Maryland Accident Lawyers Receive Highest Honors

We are thrilled to be nominated for such a high honor.

To read more on our nomination, visit:  http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/11/prweb12318906.htm,

If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident or sustained an injury as the result of someone elses negligence, please call us at (301) 854-9000 for a free consultation or visit us on the web at www.portnerandshure.com.

Bus Accidents, Unlike Car Accidents,Often Occur Without Any Collision

Obviously, the chances for other accidents to occur on board a bus loaded with passengers is greater. Such was the case in a recent accident in Timonium in Baltimore County, Maryland. In this incident, the bus was transporting a special needs child home, from a Baltimore County School, Villa Maria at St. Vincent's School in Timonium, Maryland. After getting in a fight with one boy, the child then tried to leave the bus via the front door. Aides stopped him, there were two adult aides on the bus. However, neither was apparently able to stop this speedy six year old from then running to the back, opening the door and falling out of a moving bus. Negligence may rise here not from a collision, but from the aides inability to apparently supervise and care for the children. Seems to be a real hot issue since they were on notice that the special needs child was upset and tried to get off the moving bus via the front door.

If you have been involved in an automobile accident or bus 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 or visit us on the web at www.portnerandshure.com. 

Negligence on a School Bus

More facts have been revealed concerning the bus accident in Timonium, Maryland, in Baltimore County which we blogged on recently. In the blog, we questioned whether a 6 year old special needs child could have been stopped before he opened the back door of the bus and fell to his death. We raised the question as to whether the aides on the bus were negligent for failure to provide adequate supervision.

Interestingly, the school system fired the two aides who were on the bus transporting the student from his Baltimore County School to his home. Further, the bus drivers license was also disqualified.

All these actions may help in the future but certainly don't do a thing to rectify the apparent negligent care of the adults on the bus. First, they were on notice that the boy was already trying to get out of a moving bus (he had tried to get out the front). Second, he wasn't in a harness that the state mandated educated plan required him to have. The family is seeking answers. A lawsuit in the Baltimore County Circuit Court will ultimately provide them.

If you have been involved in an automobile accident or bus 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 or visit us on the web at www.portnerandshure.com. 

New Speed Cameras in Baltimore County Used to Help Deter Speeders

In February, Baltimore County began sending out warnings to area motorists who were caught on camera while traveling 12 miles per hour over the speed limit. Cameras were placed in two school zones to help deter speeding and to help promote safety. However, effective this week, speed tickets will be given out to those who are caught on camera speeding. Fines of $40 will be issued but no points will be assessed.

The Baltimore County Police Department said that later in the year they will install another 13 locations. Those locations are determined by county officials. Under the current state law, violators must receive notice for a minimum of the first 30 days that the cameras are operational.

Hopefully, these cameras will make drivers more aware of the speeds at which they are traveling. If you, a family member, or someone you know has been involved in an automobile accident wherein someone was speeding or if you would like a free legal consultation, please contact Portner & Shure for a free consultation.

$5 Million Lawsuit Filed in Fatal Bicycle Accident

Mr. John Yates, a 67-year-old bicyclist, was riding his bicycle on Maryland Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland on August 4, 2009 when he was struck in the rear by a truck owned by Potts & Callahan. The collision caused the bike to get stuck under the wheels of the truck when the truck made a right hand turn onto Lafayette Avenue. Yates were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the truck failed to stop after the accident. The truck was found two days later in the Potts & Callahan service yard with a blood and hair still on the front tires. DNA testing confirmed that the truck was involved in this collision.

On March 3, 2010, the family of Yates filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Potts & Callahan for wrongful death. The lawsuit accuses the driver of the truck and Potts & Callahan of negligence. The dispute in this matter is whether or not Yates was in full compliance with Maryland law.

According to the law in Maryland, the operator of a bicycle must stay as close to the right side of the roadway as practicable except when turning left. There are exceptions to this rule, a bicyclist must use a bike lane or smooth shoulder whenever one is available and may not ride on a controlled road with a speed in excess of 50 miles per hour. It is important to note that the violation of any of these rules does not constitute negligence as a matter of law unless the violation is the proximate cause of the injury. If the bike rider was found to have contributed to accident, his estate is completely barred from any recovery.

If you, a family member, or someone you know was injured in a bicycle accident or if you would like more information on car accidents or personal injury claims, please contact Portner & Shure for a free consultation.

Single Vehicle Accident Claims Life of Pasadena Man

On March 14, 2010, a 46-year-old Pasadena, Maryland man was killed as the result of a single vehicle accident. He lost control of his vehicle and slammed into a tree. The Anne Arundel County Police believe that the man may have been drag racing at the time of the collision. The accident occurred on Route 100 in Anne Arundel County. The man was trapped inside the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Maryland Motor Vehicle Code prohibits any person from driving a vehicle in a race on any highway or street that is used by the general public. A person who participates in a street or drag race can also be charged with negligent driving even if no one was injured. Numerous accidents are occurring across Maryland as a result of drag racing. In fact, recent accidents from drag racing have been reported in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Prince George's County. These accidents often result in the death of the driver and/or spectator. This new trend needs to stop.

If you, a family member, or someone you know has been involved in a motor vehicle accident as the result of a drag race or if you would like more information on car accidents, contact Portner & Shure for a free consultation.