Which Baltimore Accident Attorney Says a Multi-Car Pile Up Is The Most Injurious Car Accident?

Any motor vehicle accident is a serious matter. When personal injury, lost wages, or other economic loss ensues, this is no less so. Often an experienced Baltimore Car Accident attorney is brought in to recover those losses for the injured. Every personal injury that has ever occurred in Baltimore City Maryland is unique, and every motor vehicle accident is factually unique as well. However, some similarities are present, and an accident and injury attorney who has handled thousands of such cases can use these similarities to the advantage of the injured person. One accident, perhaps more common in in urban areas such as Baltimore, or Baltimore County is the “chain reaction or “multi-care pileup. These accidents involve multiple vehicles colliding with each other, often in a chain-reaction fashion. Pileups can occur on highways or in areas with high traffic density, and they can result in numerous injuries and fatalities.

Ultimately, in any multi-car accident, fault for that accident will be determined, if necessary by a Baltimore City jury. In between, various players will have an opportunity to weigh in on liability: the drivers, police, insurance claims adjuster, and personal injury lawyers. The presence of other factors may make a Baltimore chain reaction type action more likely, or, situationally, make the effects of a Baltimore roadway “pile-up” accident more severe. The jury can certainly consider these factors in assessing fault. Some of those additional factors we’ve seen over the years include:

Accidents Involving Commercial Trucks: Collisions involving large commercial trucks can be particularly devastating due to the significant size and weight disparity between trucks and smaller vehicles. Jackknife accidents, where the trailer of a truck swings out of control, are especially dangerous, and statistically, have been linked to “pile-up” accidents.

Although I am not aware of any specific studies that break down motor vehicle accidents in Baltimore City into specific accident types, pile-ups are very common. I’m also comfortable in saying from my own practice a very frequently occurring accident is one in which one driver turns left in front of another driver and there is a collision. I can also make a general observation that, almost invariably, the driver making that left-hand turn is found responsible for the accident. Maryland law provides to the vehicle turning left at an intersection can only do so when safe and so as not to pose a danger to oncoming traffic. As in all areas of the law, there are typically exceptions that apply. For example, if the left-turning vehicle has a traffic control device and is operating under a green arrow or similar signal, that turning driver would have the right of way over the vehicle approaching from the opposite direction. In rarer circumstances, the driver of the left-turning vehicle could argue in a court of law in Baltimore, that the other vehicle was, in fact, speeding in such a fashion that it was unanticipated, and in fact, inescapable that the accident would occur. To be successful, this argument must convince the finder of fact that the accident would not have occurred but for the extraordinary speed of the non-turning vehicle. Significantly the Baltimore, personal injury attorney handling the case for the driver of the turning vehicle would typically be required to produce independent corroborating evidence of the speed of the non-turning car. I would say that left-hand turning accidents typically result in T-bone-type collisions to the front middle, or sometimes even the rear of the turning vehicle. This arises particularly in this latter scenario, where the driver of that turning vehicle has almost, but-not-quite cleared that intersection. Here, he or she contends that they are not at fault for the accident for they had just about made it out of the other driver’s path, and that if the other driver hadn’t been driving so fast, it wouldn’t have happened. In the absence of compelling evidence -rarely if ever present- these claims are unlikely to be successful in Baltimore personal injury litigation. We have seen Balto more car accidents where an initial “T-bone” accident at a busy intersection leads to a subsequent pile-up on the one the intersecting streets.

Accidents Involving Impaired Drivers: Crashes caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other substances are especially tragic, as they are often preventable and result in serious injuries or deaths.

Accidents are caused by interaction with pedestrians. By their very nature, busy Baltimore City intersections force pedestrians and motorists to come into contact, sometimes violently. Congestion sometimes means that vehicles behind those coming to a “sudden stop” – for example, for a darting child, or pedestrian clearing an intersection- are unable to make that same stop. Statutes commonly implicated in assessing fault for these accidents include:

• § 21-501. Pedestrians subject to traffic regulations.
• § 21-502. Pedestrians’ right-of-way in crosswalks.
• § 21-503. Crossing at other than crosswalks.
• § 21-504. Drivers to exercise due care.
• § 21-505. Pedestrians to use right half of crosswalks.
• § 21-506. Pedestrians on roadways.

Accidents Involving Distracted Driving: When drivers are distracted by texting, talking on the phone, or other activities, their reaction times are reduced, increasing the likelihood of severe accidents. Maryland law punishes some, but not all conduct, that can distract a driver.

Pile-ups are common in Baltimore are common, and are sure to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Not surprisingly, the insurance companies often exploit the “who-hit-who first” uncertainty in these cases, by denying all claims. Those injured are often forced to hire an experienced Baltimore personal injury trial lawyer who has taken hundreds of personal injury cases to trial, to press their claims, and obtain the compensation they deserve.