Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog

An investigation into a car crash caused by distracted driving has led the nation’s leading governmental traffic safety advocate to urge state governments to ban all use of portable communications devices by drivers. This would include cell phones, meaning a total ban on non-emergency talking and texting while operating a vehicle. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), an independent agency of the federal government, issued this recommendation earlier this week as part of its report on a 2010 automobile accident in Missouri.

The NTSB also recommends that state and local governments follow the model of “high visibility enforcement” pioneered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), another government safety advocate. The NHTSA has run campaigns that combine vigorous enforcement of a specific traffic law with publicity campaigns in order to promote awareness of, and compliance with, such traffic laws.

The CTIA, a trade association that represents the wireless electronics communications industry, has in the past supported bans on texting behind the wheel. On the issue of banning talking on cell phones while driving, it has indicated a willingness to defer to the public and to lawmakers. The single greatest factor that would weigh against a successful ban on talking while driving is that, put simply, everyone seems to be doing it.

“Distracted driving,” which refers to driving while using some sort of electronic communications device or engaged some other activity, caused up to 3,092 deaths in traffic accidents last year, the NHTSA estimates. Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia have enacted bans on sending text messages while driving, but it does not appear to have stopped, or even slowed down, the practice. Texting while driving may have increased by as much as fifty percent in the past year, and the NHTSA estimates that one percent of drivers on the road are, at any given moment, distracted by a cell phone. Younger drivers are even more likely to drive while distracted.

Continue reading "National Transportation Safety Board Urges Cities and States to Ban All Cell Phone Use by Drivers" »

Automobile crashes are the leading cause of death for veterans returning from deployment during their first year back home, according to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA). Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan face a 75% greater probability of a fatal car accident than the general population. This continues a historical trend, but at a greater rate than prior to the deployments of the past decade. The VA’s investigation suggests that military training, psychological effects of deployment, and possible injuries all play a role in unsafe driving among veterans.

Studies by the VA and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration have shown that risky behavior accounts for many of the deaths. This includes not using seat belts or helmets, speeding, and driving under the influence of alcohol. Training in “aggressive driving” is one possible cause. People on deployment receive training for driving in combat situations, and must constantly contend with the possibility of ambush or improvised explosive devices. VA officials have described a sense of “invincibility” among many returning veterans, having survived combat, which can unwittingly lead to dangerous driving.

Psychological factors also play a significant role because of the highly stressful situations in deployment, particularly to Iraq and Afghanistan. Post-traumatic stress disorder, an all-too-common condition of returning veterans, can lead to dangerous driving back home. An Army study revealed that 50% of returning soldiers reported feeling anxiety on the road when other vehicles quickly approached them, and 20% reported feeling general anxiety whenever driving. The VA has further noted that auto accidents can lead to further PTSD, particularly in individuals already affected by PTSD or other mental health issues, which can create an ongoing problem for veterans involved in accidents.

Traumatic brain injuries can affect driving, causing a person to think they are driving normally and not noticing mistakes. Such injuries may go undetected in returning veterans, leading to unforeseen driving problems. Individuals suffering from brain injuries may not be able to recognize changes in their driving patterns, making safe driving difficult.

Continue reading "Returning Veterans are at High Risk for Auto Accidents" »

The National Transportation Safety Board has formally recommended a ban on the use of cell phones and other mobile electronic devices by commercial truck drivers while driving. While this does not have the force of law, the recommendation follows on a prior recommendation to ban text messaging by truck drivers. The Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog previously reported on how this led to a formal ban by the federal government on texting by commercial truckers. Nineteen U.S. states and the District of Columbia already ban all drivers from texting while driving. The federal texting rule for truckers, set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, carries fines of up to $2,750 per incident. The NTSB recommendation on cell phone use is likely to lead to similar rules regarding cell phone use.

The NTSB recommendation resulted from its investigation into a tragic crash on Interstate 65 in Kentucky last year in which a commercial truck driver veered across the median of the highway into oncoming traffic and struck a van carrying a total of 12 people. The crash killed the truck driver, the van driver, and nine of the van’s occupants. Two children in the van were reported to have been saved by their child-restraint systems. The investigation concluded that the truck driver’s distraction from use of a cell phone, combined with fatigue, caused the crash. Investigators found that the truck driver had used his phone for calls and text messages while driving 69 times during the previous 24-hour period. Road conditions, weather, and driver health issues did not play any role in the accident, according to investigators.

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent agency of the United States government, formed in 1967 and tasked with investigating accidents in the civil transportation system. It investigates certain types of car and truck accidents. Since the accident in Kentucky occurred on an interstate highway, which is partly administered by the federal government, it came under the NTSB’s jurisdiction. The NTSB also investigates aviation, marine, shipping, pipeline, and railroad accidents. The agency lacks the legal authority by itself to create laws or rules, but its system of recommendations frequently leads to the adoption of new safety regulations. In it 44-year history, it has issued over 13,000 recommendations.

Continue reading "NTSB Urges Ban on Cell Phones for Truck Drivers" »

Over the last two days, at least people have been killed in Washington area motor vehicle crashes. AAA says that we currently in the deadliest driving period of the year through the Labor Day weekend. Part of this can be attributed to there being so many people on the road driving long distances because its the summer holiday season. Unfortunately, reports AAA, some motorists that are in vacation mode may forget to be as vigilant while driving, which can lead to fatal DC car crashes.

On 4am on Friday, a driver of a 2004 Mercedes-Benz lost control of the vehicle in a Southeast Washington car crash. The auto hit a utility pole before bursting into flames. The bodies of two juveniles were retrieved from the vehicle. That same day, a St. Mary’s County motorcycle crash claimed the life of Devin Sweeting, who sustained multiple pelvic fractures when his bike left Route 5, hit a cement culvert, skidded on its side for approximately 170 feet, before hitting a utility pole. Sweeting was pronounced dead at a Baltimore hospital.

Several hours later, two people died in a Montgomery County car crash that also involved the vehicle leaving the road and bursting into flames. Not long after that an adult and a teenager were killed in a Prince George’s County SUV accident on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. The vehicle went off the road before crashing into a large tree. Five other kids and one adult were transported to local hospitals in critical condition. One of these children, a 3-month-old baby, was later pronounced dead.

Single-Car Crashes
Washington DC car crashes involving just one auto can be just as deadly as motor vehicle crashes involving two vehicles or more. Common causes of DC single-car crashes:

• Speeding
• Road defects
• Poor weather conditions
• Auto defects
• Distracted driving
• Texting or talking on a cell phone
• Driver inexperience
• Drunk driving

An experienced Washington DC personal injury law firm can help you determine who should be held liable for the single-car crash. In some cases, it is a negligent driver. In other instances, the motorist was not at fault at all and crashed the vehicle because other parties were careless, reckless, or made other mistakes.

8 die in Washington area vehicle crashes, The Washington Post, August 13, 2011

Related Web Resources:
District Department of Transportation

Washington DC Traffic Information, Federal Highway Transportation

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

More Blog Posts:
Chevy Chase Driver Found Guilty of Negligence Homicide in Washington DC Car Crash that Killed Howard County Woman, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, June 28, 2011

Traffic Injuries and Fatalities in Anne Arundel County taking Toll on Maryland Pedestrians and Cyclists, Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog, August 8, 2011

Baltimore Auto Accident News: Maryland Woman Dies in Single-car Anne Arundel County Rollover Crash, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, August 11, 2011

While motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of child fatalities, our Washington DC personal injury lawyers want to warn you of other auto vehicle-related dangers that could put a kid at serious risk. Here are a few of these safety hazards, as identified by the National Highway Safety Administration:

Backover accidents: This usually involves a vehicle backing out of a driveway or parking lot and the driver not realizing that there is a child behind the auto. Backover accidents can prove fatal. Because the vehicle is being operated in reverse, the motorist must take extra precautions to check all viewing mirrors, footage from the backup camera, and perhaps even physically look back to make sure there is no one there.

Power windows: Power windows can entrap a young child’s hands, fingers, feet, neck, or head. It is important to make sure that power window switches have been locked. Otherwise, a child can accidentally activate the switch.

Vehicle rollaway: Leaving the key in the ignition with the vehicle unattended may result in the automatic transmission shifting out of “Park.” This can cause serious injuries to a child left alone in the auto or children outside the car in the event of an accident.

Hyperthermia: According to the NHTSA, heatstroke is the number one cause of non-crash auto deaths for kids under age 14. Already, there have been 21 hyperthermia child fatalities this year. Last year, there were 49 child heatstroke deaths. It is important that young children not ever be left alone in a vehicle—especially in hot weather.

Just this month, the family of one 22-month-old boy filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a day care center because they believe that he was left inside the transport van. With temperatures in the mid-90’s that day, it would have been a lot hotter inside the vehicle.

If your child died in a vehicle-related incident that you believe was caused by another party’s careless, reckless, or negligent acts, contact our Washington DC injuries to a minor lawsuit. Our DC injury law firm would like to offer you a free case evaluation.

Family sues Miami-Dade day care in toddler's death, Sun-Sentinel, July 15, 2011

NHTSA Steps Up Efforts to Prevent Child Deaths in Hot Cars, NHTSA, June 26, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Keeping our Kids Safe, NHTSA

Hyperthermia Deaths of Children in Vehicles, Department of Geosciences

More Blog Posts:
Nearly 800,000 Dorel Child Safety Seats Recalled, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, February 16, 2011

Anne Arundel Accident News: Reckless Driving Blamed in Single-Car Crash that Killed 3-Year-Old, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, July 23, 2011

Toddler and Teen Pedestrians Injured During East Baltimore Car Accident, Maryland Accident Law Blog, July 12, 2010

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, up to 25% of motor vehicle accidents in this country occur because motorists were distracted driving and more often than not using cell phones and other handheld devices. The GHSA’s report, which was released last week, is called “Distracted Driving: What Research Shows and What States Can Do.”

As our Washington DC personal injury law firm has reported in past blogs, distracted driving is very dangerous and can dramatically increase the chances of injuries or deaths. It also can be grounds for a DC car crash lawsuit against the driver. Other findings from the study:

• Some drivers are distracted as much as 50% of the time they are on the road.
• Texting while driving, which is both a manual and visual distraction, is even more dangerous than talking on a phone.
• Examples of other common types of distracted driving behavior include talking to other passengers, looking for tapes or CD’s, switching radio stations, drinking, eating, reading directions or a map, reading books or newspapers, dealing with kids or pets, shaving, putting on makeup, shuffling through an iPod, and reading your GPS.

Many people don’t realize that distracted driving impairs their ability to drive safely. This does not change the fact that this behavior can result in very deadly consequences.

Should other parties aside from a distracted driver be held liable for DC personal injury or wrongful death? A couple of years ago, one woman sued Nextel, Samsung, and Sprint for her mother’s distracted driving death. The plaintiff claimed products liability because the three companies allegedly failed to warn the driver that using a cell phone wile driving is a safety hazard. Samsung countered that it did include safety warnings on its websites and packaging and in its user manuals and advertising.

Report: Gadgets Linked To 25 Percent Of Car Accidents, AutoGuide, July 13, 2011

Read the GHSA's Distracted Driving Report

Related Web Resources:
Distracted Driving, US Department of Motor Vehicles

Cell Phone and Texting Laws, Governors Highway Safety Association

More Blog Posts:
US DOT Holds Second Annual Distracted Driving Summit in Washington DC, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, September 22, 2010

Preventing Maryland Car Crashes: State Senate Approves Ban on Reading Text Messages While Driving, Maryland Accident Law Blog, March 9, 2011

Maryland Lawmakers Want Texting While Driving Ban to Block Drivers From Reading Messages, Maryland Accident Law Blog, February 20, 2010

Continue reading " Up to 25% of US Car Crashes Caused by Distracted Driving and Gadget Use" »

A jury has found Jorida Davidson guilty of negligent homicide, driving under the influence, and leaving the scene after a crash in the DC car accident that claimed the life of Kiela Ryan. The 24-year-old traffic crash victim died after Davidson, struck her just south of Dupont Circle on October 7, 2010. October 7 just south of Dupont Circle. The Chevy Chase driver then fled the hit-and-run crash site.

Prosecutors had accused Davidson of driving drunk when she hit Ryan, who was emerging from a parked car at the time. Meantime, Davidson’s lawyer argued that she wasn’t inebriated when the collision happened. They also say that she did not report the DC pedestrian accident because she was suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and amnesia—a fallout from watching her dad die from a heart attack, her mother succumb to breast cancer, and growing up in war-torn Albania. When police later found her SUV, Davidson was slumped in the driver’s seat. She also failed two sobriety tests.

Washington DC Car Crashes
Even if a driver did not intend to hurt you or your loved one, the motorist can still be found guilty in criminal court and held liable for your DC personal injuries. Drivers have a responsibility to operate a vehicle safely and if they cannot do so then they should not get behind the steering wheel of any car.

Car accidents can lead to fatal injuries and there is no reason why you or your loved one should have to pay for your medical bills and other losses and related costs because someone else was careless, reckless, or made a mistake. Do not hesitate to speak with an experienced Washington DC injury law firm. Even if the accident was a hit-and-run crash and the driver has not been located, there still may be a lot that your personal injury lawyer can do to help you.

Chevy Chase woman guilty of negligent homicide in drunken driving case, Washington Post, June 21, 2011

Woman Found Guilty in Dupont Circle Hit-and-Run, NBC Washington, June 21, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Traffic Accidents FAQ, Nolo

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

More Blog Posts:
Woman Killed in Dupont Circle Car Accident in Washington DC, Washington DC Injury Lawyer, October 13, 2010

Maryland Car Accident Lawsuits: Should Bars Be Held Liable For Serving Drunk Drivers Alcohol?, Maryland Accident Law Blog, June 27, 2011

Baltimore Personal Injury News: Maryland Man Allegedly Driving Drunk Goes Wrong Way, Hits Second Vehicle, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, June 26, 2011

According to WUSA9.com, the family of Julia Bachleitner is suing Chamica Adams for DC wrongful death. Bachleitner, a Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies student from Austria was killed last September in an Adams Morgan pedestrian accident. The 26-year-old student’s family is seeking $20 million from Adams, who was drunk when she drove a car into a group of graduate students. Other defendants include the bar that served Adams alcohol prior to the deadly collision and her mother.

At around 8:30pm on September 8, 2010, Adams, who was making a left turn, drove over a traffic island to accidentally struck Bachleitner and another woman. She then crashed the vehicle into an empty restaurant. The other woman, Melissa Basque, suffered a concussion with a brain bleed, teeth loss, facial fractures, and a compound leg fracture.

Police say that Adams’s blood-alcohol level was almost two times the legal limit. The 24-year-old Mitchellville woman had consumed alcohol at the District Lounge and Grille right before the DC pedestrian accident. The Washington Times reports that there is security footage from the club showing her consuming several drinks and then stumbling out of the place. The C. Fields Group LLC, which owns the bar, is also a defendant in the Washington DC wrongful death case.

Adams, who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in March, has been sentenced to three years in prison. She will also serve five years probation and supervised release.

With driver negligence a common cause of Washington DC pedestrian accidents, you must work with a law firm that knows how to help you successfully pursue damages from all liable parties. Some pedestrian injuries can be so serious that a person could end up laid up for a very long time, forced to take time off work while dealing with expensive medical and rehabilitation bills. Obtaining DC personal injury recovery can help lift some of the financial pressure off you and your family.

Md. woman gets 3 years in fatal Adams Morgan drunk driving crash, The Washington Post, May 16, 2011

Three Years For Adams Morgan Drunk Driver, WUSA9, May 16, 2011

Related Web Resources:
District Department of Transportation

Pedestrians, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

More Blog Posts:
Washington DC Pedestrian Accident Involving Allegedly Drunk Driver Claims the Life of 26-Year-old Johns Hopkins University Graduate Student, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, September 15, 2010

DC Injury Lawsuit Filed Against FBI Employee Over Hit-and-Run Car Accident, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, April 6, 2011

Street Smart Program Aims to Prevent Washington DC Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, March 30, 2011

Two months after recalling 144,000 Ford F-150 Pickup Trucks over concerns that the air bags might deploy inadvertently, Ford Motor Co. has expanded its recall to 1.2 million pickup trucks. Our Washington DC car accident lawyers are pleased to see that the automaker has decided call in these additional vehicles, a move that had been called for by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Following the original recall, NHTSA said that the recall of the 144,000 vehicles wasn’t enough to address the air bag safety issue, which had resulted in at least 269 inadvertent air bag deployments and about 98 injuries. Ford, however, insisted that only those vehicles were affected by the problem, which involves a possible short-circuit that could cause the safety device to suddenly go off. The wiring needs to be replaced. In addition to more F-150 pickup trucks (model years 2004, 2005, and 2006), Ford is now also recalling a number of Lincoln Mark LT trucks (model year 2006).

Air Bag Safety
Air bags are there to protect occupants during a DC car crash. They are supposed to deploy during accidents to prevent the people in the car from hitting the interior of the auto or objects outside. There are sensors that are supposed to measure when a collision is serious enough to warrant air bag deployment. According to the NHTSA, as of January 1, 2009, air bags have saved over 28,000 people.

That said, injuries can also result if an air bag doesn’t deploy when it should, inflates too quickly, or deploys when there is no need for an air bag. Injuries may include minor scrapes and bruises, eye injuries, hand and finger injuries, chest injuries, internal injuries, head injuries, or other serious injuries.

Our Washington DC auto products liability lawyers represent clients who have suffered serious injuries because of auto defects.

Ford expands recall of F-150 pickup truck to about 1.2 million vehicles, Los Angeles Times, April 15, 2011

Ford F-150 recall greatly expanded: safety regulators, Reuters, April 14, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Air Bags, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Air Bags, NHTSA

More Blog Posts:
Preventing Traffic Crashes: NHTSA Unveils Enhanced 5-Star Safety Rating System for New Vehicles, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, October 5, 2010

Catastrophic Car Accident Victims and Their Families Ask Capitol Hill to Guarantee Products Liability Payments from Bankrupt General Motors and Chrysler, Maryland Accident Law Blog, June 4, 2009

NHTSA Examines 2.7 Million General Motors SUVs and Trucks for Potential Fire Hazard, Maryland Accident Law Blog, June 27, 2008

Two Voice of America journalists have filed a Washington DC personal injury case against Joy Ellen Mullinax, who is an FBI employee. They claim that she struck them during a hit-and-run accident on March 23. The plaintiffs, William Greenback and Thomas Bagnall, are each seeking $1 million.

According to the men, on the morning of March 23, Mullinax pulled up behind them as Bagnall was unloading equipment from their SUV that was outside the National Press Club. Greenback was sitting in the driver’s seat.

In their DC car accident complaint, they claim that Mullinax yelled and blew her horn. When Bagnall told her to drive around them, she allegedly accelerated her vehicle, striking Bagnall. Greenback then got out of the SUV and yelled at her to stop. Mullinax allegedly moved her car toward Greenback, pinning him between her car and another vehicle, stepped on the gas again, and hit him with her auto. This caused him to land on the roof of her auto.

Witnesses say that Mullinax then drove up the street with Greenback still on her vehicle. Jeneer Beeber, another driver whose vehicle she also struck, confirmed the two men’s accounts of what happened. She called Mullinax’s alleged conduct an incident of road rage.

While DC police ticketed Mullinax for changing lanes without exercising caution, Bagnall and Greenback say she should have been charged with hitting a pedestrian, reckless driving and endangerment, and leaving the accident scene.

Aggressive Driving
According to AAA Foundation, aggressive driving kills at least 1500 people a year. This type of behavior can also cause injuries. Common examples of aggressive driving include people expressing their anger or hostility by speeding, tailgating, weaving-in-and-out of traffic, attempting to intimidate others with their vehicle by driving too close for comfort to the target of their aggression, improper and unsafe lane changes, and red light running. Some aggressive drivers can turn incredibly violent.

Lawsuit Filed Against FBI Employee for Accident, MyFox, April 5, 2011

Journalists accuse FBI employee of hit-and-run, Washington Examiner, April 4, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Aggressive Driving: Three Studies, AAA Foundation

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

More Blog Posts:
Street Smart Program Aims to Prevent Washington DC Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, March 30, 2011

DC Cop Injured While Investigating Fatal Hit-and-Run Accident on Key Bridge, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, February 28, 2011

Mount Airy, Maryland, Man Found Not Guilty of Negligent Homicide in Fatal D.C. Pedestrian Accident, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, March 13, 2011

DC officials are kicking off their Street Smart campaign this spring to combat last year’s increase in pedestrian and bicycle crashes. Last year there were 83 cyclist and pedestrian fatalities in the Washington region—a 9% rise from the year before. This year, at least four people have died in DC pedestrian accidents.

More DC pedestrian and cyclists facts as reported in The Washington Post:

• There were 436 DC bicycle accidents in 2010.
• The number of bicyclists and pedestrians hit last year was 25% higher than in 2009.
• Ambulances answered 1,299 pedestrian collisions calls in 2010.
• 16 of the DC traffic fatalities were bicyclists or pedestrians.
• The intersection of Howard Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE saw the most number of DC pedestrian accidents—13—with 1 of the victims dying.
• The intersection of New York Avenue and North Capitol Street saw 12 Washington DC pedestrian accidents.
• 11 Washington DC pedestrian injuries were sustained at the Seventh and H streets NW intersection and the H and North Capitol streets N.

Most DC pedestrian accidents take place at intersections when an auto is turning and a person is crossing the street while the “walk” sign is activated. Unfortunately, even if a pedestrian has the right of way, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the driver has seen him/her.

Pedestrians and bicyclists have little in the way of protection during a DC traffic crash, and the injuries are usually catastrophic. Spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, head trauma, severed limbs, and organ damage can be costly to treat and recover from. Some injuries are permanent.

Our Washington DC pedestrian and bicycle crash lawyers are familiar with the serious injuries can result. For years, we have helped many victims and their families prove liability and obtain the financial recovery that they are owed.

Hopefully, the Street Smart campaign will bring the DC cyclist and pedestrian injury toll down. In addition to new ads, the campaign will include heightened efforts by police to ticket drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians who don’t follow traffic laws.

Campaign to protect pedestrians, cyclists as number of crashes in the District rises, The Washington Post, March 30, 2011

Related Web Resources:
District Department of Transportation

Street Smart

More Blog Posts:
71-Year-Old Dies in Hit-and-Run Washington DC Pedestrian Accident, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, November 18, 2010

Washington DC Pedestrian Accidents At Higher Risk of Occurring After Daylight Saving Time Ends, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, November 5, 2010

68-Year-old Mount Pleasant Woman Killed in Bicycle Accident with DC Guard Truck, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, April 20, 2010

Continue reading "Street Smart Program Aims to Prevent Washington DC Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents" »

Police are investigating a fatal Washington DC traffic crash in the Third Street Tunnel involving a Department of Public Works truck. The victim, 23-year-old Haja Seymore-Wilson, died on Tuesday after the vehicle she was riding crashed into the truck, which was stopped. Also injured in the DC truck crash were three city workers.

If the city workers were negligent in where they parked their truck or could/should have act in a way that would have prevented Seymore-Wilson’s car from crashing into the truck, her family may find that they have grounds for a DC wrongful death case. However, if it was Seymore-Wilson who was at fault, then it is the city workers who may have grounds for a DC injury case.

During such a stressful time, settling immediately may seem like the best solution. Unfortunately, you may be also be giving away your legal right to receive the maximum recovery possible. There is no need to make your healing process more challenging by trying to pursue your injury recovery without legal help.

Also, figuring out who caused a Washington DC car accident can be difficult, which is another reason why you need to have a DC injury law firm that is working for you. Your attorney can make sure that all evidence is explored and a solid case is built on your behalf. In addition to physical evidence and your actual injuries, your lawyer can look at driving records, witness testimony, auto repair/maintenance records, the history of traffic accidents on that road, and other key data.

Woman killed in D.C. tunnel crash, The Washington Post, March 1, 2011

Candlelight vigil for woman killed in Third Street Tunnel, The Examiner, March 4, 2011

Related Web Resource:
Department of Public Works, The District of Columbia

More Blog Posts:
Maryland Car Accident News: Baltimore Trucker Survives Head-on Crash when Minivan Crosses Centerline on Rte 9, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, March 3, 2011

Baltimore Car Accident News: Driver Dies in Fatal Beltsville, Maryland, Automobile Traffic Wreck, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 28, 2011

Baltimore Auto Injury News: Three Hurt when Train Hits Minivan in Wicomico, Maryland, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 24, 2011

Continue reading "Washington DC Car Accident in Third Street Tunnel Claims 23-Year-Old’s Life" »

A DC cop was rushed to the hospital early today after a car on the Key Bridge hit him. At the time, the police officer was investigating a fatal hit-and-run accident. The victim of that DC traffic crash was a pedestrian with a moped. He was hit by an SUV that then fled the scene. The alleged hit-and-run driver was apprehended on Interstate 270.

DC pedestrian accidents usually result in serious injuries. Traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, internal injuries, and spinal cord injuries can result from the impact of a motor vehicle striking a human body.

Drivers involved in any traffic crash are required to stop at the scene. If someone else was injured, then the driver should call for help.

Hit-and-run driving is against the law. It can also result in deaths of injury victims who may otherwise have survived if only 911 had been contacted right away.

Police officers or any other worker who is injured during a DC pedestrian accident while doing his/her job may have grounds for filing a DC personal injury lawsuit against the negligent motorist. Most employees cannot sue their employers for injuries sustained on the job. This, however, should not prevent them from filing third party lawsuits if other parties involved caused their injury accident.

Serious pedestrian injuries may require surgery, physical therapy, prescription medication, nursing care, and/or rehabilitation and the bills can mount. Our Washington DC personal injury law firm is here to help pedestrians obtain financial recovery for their traffic crash injuries from al liable parties.

D.C. Officer Struck By Car While Investigating Accident on Key Bridge, Policelink.monster.com, February 28, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Metropolitan Police Department

Pedestrian Accidents, Justia

Related Web Resources:
71-Year-Old Dies in Hit-and-Run Washington DC Pedestrian Accident, Washington DC Injury Lawyer, November 18, 2010

Washington DC Pedestrian Accidents At Higher Risk of Occurring After Daylight Saving Time Ends, Washington DC Injury Lawyer, November 5, 2010

Washington DC Pedestrian Accident Involving Alleged Drunk Driver Claims the Life of 26-Year-old Johns Hopkins University Graduate Student, Washington DC Injury Lawyer, September 15, 2010

Continue reading "DC Cop Injured While Investigating Fatal Hit-and-Run Accident on Key Bridge" »

According to the Washington Post, one of the reasons that more red-light cameras are being installed in the Washington region is that per a new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study, between 2004 and 2008 they helped the number of DC traffic deaths at intersections go down by 26%.

Red-light cameras catch drivers crossing intersections when the light is red by taking a picture of them committing the act. Although some people have complained that the cameras are a tool for raising revenue—these cameras generated $7.2 million in revenue in 2000, under $5 million in 2005, and $7.2 million in D.C. in 2009— stopping people from driving across the street when the light is red can save lives. D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier told the Washington Post changing driver behavior is the goal. She says that traffic deaths in the District went down 50% in four years.

DC Car Crashes
According to a survey conducted last year by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, although 93% of drivers reported that they believe that if a motorist can stop safely to obey a red light then it isn’t acceptable to run one, 1/3rd of them admitted that they had done just that in the past 30 days. Regardless of whether or not you approve of red-light cameras, it is important to point out that running a red light at an intersection can prove catastrophic should a Washington DC auto accident occur.

Some reasons why people run red lights:
• Speeding
• Distracted driving
• Drunk driving
• Drugged driving

None of these reasons are good enough reasons to get involved in a DC car crash. Not only can injuries or deaths result but the negligent driver could end up in jail.

Use of red-light cameras in Washington area increases, Washington Post, February 23, 2011

Q&As: Red light cameras, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Related Web Resources:
AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

District Department of Transportation

More Blog Posts:
Baltimore Automobile Accident News: Kent Island Father and Young Son Die in Rte 50 Car Crash, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 22, 2011

Baltimore Car Injury News: Reckless Driving Suspected Injury Accident in Anne Arundel County, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 20, 2011

Baltimore Car Accident News: Maryland Woman Dies; Other Injured in Charles County Traffic Collision, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 18, 2011

Continue reading "Preventing Red-Light Running Decreases Washington DC Car Accidents, Says Police Chief" »

A tragic DC traffic crash last Wednesday evening has claimed the life of a 41-year-old man. Oswaldo Hernandez-Cruz, a roofer, and three friends were headed to a job where they would be clearing snow all night when the pickup truck they were riding was struck by a falling tree.

The vehicle was stuck in DC traffic when the tree collapsed. The other three people in the truck, a wife and husband and another man, also sustained injuries, as did two people riding in another car that the tree’s braches also struck. The DC injury accident occurred in the 1700 block of Military Road NW. Hernandez-Cruz leaves behind his wife and three children.

Falling Tree Accidents
Falling trees or even just their tree branches can cause serious injuries. In 2008, a woman, Kay Plyler, died when a tree fell on the car that she and her teen daughter were riding. In 2009, a jury awarded one man 1.7 million for injuries he suffered when a tree fell on the vehicle he and his wife were riding in 2006. Mieczyslaw Wisniewski sustained numerous injuries and neck fractures. In 2007, 49-year-old Michael Gandy died when a giant tree fell onto his van. His family filed a wrongful death lawsuit blaming the city for improperly cutting the trees roots and causing it to become unstable. There have also been tragic falling tree accidents involving a pedestrian or bystander injured or killed by a falling tree branch.

Property owners must make sure that trees on their premise are properly maintained. There may be more than one party who can/should be held liable for Washington DC personal injury.

Tree kills man in car waiting in bad traffic, The Washington Post, January 28, 2011

Settlement Reached In Wrongful Death Lawsuit, WSOCTV, December 7, 2009

Falling Tree, Lawyers and Settlements, February 27, 2008

Related Web Resource:
Premises Liability, Nolo

More Blog Posts:
Escalator Malfunction at DC Metro Station Injures Four, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, October 31, 2010

Six-Year-Old Girl Dies in Washington DC Drowning Accident at Turkey Thicket Pool, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, July 12, 2010

Washington DC Slip and Fall Accidents Can Cause Hip Injuries, Broken Bones, a Strained Back, and Other Painful Injuries, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, February 23, 2010

Continue reading "Falling Tree Causes Fatal Washington DC Car Accident" »

The District intends to install more traffic cameras at street intersections. The main purpose of these new portable cameras is to catch motorists committing traffic offenses, such as failing to come to a full stop and not yielding to pedestrians. The cameras will be placed in areas where there is proven need for greater enforcement and control. D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier says the cameras will be put in place “within the next year.”

Intersections are a common site for traffic crashes. With vehicles approaching from opposite directions, pedestrians crossing the street, and people attempting to make left and right turns, the fact that the risk of collision goes up is no surprise.

Our DC personal injury law firm hopes that with additional cameras set up, more people will be discouraged from committing traffic violations that can lead to Washington DC car accidents. The knowledge that one can get caught on camera running a red light or not coming to a full halt at a stop sign, or turning left even when the left turn arrow is red will hopefully prevent such “minor” offenses, which are, in fact, among the most common causes of serious injuries and deaths at intersections.

How to Avoid Becoming Involved in an Intersection Accident:
• Pay Attention
• Don’t drive while distracted
• Be ready to stop or slow down even if there is no “Stop” sign or traffic light
• Yield to the pedestrian that is already crossing the street or the vehicle that is already moving through the intersection even if you technically have the right of way
• Always look in all directions before driving across the street or turning
• Obey traffic rules

D.C. to Add More Traffic Cameras, Government Video, February 7, 2011

Red-light cameras save lives, study says, Washington Post, February 1, 2011

Related Web Resources:
DC Department of Transportation

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

More Auto Accident Posts:
Washington DC Car Accident Involving Metro Bus Causes Injuries, Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog, July 6, 2010

Baltimore Injury Accident News: Alcohol Blamed in Fatal I-70 Car Crash that Killed Montgomery County Woman, Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog, February 6, 2011

Maryland Bicycle Injury News: Family Settles Wrongful Death Suit following Fatal Baltimore Cycling Accident, Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog, December 24, 2010

Continue reading "District of Columbia Adding More Traffic Cameras " »

A DC car crash at Canal Road and Clark Place on Friday has left two people dead. The victims’ names are Radovan Volikic, 27, and Milos Milicevic, 31. Both are Rockland, Maryland residents.

According to DC police, Milicevic lost control of his 2001 Jaguar. The car ended up rotating and sliding across the roadway into oncoming traffic where it struck a 2007 Ford F-150 pickup truck. The truck’s passengers sustained non-threatening injuries.

According to police, icy roads may have been a contributing factor. Reportedly, a number of complaints have been made that the water running down from the hills can freeze over where Reservoir Road and Canal Road meet.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a Washington DC car accident because there was ice or snow on the road, there may be parties who should be held liable. While no one can stop snow from falling or water from turning into ice, there are steps that can be taken to prevent traffic crashes from happening, including:

• Posting warnings on icy roads
• Clearing snow from the street
• Applying road-safety treatments
• Removing debris from the road

The parties responsible for such tasks can be held liable if the failure to properly complete them contribute to causing traffic injuries or deaths. Also, if the other driver's failure to drive safely according to weather and road conditions caused your auto accident, he or she can be held liable for Washington DC personal injury.

In other local accident news, last week a Washington DC 15-passenger van accident involving another car sent eight people to area hospitals. The DC traffic crash occurred last Tuesday in the 3rd street tunnel. The van was transporting special needs passengers.

Canal Road closed in NW DC, The Washington Post, January 14, 2011

Van Crashes In DC Tunnel; Several Injured, WUSA9, January 12, 2011

Related Web Resources:
District Department of Transportation

Safe Winter Driving, Road Trip America

Continue reading "Two Dead in Washington DC Car Accident " »

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has a new rule that will hopefully help decrease the number of occupant ejections that occur in passenger vehicle crashes. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the final rule today. He said that the “new standard will help save lives and reduce injuries.”

Per the new rule, automakers must create a countermeasure for light passenger autos weighing less than 10,000 pounds that will keep the equivalent of an adult without a seat belt from moving over 4 inches past the side window opening during a traffic crash—especially during a rollover accident. The new standard applies to the side windows next to the first three rows of seats and to part of the cargo area behind rows one and two will start phasing in during 2013. All new vehicles will have to offer this ejection protection by 2018. NHTSA administrator David Strickland has said that once this standard is fully implemented, about 476 serious injuries and 374 fatalities will be prevented each year.

A person ejected from a vehicle during a Washington DC auto accident has a three times greater chance of dying than the person who was able to remain inside the vehicle. Partial ejections can also result in catastrophic injuries or wrongful death.

In some DC car accidents, a passenger is ejected from the vehicle because he/she was not using a seat belt. Still, other ejections happen because the seat belt malfunctioned, the vehicle’s roof was not well-structured, or the impact of the crash was so forceful that the person was inevitably thrown from the vehicle. There may be a negligent driver, car manufacturer, auto part manufacturer, or another liable party who can be held liable for Washington DC auto products liability.

Final rule aimed at reducing partial and complete vehicle ejections, NHTSA, January 13, 2011

Automakers face tough new rollover-crash rule, CNN, January 13, 2011

Related Web Resource:
Read More About the New Ejection Standard, NHTSA (PDF)

Continue reading "Will The New NHTSA Rule Prevent Passenger Ejections During Washington DC Car Accidents?" »

While New Year’s Eve and Day are definitely occasions to mark with celebration, it is unfortunate that there are people who may end up dying or getting seriously hurt in a Washington DC car accident because another person was driving while drunk. Hopefully, the more aggressive push by lawmakers and law enforcement officials through their "Drunk Driving. Over The Limit. Under Arrest" campaign will help keep more people safe this year. That said, it is still up to motorists to refrain from driving drunk.

According to new analysis from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, at about 80 drunk driver-related deaths on New Year’s Day, the average number of traffic fatalities where alcohol is a factor goes up by almost 150% more than if it were the same day of another week during the holidays. For example, in 2005 when New Year’s fell on a Saturday, there were more alcohol-related deaths at 98 fatalities than if the holiday fell on the season's other Saturday. Last year, there were 73 drunk driving fatalities on New Year’s Day. New Year’s Eve fell on a Thursday night. Unfortunately, although many Americans don’t approve of drunk driving, AAA says that many of them do it anyway.

These fatality figures don’t take into account the number of injuries that can occur on New Year’s Day as a result of alcohol. Per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, among underage drinkers alone, 1,980 of them went to the hospital on January 1. That’s a lot more than the approximately 546 who end up in the hospital on a typical day. Drunk driving, other alcohol-related accidents, and acute intoxication were among the causes. There are, of course, also adults and children who may have sustained injuries in a New Year traffic crash involving alcohol.

Steps motorists can take to drive safely into 2011:
• Appoint a designated driver.
• Don’t let your friends drive while drunk even if they think they can.
• Don’t get in the car with a drunk driver.
• Pack an overnight bag just in case you end up drinking more than you intended.
• Bring cab money just in case.
• Be careful if you choose to walk to or from your destination. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says New Year is the deadliest day of the year for pedestrians.

Beware of heightened drunk driving dangers this New Year’s Eve, Consumer Reports, December 30, 2010

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces Holiday Drunk Driving Crackdown, NHTSA, December 13, 2010

Underage drinkers a New Year's hazard, Washington Examiner, December 30, 2010

Related Web Resources:
What to do after a car accident, MSN

Metropolitan Police Department, DC.gov

Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Continue reading "Number of Fatal Drunk Driving Crashes Up Almost 150% on New Year’s Day, Says AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety" »

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced this week that thousands of law enforcement agencies across the US will be combating drunk driving crashes during the holiday season through the annual "Drunk Driving. Over The Limit. Under Arrest” campaign. Some $7 million in advertising will run between December 15, 2010 and January 3, 2011 to promote the campaign.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 753 US drunk driver-related deaths in December 2009. In total for that year, there were 10,839 alcohol-related traffic fatalities with one of these deaths occurring every 48 minutes. 7,281 of the those who died were drivers with a BAC of .08 or greater. 2,891 of those who were killed were motor vehicle occupants. 667 were nonoccupants. Our Washington DC car crash lawyers have reported on these developments in the past.

In addition to the national holiday crackdown campaign, a number of states have adopted the "No Refusal" strategy, which lets law enforcement officers quickly get warrants for blood samples from suspected drunk drivers who exercise their right to not take a breathalyzer test. Secretary LaHood is encouraging other states to adopt this approach.

Beginning Friday in Washington DC, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program will offer free taxi rides (a $30 limit) to people who call 1-800-200-TAXI. Participants have to be age 21 or older and the free service is available between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. weekly.

With the holiday season underway, people are likely to find themselves attending social and celebratory gatherings were alcohol is being served. During this time of the year, the last thing that anyone wants to have happen is to suffer serious injuries or lose a loved one in a Washington DC car accident because someone was driving while drunk.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces Holiday Drunk Driving Crackdown, NHTSA, December 13, 2010

Holiday crackdown on drunk driving, The Washington Post, December 13, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Alcohol-Impaired Driving, NHTSA (PDF)

40 Million in U.S. Driving Drunk or Drugged, US News, December 9, 2010

Maryland Car Accident Attorney Blog

Trucking Accident Lawyer Blog

Continue reading "NHTSA Employs "Drunk Driving. Over The Limit. Under Arrest" and "No Refusal" Strategy to Combat Washington DC Car Accidents" »