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Head-on Crash Injuries in Baltimore

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According to a July 2017 article in the Capital Gazette, state police identified the victim in a fatal wrong-way head-on crash in Baltimore. The car accident happened early on a Saturday morning along Interstate 97 close to the Route 50 intersection. Preliminary reports indicate that the 24-year-old driver was killed when his 2011 Nissan Sentra collided with another vehicle head-on.

The driver and passenger in the vehicle he struck, a 2015 Nissan Maxima, were both taken to separate hospitals in Baltimore. Their current medical conditions are not known. There is no indication whether they will file a personal injury claim against the driver’s estate. Depending on the facts of the case, they may have a legal right to sue for the injuries sustained in the head-on car accident.

The Definition of a Head-On Car Accident in Baltimore

A head-on car accident occurs when the front end of two moving motor vehicles hit each other. The impact of the crash is often devastating to person and property. The speed of the vehicles involved and powerful force of the impact makes head-on collisions more dangerous than other types of car accidents.

How Much is a Head-on Collision Accident Worth in Baltimore?

The exact amount of damages awarded in a head-on car accident varies. No personal injury attorney can guarantee a certain amount during the initial consultation. If an attorney tries to guarantee any money amount, do not hire that person to represent you.

An experienced attorney cannot guarantee a specific amount of monetary damages to be awarded in a personal injury claim because every lawsuit is different. The facts and circumstances vary from one case to another. Also, the amount of damages a head-on collision victim suffers may differ from someone in a similar accident. For instance, a driver in a head-on accident may suffer a broken shoulder and burns. A passenger may suffer paralysis or traumatic brain injury (TBI).

 

Typical damages incurred in a head-on collision include, but are not limited to:

  • Hospital bills
  • Rehabilitation expenses
  • Additional prescriptions
  • Lost wages
  • Decreased earning capacity
  • Pain and suffering

Receiving Damages in a Baltimore Head-on Collision Can Happen at Trial or Settlement

A victim of a head-on car accident can collect damages by submitting a claim to the car insurer. If approved, he or she will receive the money owed. If the claim is denied, the victim can obtain damages via trial or settlement.

During a trial, a victim of a head-on collision must prove that the other driver was at fault due to negligence. Negligence is the failure to act as a reasonable driver would in the same and/or similar circumstances. Another way is by proving the other driver violated a traffic law.

Fight your car accident claim with the help of Hassan, Hassan & Tuchman, PA. Contact us today.

 

Car Accidents in Baltimore

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At least 18 people were taken to the hospital after a multi-vehicle car crash, according to Fox 45’s April 2017 report. The accident happened in While Marsh and was considered a “mass casualty incident” by local first responders. The accident involved six vehicles in northbound traffic on I-95. No life-threatening injuries were reported, but 18 people were transported to five different area hospitals. One driver involved in the accident, a 36-year-old from New York, was criminally charged in the crash.

The crash occurred around 1:50 p.m. Police were conducting a traffic stop on the left shoulder of the highway prior to the accident. Traffic moved slowly because of the traffic stop. The 36-year-old driver, operating a 2016 black Ford Transit, allegedly hit the rear of a red 2009 Lincoln MKS. The impact pushed the Lincoln into another vehicle, a white 2011 Lexus IS30C.

The crash ultimately involved two other vehicles. The first four vehicles blocked two highway lanes. The highway was closed for about 30 minutes while they waited for first responders.

It is not known if the victims of the multi-vehicle accident have filed a personal injury claim against the driver for their injuries.

Negligence in a Car Accident in Baltimore

A car accident can happen for any reason, but most often, a Baltimore car accident is the result of negligence. Negligence is the failure of a driver to act like a reasonable driver would in the same and/or similar circumstances. A “reasonable driver” is one who always does the right thing while operating a motor vehicle in order to prevent causing an accident. If an accident victim can prove negligence, then he or she can usually obtain damages. Damages refers to money paid to the victim to compensate for accident-related expenses like:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Lost wages
  • Property damage
  • Medical bills

Part of successfully proving that a car accident happened because of another driver’s negligence involves showing that he or she caused accident. The other driver must either directly or indirect cause the car accident and the resulting injuries. Causation can happen in variety of ways, such as:

  • Distracted driving
  • Texting while driving
  • Drunk driving
  • Drowsy driving
  • Hit-and-run accidents
  • Head-on collisions
  • Side-impact collisions
  • Rear-end collisions
  • Sideswipe collisions
  • Single-car accidents
  • Rollover accident
  • Speeding

Hassan, Hassan & Tuchman, PA are Your Baltimore Car Accident Attorneys

A car accident can happen at any time and for any reason. The cause of the accident is one way to prove the other driver was at fault. For instance, you have to prove the driver had a legal duty to protect you from the accident. You then have to prove that the driver breached that legal duty.

After proving causation, you are allowed to present damages. Let us do the work for you. Contact us today.

Wrongful Party in a Baltimore Accident May Claim Victim was Negligent

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According to a July 2017 report on CBS Baltimore, two men died after a vehicle allegedly traveled the wrong way on a Maryland highway. One vehicle was traveling north in southbound lanes and hit the other vehicle head-on. Both drivers were pronounced dead at the accident scene, and there were no passengers in either vehicle. At the time of the report, the car accident was still under investigation.

It is not clear if the family of the driver traveling in the correct lane will sue the at-fault driver’s estate. A personal injury claim can be filed any time a driver operates a motor vehicle in a negligent way and harms another driver, pedestrian, or passenger.

Negligence in a Baltimore Car Accident

For an accident victim to file a personal injury claim in Baltimore, the other party must be at fault for the accident. Typically, negligence involves a driver failing to operate a motor vehicle in a way that a reasonable person would in the same and/or similar circumstances. A reasonable person would obey traffic laws and not cause an accident with injuries.

For instance, a driver must operate a motor vehicle in the correct lane. If he or she fails to do so, it is a violation of traffic laws. A driver is negligent when he or she operates a motor vehicle in the wrong lane and hits another vehicle.

Contributory Negligence Defense

An accident victim, or plaintiff, in a personal injury lawsuit can claim that the at-fault driver was negligent. That same at-fault driver can claim that the accident victim was to blame for the accident by using the contributory negligence defense.

Contributory negligence is the defense claiming that the plaintiff was at least 1% at fault for the accident. If a plaintiff is responsible for causing the accident, he or she will not receive damages. Damages refers to the compensation an accident victim can receive to pay for accident-related expenses such as:

  • Medical bills
  • Lost wages
  • Pain and suffering
  • Property damage

For instance, a plaintiff was traveling southbound and driving while distracted. Maybe he was looking at his cell phone at the time of the crash. The at-fault driver was following behind him in the same lane. The plaintiff noticed a red light too late. He stopped, but the defendant was driving too closely behind him and hit his vehicle. The defendant hit the plaintiff’s car, but maybe he or she would not have if the plaintiff had noticed the stoplight earlier and braked more gradually.

If the defendant can prove that the plaintiff was at least 1% liable for the accident, he or she may be off the hook for damages.

Contact Hassan, Hassan & Tuchman, PA for Help with Your Car Accident in Baltimore

You have the right to sue to obtain damages owed to you. Contact us immediately if you have been injured in a car accident.