Car Accidents

New Study Finds Washington D.C. Most Lenient Jurisdiction for Drunk Drivers

July 9, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It is common knowledge these days that drunk driving is a dangerous and irresponsible habit that can all too easily claim innocent lives. However, for a number of seemingly irrational reasons, drivers continue to engage in drunk driving despite the physical dangers to others as well as the potential criminal consequences they may face if convicted of a drunk-driving offense. According to one news report looking at a recent nationwide study, however, Washington D.C. ranks as the most lenient jurisdiction in the country for drunk drivers.

Evidently, the study was conducted by wallethub.com and took into account factors such as minimum jail time for first and second offenses, when a DUI becomes an automatic felony, the length of a license suspension following a DUI conviction, when an ignition interlock device is required, whether the jurisdiction uses sobriety checkpoints, and how much the fines and costs are relating to a conviction.

The researchers conducting the study assigned a numerical value to each factor, ultimately coming up with a final “score.” The higher the number, the stricter the jurisdiction is on drunk drivers. Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C. ranked as follows:

Thirty-Four Million Cars Affected by Most Recent Takata Airbag Recall

May 22, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, Japan-based airbag manufacturer Takata announced the largest auto-part recall in United States history, affecting over 34 million automobiles. Takata is the second-largest airbag manufacturer in the world, behind only Autoliv, which is based in Sweden.

According to one news report by CNN, the airbag manufacturer announced the recall after it came to light that the company’s airbags were prone to sending shrapnel in drivers’ and passengers’ faces upon deployment. Evidently, there have been six deaths allegedly caused by the faulty airbags, and countless other injuries. Most of the incidents involve older vehicles. However, newer models are also included in the recall.

It is estimated that there are approximately 52 million vehicles worldwide that will need to have their airbags replaced. Both Takata and Autoliv are struggling to manufacture airbags as quickly as possible to fill the orders. Currently, Takata is producing about 500,000 airbags a month, but it plans to double that number by September of this year.

Driver Who Tweeted “2 Drunk 2 Care” Before Fatal Accident Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison

May 8, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last year, two young women were killed in a drunk-driving accident on the Sawgrass Expressway in Florida. According to one news report by the Washington Post, the accident occurred when a drunk driver began traveling down the Expressway the wrong way, ultimately colliding head-on with another car. The evidence suggested that she was traveling at 80 miles per hour.

While the police were conducting their investigation into the accident, they discovered that not only was the driver who caused the fatal accident drunk, but also her blood-alcohol concentration was twice the legal limit. Additionally, minutes before the fatal accident she had tweeted “2 drunk 2 care.” Those who had the chance to view the woman’s social media sites before they were removed have told reporters that the woman was a self-proclaimed “pothead princess” and had posted several other comments about her recreational drug and alcohol use.

Evidently, a Florida court recently sentenced the 22-year-old woman to 24 years in jail for her role in the fatal accident. Evidence presented to the court suggested that the woman drank two fishbowl-sized drinks before getting into her car that fateful night. At the time of the accident, the woman was underage and did not have a driver’s license.

Maryland Appellate Court Defines Limitations on Injury Victims’ Insurance Coverage

May 1, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A recent case in front of the Maryland Court of Appeals affirmed a judgment favorable to an accident victim’s insurance company, limiting the victims’ overall damages. Back in 2009, a man and his wife from Waldorf were taking a walk through their neighborhood when a car backed up out of a driveway and struck the couple.

As a result of the accident, both the man and his wife sustained serious injuries. The man sustained a traumatic brain injury, as well as injuries to his head, neck, and limbs. He was taken to a rehabilitation center, where he died about 18 months later. The man’s wife also sustained injuries in the accident, although not as serious as her husband.

In 2010, the couple filed suit against the driver and his insurance company. At the time of the accident, the couple also had their own insurance coverage, through GEICO, which had a policy limit of $300,000 per person and $300,000 per accident. The couple entered into a settlement agreement with the driver’s insurance company for $100,000 each and then filed an underinsured-motorist claim under their own insurance company, seeking to recover the entire $300,000 that their policy covered.

Paul Ryan’s Chief of Staff Involved in Car Wreck, Accident Victim Seeks Compensation from Ryan

March 17, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last year, one man and his passenger were injured in a car accident involving U.S. Representative Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) chief of staff on Interstate 395. Ryan’s chief of staff was driving Ryan’s car at the time. Earlier this month, the two injured in the accident filed suit against both Ryan and his chief of staff claiming that driver at the time was following too closely, resulting in the accident. Paul Ryan was not in the car at the time of the accident.

According to a recent news report by 4 NBC Washington, the accident occurred on I-395 when Ryan’s vehicle crashed into the back of the accident victim’s vehicle. No one suffered serious or life-threatening injuries. However, the driver and his passenger both sustained a “closed head injury” and reported nausea and a concussion.

Recently, the two filed suit in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. against both Ryan and his chief of staff. According to the news article, the U.S. Department of Justice is defending the suit against Ryan because he is a federal government employee. The Department has filed an answer to the complaint, claiming that the government is immune from suit and that it should be dismissed.

Chinatown Accident Kills One and Injures Several Others in Northwest DC

February 24, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in the Chinatown area of Washington, D.C., one man was killed when an SUV rolled over him, pinning him underneath until emergency responders were able to free him. According to one local news report, the accident occurred at H Street between 4th and 5th Streets.

Evidently, the driver of an SUV was speeding down H Street towards 5th Street when he lost control of the vehicle. The SUV began to roll and collided with a traffic-light pole, which came crashing down into a nearby building. After going through the pole, the vehicle continued until it hit a wall, causing it to rotate. Ultimately, the SUV came to a rest on top of a pedestrian. At some point in the SUV’s tumble, it collided with another person as well.

The man pinned underneath the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the SUV, as well as the other pedestrian who was hit by the SUV, are both in the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Police are currently conducting an investigation into the fatal accident, and charges are pending against the driver of the SUV.

DC Man Arrested After Spree of Hit-and-Run Accidents

December 16, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, police arrested and charged a man who was involved in a series of hit-and-run accidents across Washington DC. According to a recent report by the Capital Gazette, the man was charged with 18 counts, including drunk driving and multiple charges of failure to remain at the scene following an accident.

Luckily, many of the vehicles the man ran into were unoccupied, but one person was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma as a result of the injuries he sustained. Evidently, the hit-and-run spree began around 6:15 in the evening in the area of Juliana Circle and Newtowne Drive, when a black Jeep sideswiped an unoccupied Nissan that was parked on the side of the road.

After that initial collision, the Jeep continued on down Newtowne Drive. As the driver was negotiating a curve, however, he ran head-on into a city bus. The driver then put the vehicle in reverse, ran over the curb and through a fence, and pulled away, hitting the bus again on the way out.

Drunk Driver Pleads Guilty to DUI After Getting in Wreck

November 18, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in the DC area, an Annapolis woman was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after she crashed into two bicyclists, seriously injuring one of them. According to a report by CBC DC, the accident occurred back in June 28 on the Governor Ritchie Highway.

Evidently, for an unknown reason the woman veered out of her lane and drove onto the right shoulder, which is designated as the Baltimore & Annapolis trail. Once she crossed into the right shoulder, she hit two bicyclists who were riding on the trail, a 28-year-old and a 27-year-old. Both of the victims were flown to Shock Trauma.

One of the victims was released shortly after she was admitted. However, the other victim was held in the hospital for almost a month before staff felt that she was in good enough condition to return home.

Woman Sentenced for Fatal Dupont Circle Hit-and-Run

October 3, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Back in 2010, a 24-year-old woman was killed as she was getting out of a parked car when a driver struck her in a last-second lane change. According to a report by WUSA 9, the driver of a Lexus SUV was on Connecticut Avenue NW in a lane that would take her through a tunnel under Dupont Circle. At the last minute, she changed lanes and entered a non-tunnel lane.

However, as she did so, she struck the 24-year-old woman getting out of her car. The driver continued on her way, not stopping to see if the victim was hurt. A witness to the accident hopped on a bike and followed the car, eventually getting close enough to get her license plate number. The witness called police, who then showed up at the woman’s apartment complex. The woman was in her vehicle, keys in hand, with a strong smell of alcohol on her breath. The front right headlight was damaged.

Misplaced Construction Sign Results in $100,000 Settlement with St. Louis County

August 21, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Back in 2012, a Missouri high-school girl lost her life in a traffic accident when she was broadsided by another vehicle as she crossed a four-lane road. The four-lane road was under construction as she was attempting to cross it, and there was evidence submitted that it was difficult to see oncoming traffic because of a construction sign that had been placed there by road crews.

According to a local report, the girl’s family looked to St. Louis County, who hired the allegedly negligent crew, for answers. Just this past week, the County Attorney for St. Louis County approached the County Board and asked for them to approve a $100,000 settlement in order to avoid the ongoing cost of litigation. He claimed that it was a “reasonable amount given the facts and circumstances” of the case.

The lawsuit also named other parties, including the two construction companies who were in charge of the project. The specific theory of liability asserted that the crews were negligent for placing a road sign in the way of motorists’ view, essentially blocking their direct view of oncoming traffic. Furthermore, the suit alleged that the construction crew and the county government actually ignored warnings that the intersection was unsafe due to the placement of the sign.