Germantown, with a population of more than 86,000 people, is the third most populous area in the state of Maryland, after Baltimore City and Columbia, MD. Located about 25 miles outside of Washington, D.C., Germantown gained its name from the perception in the early 1800s that the area was predominantly populated by individuals of German ancestry. While most all of the land owners and local famers at that time were of English extraction, visitors to the town who spent more time at the many local businesses tended to remember the distinctive accents of the German speaking residents, many of who owned and operated those local shops and retail businesses; and so Germantown earned its name.
With its central business area being concentrated near the intersection of Liberty Mill and Clopper roads during the mid-19th century, Germantown has since grown in population, as has its commercial activity. The home of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the offices of which were relocated from Washington, D.C., in January 1958 due to Cold War tensions, Germantown was also the site of Fairchild Industries, whose Vice President for Engineering and Development was the well-known rocket designer Wernher von Braun.
As evidenced by successive U.S. Census reports, Germantown has grown rapidly in terms of its economic activity as well as population since the 1980s. With barely 10,000 people living within its 10.9 square mile area in 1980, the population more than quadrupled by 1990. By the beginning of the 21st century, the area had a recorded population of just over 55,000 residents, representing a jump of another 30 percent. As of the 2010 Census, the number of Germantown inhabitants rose again by 50 percent to just over 86,000 people.
Divided into six separate sections, Germantown is comprised of Churchill Village, Gunners Lake Village, Clopper's Mill Village, Kingsview Village, Middlebrook Village, and Neelsville Village. With such a densely populated area — approaching nearly 8,000 persons per square mile — it is not surprising that traffic collisions and commuter-type accidents occur from time to time. Along with the typical car, motorcycle, bicycle and commercial truck roadway collisions come the inevitable personal injury claims against negligent drivers and other responsible parties.
Serving the legal needs of local residents is Montgomery County’s courthouse in Rockville, Maryland. Automobile injury accident cases are typically heard in the Civil Department of the Montgomery County Circuit Court, which also adjudicates appeals cases from lower courts. In addition to auto negligence, the court handles breach of contract, confessed judgment, foreclosures and medical malpractice lawsuits.
In terms of injuries sustained in car accidents and commercial delivery truck collisions, the law office of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, is experienced in filing personal injury complaints for its clients. This ususally takes place when a victim has incurred costs for medical treatment arising out of a traffic accident caused by a negligent motorist, distracted driver, or driver of an 18-wheeled tractor-trailer who may have been operating beyond his or her allotted hours of service over a particular time period.
Some of the roadway accidents that occur on highways and surface streets in and around Germantown involve the now ubiquitous sport utility vehicle or SUV. Although SUVs are very convenient for hauling six or more passengers, their large size, high mass and historically unstable handling can be a major factor in many traffic wrecks — not the least of which are the deadly rollover crashes which many people frequently read about or hear on television news programs.
Based on research of fatal motor vehicle crashes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that almost 7,000 traffic wrecks during the 2009 calendar year involved variety of utility vehicles. During that year, of the nearly 18,000 nationwide roadway accidents involving light trucks in the passenger vehicle category, more than 5,000 of those were designated as compact utility vehicles; with large utility models being involved in 1,500 more crashes.
In addition to injury accidents involving family sedans, SUVs and motorcycles, the attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen also represent the innocent victims of collisions between passenger cars and large commercial trucks. Every year, tens of thousands of individuals are killed in car and truck crashes all around the United States. Of these, parents, spouses and children are taken from their families in fatal trucking-related collisions involving big-rig tractor-trailers, commercial delivery vehicles, large and medium-sized box trucks, gasoline tankers and auto haulers, as well as city buses, tour vehicles and airport shuttles.
One of the more frequent causes of these devastating commercial truck accidents is driver fatigue. As drivers ourselves, Lebowitz & Mzhen understand that one cannot venture out onto any major road in Maryland without encountering at least one of these large motor vehicles. Sadly, just one drowsy truck driver can easily endanger dozens of other people, giving the right circumstances. Dense highway traffic combined with a tired trucker can be a recipe for disaster; and fatal traffic accidents caused by over-worked or otherwise physically or mentally compromised professional truck drivers are all too common.
As experienced trial attorneys, our lawyers know the value of a well-organized court case. Whether our detailed and extensive preparation leads to an early pretrial settlement, or if circumstances require a case to be heard in a courtroom before a verdict can be rendered, our dedication to each client means we are always prepared to fight for your rights in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit involving a commercial motor vehicle accident.
If you or someone you love has been hurt or seriously injured in a trucking accident, Lebowitz & Mzhen has the skills and experience to handle commercial trucking-related personal injury claims. Just as we do for victims of traffic accidents, we also work hard to assist those victims of pharmacy misfills and medical malpractice, injuries from faulty products, obstetrical cases and nursing home abuse, among others. We are available by phone on our toll-free line at (800) 654-1949.
Driving DirectionsOur main offices are situated in Owings Mills, Maryland, 16 miles from Baltimore City. Located at 10 Crossroads Drive, Suite 105, Owings Mills, MD, 21117, we can be reached by taking the Jones Falls Expressway to Interstate 695 West. Once there, merge onto I-695 West/ Baltimore Beltway Outer Loop heading toward Pikesville; then travel 4.4 miles and take the MD-140 North exit (Exit 20) toward Garrison. Turn right onto Reisterstown Road/MD-140 West and go about 1.3 miles and turn left onto Crossroads Drive. Take the first right onto Park Center Court and then make a left at the next available street going into the parking lot that serves our offices. You will find us conveniently located on the first floor, Suite 105.