Even with rising gas prices, commuters and vacationers choose to drive to their destinations. Choose Safety For Life, an automobile safety program from the Maryland State Highway Administration, reports that "Every day there are 276 crashes, 161 injuries, and 1 death" caused by an auto accident in the state of Maryland. When you get behind the wheel, are you paying full attention to the other drivers and the road? Or are you on your cell phone? If you are traveling through Washington, DC you must use a hands-free cell phone while driving. Are you daydreaming? Could you be changing the radio and taking your eyes off the road? Or do you have aggressive driving habits?
Last week, at least, two accidents occurred on Route 50 shutting down the road for several hours. One ended in a fatality. A four car pile-up on the Bay Bridge required two Medivac helicopters to transport an adult and a child to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. This accident shut down the eastbound bridge on Wednesday, June 18. On Saturday, June 21, a 54-year-old Washington, DC man was pronounced dead on the scene after a head-on collision in the westbound lanes near Bowie, MD.
Maryland and Washington, D.C. promote safe driving through several public education programs including: Choose Safety For Life , Click It Or Ticket, Smooth Operator. Just because an accident occurs does not mean that there is another party that is liable for damages. Go to our home page for more information. If you are injured in any type of accident either as an operator, passenger, pedestrian, bystander, or as a permissive user of property, you should have competent representation by an accident lawyer experienced in handling these claims. Call one of our experienced vehicle accident attorneys today.
Last week, a Kansas man was awarded $7.25 million in damages after being injured by a group of pit bulls in 2006. The plaintiff was mowing a vacant lot he owned when the dogs escaped from a nearby property and mauled him. As a result of the attack, he was hospitalized, lived on a feeding tube for a month, and nearly died. The judge ruled "the attack caused permanent disfiguring and disabling injuries including complex facial lacerations, extensive lacerations to his upper and lower extremities, and multisystem organ failure." The plaintiff's medical bills totaled more than $500,000 and the loss of direct and future income is estimated at more than $1 million. (Hoffman, www.kansascity.com, 6/10/08)
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reports that each year, 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites and half of those injuries are children. Approximately half of those injured require emergency treatment and about a dozen die of dog bite-related injuries. The United States Postal Service announced that, "Last year, more than 3,000 city and rural carriers were attacked by dogs across the United States."
It is important to know how to protect yourself. Don't run past a dog. If you feel threatened, don't scream, avoid eye contact, remain motionless, and back away slowly after the dog leaves. Never approach a strange dog. Always ask an owner if it's alright to pet their dog. Let a dog see and sniff you before you pet him. Place something between you and the dog if you think a dog is about to attack you. (USPS, http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2008/pr08_055.htm, 5/15/08)
If you or a family member has been attacked or bitten by a dog, you may have a claim against the dog owner. Contact one of our experienced dog bite attorneys today about your specific situation.
Important resources include:
American Veterinary Medical Association - http://www.avma.org/press/publichealth/dogbite/mediakit.asp
CDC Injury Center - http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/duip/biteprevention.htm
Sweltering summer heat drives more and more families to swimming pools. Whether it's a personally owned, private swim club, or public community pool, safety should be the first priority. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, "In 2005, there were 3,582 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States," and "more than one in four fatal drowning victims are children 14 and younger."
On Monday, June 2, 2008 two parents of Pasadena, MD awoke to find their 20-month old toddler had drowned in the family's swimming pool overnight. Lt. Jeffrey Silverman of the county police said, "It was just a tragic accident." (Harris, www.washingtonpost.com, 6/3/08) In 2007, a Maryland family was awarded $4 million in damages by a jury for the drowning of their 5-year-old son at a country club pool. The jury found the pool management company was negligent for "failing to staff the pool properly and for failing to adequately train lifeguards." To honor their son, the parents have set up a foundation to promote "consistency in safety standards and requirements at public pools." (www.onlinelawyersource.com, 9/28/2007) Tragic pool accidents like these can be easily prevented.
Lack of barriers and supervision is the first major risk factor to prevention of water-related injuries. Installation of pool fencing which completely separates the pool from other home areas should be at least 4 feet high. Self-latching gates that open outward with latches out of a child's reach would limit accessibility to children. It is also possible to install automatic locks and alarms so you are aware if someone enters the pool area. The CDC found that, "Most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time." "Remove floats, balls, and other toys from the pool and surrounding area immediately after use. The presence of these toys may encourage children to enter the pool area and potentially fall in." (www.cdc.gov)
No matter where you are swimming, always designate an adult to swim with the children or watch them. This adult should not be consuming alcohol or be involved in other distracting activities. Additionally, learning CPR is a valuable skill in water safety. Contact the American Red Cross in your area for available classes on CPR training.
For additional information, review our website on swimming pool accidents - http://www.foranlaw.com/swimming-pool-accidents.html or contact us today.
As more people turn to public transportation because of rising gasoline prices, public transportation systems are feeling the strain. On Tuesday, June 3rd, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) reported a record 812,812 riders on Metrorail. Metro reports that ridership has catapulted over 800,000 on 5 other weekdays this year as well! And as more riders turn to the rails and buses the public transportation systems are feeling their age. (www.wmata.com, 6/4/08)
In the last couple weeks, Chicago has seen two commuter train derailments. The famous Chicago Transit Authority is facing repairs in the amount of $10 billion dollars over the next five years to "bring the system up to better repair, not necessarily good repair," announced Steven Schlickman, director of the Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees the city's mass transit network, said at the time. There are many reasons for derailments including operator error. As in the case of the Chicago accidents, "the operator said he inadvertently passed a red signal, and when he realized his mistake, he stopped the train and then moved in the opposite direction, causing the train to derail." (Babwin, www.washingtonpost.com, 6/4/08)
The Washington Metrorail has been scrutinized lately because Metro operators are opening the train doors before all the cars reach the station. "From January to April, at least 13 incidents were reported in which eight-car trains were not stopped properly, officials said." This type of mistake has not resulted in any injuries to date, but is very dangerous for Metro riders. Not every accident with a public tranporation carrier like Metro is actionable but if you are injured or have questions about your specific situation contact one of our attorneys today. (Sun, www.washingtonpost.com, 5/29/08)
