Negligent Driving Causes Death Of High School Student In Howard County

In November 2009 there was a tragic single vehicle accident that claimed the life of a popular River Hill High School football player in Howard County, Maryland. The driver of the vehicle, a good friend of the passenger, lost control of his pick up truck, and struck three decorative pillars before overturning. Steven Dankos was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver and additional passenger sustained injuries as well. The driver of the vehicle, David Erdman, was charged with driving under the influence, manslaughter by motor vehicle, and homicide by motor vehicle.

Drunk driving is one of the most preventable forms of negligent driving but yet there are thousands of people killed every year because of a drunk driver. Drinking causes reflexes and senses to become impaired, teenagers seem to be less aware of this fact. Statistics through the country show that accident involving drunken drivers occur far more frequently with teenagers then any other age group. To make matters worse, while the families are all left with a terrible loss, and may have no interest in criminal charges, it is not their choice. The Howard County Police will review the incident and will proceed with charges regardless.

If you, a family member, or someone you know has been injured in a motor vehicle accident due to the negligence of another party or you would like more information on car accidents, please contact Portner & Shure for a free consultation.

Alcohol May Have Contributed to Single Vehicle Accident in Howard County

On Friday, January 15, 2010, at approximately 3:20 a.m., there was a serious single car accident on Broken Land Parkway in Howard County, Maryland near Stevens Forest Road. The causes of the accident were not clear. However, it is suspected that alcohol was involved. One of the passengers was transported to the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore City for serious injuries. The driver was taken to Howard General Hospital for minor injuries while another passenger was evaluated by paramedics at the scene and released.

Although the driver of a vehicle may be at fault for the accident, that fact does not prevent a passenger from pursuing a claim when bodily injuries are involved. A passenger has the opportunity to pursue a claim against the driver's insurance policy. However, if the passenger got into the vehicle knowing that the driver was intoxicated the insurance carrier may deny the claim. Under these circumstances the carrier will argue that the passenger assumed the risk of an injury and therefore cannot recover. Clearly, this is yet another reason not to drive with someone who has been drinking.

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

Automobile Accidents and Drinking: Beware of the Consequences

A recent case in Howard County, Maryland demonstrates how serious courts take the situation where a person drinks, gets in a car, and has an accident that leads to the death of another human being. In the case of Jose Santiago, he and a group of friends all went out drinking. An accident occurred, and Santiago's blood alcohol was measured at .09, just above the State's legal limit of .08.

While driving, Santiago lost control and crashed into a truck. Two of the passengers, both friends, were killed. Santiago was charged and plead guilty to two counts of negligent vehicular homicide while driving under the influence of alcohol. Santiago was in this country illegally and U.S. Immigration placed a detainer on him.

Santiago blamed snow for causing the accident. Families of the two men who were killed asked that Santiago be deported instead of jailed. In fact, both families went as far as to go through an official procedure in Mexico to "renounce any illegal act" on Santiago's part and asked that he be deported back to his mother. Despite the families request, the Court sentenced him to three years in jail. Only after he serves the sentence will he be deported.

Most states including Maryland, Virginia, and Texas, all impose jail sentences in automobile accident cases, where the driver was intoxicated, and caused an accident that resulted in the death of another person. Further, most courts will force the illegal immigrant to serve jail time before allowing deportation.