Using a cell phone while driving in Maryland is against the law. While this is a step in the right direction for preventing deaths from smartphone-related distracted driving accidents, people still use their cell phones behind the wheel. In 2017, 14% of fatalities in distracted driving crashes were specifically caused by cell phone use, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Even though our state has these laws in place for the safety of everybody on the road, people still break the law every day.

Everyone knows that texting and driving is dangerous, but that doesn’t stop negligent drivers from doing it. When a person isn’t fully focused on the road in front of them, the chances of an accident happening skyrocket. While most states have bans on texting and driving, state laws don’t always seem to be a strong enough deterrent.

Wireless companies are well aware of the problem, as many of them have instituted safe driving campaigns to discourage distracted driving. Those companies, however, may be able to do more. Let’s take a look at the possibility of phone manufacturers creating a cell phone that prevents use while driving.

Distracted driving is a major problem in the United States. It doesn’t matter if a driver is distracted visually, manually, or cognitively—the results are the same. An inattentive driver is unable to fully process what’s going on around them and can easily cause an accident that results in injuries or loss of life.

You might think determining fault after an accident is clean cut. But not all accidents provide enough proof of who caused the collision and exactly what happened leading up to the wreck. More specifically, sideswipe accidents work the same way.

When two cars travelling parallel to each other collide, it’s considered a sideswipe accident. Even though you might think in that scenario that one car was following all the rules and the other person created the accident, it might not be so obvious in the eyes of the law.

If an individual in Maryland decides to take the risk and drive without insurance and ends up getting into an accident, the resulting insurance and compensation implications can be complex. Whether the driver knowingly didn’t have insurance, or accidentally let their policy lapse, not having insurance definitely influences what happens after the accident.

No matter what, the uninsured driver will probably have to pay a fee for letting their insurance lapse. According to Maryland law, that penalty fee amount could vary. Depending on the scenario, the driver could have to pay other fees as well. If they’re injured in the accident, how does this affect the type of compensation they’re able to receive for damages? First, let’s take a look at some facts and Maryland laws.

After a car accident, you might not feel like you’re injured, but you could actually have a soft tissue injury. Soft tissue injuries could take hours or days to reveal themselves. The area might become swelled, bruised, or painful to move after a while, and that’s when you finally know you were hurt.

Since soft tissue injuries can take days to appear, it’s best to go to a doctor immediately after the accident even if you don’t think anything is wrong. The sooner you get seen by a doctor, the sooner you can start treating your injury.

When you’re injured or traumatized in a car accident, it’s likely you want recovery to happen as fast as possible so you can return to work and get your life back in order. Unfortunately, certain injuries can take time to heal. In order to alleviate some of the stress associated with recovery, it’s important to look at it in increments. Starting with what to do in the hours after an accident and working up to the days, weeks, and months to come is a good way to prepare yourself for what recovery will mean based on the physical and emotional trauma you endured.

It’s Maryland law for drivers with registered vehicles to have liability insurance. While you may be a responsible driver, this doesn’t mean that others are driving with full insurance. This can lead to convoluted insurance claims if there’s an accident. While this can be overwhelming to deal with on one’s own, there are people out there who can help you. Belsky, Weinberg & Horowitz, LLC can help you if you’re facing the challenges of an uninsured or underinsured motorist claim or in Baltimore.

When you’re selecting your auto insurance it’s important to understand your different coverage options. In general, you’ll have Med Pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) options. These forms of insurance pay for immediate and necessary medical services in the event a car crash results in injuries. In order to take care of medical issues promptly, insurance companies pay for their own client’s expenses. To understand what coverage is right for you, we’ll discuss the differences between Med Pay and Personal Injury and what’s required of you as a Maryland resident.

No matter how you feel after an auto collision, you need to get a medical evaluation from a doctor. You may think that you’re uninjured or feel like everything is okay, but this doesn’t mean you’re completely healthy. It’s common for car accident injuries to have delayed symptoms, meaning they take a while for you to feel or notice.

You may be wondering how this can happen. During a collision, your body fills with adrenaline. The shock of what happened blocks the symptoms of the injuries, leading you to believe that you’re unharmed. But even if you’re able to walk away from an accident, you may find yourself in incredible pain the next day when you wake up. Symptoms could take a few days or sometimes weeks to present themselves.