Maryland Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

The heirs of a 52-year-old man killed last year in a car crash have settled a civil lawsuit against a driver accused of running a stop sign. The driver was driving a truck when he ran a stop sign and struck a pickup driven by the victim who was headed north and preparing to turn left, according to charging documents. He later died from his injuries. As a Maryland car accident attorney I am frequently retained in pursuing these challenging cases.

Third District Judge this month approved a motion to settle the case filed by the decedent's sister, who is the court-appointed guardian of the victim's adult son. Under the settlement, the heirs will accept the policy limits offered by insurance companies. The undisclosed amount is to cover attorneys and accountants fees, hospital and medical bills, taxes owed and funeral expenses. Any remaining money is to go to the victim's heirs, 60 percent to the adult son, and 40 percent to his disability trust.

The victim is legally blind, suffers from epilepsy, microcephaly and pervasive developmental disorder, court documents state. The driver was charged with negligent homicide in the crash. Later that year, he entered a guilty plea in abeyance. Under the plea, the class A misdemeanor negligent homicide count will be reduced to a lesser class B misdemeanor after 36 months, as long as he follows court conditions that include completing 540 hours of community service. His license was also suspended for two years.

If you or a family member has been victimized by such tragic events call my offices at 1-800-320-0080 in Rockville or Baltimore, Maryland for an initial free consultation.

A Circuit Court civil jury awarded $3.3 million to relatives of a woman killed by a motorist as she walked on a stretch of road that did not have a sidewalk or guard rails.The jury found the state liable in the wrongful death lawsuit, and voted to award $2.5 million to the victim's daughter, who was struck and killed by a motorist. Her daughter was two at the time of the accident. The victim was walking on the road when a car veered onto the shoulder and struck her and a friend. As a Maryland pedestrian accident attorney I have followed and represented individuals in pedestrian accident cases similar to this case.

The friend died at the scene. The victim, who was five months pregnant, died at a hospital. So did her unborn child. That section of road, also known as Route 4. is maintained by the state. The attorney who represented the victim's family in the lawsuit, told jurors that the accident was preventable. On the block that the victim's were walking, there is a sidewalk at both ends of the street -- but also a gap of about 200 feet where there is no sidewalk or guard rails. The two victims were struck as they walked in that section.

The attorney told jurors that state officials should have provided a sidewalk, guard rails, or a combination to improve safety for pedestrians.In addition to the award for the victim's daughter, the jury also awarded $800,000 to her mother. The assistant attorney general who defended the state in the civil trial, declined to comment on the verdict.

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