Maryland Injury Lawyer

A traffic accident involving a Baltimore City Fire Truck that left three people dead in December of 2007 has finally been resolved by the City. On Wednesday May, 9th, The City's Board of Estimates voted unanimously to give relatives of the victims $40,000 to split, as well as awarding a combined $300,000 in two other cases regarding City vehicles.

The accident occurred early on a Sunday morning when a fire truck was responding to a call about smoke in an apartment building that turned out to just be burning food. According to Police at the time, the fire truck failed to stop or even slow down as it approached a red light at the intersection of Clarks Lane and Park Heights Avenue, colliding with a car that was crossing through the intersection. Even though the truck had it's siren and lights on, the State of Maryland requires all emergency vehicles to stop at red lights to make sure they are clear before passing through.

The accident killed Mikhail Petrov, 35, his wife Iryna, 49, and their friend Igor Saub, just 24. Of note is the relatively low financial reparation considering the tragedy in question. $40,000 is the maximum amount of money that the City can award in cases involving police or fire fighters responding to an emergency at the time of the accident. Attorney Alex Poboresky says that the families have received additional funds from their insurance company, but would not disclose how much.

Criminal charges were not filed against the driver of fire truck, as the state does not recognize gross negligence by police or fire fighters that are responding to emergency calls.

The other two cases settled by the City on Wednesday featured much higher payouts even though the results of the accidents were not as extensive. Paris Butler has been granted $200,000 by the City for being hit by a municipal vehicle and suffering "extensive injuries" while waiting at a bus stop. The driver of that vehicle was deemed to have passed out or been asleep at the time of the accident. Timothy O. Morgan received $100,000 for another accident with municipal vehicles, but details regarding that situation are limited.

What makes this story so interesting is the $40,000 cap set on settlements involving vehicles that are responding to an Emergency. It is understandable that the City would offer some sort of legal immunity to the drivers or emergency response vehicles preventing them from being charged criminally, but there is no obvious reason why there would also be a financial cap associated with these cases.

There is no question that a fire truck responding to an emergency is more dangerous than a normal municipal vehicle. But the city acknowledges that the drivers have been instructed to stop at all red lights to determine that the intersection is clear before going through it. The Police determined that the driver failed to do this, and that led to the deaths of three individuals. It feels incongruous that the victims of a far more serious incident are receiving a substantially smaller settlement just because the City has restrictions in place that without explanation of their intent, seem unnecessary.

Details of the settlement from the Baltimore Sun.

Auto accidents can be frightening - especially when you are a passenger and have no control over the vehicle. Quickly contacting an experienced personal injury lawyer is an important precaution to help you preserve your right to compensation when one or more drivers have been negligent, causing you injury.

While this blog answers questions about Maryland accidents, our firm has a team of Virginia accident lawyers and DC accident lawyers ready to assist you.

After a collision, it is a perfectly normal reaction to want to tell ourselves and those around us: "I'm okay." But keep in mind that even if you don't leave the scene of an auto accident in an ambulance, you may have injuries you aren't aware of and that even slight pain or muscle tightness you may feel the day of the accident can be much worse a day or two later.

Gathering as much information as possible and contacting an auto accident lawyer as soon as possible will help you preserve your right to compensation for damages. You may be able to recover a significant settlement to pay:

∙ Medical bills
∙ Lost wages, including future wages
∙ Pain and suffering
∙ Emotional distress and
∙ Loss of enjoyment of life

At the time of the accident, if your injuries permit, as a passenger you will want to gather the same information as you would if you were a driver. Collect phone numbers, insurance and driver's license information; quickly get any names of witnesses; draw a diagram of the crash and take note of weather conditions. If a police officer is called to the scene, make sure to get his or her name and contact information.

Witnesses can be particularly important to establishing which of the drivers (possibly more than one) was negligent and will bear the responsibility for compensating you for your injuries. The meticulous documentation process continues after the accident. You should keep careful track of your medical bills (including other therapists like chiropractors, physical therapy and massage) and any time and wages lost from work. Make sure to get a doctor's disability note if you are going to miss work because of an auto accident injury. This can help preserve your employment as well as document the injury for which you are seeking compensation.

An experienced personal injury lawyer will consult with you for free and accept promising cases on what's called a "contingency" basis. That means you won't owe legal fees unless your auto accident attorney collects damages on your behalf.

If you are located in Maryland and are looking for representation, contact an experienced Rockville Criminal Lawyer for a free consultation.

Every year, millions of medical procedures are performed in the United States; while the majority of these medical procedures go smoothly and without incident, mistakes can and do happen. When mistakes are the consequence of a physician or other medical professional's error and result in injury, illness, disability, or death, you and/or your loved ones may have a claim for medical malpractice and will want to consider the help of a Maryland medical malpractice attorney.

The loss or injury of a loved one takes a severe emotional toll that often results in lost wages, depression, and psychological distress. Parents, children, spouses, and partners are left reeling from the shock and pain. In addition, post-error treatment stemming from medical mistakes can be incredibly costly, draining financial resources and further destabilizing families.

It's important to understand that you may be entitled to monetary damages for past and future lost wages, emotional suffering, loss of companionship, loss of enjoyment, pain and suffering, and medical bills in excess of the original treatment. While those responsible for the error will often pay for medical expenses, these payments fail to address the emotional pain for which you have a right to seek compensation.

A Maryland personal injury attorney qualified in litigating medical malpractice claims can help you navigate these situations. By filing a timely claim on a "contingency basis" (your attorney only collects payment if he or she wins your case), you hold accountable those responsible for the fatal medical error, collect deserved compensation, and ensure that others in your situation are protected from paying the painful price of damaging or fatal medical mistakes.

Medical malpractice isn't something you expect--you tell yourself that it couldn't happen to you or your loved ones. You hope that when you or your spouse, child, or parent is under the care of medical professionals it will be the safest care possible because the professionals will follow all protocols for accuracy and well-being. Keep in mind that most procedures are safe and that numerous best-practices help to assure you of the same. In other words, you should have confidence in your health care providers. However, while we rightfully trust in our medical system to heal and make us well, practitioner negligence can alter our lives in an instant. If you believe that you have been the victim of a medical error that left you or your loved ones injured as a result, you may have legal recourse and a right to compensation.

This post was written by Price Benowitz LLP, a Washington, DC based personal injury firm. Chamille Kittles, DC personal injury attorney, is in charge of the personal practice at Price Benowitz LLP.