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On its face, the process for filing an insurance claim for injuries you suffer in a Maryland auto accident is simple: Fill out the proper forms, send them to the insurance company, and wait for the check. In practice, the actual process is anything but straightforward. Insurance companies deny claims for one reason and it is business-related. They do not want to compensate you for your losses because that cuts into their profits.

The family of a young Marine killed in a car accident is pushing Maryland officials to remove the type of guardrail they claim was a factor in his death. Washington-Baltimore NBC News Channel 4 reported in a March 23, 2018 article that the victim’s mother did some research after the incident, finding that at least seven other people were killed after crashing into X-LITE guardrail end pieces. There are five lawsuits against the manufacturer, claiming that the rail’s defective design is to blame because the metal impales the vehicle rather than deflecting it away from a hazard. Currently, 10 US states are in the process of replacing the guardrails due to safety concerns, but Maryland officials do not intend to make any changes. Therefore, more than 900 of the X-LITE guardrails will remain on the road, presenting a severe risk of auto accidents for drivers.

Officials believe the driver’s failure to control speed is to blame in a truck accident that killed two people on March 12, 2018, but there are indications that improperly loaded cargo could also be a contributing factor. According to a report from Southern Maryland’s online news source SoMdNews, the incident occurred when three passenger vehicles were backed up while waiting for the lead car to make a left turn. The driver of fully loaded truck approached the line of vehicles, but was unable to stop to avoid a collision. Though he attempted to swerve around the backed-up traffic, he struck one car from the rear and created a chain reaction of collisions. The victims were the driver and passenger in the first car hit by the truck.

One woman is dead and another five people were injured in a horrific Anne Arundel County car crash that police indicated was caused by a driver’s overdose on heroin. ABC’s Baltimore, MD affiliate WMAR News Channel 2 reported on the March 11, 2018 accident, where the drug user sped down an Annapolis roadway in his Ford Taurus, crossed the center line, sideswiped another vehicle, and struck a pickup truck. The two passengers in the Taurus and one injured victim were transported to shock trauma, while others were taken to local hospitals for treatment.

When you hear the term “witness” in connection with a car accident case in Maryland, you think about the people that were present at the incident and have first-hand knowledge about what they saw. It’s true that the testimony of these eye witnesses plays a crucial role as you pursue the responsible driver for compensation for your losses. However, there is another type of witness that may be instrumental in your case: Expert witnesses. Under the Maryland Rules of Evidence, expert testimony may be admitted at trial where the court determines that it will assist the jury in understanding evidence presented. How to use experts at trial will ultimately depend on the strategy of your car accident attorney, but it may be helpful to understand the different ways these specialists may be involved.

Maryland Transportation Authority officials shut down a section of Interstate 95, the East Coast’s main shipping thoroughfare, after heavy winds caused a truck accident on the Tydings Memorial Bridge in northeast Maryland. Baltimore’s ABC affiliate WMAR News Channel 2 reported on the March 2, 2018 incident and posted video showing two semi truck trailers being overturned by the excessive gusts. High winds are a contributing factor in many Maryland auto accidents involving trucks, but blustery conditions can also make fault a complex issue if you are injured in a crash.

Maryland State Police responding to an auto accident in rural Queen Anne’s County, MD say that speed may have been a factor in the crash, which sent a woman to a local hospital with life threatening injuries. According to a March 5, 2018 article from ABC affiliate News Channel 47, first responders were forced to forcibly remove the victim from the vehicle, at which point she was airlifted to R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. The investigation continues on the factors that caused the victim’s SUV to veer off the road and collide with a tree near the shoulder of the highway. A preliminary review of the extensive damage to the vehicle indicates that excessive speed was a contributing factor, though officials are exploring other theories.

While they may not be as common as broken bones, head trauma, and whiplash, eye injuries from Baltimore County, Maryland auto accidents can be devastating for the victims. As humans, we rely on our sense of sight to help us engage in the most fundamental activities; an injury that reduces or takes it away is truly life-changing. The American Academy of Ophthalmology estimates that 2.4 million eye injuries occur in the US every year, and roughly 9,500 of them are the result of a car crash. There are many different types of eye injuries that can occur due to the impact of an auto collision, but a few of the more common scenarios include:

On February 14, 2018, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved usage of a ground-breaking blood test that can diagnose concussion in patients who have suffered head injuries. According to NBC News, the primary advantage of the test is that the victim obtains a faster, more accurate diagnosis without the need of exposure to radiation. The test will be most useful in cases in which there is some doubt as to whether the individual has suffered a concussion, such as after a car accident when the victim does not show obvious signs.

One man is dead and another was injured in a serious accident involving a box truck that occurred in Beltsville, Maryland, about 25 miles southwest of Baltimore. According to ABC affiliate WJLA News Channel 7, Prince George’s County police responded to a call of a crash between a passenger vehicle and a truck just before 11:00 a.m. on February 6, 2018. When they arrived at the scene, first responders discovered an adult male in critical condition after crashing his car into the commercial box truck. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where he later died of his injuries. The driver of the box truck was also hurt, but the injuries were not reported as life-threatening. Investigators continue to investigate the details of the collision, as Maryland auto accidents involving box trucks present several unique hazards.