General

March 19, 2007

Maryland Drivers Who Get Speeding Tickets Continue to Speed According to University of Maryland Study

Ever wonder why your insurance rates go up when you get a speeding ticket? A study of 3.7 million licensed Maryland drivers shows that ticketing does not reduce drivers’ likelihood of getting another ticket for speeding.

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine looked at Maryland’s licensed drivers and found that getting a speeding ticket almost doubles the risk of receiving a subsequent speeding citation.

The study also turned up interesting data comparing those who go to court for speeding tickets and those that do not. As every Maryland driver knows, if you get a speeding ticket and you were not doing a complete Dale Earnhardt impression, you can either go to court (where you will invariably be found guilty so your best bet is to plead guilty) or you can pay the fine by mail. The University of Maryland study found that the likelihood of receiving another speeding ticket was 12 percent among drivers who had opted to pay fines and received points on their driving records compared to eight percent among those who received probation before judgment (PBJ). This makes sense. The driver who cared enough to go to court is probably more likely to slow down.

January 31, 2007

Prince George’s County Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

prince george's county pedestrian bicycle accidents

Click to enlarge

Prince George’s County recorded 285 bicycle and pedestrian deaths between 1994 and 2003, far more than Montgomery County, Fairfax County, or the District of Columbia, according to a report by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. More pedestrians and bikers are killed Prince George’s County than in any other jurisdiction in the region.

Every year approximately 5,000 pedestrians are killed in motor vehicle collisions in the United States. There are many causes for bicycle and pedestrian deaths but we see a lot of these cases in P.G. County.

December 28, 2006

Auto Accident Statistics

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

A chiropractor soliciting business sent to our law firm these auto accident facts listed below. This chiropractor did not provide any support for his statistics so I pass them along on a for what they are worth basis because (1) they are interesting and (2) they also give you some food for thought as to the best and worst times to grab your kids and take them out on the road.

•More car crashes occur between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday than any other time of the week.

•Monday has the most morning rush hour crashes. More reported crashes occur on Monday between 6 a.m. and 9. a.m., followed by the same times on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

December 20, 2006

Are Small Cars Safe?

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

The New York Times reports on a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that found, as you might expect, that most small vehicles cannot provide the same safety protection that buyers find in bigger vehicles. Of the eight cars crash-tested, only one received passing scores on both side and rear crash tests. The Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Mini Cooper from BMW scored well on side tests but received low ratings on rear tests.

“A good-scoring small and lightweight car is not nearly as good as a good-scoring midsize car — that’s just the law of physics,” Insurance Institute for Highway Safety president Adrian Lund is quoted as stating this obvious fact. “If you’re really shopping for safety, then this probably isn’t your best choice.” Mr. Lund also expressed concern that only the Versa performed well in rear-end crashes because that rear-end car accident is the most common form of auto and truck accident and, while rarely fatal, can often lead to severe neck or head injuries, especially when a larger vehicle strikes it.

Putting all of this in context, the study found that the fatality rate for drivers in multiple-vehicle crashes is higher for subcompacts than for every other motor vehicle category — 83 deaths per million registered vehicles, which is more than double the average for all sizes of cars and trucks.

October 31, 2006

Drunk Driving Deaths on Halloween

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

I heard on the radio yesterday that there are four times more fatal auto accidents from drunk driving on Halloween as there are on New Year’s Eve. While statistics do not support this, drunk driving crashes cause more fatalities during Halloween than the New Year’s holiday. Four out of ten accidents today will be alcohol-related. Moral of the story: be safe and keep your kids safe tonight.

October 1, 2006

Maryland Cap on Non-Economic Damages

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

The cap on pain and suffering damages in Maryland for claims arising after today has increased to $680,000. This is also the maximum cap on any non-medical malpractice wrongful death case if there is only one claimant. The wrongful death cap with two or more beneficiaries in a non-medical malpractice case is now $1,020,000.

The pain and suffering cap in Maryland in medical malpractice cases as the result of a bill that the General Assembly passed last year remains at $650,000. This is also the maximum cap on medical malpractice wrongful death cases if there is only one claimant. The wrongful death cap with two or more beneficiaries in medical malpractice cases that arise after today is $812,500.

September 21, 2006

Maryland Trial Lawyers Association Auto Negligence Section

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

The Maryland Trial Lawyers Auto Negligence Seminar will be held on Friday, November 10, 2006 (the courts are closed that day in observance of Veterans’ Day) at the Comfort Inn Conference Center, 4500 Crain Highway (Route 301) Bowie, Maryland 20716 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. For registration forms, click here. This should be a great seminar for Maryland personal injury lawyers trying auto accident cases. The topics and speakers are:

Panel 1: Trying an Auto Case Before a Jury

Speakers: Circuit Court Judges

July 3, 2006

Maryland Injury Law Center: Fact and Opinion Holiday Edition

by Ronald V. Miller, Jr.

Happy 4th of July weekend! For the holiday, I am posting some random facts interspersed with a few opinions from the perspective of one Maryland lawyer. I am blithely stealing this format from several authors, most notably John Eisenberg, who writes for the Baltimore Sun sports section.

Fact: There are more fatal car and truck accidents on July 4th than any other day of the year. An average of 161 people die in car and truck crashes nationally. The second worst day for crash deaths is July 3.

Opinion: If you need not be driving around this weekend, don’t. If you are out on the road, drive defensively and be extra vigilant for careless and drunk drivers.