Auto Accidents FAQs

Most personal injury claims are settled before going to court, which is why many injury lawyers haven’t tried a case in front of a jury. However, some cases need to be pursued all the way to trial, especially when both sides cannot come to an agreement. This can be the case if the defense knows your attorney hasn’t ever taken a case to trial before. The reason it matters to hire an attorney with trial experience is that insurance companies keep tabs on personal injury attorneys. They know which lawyers have and haven’t been inside the courtroom, which attorneys will accept an offer on the courthouse steps, and which lawyers are softies. In fact, some lawyers have reputations for settling cases every time. As a result, the other side might not make a fair settlement offer if they know they are up against an inexperienced attorney.

You Want a Tough Attorney

If you hire a lawyer without trial experience, you might second guess the settlement he or she accepted. Did your attorney recommend that you accept the settlement offer because it was fair or because he or she didn’t want to go to trial? You may never know unless you have an attorney in your corner ready and willing to go to court. Although an accident attorney without trial experience may have the knowledge to deal with your injury claim and know what your case is worth, it is an entirely different ballgame to take a case before a jury. You need to know that you have an attorney on your side who will push back and not accept an unfair settlement. You need a lawyer who makes the other side take your case seriously and will threaten trial in order to collect the compensation you deserve. Do yourself a favor and ask an injury lawyer questions before hiring him or her. Does the law firm have the resources to take your case to trial, if necessary? What are some of the law firm’s past jury verdicts? By knowing the answers to these questions, you can rest assured knowing you will get the maximum compensation possible in your case.

If you are looking to negotiate your own car accident claim with an insurance company, there is no fee to pursue your claim; however, if you hire a law firm to maximize your financial recovery, there are legal fees and other costs associated with filing a personal injury claim. The good news is that you won’t have to front any fees when working with a lawyer through a contingency fee agreement. If we agree to take your case through a contingency fee payment, we will advance all the fees to pursue your personal injury claim and then deduct our costs from the settlement at the end of the case. This is also the case if we need to pursue your claim in court and file a lawsuit on your behalf. The beauty of a contingency fee agreement is that you owe nothing if you don’t get a settlement or recovery. In addition to the cost of hiring an attorney, we will also advance costs associated with copying, long-distance telephone calls, and other administrative fees. If we need to pursue your claim in court, additional costs would include court filing fees, other litigation fees, and expert witness fees. For example, we may need to hire an accident reconstructionist, engineer, or medical professional to testify in your case. We will take care of all costs and keep an accounting of the expenses in your case so that you can review them at the end of the case when these expenses will be deducted from your settlement or recovery.

There are many car accident victims whose injuries aren’t fully apparent immediately after an accident. Sometimes injuries take days or weeks to show up, and sometimes one test might not be conclusive and more testing needs to be done to determine what type of injury you suffered. If your family or emergency room doctor didn’t find a specific injury or if they aren’t planning on conducting more tests to diagnose the cause of your pain, it is essential to have a second opinion. Sometimes people get second opinions because they feel they aren’t getting good medical care and other times they seek additional advice before they agree to a surgery. It is your right to get a second opinion, as it is important to your health as well as to your potential personal injury claim. If you are already pursuing a car accident claim, your lawyer might have you see another doctor for several reasons. Mainly, it is important to your health to have the best medical care, but your attorney might also have you switch doctors because he or she knows the importance of having a doctor who can appear comfortable as a witness in court.

Independent Medical Exams: Don’t Go it Alone

Although the insurance company will look for anything they can to try and deny your claim, your attorney should be able to explain why you saw a new doctor. You should know, however, that the insurance company may require you to submit to an independent medical examination (IME) if they question the extent of your injuries. It is important that your attorney prepares you before an IME or even attends it with you because the doctors who conduct these exams often act like insurance claims adjusters and not neutral medical examiners. Seeking the best and most thorough medical care is your right, but protecting your legal rights is just as important. If an insurance company is giving you a hard time about the medical opinions you have received in your accident injury claim, connect with us through our live chat feature now.

When you were hit by a drunk driver, you were permanently affected in many ways. Along with chronic physical pain, you have endured changes to your way of life and suffer from depression and anxiety. Compensation for these effects is known as non-economic damage. Unlike economic damages, which are easy to measure because there are specific dollar amounts tied to them such as medical bills, non-economic damages are more abstract. This is why non-economic damages are generally referred to as pain and suffering. In addition to being compensated for your physical pain and for the damage done to you car, you should also be compensated for things like depression, stress, and strains to your marriage or family relationships. If any of these things occur, you have the right to pursue non-economic damages because the quality of your life has changed.

What Is Your Loss Worth?

It is difficult to assign a value to non-economic damages because they are technically “quality of life damages.” But even though there isn’t an exact dollar amount attached to these losses, you may still be due damages because the accident negatively impacted your life. This is why it is important to be thorough when assessing your non-economic damages. For example, if your car accident injury prevented you from attending your daughter’s wedding, you should be able to collect money not only for the non-refundable airfare, but also for the loss of an experience you can’t make up for. If you have missed out on enjoying the pleasures of life as a result of a car accident injury, you deserve to be compensated accordingly. Life experiences have value and the loss of the enjoyment of life is a big part of non-economic damages. To learn more about collecting the compensation you are due, order a free copy of our book, report, 10 Tips to Get the Maximum Compensation After a Maryland Auto Accident.

Your case’s value will depend on the type of injury, your recovery, and the extent of your losses. A knee injury—depending on the location and specific type of knee injury—can be a serious injury that deserves full compensation. Common knee injuries include tears of the ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus. Additionally, a knee fracture or knee cap damage could occur in a car accident.

With some knee injuries, surgery is often necessary to repair the damage followed by months of physical therapy. Sometimes when people have arthroscopic knee surgery to repair torn ligaments, they often have another knee surgery in the future. If surgery is necessary to correct the damage to your knee, you will most likely not be able to return to work while you rest and heal. As a result, you may miss out on wages and benefits.

While determining the value of your case may sound simple, it is one of the most complicated parts of a personal injury claim. This is because you need think through all of your losses and be thorough in determining all the costs associated with your knee injury.  For example, you may have missed out on taking a vacation because of your injury and you should get compensated for those losses as well.

Typically, you will want to collect money for your hospital expenses, surgical costs, medical bills, physical therapy, future medical care, lost income, future lost income, mental and emotional trauma, and any other out-of-pocket expenses related to the accident and your injury. Our attorneys can help you determine the value of your injury. Contact us today.

When you are injured in a crash, it is normal for you to want to know how much your injuries are worth; however, it may surprise you to learn that this is often the most difficult part of the claim to determine (at least initially). Everyone’s injury claim is different, even though insurance companies may have certain amounts in mind for specific injuries. This is because you may have suffered in different ways from someone else with a similar injury.

Before you accept a settlement from the insurance company for your herniated disc, you should try to determine what your case is worth by adding up the following expenses:

• Damage to your property
• Medical bills and expenses related to your medical care (e.g., ambulance ride, ER visit, x-rays, tests, prescription costs, surgical expenses, physical therapy, etc.)
• Income lost due to being away from work as a result of your injury and all future lost income due to treatment of your injury
• Damages for mental anguish and emotional trauma
• Miscellaneous expenses such as a missed vacation

While it may be somewhat easy to put a figure on your property damages, lost income, and the money spent on your medical care, it can be rather difficult to determine an amount for pain and suffering or future lost income and medical treatment. This is why many people turn to experienced accident attorneys for help negotiating their injury claims so they can get the maximum amount possible. Call us for a free consultation. We can help you determine the true cost of your herniated disc.

When a driver causes a car crash, he is responsible for paying damages to those he injured. It is important to note that a passenger doesn’t have control of the car, so a passenger should be able to prove negligence and file a claim for injuries suffered in the wreck. This is true for passengers in alcohol-related crashes as well.

A passenger may not have known that the driver was drinking, especially when the driver is under age. The driver may have hidden the fact that he had some alcoholic drinks before getting behind the wheel, or he may have lied about the amount he drank. In any event, the driver who caused the crash should be held liable for any resulting injuries, damages, or other losses.

Typically, an injured passenger should be able to sue for costs incurred from the ambulance ride, ER visit, hospital bills, doctor’s appointments, prescriptions, physical therapy, and other medical expenses, in addition to pain and suffering and other losses.

Because your daughter may be friends with the driver at fault, it may feel awkward to bring a claim against the driver; however, your daughter needs to remember that her friend has insurance and the claim is really being filed against the insurance company and not her friend personally. It will still be an awkward and uncomfortable situation, which is why you need an attorney who is experienced in these kinds of cases. Contact our office through the links on this page to find out how we can help.

If you are in the middle of researching lawyers following an auto accident injury, you may be confused about why some attorneys offer free consultations and others don’t. Typically, most personal injury lawyers offer free initial consultations; however, there are some attorneys who don’t provide this service to the public.

While it might appear to you that an attorney who doesn’t offer a free initial consultation is somehow more desirable than a lawyer who does offer potential clients free consultations, this isn’t always the case. Another misconception is that lawyers who charge for consultations are more qualified or more successful than attorneys who don’t charge for initial consultations, but, again, this isn’t the case and is in fact a falsehood.

There could be several reasons why an attorney would charge for an initial meeting, none of which are signs that this is the attorney you want to handle your case. Some reasons may be:

1. To appear to potential clients to be in high demand.
2. To collect as much money as possible; however, lawyers who charge for initial consultations may charge more all the way around.
3. Because he lacks the staff to help him answer phone calls and set up meetings.

Lawyers who offer free initial consultations are providing a wonderful service to the public, and it is a great way to find out about the attorney’s past wins and case results. Do yourself a favor and meet with several attorneys who offer free consultations to ask questions, learn about your rights, and get to know who would be the right fit for you and your case.

In Maryland, any amount of fault denies your ability to make a financial recovery for your injuries. This is because Maryland has a contributory negligence law. However, if the crash occurred in another state, you may have rights under comparative negligence.

Under comparative negligence, even if you were partially responsible for the accident you were injured in, you should still be able to get compensation. For example, you are in a car accident that wasn’t completely your fault. After you tell the insurance company your side of the story, they may feel you are, say, 30 percent at fault for the car accident. As a result, they will assign 70 percent of the blame to the other driver and award you a 70 percent recovery. This means that your recovery will be lessened by the 30 percent of the fault you had in the accident. However, it is important to note that determining the amount of fault is open to negotiation. Just because the insurance adjuster claims that you are responsible for 30 percent of the crash doesn’t mean you have to accept their determination. You can hire an attorney to argue that you were only 15 percent at fault, for example, and get a bigger settlement.

Unfortunately, there are times when the other driver doesn’t have enough insurance coverage to pay the money you need to cover you property damages, medical bills, lost income, and other damages. When this happens you might not be able to collect the full amount you are due. For this reason, it is always advisable to carry underinsured motorist coverage in order to be able to collect the amount of money you need to cover your losses and damages.

Whether you just moved to Maryland or Washington D.C., or you grew up on the East Coast—you more than likely will encounter snow, slush, ice, fog and other inclement weather. Unfortunately, you may find yourself on the road trying to conquer these winter elements. In order to do this safely, it is critical that you have the proper tires. Having four new winter tires or ones in good shape with the proper tread will help reduce your chance of a collision.

In addition, driving safely in the winter requires proper knowledge, skills and techniques, such as:

• Inspect your tires for proper tread and air pressure
• Always drive with both hands on the wheel
• Adjust your speed for the weather and road conditions
• Maintain a larger following distance from other cars
• Don’t change lanes frequently when slush or snow is on the ground
• Slow down before entering a turn or curve
• Don’t brake hard during a turn or accelerate hard out of a turn
• Always maintain a slow speed while turning and don’t make any sudden movements with the wheel
• Know how to handle your vehicle so you don’t find yourself in understeer or oversteer situations

There are many things drivers can do to reduce their crash risks, as you can see from the aforementioned list. However, the biggest thing you can do to reduce your chance of a crash during the winter months is to have the proper winter tires or chains for the conditions you are driving in.

Like the majority of Americans, you most likely have some sort of social media account and it’s a good bet that you check it, post to it, or upload content to it on a regular basis. Although this is perfectly normal in today’s society, before you post one more thing, you should be aware of who’s watching.

With the popularity of social media in today’s society, it’s no surprise that companies use these outlets to push their products on you, tapping into your likes and dislikes to recommend goods and services. However, some companies take it a step further and use your public information against you. Insurance companies are a good example.

Many insurance companies monitor popular sites that may contain posts negating an applicant’s claim. If the adjuster discovers any reasonable evidence that suggests the claim was falsified or that gives him an argument to suggest fraud, he can then deny the claim.

So what can you do to protect yourself and your claim?

Silence is Golden: Keeping Your Accident Off the Grid Can Help Increase Your Settlement

Obviously, posting a photo of you running a marathon while awaiting an injury settlement is a bad idea, but you also need to be aware that “throwback” posts (you ran the marathon last year) and other people tagging you in their photos can make adjusters suspicious.

This is why it is best to not risk it. An overzealous insurance adjuster is looking for anything he can use against you. If you’re a victim of a car accident, try to refrain from posting, tweeting, or uploading the following information:

• Photos of the crash. Although you if you’re able, you should definitely take photos for your lawyer, do not post them on online until after the claim has been settled. A shadow, smudge, or discoloration could lead the adjuster to question the damage.
• Details of the accident. If every single detail isn’t exactly how you reported it in your claim, an adjuster may grow suspicious.
• Predicted settlement amounts. Letting an adjuster know how much you hope to get could change how much you actually get, and not for the better.
• Discussions of injuries. By discussing your injuries, you could let something slip that wasn’t part of your claim or say something that makes the adjuster and your lawyer question the severity of the injury.
• Locations. Posting your location can allow an adjuster to assume you’re participating in activities that you may not be, compromising the validity of your claim.

To cover your bases, keep the accident out of your profiles, pages, and accounts until your claim has been settled. For extra security, make all of your accounts private, so there is no risk of misinterpretation.

Help, Support, and a Watchful Eye

If you’ve recently been injured in a car accident and need help pursuing your claim, contact us today. Our knowledge and eagerness to see justice prevail will ensure that you follow all the rules, properly file your claim, and aren’t surprised by insurance gambits. We’ll make sure you’re properly prepared and know exactly what to do and what not to do to make sure your claim has the best chance for approval. Call today for a free consultation and review of your case.

Still itching to post something? Instead of posting about your accident, share this article with your followers, then browse our sites on Facebook and Google+ to get more helpful information and advice.

Depending on your viewpoint, late or “zipper” merging is either a wonderful idea or completely infuriating. Zipper merging during lane closures is meant to encourage drivers to utilize both lanes up to the point of conversion, whereupon they will then take turns passing through the bottleneck area one at a time. Although this concept seems pretty easy, people tend to come down strongly on one side or the other.

Pro Zipper Merge

When you see one lane backed up for a mile and the other lane (which will eventually end) completely free, why shouldn’t you use the empty lane for as long as possible? It’s not your fault that the other drivers are choosing to wait in line. You’ll just merge when you absolutely have to at the bottleneck. To you, this seems more efficient anyway. Instead of causing excessively long backups, drivers should just utilize both lanes, and then take turns merging at the convergence point.

Anti Zipper Merge

On the other hand, when you’re stuck in a backup and witness other drivers using the compromised lane as a way to bypass you, you rightfully get upset. What entitles them to cut ahead? Everyone in the through lane would love to get ahead as well, but the lane does eventually end, so then what? Other drivers who have been patiently waiting now have to let the passers-by in? Why should some drivers get to move to the head of the line? While others have to wait?

So, which argument holds more credibility? In theory, the zipper merge is, in fact, more efficient, less confusing, and reasonable. However, due to human nature, stress, and some people’s need to get ahead of others, this technique can also be extremely dangerous.

Late Merge Risks

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has begun to implement the zipper merge method into highway protocol with mixed results. The method is recognized to be more efficient in theory, but the actual practice relies on drivers recognizing and actually following the rules. This is what presents the problem. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety report, 65% of merging accidents are caused by the merger forcing his way into the through traffic lane instead of actually waiting for his turn. This “driver entitlement” notion is the main problem with the late merge concept—people get easily frustrated when they’re made to wait. This leads to anger, poor decisions, and unfortunately, many accidents.  

Therefore, no matter what your opinion is about zipper merging, or how efficient you may think it is, human nature causes it to present some risks. These include:

• Entitled driver unpredictability. Many motorists will utilize the “closing” lane to simply bypass traffic, not as a way to be more efficient. This entitlement usually follows these drivers to the bottleneck, whereupon they won’t wait their turn and decide to push in where there isn’t room, potentially causing an accident.
• Worse congestion. If motorists fail to take turns at the convergence point and just push in whenever they feel like it, not only will the through lane never move, but they could easily cause an accident which will block the only point where traffic could legitimately get through.
• Impatient “open lane” motorists. Although utilizing both lanes will decrease backups to a point, the drivers that are in the correct lane and do not have to merge are far less likely to allow the closed lane mergers to get over, even though courtesy and merging etiquette laws suggest that if you can let mergers over, you should. Unfortunately, stress and road rage can cause niceties to be thrown out of the window.
• Road rage. Never underestimate the power of road rage. Traffic stress can drive even the sweetest person into becoming a crazed ‘warrior for justice.’ Sitting in traffic, barely moving an inch every five minutes can have its effects on even the most patient person. However, these effects can be multiplied when witnessing other motorists getting ahead of you, like they’re better than you. This frustration can quickly lead to poor decisions and tragic collisions.

When Coming Together Forces You Apart 

No matter how you merged, or how the collision occurred, a merging accident can be confusing and resulting injuries can be catastrophic. This is why it is important to know where to turn when you’re a victim of a convergent accident. What you need is an experienced lawyer to help explain your rights and help bring your claim together.

Contact us today for a free consultation and review of your case. See how our experience and knowledge will work for you and your family.

Make sure your family and friends know the proper laws, etiquette, and risks of merging by sharing this information on your social network. Help keep your loved ones safe and our roads clear by clicking the familiar media icons that can be found throughout this page. You and your loved ones will be glad you did.

Maryland is known for a lot of things, but safe and courteous driving isn’t one of them. In fact, many out-of-towners are taken aback by how fast and aggressive our residents are when behind the wheel.

Unfortunately, this trait is known all too well by many who work on the side of the road, particularly tow truck drivers. In fact, in 2010, tow truck driver James Schreiber was fatally struck in a hit-and-run accident on Route 100 when he was trying to help a disabled vehicle on the shoulder. Additionally, Corporal Brian Hirsch was injured in September, 2014, in College Park at a traffic stop—because of a driver who drove on the shoulder of the road.

Who You May Not Have Known the Law Protects  

The Maryland Move Over Law, instated on October 1, 2014, was heavily publicized as protecting police officers and other emergency service personnel. However, motorists are required to pull over for others on the road shoulders, including:

• Tow truck drivers. Motorists are required to move over one lane away from the shoulder when tow truck drivers are there. Failure to do so will result in a $110 fine and one point on your license. If the violation contributes to a crash, drivers will face $150 in fines and two points on their licenses. If the driver causes an accident that results in death or serious injuries, the motorist will receive a $750 fine and three points on his or her license.
• Bicyclists. Maryland drivers are also to pass bicyclists and those on motor scooters and electric personal assistive mobility devices at a distance of no less than three feet. Exceptions are made when the road isn’t big enough to allow such a move, and if the conveyance operator is not obeying the law.

Were You the Victim of a Crash?

If you were hurt in an accident because of someone else’s negligence, the attorneys of Nicklesporn and Lundin want to help. Contact us today to learn how.

Every year over the holidays, partygoers find themselves in the difficult situation of realizing that they are too impaired to drive home safely. In an effort to prevent these partygoers from getting behind the wheel, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program offers a 2014 Holiday SoberRide Campaign. As part of this campaign, intoxicated individuals are able to call for a free and safe ride home. The program is one of the nation’s most successful free cab ride programs for would-be impaired drivers. Since 1993, over 61,002 safe rides home have been provided.

How Does the SoberRide Program Work?

This wonderful initiative is important for all drivers because the holiday season is a high-risk period for drunk driving-related crashes and injuries. The program works as follows:

• This program offers a free ride home, up to a fare of $30. Anything over $30 is the responsibility of the person taking the ride.
• The free ride is available between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
• The free ride is offered nightly between December 12^th and January 1^st.
• Users of this service must be age 21 or older.
• To reach a SoberRide driver, call 1-800-200-TAXI. You cannot call a participating taxi company directly to reserve a SoberRide.
• In Maryland, all calls must originate from Montgomery County or Prince George’s County, or the cities of Rockville, Bowie, College Park, Gaithersburg, Greenbelt, and Takoma Park.
• SoberRides cannot be reserved in advance. The service must be called during the available program hours.
• The participating cab company in Montgomery County is Barwood, Inc. Users of the service are asked to watch for a cab from this company in the area from which they are calling.

We strongly encourage you to help spread the word about this amazing program by sharing a link to this article on Facebook and Twitter!

At the age of 16, you and your brother were in a severe car crash. He broke his pelvis, and you broke both of your legs and punctured your kidney. You both had to have surgery and go through months of recovery before you were able to walk again. However, although the accident wasn’t worse or fatal, you’ve had occasional pain in your legs for no reason, and your doctor has informed you that you have early onset arthritis in both knees. Could this persistent pain and arthritis have been caused by the accident?

You only bring this up because you’re currently sitting in the hospital emergency room, waiting for your teenage daughter to get casts put on her arm and leg. She was hit by a drunk driver earlier that night and had broken several bones. Again, you’re extremely thankful that it wasn’t worse, but what long-term effects could she wind up suffering as a result of her injuries?

Long-Term Collision Injury Risks

When you’re a victim of a severe car accident, recovering from your injuries can be a long and painful battle. Between surgeries, physical therapy, and rehabilitation, you could wind up spending all of your energy and will power trying to get better. Hopefully your recovery is short and you’re back on your feet quickly. However, it is an unfortunate fact that for many, even after rehabilitation, their sustained injuries will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Research performed by the Mayo Clinic suggests that car accident injuries have many long-term effects on their victims, well after they’ve “recovered.” Some of these future injury complications include:

Head Injuries

• Cognitive and degenerative brain issues. The brain is an extremely complex organ and when it becomes damaged small changes can gradually affect its function. For example, the development of scar tissue can affect nearby parts of the brain and cause function problems. In addition, as you get older, the brain starts to lose its elasticity—causing memory loss, and cognitive strain. If your brain is already damaged, these effects could become worse.
• Increased risk for Alzheimer’s. Although research isn’t complete, the Mayo Clinic suggests that if you suffer a brain injury that causes you to be unconscious for more than 24 hours, or causes you to have episodes of dementia, your risk for Alzheimer’s and other degenerative brain diseases could increase as you get older.

Broken Bones

• Loss of strength. Although broken bones do heal, the connection where the bone split will never be as strong as it once was.
• Periodic pain. Weather and pressure change is a common problem for people who have experienced bone trauma. The change in barometric pressure causes tissues within your body to expand and contract, putting pressure on joints and the weaker areas of the bones that were broken.
• Bone spurs. When a bone breaks, it can chip, leaving bone fragments behind in your muscles and tissues. These fragments can go unnoticed for years, until they calcify and grow—pressing on blood vessels, and pushing on muscles and tissues.
• Deformity. If a bone isn’t set perfectly it can cause a lumpy deformity, shorten the bone so it isn’t the same size as it once was, or cause strange angles within the bone itself.
• Early onset arthritis. In addition to the offensive bone being inherently weaker because of the break, recovery can cause you to adjust your gait, put more pressure and weight on other joints, and move differently throughout rehabilitation. Although this may go unnoticed at the time, it can increase your risk of arthritis down the road.  

Psychological

• Increased risk of depression. Feeling the long-term effects of a previous injury can be hard to take, especially when you had to go through so much during recovery. This stress can lead to depression.
• Increased anxiety. Any type of tragedy or stressful event can cause varying degrees of psychological trauma. In some cases, these effects can be dormant until later in life when something triggers it. This can include a loved one suffering an accident, a photo of the wreckage, or other incidents.

Securing Your Future

When you’re in an accident, your insurance company will try to do everything in its power to give you the least amount of damages possible. This means that they will try and trick you, confuse you, and omit certain facts about the financial burden your injuries may cause. Don’t allow them to get away with this! You’ve already suffered enough, you don’t deserve to be blindsided years from now when you no longer have the option to file a claim. Use us to fight back, and secure your future.

Call today for a free consultation and review of your case, your rights, and your future options. We know the value of injuries, and how they can cost you well after recovery. Thankfully, we also know how to get you the settlement to cover those future costs. Call now to see how we can help you today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Your car is about a month over due for an oil change, but with today’s pay, you were going to get it done. You hate lapsing on your car maintenance, but this month it couldn’t be helped. So, you made an appointment and you were on your way.

You had just merged onto the Beltway when a semi-truck decided to move over into the right lane. You are not sure if he just didn’t see you or he underestimated his space, but either way, it caused you to slam on your brakes and spin out onto the shoulder of the road. The truck continued on without even realizing what he had done.

After about five minutes of heavy breathing and trying to calm yourself down, you began to assess the damage. You seemed to be fine, but as you got out of the car to check out your car, you noticed your engine was smoking. You opened the hood, and a bright orange flame licked your arm. You immediately jumped back as several more flames came toward you.

You ran several yard away, and dialed 911 to get the fire department. As you told the dispatcher what had happened, you couldn’t help but wonder what caused the fire in the first place? The truck tapped you enough to spin out, but the hood was otherwise undamaged. Did the old oil somehow ignite because you didn’t have it changed on time? What other possibilities could have caused the flames?

Typical Reasons Why Your Car May Ignite

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), nearly 300,000 vehicles catch fire each year. Despite this danger, many drivers are clueless about their risks, as well as how vehicle fires begin in the first place. Thankfully, you no longer have to be left in the dark. Once you learn these common causes of car fires, you can take the proper precautions to help avoid serious injury. These causes include:   

• Ignition of flammable liquids. The leading cause of vehicle fires occur when flammable liquids, such as gasoline and oil, accidentally ignite from a spark or overheated engine.
• Fume ignition. Fumes from gasoline, oil, and coolants can be extremely flammable. This means that even if your gas tank isn’t leaking, the fumes from the tank alone may be enough to create a flame large enough to travel back to the tank and ignite the fuel. Likewise, oil vapors in your engine are specifically designed to ignite with the help of your engine’s spark plugs. If that ignition isn’t controlled, or too much vapor is expelled, an explosion could result.
• Collisions. Depending on the severity of a collision, the impact force of the crash can cause shrapnel to tear into the gas tank, engine, or flammable liquid compartments. This tear can release flammable fumes—along with a spark that will ignite them.
• Electrical malfunctions. Today’s vehicles include a lot of individual parts that could malfunction and cause a fire. Faulty metal can break and cause sparks, electric accessories and add-ons can cause electrical fires, and faulty storage containers can leak combustible fumes.
• Poor maintenance. Poor maintenance can enhance an already dangerous environment. If you allow faulty wiring to go unchecked, it could spark and cause a fire. If you allow a loose seal to leak fluid, the liquid or fumes from the fluid could ignite. Make sure you routinely check your engine and take your car in for bi-annual check-ups and maintenance.

Proving Car Fire Fault

When a car fire causes you or your family serious injury, it can be difficult to determine who’s at fault, especially if the fire didn’t result from a collision. However, with the proper representation, your lawyer can help you discover where and how the problem started, as well as who was to blame. If the incident was not caused by your own mistakes, than you may be eligible for a vehicle injury settlement.

Contact us today for a free consultation and review of your case. We’re determined to make sure justice is served and you and your family get the compensation you deserve. Call now to see how we can help you!

Safety is the most important thing for you, your family, and your friends. Help us spread the word about what causes car fires by sharing this page on Facebook and Twitter. Help us make sure your loved ones are aware their risks before it’s too late.

Every time you approach a roundabout, you inadvertently become paranoid. Although you know the rules of the intersection, you’re not 100 percent sure that everyone else does. So you carefully watch all of the cars to make sure you can enter, obsessively monitor the traffic around you while in the circle, and take a sigh of relief as soon as you exit the circle. This is pretty much your routine for every roundabout you hit during your commute—constantly focusing on the roundabout traffic while ignoring any other distractions.

Now generally, this routine works, and works well. However, today you were thrown for a loop when something happened that has never happened before. A man and his dog approached the roundabout and wanted to cross. What were you supposed to do? Your attention is usually on the cars, not pedestrians, and therefore you came about two inches from hitting him before you heard his dog bark.

What are the rules for pedestrians at roundabouts? Is it safe for them to cross?  What should you know about roundabout crosswalks to help avoid any future pedestrian accidents?

Pedestrian Safety Considerations in Roundabout Designs

Extensive abstract research from the Federal Highway Administration indicates that roundabout crossings should be significantly safer for pedestrians than crossing conventional intersections. Although direct data for roundabout pedestrian accidents is somewhat limited in the U.S., research performed in Europe—where roundabouts are more prevalent—suggests that converting conventional intersections to roundabouts can reduce pedestrian crashes by about 75 percent.

This affirmation is backed up by the fact that roundabout crossings are specifically designed to decrease pedestrian and traffic risks over conventional intersection crossings. The design takes into account the risk factors for traditional intersection crossings, and improves upon the design to eliminate these risks.

Common risk factors that are dealt with in roundabout crossings are:

• Speed. Since traffic must yield throughout the circle, as well as maintain control throughout the turn, speed is drastically reduced. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the average speed in a roundabout is 20 mph, and the chance of a pedestrian being killed if hit by a vehicle is only 15 percent. However, in conventional intersections, the average speeds are typically 30 to 40 mph, and the chances of being killed if hit by a vehicle range from 45 percent to 85 percent.
• Multi-directional traffic threats. Since pedestrians walk on sidewalks around the perimeter of the circulatory roadway, they cross only one direction of traffic at a time. Not only does this allow for greater visibility for traffic, but also eliminates the risk of accidents being caused by left-hand turns, oncoming traffic, and red-light turns that occur at traditional intersections.
• Crossing length. In conventional intersections, pedestrians must cross up to six lanes of traffic in an extremely limited time frame. However, roundabout crossings are split up into sections, creating shorter crossing distances in order to prevent traffic build-up, pedestrian worry, and potential road rage accidents.

What to Do When a Walker Causes an Accident

Although roundabout crossings are meant to decrease accident risks, and promote pedestrian-traffic awareness, the unfortunate reality is that accidents can still happen. When pedestrians fail to follow the rules, or other motorists overcorrect to avoid pedestrians, you could wind up suffering the consequences of their actions.

Car accident treatments and recovery can not only be long and arduous—but extremely expensive. If you’re not at fault, we don’t think that you should be forced to deal with the aftermath on your own. Contact us today for a free consultation about whether you’re entitled to damages and compensation for your injuries. We may be able to help you get the money you need and deserve for your treatment. Call today!

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After avoiding this intersection yourself for five years, the time has come to make sure your little girl knows how to drive through a roundabout. You’re not sure who is more nervous, her or you, but you have her drive down Georgia Avenue, turn right onto Gist Avenue and slowly approach the roundabout at Woodbury.

You can tell she’s a little anxious so you try to lighten the mood by explaining some light-hearted facts about roundabouts and its safety features. Unfortunately, as you were discussing it, you completely blanked out on why they’re safer than normal intersections.

Is it because you don’t have to stop? Or there is less traffic? What does make roundabouts safe?

The Safety of Roundabouts

Although roundabouts can be difficult to understand, and a little confusing when using them for the first time, they are considered a safer alternative to normal intersections. Roundabouts are extremely common in Europe, and are gaining popularity in the United States. Their basic design is a circular intersection, where traffic flow is based upon yielding—as opposed to traffic lights—in order to keep a constant flow of traffic. Instead of traffic crossing one another, as in a normal intersections, traffic must follow the counterclockwise direction of the circle and use the exit lanes to get to marked exits.

This simplistic design, when used properly, not only decreases traffic back-ups but also limits serious accidents and injuries. According to the Federal Highway Administration, the safety benefits of roundabouts result in a 35 percent reduction of overall intersection crashes, a 90 percent reduction of fatal accidents, and a 76 percent decrease of overall intersection accident injuries per year.

These benefits include:

• Slower speeds. In order to navigate the circle, you must slow down.
• Less impact points. Roundabouts all but eliminate head-on and high-speed right-angle collisions, by limiting impact sites from 28 potential collision points (normal intersection) to eight possible collision points (roundabout).
• Increased crosswalk visibility. Roundabout crosswalks are placed further away from the actual intersection, making it easier to see pedestrians.
• Less acceleration accidents. Since the traffic flow is fluid, cars don’t have to stop and accelerate abruptly.
• Decreased road rage. Traffic flow is increased, which means there is less time for people to get angry.

When the Benefits Fail

Unfortunately, the design and use of roundabouts can’t guarantee safety due to human error. Although traffic circles limit the potential for accidents, the human element can always interfere and cause disastrous consequences. When another driver becomes confused, makes irresponsible mistakes, ignores signs, or drives too aggressively around the circle, he could cause serious injuries to you and your family. Don’t let his senseless actions ruin your life, instead call us to help you fight for the justice you deserve.

Our free consultation will help you understand your rights, build up your confidence to pursue an injury claim, and help get you the settlement you need for your injuries. Call now!

Share this page on Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus, to help spread the word about roundabout safety. There’s no need to be afraid of these new intersections as long as you and your fellow drivers know how to properly use them. Make sure your friends and family have the information to help prevent a needless accident. Please, click the media icons above to instantly share and potentially save a life.

Today was supposed to be the day where you took your little girl to play at Belle Zeigler Park. However, as you were driving down Takoma Avenue, a student—presumably headed toward Montgomery College—decided to cross the street in the middle of traffic, and ran straight into your car. Thankfully, you weren’t going that fast, but the student still managed to roll off of your hood, and smacked his head on the pavement.

Although you were in complete shock that anyone would have done that, you turned your hazard lights on, told your frightened daughter to stay in her seat, and got out of your car to check on the student. He was sitting upright and was clutching his head while he screamed at you.

Seriously? He actually thought you were at fault. Although he was injured, considering the circumstances, you’re not to blame, right? 

Injury Liability When a Student Is Struck on Campus

According to a recent study performed by the University of Ohio, accidents involving distracted students have quadrupled over the past 10 years. Nearly 2,000 students a year are treated in emergency rooms for injuries sustained while crossing or walking in streets—as a result of disobeying traffic laws and not paying attention to traffic.

In severe campus-pedestrian accidents, the students who are struck usually suffer the worst injuries, and are therefore considered the “victims.” The driver of the car, who generally suffers less severe injuries, is perceived as the one at fault, strictly because he was in the “weapon” that caused the most damage. However, this isn’t always true. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, the severely injured pedestrian or student could have caused his own injuries by being negligent or reckless while crossing the street.

If you’re involved in any car accident, it is important to know who is at fault.

Student’s Fault

• You ignored or intentionally disobeyed traffic laws—jaywalking, walking against pedestrian signals, walking where pedestrians are prohibited.
• If you disregarded the vehicle’s right-of-way.
• You didn’t practice reasonable care.

Although reckless behavior by a pedestrian can easily cause a tragic accident, drivers must be able to prove that they themselves aren’t also at fault.

Driver’s Fault

• You hit a pedestrian when he had the right-of-way or was in a crosswalk.
• You had plenty of time to stop, but either chose not to or were too distracted to see the pedestrian and avoid the crash.
• You were intoxicated—even if the pedestrian didn’t have the right of way, if you were legally drunk, you may still be charged with reckless endangerment.
• You were driving recklessly or aggressively, which caused you to not see the pedestrian or your increased speed caused additional and worse trauma to the pedestrian.
• You fled the scene after the accident. This not only suggests guilt, but it also endangers the pedestrian even more.

Don’t Take the Blame for Someone Else’s Mistake

Proving liability in pedestrian accidents can be extremely difficult and frustrating, especially when they involve severe injuries or fatalities. Don’t allow another person’s mistake to ruin your life, as well as make you take the blame. We know how complicated car accident claims can be—especially when so many things can make or break your case. Let our experience and knowledge work for you. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Make sure your family and friends are protected by sharing this page with them via Facebook or tell them to contact us directly to discuss any potential questions or concerns they may have about a recent accident.

After waiting for two hours at Holy Cross to get your third ultrasound, you’re finally on your way back home. To save time, you decide to take the Beltway, completely forgetting that it was near rush hour. As you attempt to merge, the car behind you decides you’re taking too long and suddenly swerves out from behind you, cutting you off on the on-ramp. You slam on your brakes and swerve off the ramp to avoid a collision.

Once you catch your breath, and attempt to get back on the ramp, you feel your baby violently kicking you in the ribs. You try to make it home as quickly as possible to see if your belt caused any bruising and call your obstetrician about possible problems.

Did the braking cause your baby harm? Should you be taking extra precautions while driving now that you’re in your second trimester?

Safety Tips to Protect Your Baby Bump

Protecting your unborn child is a 24-hour a day job, lasting nearly 270 days, so any help you can get is appreciated. Don’t allow your baby to be needlessly hurt or injured as a result of something you could have easily prevented, or at least protected against.

• Be chauffeured. If possible, avoid driving. Ask others to drive for you to prevent distractions and errors.
• When you must drive, be careful. Studies have shown that expectant mothers tend to drive more carefully in the third trimester than in the beginning two trimesters. If you want to protect yourself and your child—no matter how far along you are—make sure you’re driving safely.
• Avoid expressways and highways whenever possible. Higher speeds can create higher risks.
• Wear your seat belt below the stomach. This keep the strap from pushing on your baby.
• Move seats as far back as possible. Provide at least 10 inches between the steering wheel and your belly.
• If an accident occurs, seek medical attention immediately. Even if your injuries don’t appear to be severe, seek medical care.
• Contact an experienced car accident lawyer. A lawyer can help give advice about possible fetal injuries and treatment compensation.

Follow these guidelines every time you get into the car and be aware of the possible risks when you and your baby get behind the wheel. Your baby can’t protect himself, he’s relying on you to do it for him.

Have you already been in an accident and fear that your injuries may have caused damage to your unborn child? Contact us today for a free consultation and review of your case. Our experience and knowledge will help give you the confidence to pursue an injury claim and get the compensation you and your baby deserve. Call now!

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Every day you witness some driver on the Beltway, speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, and carelessly putting others at risk. However, although aggressive driving may be unsafe, is it illegal?

Every state has their own definition and laws regarding aggressive driving. Maryland defines aggressive driving as occurring when a driver commits a combination of moving traffic offenses that potentially endangers other people or property. These actions are not considered “occasionally unsafe,” they’re always unsafe—if an accident occurs or not, the action is still dangerous and generally, illegal. Aggressive driving behaviors include a variety of dangerous and illegal driving maneuvers, such as speeding and running red lights.

Maryland’s Aggressive Driving Laws

With the increase of aggressive driving accidents and fatalities over the past few years, the Maryland Safety Highway Administration (MSHA), has begun to seek ways to prevent, as well as educate, communities about the risks and consequences of driving aggressively. Therefore, in conjunction with the State’s Aggressive Driving Reduction program and the Smooth Operator Program (a public education campaign that provides education, information and solutions for aggressive driving), the MSHA has begun to partner up with local law enforcement to approach the problem using the Smooth Operator’s “4 E’s Approach.”

This approach will be used by the MSHA and police, to stop and ticket aggressive drivers, educate motorists about aggressive driving risks, and work to eliminate aggressive driving behavior on our roads.

So the next time you choose to run that red light, or pass that old jalopy in a “no passing zone,” be aware that not only are you putting lives at risk, but you could very well be ticketed or even imprisoned for your poor decision. Be smart, avoid risks and stay safe by simply following the rules of the road and taking the effort to care about the safety of those around you, instead of just how quickly you can get home.

Don’t allow an aggressive driver to get away with hurting you and your family. Fight back, by contacting an experienced car accident lawyer. We know how ruthless insurance companies and at-fault drivers can be, especially to those who don’t know the ins-and-outs of accident law. But you don’t have to—because we do! Let our experience and knowledge work for you. Contact us today for a free consultation.