Crashes Caused by Poor Road Design

While roadway accidents happen to innocent victims every day of the week all across the United States, here in Maryland the types and frequency of personal injury and wrongful death-related automobile wrecks are just as common, but on a smaller scale. This does not mean that the injuries are any less severe in cities like Gaithersburg, Rockville, Annapolis or Bowie; there are many tragic road accidents in this state, as well as in Washington, D.C., that forever change the lives of hundreds of people every year.

As Baltimore auto, truck and motorcycle injury lawyers, the legal team at the law offices of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, take their jobs very seriously when it comes to assisting the victims of car and trucking accidents recover was is due them. Many terrible auto collisions result in death of one or more individuals, while many more traffic wrecks leave victims with severe injuries than may require weeks or months of recovery time. Sadly, a percentage of accident victims end up with persistent or life-long medical complications.

From compound fractures of the arm or leg and internal bleeding to more serious head, neck or spinal cord injuries, individuals who sustain these types of bodily injury should consider pursuing an auto injury lawsuit against the responsible parties in the crash. As experienced legal professionals, Lebowitz & Mzhen has litigated numerous injury cases involving car crashes, commercial trucking accidents, pedestrian collisions and motorcycle wrecks.

Although the majority of auto and trucking crashes are the fault of another driver, whose negligence set into motion a sequence of events that led to the hospitalization of one or more people, some traffic accidents can be traced to a roadway defect or design deficiency. As far back as 1985, a U.S. roadway safety study concluded that nearly one-third of all serious automobile and truck crashes included contributing factors associated with the quality of the roadway or the immediate environment.

Although most of the highway collisions in the study involved a human factor, the road, pavement or environment itself was noted as a significant contributor to the circumstances surrounding the incident. Not surprisingly, in many instances the accident reports cited the driver as being at fault versus the roadway; though it was also noted that the human factor may also have included the failure to recognize the irregularities or problems with the roadway, as well as the inability of the driver to compensate for disturbances to the vehicle’s handling caused by the pavement.

In other research, it has been found that careful and studied design and maintenance of roadways -- including improved intersection design, upgraded road surfaces, improved visibility and traffic control devices -- can result in significant improvements in traffic accident rates. Unfortunately, with the declining condition of this nation’s highway infrastructure, many roadway problems are sure to get worse before they improve.

For the average motorist, all it takes to set a car, truck or SUV on a deadly course is for one, seemingly minor problem to affect the driver’s ability to control his or her vehicle. An unpatched pothole, for instance, or a poorly marked roadway construction area can result in a car accident that leaves the occupants in need of serious medical attention. If you or someone you know has been hurt in a car crash resulting from a defective roadway or poor highway design, an experienced Maryland auto accident lawyer can give you valuable advice.

The lawyers at the law offices of Lebowitz & Mzhen have a great deal of experience in a variety of personal injury cases involving car accidents, commercial truck-related injuries, motorcycle-automobile collisions and other traffic-related injury accidents. If you have been in a single-vehicle accident and wonder if you are simply a victim of circumstance, a qualified legal expert may be able to help you understand your rights and options when it comes to an auto injury lawsuit.

Whether a defective roadway-related crash is grounds for a personal injury suit will depend on many factors. The potentially responsible parties can range from government agencies or local municipalities to engineers, architects or contractors. A skilled legal professional will leave no stone unturned when seeking the cause(s) of a serious injury accident or fatal car wreck. An aggressive approach to fighting your case is also a necessary component in any personal injury or wrongful death claim.

It is important to remember that here in Maryland damages awarded to plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits filed against a municipality or the state government are capped at $200,000 (per § 12-104; Waiver of immunity). Although this may still seem to be a large amount to some people, it is generally considered to be at the low end of awards sought in many personal injury cases, due mainly to the expense and scope of medical-related costs for severe injuries.

There is more to the law than a single clause in the Maryland book of legal statutes, which is why it is always prudent to consult with a lawyer prior to making any decisions on filing an auto injury lawsuit against a public entity or private individual or company. At Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand the intricacies of the law and have the skills and courtroom experience to pursue monetary damages against the responsible parties in a traffic accident case.

As skilled legal professionals with years of litigation experience, Lebowitz & Mzhen are committed to our clients. We use our training and knowledge of the law to recover the medical and rehabilitation costs involved with bad car, truck or motorcycle crash. This includes any expected future expenses due to a lingering or permanent physical disability brought on by a traffic wreck. Please phone our offices to schedule a free, no-obligation consult with a personal injury attorney. You may email either Jack Lebowitz or Vadim Mzhen, or call our toll-free number at (800) 654-1949.