personal injury attorney for free, contact us at (301) 854-9000 to schedule an appointment at one of our office locations throughout Maryland or visit us online at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Personal-Injury/