Maryland Road Work Season is Upon Us and Drivers Need to be More Cautious

           As warmer weather arrives in Maryland, the State Highway Administration will ramp up numerous road work projects across the state.  Although a recent report on accident deaths in Maryland showed significant improvement in 2014 compared to 2013, fatalities in work zones actually increased.  In the last 5 years, more than 3,600 people have been injured in work zone accidents.  After the extreme weather Maryland faced, several roadways, bridges, and overpasses did not fare well.  Pot holes and faded lane markings are the biggest issues plaguing drivers right now.

            Several road work projects have begun throughout Maryland, including I-95 in Baltimore, which will continue until Thanksgiving.  With road work comes new traffic patterns.  Other major projects include the Georgia Avenue-Randolph Road intersection, sections of I-495, Rockville Pike at West Cedar Lane, and the intersection Old Georgetown Road and West Cedar Lane/Oakmont Avenue.  Maryland drivers must pay careful attention when driving through these areas because they are now unfamiliar with the new traffic patterns.  All it takes is one distraction to lead to a work zone accident that could injure or kill a construction worker.  Speed is another factor that contributes to work zone crashes, especially for smaller road work projects where workers are much closer to passing cars.  These smaller projects offer very limited protection for work crews, unlike the large-scale projects which have concrete barriers to protect work crews from passing cars.

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

Potholes Popping Up All Over Maryland and Vehicles Sustain Damage

          Just as warmer weather has made its way into Maryland and the bitter cold winter temperatures retreat, drivers will have to combat potholes on the roads.  The prolonged extreme cold temperatures that froze the state during February combined with excessive amounts of snow and ice are to blame for a bad pothole season.  Several water pipes have burst throughout Baltimore City leading to potholes as well.  The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) is “bracing for the worst,” expecting to find many potholes on Maryland’s roads.

            The SHA explained that potholes form “when water seeps into cracks in roads, then freezes and expands, pushing pavement upward.”  Vehicles driving over expanding pavement chips away parts of the road and when combined with plows running over them and the corrosive effects of salt brine used on roadways, potholes appear.

            In the first 9 days of March, AAA received 2,800 tire-related calls for roadside assistance, a significant increase from February.  The increased number of potholes on Maryland roads is likely to blame for the tire damage.  Officials are having a difficult time keeping up with repairing the potholes because of the large number across the state.  The SHA has a goal “to respond to potholes within two days.”  City residents can call 3-1-1 to report potholes to officials.  The City has already repaired 25,000 potholes this year and thousands more will be filled in the coming weeks.

            Driving over potholes can cause severe damage to your car, truck, or motorcycle.  Alignments can be thrown off, tires can be damaged, and rims can be bent.  Sometimes, structural damage to the vehicle can result.  Potholes are especially dangerous for motorcyclists because they can be thrown off their bike and severely injured.  Accidents can also result if a driver is trying to avoid a pothole and crashes into another vehicle.  Another possibility is that the pothole could cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle and get into an accident.

Cities and counties are expected to keep their roads safe.  When they fail to do that and their negligence leads to a car, truck, or motorcycle accident, victims may have a legal claim to seek compensation for injuries, losses, and damages.  It is important that if you are involved in a car, truck, or motorcycle accident that you hire an experienced attorney who can uncover all liable parties and fight for full compensation.

If you or a family member has been injured or killed in a Maryland automobile accident, truck, bus or motorcycle accident, and would like a free legal consultation or if you would like more information on car accidents please feel free to contact our office at (301) 854-9000 or visit us on the web at: http://www.portnerandshure.com/Auto-Accidents/Motorcycle-Accidents.shtml