Auto Accidents

BALTIMORE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT ATTORNEY

In the past five years there has been an annual average of 103,734 traffic accidents in Maryland, which translates to an average of 285 car crashes per day. These traffic accidents resulted in 55,232 injuries and 635 fatalities. In Baltimore, where the largest population lives, we have the lion’s share of these traffic accidents. Those motor vehicle or “car accidents,” account for the largest percentage of personal injury cases and claims in Greater Baltimore and all of Baltimore County. Likewise, accident claims and “auto accident injury law suits,” where one or more vehicle have been involved, represents the largest portion of accident law suits and personal injury claims and cases throughout the State of Maryland. Thus, knowing what to do with respect to auto accident law and how to hire a car accident injury lawyer in Baltimore is of the utmost concern to you and your family, should they become a statistic.
Two major causes of car accidents on the

Drunk Driving

Alcohol and drugs contributed to 31 percent of Maryland’s crash fatalities last year.  That equates to nearly two fatalities per day at the hands of impaired drivers.

In 2007 alone nearly 13,000 people in the U.S. died in crashes in which the drivers or motorcycle riders were legally impaired, according to the statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  Most of these individuals were innocent victims of crashes that could have been avoided if the impaired driver had simply made the decision not to drink and drive.

Statistics show that the percentage of legally intoxicated motorcycle riders in fatal crashes is greater than the percentage of legally intoxicated drivers on our roads. This is why NHTSA urges all motorcycle riders to always ride smart and sober.

If you or a loved one is injured by a drunk driver in Baltimore call the Offices of David B. Shapiro.

Distracted Driving

For most of us who drive on a regular basis, it’s no big deal. We get in our car and we go without much thought. We play with the radio, put in a CD to play our favorite songs. Maybe check a text message or two, possibly even send a few texts. Driving and texting can’t be that hard right? We chat on the phone, looking down to dial the digits only for a brief moment. No big deal right? Until you are the victim of a distracted driver. Studies show texting while driving is more dangerous than drunk driving.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has heard American’s call to end the dangerous practice of distracted driving on our nation’s roadways. Distracted driving is a serious, life-threatening practice. The department’s agencies are already working together to share knowledge and promote a greater understanding of the issue, and identify additional strategies to end distracted driving, but you are the key to preventing distracted driving. The message is simple – Put it down! If you are the victim of a distracted driver in Maryland, the Law office of David B. Shapiro can help.

A newly released study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute studied long-haul trucks for 18 months by outfitting the cabs with video cameras. They found when the drivers texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting. The study also measured the time drivers took their eyes from the road to send or receive texts. In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spent nearly five seconds looking at their devices – enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more than the length of a football field.

Nationally and in Maryland, distracted driving studies show an outside person, object or event as the greatest distraction.

Who are our distracted drivers?

• Research shows that over half of U.S. drivers report having used a cell phone in the past 30 days.
• One in seven admits to text messaging while driving.
• Forty-six percent of 16 and 17 year old drivers say they text message while driving.
• Forty-eight percent of 18 to 24 year old drivers text message while driving.
• Sixty-seven percent of 25-34 year old drivers talk on their cell phones while driving.
• Sixty-five percent of drivers with a college education talk on their cell phones while driving. The higher the level of education, the higher use of the cell phone.

At the Law Offices of David B. Shapiro. we use our strategy and experience in fighting for your rights if you have been injured in an auto or other vehicular accident. Baltimore Accident Attorney, David B. Shapiro, investigates every possible contributing case of an auto accident to ensure that your will receive full compensation for your injuries.  Evaluation all of the facts involved in the cause of a motor vehicle accident requires skill and experience.  The office of David Shapiro will take over the investigation of your case so that you can concentrate on recovering from your injuries.  We can assist you in finding an appropriate medical specialist to treat you, and we can make arrangements with your medical care providers to wait for payment until your case is resolved through settlement or trial.

Auto accidents are generally decided using the law of negligence.  A person who negligently operates a vehicle may be required to pay any damages caused by their negligence, either to person or property.  Generally, people who operate automobiles must exercise “reasonable care under the circumstances”.  Failure to use reasonable care is the basis in most lawsuits for damages caused by Car accidents.

Courts look to a number of factors in determining whether a driver was negligent.  Some examples of these factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Driving too fast or too slow
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Distracted Drivers
• Failing to signal while turning
• Disregarding weather or traffic conditions
• Disobeying traffic signs of signals
• Failing to drive on the right side of the road

A driver may also be liable for an accident caused by intentional or reckless conduct.  A driver who is reckless is one who drives unsafely, with willful and wanton disregard for the probability that the driving may cause an accident.  In certain cases, accidents are caused by factors unrelated to the conduct of any particular driver.  For example, under the law of product liability, a Vehicle manufacturer or supplier may be responsible for injuries caused by a defect in the vehicle, or a component of the automobile, as in the Firestone tire litigation.  A products liability suit is a lawsuit brought against the seller of a product for selling a defective product that caused physical injury to a consumer or user.  If a manufacturer of a product created a defective product either in developing, designing or labeling the product the manufacturer is liable for any injuries the product causes, regardless of whether or not the manufacturer was negligent.
In another example, if a mechanic fails to properly repair a vehicle and the failure causes an accident, the person who improperly repaired the Automobile, and his shop, may be liable for injuries sustained. If you are the victim of negligence in Baltimore you should contact a Maryland attorney promptly.  Other factors such as poorly maintained roads and malfunctioning traffic control signals can contribute to the cause.  Improper design, maintenance, construction, signage, lighting or other highway defect, as well as improper striping on the road’s passing lanes, a sharp obstruction or problem with the roadway that obstructs a drivers’ vision or poorly placed trees and utility poles can also cause serious accidents.  Finally, if an accident is caused by an intoxicated driver, a bar of social host may be liable for damages sustained if they served an obviously intoxicated guest, who then drives and causes an accident.
In all Automobile injury claims and Car accident cases it is essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the accident in question, and to enable physicians or other expert witnesses to thoroughly evaluate any injuries.  If you or a loved one is a victim of an Auto accident in Baltimore County or the State of Maryland, call the Law Offices of David B. Shapiro now at 410-576-9100 or GET YOUR FREE ACCIDENT CASE EVALUATION NOW! The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds.  Don’t delay!  You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be field before the statue of limitations expires

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410-576-9100 dshapirolaw@aol.com