Maryland Car Accident Lawyer: Employee Spotlight January 2016

Sharina Taveras Lopez, one of our bilingual receptionists and legal assistants, has been an integral member of the Portner & Shure family.  She and her family moved to New York from the Dominican Republic when she was 11 years old for a better education.  She later moved to Providence, Rhode Island with her parents, and became very involved in the Latino community. Part of her involvement included campaigning to help three Latino leaders get elected to the Senate, Secretary of State, and Mayor for the city of Providence. In addition, Sharina taught English to Spanish speaking people at the church in her community.

Sharina graduated from Juanita Sanchez High School in 2011 as a Valedictorian. Later that year, she moved to Westminster, Maryland to pursue a Communication and Spanish Literature Double Major with a Minor in Journalism. Sharina graduated last year with a bachelor’s degree and Magna Cum Laude Honors. She recently married and relocated to Ellicott City, Maryland.  

Baltimore Trying to Bring Back Bike-Share Program

            Several years ago, Baltimore City tried having a bike-sharing program, but it quickly fizzled out and disappeared.  Now, there are plans in the work to bring back a bike-share program to the city.  Other major cities nearby, including Washington, D.C. have bike-share programs that have grown significantly in popularity.  For example, in June of this year, close to 315,000 trips were taken on the bike-share bicycles in DC, which is more than double the number in June 2011.

            

             These bike-sharing systems are seen as a fun and healthy way to get around in a city, as well as an easy way to explore new areas.  A person can pick up a bike in one area and can return it in another area.  Assuming the program does start again in Baltimore, initially there would be at least 250 bikes and 25 stations throughout the city.

            

              If this program takes off, it would mean more bicyclists on Baltimore’s roads.  Cities are always dangerous driving environments for drivers, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists.  With more bicyclists on city streets, the risk of accidents increases significantly.  Drivers often cannot see a bicyclist that is riding next to them, and since bicyclists have no way to protect themselves from a car hitting them, serious injury results.  While a bike-share program would greatly benefit the city and its residents, the number of car, truck, and bus accidents involving a bicyclist will likely increase.  Anyone who rides a bike must wear a helmet, and other protective gear, such as arm pads and knee pads, should be worn as well.

If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a Maryland bicycle accident that is caused by the negligence or fault of another driver, please contact us to schedule an appointment at one of our office locations in Baltimore and throughout Maryland for a free case evaluation.  Call our office today at (301) 854-9000 or visit us online to learn more about Maryland motorcycle accidents: http://www.portnerandshure.com/Auto-Accidents/Motorcycle-Accidents.shtml

Employee Spotlight May 2015

           Heather Jung, our Bilingual Korean/Japanese Paralegal, has been working with injured Korean and Japanese clients at Portner & Shure for almost one year now.  Heather was born in South Korea and moved to the United States in 1998 not knowing any English.  Before coming to Portner & Shure, Heather graduated from the honors program at the University of Maryland, College Park. 

Heather has worked tirelessly during her time at Portner & Shure to help clients recover favorable settlements for their injuries and property damage.  Recently, Heather settled numerous cases with excellent results.  More importantly, in 2015, she leads the firm in obtaining the most Five Star reviews from happy satisfied clients.  Clients have noted Heather’s attention to detail, professionalism, and prompt communication throughout the difficult and lengthy claims process.  Google awards the firm with Five Star reviews and Heather deserves credit for helping the firm obtain them.

When Heather is not at work, she enjoys reading and translating, drawing, and exercising.

Deadly Annapolis Multi-Car Accident Closes Route 50

            On Saturday, eastbound lanes of Route 50 at Aris T. Allen Boulevard and Route 665 were closed because of a three-car accident.  Unfortunately, the three occupants in one of the vehicles involved all died.  Raymond Badders died at the scene, and his daughter, Susannah Badders, who was driving, and the third passenger passed away at Shock Trauma.  Occupants in the second vehicle were not injured.  The driver of third vehicle, an off-duty police officer, suffered only minor injuries even though his vehicle overturned.

            Maryland State Police say that evidence shows the third vehicle swerved into the first vehicle to avoid stopped traffic.  The third vehicle overturned and pushed the first vehicle into the second vehicle in front of it.  Police have not said if speed or other factors such as texting or talking on a cell phone led to this horrific accident.

            While car accidents are common, determining exactly what happened at the scene of an accident can be very difficult.  All accidents are different and liability changes depending on the circumstances of each case.  Our experienced Annapolis car accident attorneys have many ways to prove liability in an auto accident.

            The action you take immediately after your accident will affect your personal injury recovery.  Winning your case against large insurance companies requires a strategic approach that we have developed over the last 25 years.

            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

Terrible Traffic Congestion on I-95 in Baltimore to Last 8 Months

Construction on I-95 from Caton Avenue to the Fort McHenry Tunnel will begin March 29 and last until Thanksgiving.  Over the 8 month period, drivers should expect very heavy traffic congestion with several lane shifts and lane closures.  Last year, the same construction project led to “13 shifts in traffic patterns” and “caused major headaches for commuters.”  Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) officials are warning that “this year will be far worse—with 29 such shifts scheduled.”  Officials expect the problems to be so severe that MdTA officials asked employers “to allow workers to change their hours to avoid peak travel periods, which are from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.”

With these new traffic patterns coming, including numerous lane shifts and closures, drivers must be even more cautious and aware of where they are going in order to avoid accidents.  The construction project will require weekly changes to traffic patterns, which will likely lead to confusion on the part of drivers as to how to exit the highway.  Last year, several drivers were confused by the new traffic patterns and a multitude of accidents and massive traffic jams ensued.  Drivers who use I-95 for their commute everyday will remember last August when new traffic patterns arose and the electronic message boards told drivers the incorrect instructions about how to proceed.  That problem led to what some called “the worst I’ve seen it due to road construction.”

To help drivers through this difficult period, the MdTA will post updates to traffic patterns on Twitter with the hashtag #i95bmore and messages will be posted on the electronic message boards.

Two of those 29 traffic pattern shifts will begin one week from March 29, and MdTA officials expect it to have “particularly large effects on traffic.”  On the Northbound side, “lanes are to be split—three to the left and one to the right—from Hanover Street to Key Highway.”  Therefore, all drivers who need to exit onto any of those streets must be in the far right lane.  On the Southbound side, “lanes will be split—two to the left and two to the right—from Key Highway to south of the I-395 on-ramp.”  And again, if you must exit onto one of those streets, you must be in the far right lane.

While this will be a frustrating time for many drivers trying to get to and from work, everyone needs to remain calm and drive safely so as not to put other drivers at risk or construction workers at risk.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident or has died as a result of their injury suffered in a Maryland crash, and would like more information, please call us at (301) 854-9000 for a free case evaluation or visit us online at: http://www.portnerandshure.com/Auto-Accidents/Car-Accidents/

Hyundai Recalls 263,000 Elantras for Power Steering Issue

Hyundai Motor America just announced a recall for Elantra midsize sedans in the United States and Canada.  Affected cars include model years 2008 to 2010 for the Elantra sedans and model years 2009 to 2010 for the Elantra Touring hatchbacks.  205,000 of the affected Elantras are in the United States. 

            The recall is the result of a power steering issue that can occur if a sensor detects a “discrepancy” in steering input.  The power-assisted steering would then be disabled and manual steering would take over.  While injury will not result directly from this issue, the increased difficulty of steering the car if manual steering takes over raises the risk of a crash, especially at low speeds.

            Although the loss of power steering “has not been considered an official safety defect in the U.S.,” the auto industry has increasingly reported similar problems as a safety recall, as Hyundai did here.  No injuries have been reported at this time.  Hyundai will notify dealers and car owners with affected vehicles of the problem and has agreed to repair all vehicles free of charge.

            Hyundai Elantras are consistently one of the top ten best-selling cars in the United States.  Therefore, it is important for Elantra owners to be aware of the potential steering issue and get it fixed before encountering a problem.

            If you have purchased a car that has recently been recalled, take it to the dealer to get fixed.  Further, if injury does occur, you may be entitled to several legal remedies, including:

• Economic damages: you may be able to recoup lost value of the car's resale value. You may also be able to recover for loss of use of the car
• Personal injury recovery: if the defective automobile resulted in physical injuries to you, you may be able to recover for the costs associated with the injury
• Class action: If the recall has affected enough numbers of consumers, a class action lawsuit might be an available option
• Manufacturer reimbursement: Some auto manufacturers may voluntarily pay repair bills the defective product caused before the recall.

Sometimes, however, you may need to initiate litigation to be compensated for your financial as well as your physical losses. At Portner & Shure, we have handled these cases for over twenty years for Maryland and Virginia injury victims. We have the experience and technical resources to analyze your auto accident case, answer your questions, and pursue the compensation you deserve.  Call us today for a free case evaluation at (301) 854-9000 or visit us online at: http://www.portnerandshure.com/Personal-Injury/

Bridge Concrete Falls on Car, Prompts Inspections of Aging Bridges in Maryland

          A “chunk of concrete” fell on a Prince George’s County woman’s car as she drove under the I-495 overpass in Morningside, damaging her hood and windshield.  As a result, Maryland’s Department of Transportation ordered immediate inspections of 27 “aging, state-owned bridges.”  All of these bridges were constructed before 1969 and run over other roads, which makes falling debris a risk.  While inspections will occur over the next few months, actual repairs might not be made for several years.  DOT officials are making these inspections because they do not want drivers to worry about driving on or under Maryland bridges.

            Statistics show that approximately 3% of the 2,903 bridges maintained by the State Highway Administration and Maryland Transportation Authority are “structurally deficient.”  In other words, these bridges are “safe for travel, but in need of significant rehabilitation or replacement.”  Maryland does not have as many “structurally deficient” bridges as most other states, such as Pennsylvania with 23% of the state’s 22,660 bridges.

            In the last decade, there have been several major bridge collapses and structural failures.  The average United States bridge is around 42 years old.  Maryland has received a “B-” on their bridge grade, which is just above the “C+” grade for the country as a whole.

            In addition to the “structurally deficient” bridges, Maryland also has 1,085 bridges or 20.5% of all bridge that are “functionally obsolete or no longer meet current standards for bridge construction.”

            Some of the bridges on the list to be inspected include: Mount Carmel Road over I-83, I-83 over Padonia road, Route 151 over Patapsco and Back River Railroad, I-695 inner loop at Benson Avenue and U.S. 1, Crosby Road over I-695, Tridelphia Road over Route 32, Route 195 over Sligo Creek Parkway.

            If you have suffered an injury as a result of falling bridge debris or structural bridge failure in Maryland, please call us at (301) 854-9000 for a free case evaluation or visit us online at: http://www.portnerandshure.com/Personal-Injury/