Airbag technology has prevented a significant number of injuries and fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 45,000 lives were saved by airbags from 1987 to 2015. As such, they are one of the most important safety features in vehicles today. When airbags fail to deploy during a crash; however, the vehicle’s occupants have nothing to protect them from serious impacts with the steering wheel, windows, or other parts of the car.

It’s important to understand how your vehicle’s safety features are supposed to work, which is why we’ll be going over airbags and their deployment. In the event they do not work as promised, you may have grounds to file an airbag failure to deploy lawsuit.

Car accidents happen every day. One of the common characteristics of these crashes is that a negligent driver caused the crash. Negligent drivers can cause all kinds of collisions, from a small bump in a parking lot to speeding on the highway and causing a multiple vehicle pileup. Unfortunately, their reckless behaviors often injure other people. Referring to someone as a negligent driver may sound a bit nebulous, you know that they weren’t driving safely, but how? There are a few ways that drivers can make themselves a danger on the road that affects people every day.

Powers of attorney can be a wonderful tool to help individuals manage their property and wellbeing. It is a tremendous responsibility and the person being given the power should be trustworthy, understanding, and loyal. If you’re planning on establishing a power of attorney or are being assigned to one, you may have some questions. We’ll break down the ins and outs of powers of attorney in Maryland so you can make informed decisions.

Medical malpractice cases are often complex because they involve an injured person who is seeking financial compensation from a health care provider who allegedly acted negligently and caused the person’s injuries or harm. Investigating what happened, how, and why can take a great deal of time and state and federal laws may affect the case. The institution or hospital’s insurance legal department will also become involved in the lawsuit.

What Necessitates Medical Malpractice in Maryland?

There may have been times when you have had a negative experience with a medical professional. It could be from a standard checkup or with the administration of a hospital. But just because you had a bad experience doesn’t mean that you have a valid medical malpractice case.

Medical negligence can happen in a number of ways. Valid cases usually involve a trusted medical professional acting in a way that causes harm to their patient. Negligence can lead to situations like surgical errors, for instance, which is when a surgeon performs an operation on the wrong area, on the wrong patient, or leaves medical tools and sponges inside the surgical site.

Car accidents can happen in the blink of an eye—but so much can change in those moments. Severe injuries that can rack up costly medical bills often put auto accident survivors under duress. When it’s time to pay the bills, people may not know how to go through the process. Are they responsible for the costs? What about the person who caused the accident? And when will this matter finally be behind them?

Questions of how to afford the aftermath of the collision is often at the forefront of the injured person’s mind. Let’s look in to how using health insurance is beneficial:

With over 25,000 car accidents occurring in Maryland each year, it’s no surprise that thousands of individuals suffer from related accident injuries. While the injuries sustained in a car accident are often varied, there are certain injuries that are more common than others. Soft tissue injuries, like whiplash, fall into that common category.

Because of the multitude of symptoms that come with whiplash and the way it presents itself, understanding the condition can be overwhelming. If you’ve sustained a whiplash injury, you probably have a lot of questions. Keep reading to find out what whiplash is and why it happens, how it’s treated, and what you can expect in regard to recovery.

While the holiday season should be spent with family and friends, we understand that a lot has to happen before any relaxing can be done. Whether you’re baking, shopping, wrapping, or decorating, we’ve got the ultimate guide for all the holiday happenings in Baltimore.

Take a break from the chaos and see a show or grab a bite to eat while you’re shopping! Before you know it, the new year will be here. Soak up as much of the holidays in the city as you can.

If you have been injured in a car accident, your auto insurance coverage is there to protect you and help you back on your feet. There are many different types of policies and coverages that may apply to your case and exact circumstances, but one type of coverage that may come into play is known as PIP coverage, or personal injury protection coverage.

Here’s what you need to know about PIP coverage and how it may apply to your insurance claim:

PIP Coverage and No-Fault Insurance

PIP coverage is commonly referred to as “no-fault insurance,” and will cover your expenses when you’re in a car accident that was caused by someone else. This includes accidents where you were a passenger in someone else’s car or if you’re riding a bike or walking and a car hits you.

If you’ve sustained an injury and are waiting to be seen in the E.R., the last thing you’d expect is that a nurse, doctor, or medical technician may make a mistake and cause you harm. We expect medical professionals to treat us fairly and properly and to take the necessary actions to improve our health and well-being. Unfortunately, mistakes in hospital settings—including emergency room settings—do happen.

While there are a variety of explanations for these mistakes, there are never any excuses. Mistakes and errors in a hospital setting that cause harm should not occur. To avoid mistakes in the emergency room, it’s important to examine how they happen, what the consequences of them are, and what you can do as a patient to improve the care you receive.

Truck drivers travel thousands of miles and spend countless hours on the road each year. Because of this, there are certain requirements in place to improve roadway safety and reduce the chances of crashes. Not all trucking companies, however, abide by these laws. Recent investigations have held trucking corporations under heavy scrutiny.

According to data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in 2016, over 4,500 large trucks and buses were involved in fatal crashes. Nearly 120,000 large trucks and buses were involved in collisions that resulted in injuries. These numbers are on the rise.

In order to understand why these events happen, you may benefit from understanding where trucking companies sometimes make mistakes. First, let’s go over the most common causes of truck accidents.

Negligent Companies Hire Negligent Drivers

While some truck accidents are related to inclement weather or defective parts, the majority are a result of human error. Below you’ll see some of the most common behaviors exhibited by truck drivers who end up in crashes.

Speeding. An accident can happen when a truck driver is operating their vehicle faster than the posted speed limit sign or too fast for the weather conditions. While truckers are generally aware of the dangers of speeding in such large vehicles, some may choose to do so because of pressing deadlines from their employers.

Aggressive Driving. Aggressive driving includes speeding, tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic, failing to stop or yield, deliberately blocking attempts to pass, and ignoring traffic signs and signals.

Neglecting Road Laws. The road laws developed at the state and federal level are in existence for a reason. The laws are established to improve the safety of the roads. When truck drivers purposely neglect road signs, weight limit laws, or cargo protocols, they put themselves and other drivers at risk.

Distracted Driving. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of vehicle accidents in the United States. Because truck drivers are on the road for long periods of time, they may get bored and decide to text or access social media on their phones, eat or drink, or watch television. In some cases, their minds may just wander.

Drunk Driving. While no one should get behind the wheel of a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving a truck requires intense concentration at all times. Truck drivers who choose to drive drunk are especially dangerous because of the size of the vehicle they’re operating.

Improper Maintenance Routine. Because of how often they’re driven, tractor trailers need to be properly maintained. This includes examining the tires, checking the engine, changing the oil, and keeping log books so the maintenance is on record. When this isn’t completed, the trucks risk malfunctioning.

Service Hour Violations. Unfortunately, truck drivers are often overworked and tasked with meeting strict deadlines. Because of this, many choose to forgo resting regulations and drive longer than they should. Falling asleep behind the wheel can be deadly.

Hiring Laws for Trucking Companies

The FMCSA has specific guidelines in place in an attempt to ensure trucking companies only hire reliable drivers. In general, trucking employers are supposed to make sure the applicant has the proper commercial driving license and proper certifications and trainings, check the driving record for any past incidents, and screen medical history, drug use, and past criminal behavior. Unfortunately, some employers cut corners.

FMCSA has a comprehensive list of laws regarding trucking safety. Their laws establish guidelines for the company, driver, drug and alcohol testing, HazMat, hours of services, household goods, USDOT number, vehicle, and vehicle marking.

If you feel as though your legal matters after being involved in a truck accident aren’t going the way you want, we can help. Contact us today for more information.