Tuesday
night, two vehicles were involved in a crash
on northbound Ritchie Highway at College Parkway in Arnold, Maryland. After investigating the accident scene,
police officers determined that one of the vehicles, a Nissan Sentra, was on
the southbound portion of Ritchie Highway with a red left turn arrow, but the
driver proceeded to turn left towards College Parkway. While making the illegal left turn, his
vehicle was now in the direct path of an oncoming GMC Suburban truck that was
driving down Ritchie Highway. The truck
crashed into the passenger side of the Nissan causing the car to overturn, and
the truck pushed the car into a “traffic signal support pole.” The driver of the Nissan was crushed in the
crash and did not survive. The driver in
the GMC was ejected from his truck, possibly the result of not wearing a
seatbelt, and taken to Maryland’s Shock Trauma Center. Unfortunately, he did not survive either.
The
cause of the crash was determined to be the driver of the Nissan making an
illegal left turn disobeying a red turn signal.
Police also believe alcohol on the part of the Nissan driver contributed
to the crash, which would explain why he tried to turn on a red signal.
Remember,
if you are in an accident and are seriously injured follow these three steps protect
your claim and maximize your potential recovery:
1)
Do Not Speak: It is important to
understand that when the insurance company calls to speak with you, they are
working against your claim. This means that the information that you give them
is information that can be used against you. As a lay person, you may not
realize what kind of information is harmful or helpful to your case. Because of
this, it is essential that you find the help of an experienced Maryland personal
injury attorney who can advise you. Your personal injury lawyer will speak to
the insurance company for you so that you will not make the mistake of
revealing too much information.
Not
speaking to the insurance company is especially important for those who do not
speak English fluently or speak English as a second language. The insurance
company may take advantage of the language barrier to obtain information they
can use against you.
2)
Focus on Treatment: It is very important
that you seek medical treatment for your injuries.
When you are treating for your injuries, you
must listen to the advice of your doctor. Do not attempt self-diagnosis or stop
treatment before your doctor advises you discontinue treatment. Some clients
make the mistake of ending their treatment process early and later discover
that they are not fully recovered. By this time, it may be too late for those
clients to make a claim for the treatment they subsequently receive. Do not
make this mistake and risk your claim.
Instead, listen to the advice of your doctor.
3)
Do Not Rush: The settlement
process takes time. Our experienced Maryland personal injury attorneys are
skilled in negotiation. Oftentimes, this includes waiting out the insurance
company to make them nervous. Because of this, it is important for clients to
be patient and allow the attorney to obtain the most for your claim.
If
you or a family member has been injured or killed in an accident caused by the
fault or negligence of another person 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 Annapolis
or throughout Maryland or visit us online at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Personal-Injury/
