Car Accidents

Street Smart Program Aims to Prevent Washington DC Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

March 30, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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

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

March 6, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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

DC Cop Injured While Investigating Fatal Hit-and-Run Accident on Key Bridge

February 28, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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

Preventing Red-Light Running Decreases Washington DC Car Accidents, Says Police Chief

February 23, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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

Falling Tree Causes Fatal Washington DC Car Accident

February 19, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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

District of Columbia Adding More Traffic Cameras

February 7, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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

Two Dead in Washington DC Car Accident

January 18, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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

Will The New NHTSA Rule Prevent Passenger Ejections During Washington DC Car Accidents?

January 13, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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)

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

December 30, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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

NHTSA Employs “Drunk Driving. Over The Limit. Under Arrest” and “No Refusal” Strategy to Combat Washington DC Car Accidents

December 14, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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