Rockville Maryland Motor Vehicle Accident Law Blog

Remember the Galaxy Note 7 that Samsung recalled earlier this year after some of the devices spontaneously combusted? Or how about the infamous “exploding” hoverboards from last year’s holiday season? In both cases, it was actually their lithium ion batteries that ignited. After many such instances, researchers started looking into just how hazardous these energy-dense batteries may be. It’s not good news. If you’re not careful, lithium ion batteries can spontaneously catch firewhile sitting in storage. Not only that, but their presence can make other fires worse. If you operate a retail

Continue reading Report: Lithium ion batteries can catch fire during storage…

Tags: fire hazards, premises liability,

The near head-on collision involving a Baltimore school bus, a Ford Mustang and an MTA transit bus made national news. According to sources, the school bus was traveling on its regular route in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Nov. 1, when it suddenly smashed into the back of the Mustang and then careened across into the oncoming traffic lane, where it hit a commuter bus nearly head-on. The two bus drivers and four passengers were killed. Eleven more were injured. Any fatal accident is a tragedy, but this one

Continue reading NTSB: Driver in fatal Baltimore school bus crash was speeding…

Tags: Baltimore, bus accidents, Wrongful Death,

Just a decade ago, a firefighter would not have survived suffering burns over 95 percent of his body. Nor would a forklift operator who had sustained a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord trauma and a fractured pelvis. Today, dramatically improved outcomes can be achieved for people suffering these devastating injuries. Experts say these improvements came about from a combination of factors. First, lessons have been learned from treating a large number of military service people for serious burns, amputations, brain trauma or spinal cord injuries. Researchers and practicing doctors have made

Continue reading Catastrophic injuries becoming more survivable with tech advances…

Tags: brain injuries, burn injuries, personal injury, spinal cord injuries,

No one wants to let down a child during the holidays. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends rush around from store to store (or from website to website) to find just the right thing. It may seem like your biggest worry is whether your beloved tot will enjoy the gift. Unfortunately, it’s not. Unsafe and defective toys are being sold right now, hiding in plain view on your store shelves. What should you watch out for? Every year, the U.S. PIRG Education Fund puts out a report called “Trouble in

Continue reading Holiday shoppers: Beware of these toy, balloon & battery hazards…

Tags: child injuries, personal injury, product liability,

Automotive safety technology has made huge strides in the last couple of decades. We’ve seen forward-collision warning and avoidance systems, rear-facing cameras to prevent backup accidents, and systems that expertly parallel-park your car. Today, sensors that can read lane-markers can warn you if you’re about to drift into another lane. Adaptive cruise control handles the slight speed changes necessary to maintain a safe distance from vehicles ahead. Add the self-driving car, and all of this sounds futuristic. Surely it won’t be long before traffic accidents and injuries are a thing

Continue reading Shouldn’t life-saving safety tech be standard on every vehicle?…

Tags: Motor Vehicle Accidents, NTSB, safety tech,

As anyone who has been on a highway already knows, large commercial vehicles pose a significant danger to other motorists. When carrying full cargo in an 18-wheeler, safe driving should be the top priority. Unfortunately, because transportation companies have tight schedules and cost concerns, safety precautions can be left behind when the driver hits the road. But regulations and laws exist to promote safe driving and hiring practices. For example, if a transportation company hires a driver who is not properly licensed or otherwise clearly a danger to others, that

Continue reading U.S. Court of Appeals: Look at safety violations before hiring truck drivers…

Tags: truck accidents,

A traumatic brain injury is often the result of a Maryland motorcycle or bicycle accident. Getting an early diagnosis of a traumatic brain injury is very important so that people are better able to recover. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 1.5 million people suffer from traumatic brain injuries each year, and many of the injuries happen in vehicle collisions. Victims may be left with permanently disabling conditions. An early diagnosis may help improve the quality of a patient’s life while also stopping secondary injuries that

Continue reading Motorcycle or bicycle accidents and brain injuries…

Tags: personal injury,

Dogs are the companions of a large number of people in Maryland and across the country. In fact, between 33 and close to 50 percent of all US households own a dog. However, along with the joy of owning a dog is the possible danger of the dog biting a child in the household. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2014, more than 50,000 children six years of age or younger have been injured because they were bitten by a dog. Studies show that small children are likely

Continue reading The dangers family dogs may pose to young children…

Tags: personal injury,

Maryland parents can help teach their teens safer driving habits by modeling behavior such as not using their cellphones while they are behind the wheel. They can also teach them to speak to a distracted driver they are in the car with rather than remaining silent. This is critical because teen drivers are most at risk in motor vehicle accidents. It is the leading cause of death for teens, and about 3,000 die each year in traffic fatalities. The likelihood of a teen dying in a car crash is almost

Continue reading Teen drivers at risk for motor vehicle accidents…

Tags: Motor Vehicle Accidents,

Road construction is often done at night to avoid rush-hour traffic, but people who do not obey the roadwork signs pose a risk to police officers and construction workers. Maryland law requires drivers to move to a lane farther away or slow down considerably. It is intended to prevent accidents and injuries to law enforcement officers, tow truck drivers, and other workers. On Oct. 16, a Maryland State Police trooper was in his car with the emergency lights flashing on I-95 while helping to close lanes for repairs to the road. The

Continue reading State trooper injured in a construction zone accident…

Tags: Motor Vehicle Accidents,