Rear-End Collisions
As Maryland personal injury attorneys, we know there is a good chance that most anyone reading this sentence will probably be involved in some kind of a traffic accident at some point in the future. While there is no way of predicting exactly when a person might be hit by a drunk driver, badly injured by a distracted motorist, or severely hurt in a pedestrian-automobile collision, odds are that a roadway accident will happen to most people at least once in their lifetime.
Especially in densely packed urban areas like Baltimore or Washington, D.C., we know that the incidence of car, truck or motorcycle-related wrecks is rather high. As experienced trial lawyers, the legal professionals at the law offices of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, have the skills and training to represent clients who have been seriously hurt in crashes between commercial trucks and automobiles, motorcycles and passenger cars, and even city buses and pedestrians.
One of the more common types of traffic collision that occurs on a daily basis throughout the state of Maryland is the so-called rear-end accident. Rear-end or back-end crashes represent easily a third of all roadway incidents according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Although the majority of these kinds of collisions occur at relatively low speeds, injuries can still result even though the severity of the impact would appear to be minimal.
Surprisingly, many people consider these types of crashes inconsequential when in actuality it may not be uncommon for one or more of the occupants in the vehicle that was hit to later present with symptoms associated with soft tissue injury. The attorneys at Lebowitz & Mzhen recommend that you never drive away from such a collision without at least exchanging personal contact and insurance information with the other drivers involved.
Although the majority of back-end collisions may not be severe or life-threatening, approximately 10 percent of rear-end accidents are serious enough to cause obvious bodily injuries, not to mention fatalities. In such cases, as with any other injury-related traffic collision, those involved in a rear-end crash will usually be interviewed by police to determine which motorist was at fault. Local officers will usually issue a police report in those instances where a victim requires an ambulance ride to the hospital or where one of the vehicles must be towed from the scene.
When it comes to rear-ending another vehicle, the at-fault party is usually quite obvious. In legal terms, the theory of fault is usually based on negligence, which translates roughly as follows: At least one of the motorists failed to act reasonably in the operation of their vehicle. The phrase “reasonable operation” usually pertains to the manner in which a reasonably prudent individual would drive his or her automobile, truck or motorcycle. In general, a driver who is proven to be negligent is also found to have operated his vehicle in a manner that needlessly endangered other motorists, vehicle occupants or pedestrians.
At Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, we make it our goal to help victims of auto and trucking-related road accidents recover damages and other compensation (such as lost wages) following a bad traffic wreck. Since injuries associated with car accidents can include bone fractures, torn ligaments, soft-tissue injuries, closed-head trauma and spinal cord damage, recovering medical expenses on behalf of the injured party is of primary concern. As most anyone understands these days, the cost of healthcare is one of the fastest rising expenses for the average person. Nobody should be expected to pay for medical care resulting from another driver’s negligent actions.
In the case of rear-end collisions, many victims suffer significant soft-tissue injuries to the neck or spine. So-called “whiplash” affects the vertebrae of the victim’s neck (also referred to as the cervical vertebrae), which can result in long-term pain, as well as the increased chances of similar injury in the future. As Baltimore auto injury attorneys, Lebowitz & Mzhen understand how even a low-speed event can cause the head and neck to deflect in an unnatural manner, instantly stretching tendons, muscles, ligaments and nerves in the victim’s neck.
Based on studies by the NHTSA, females are more likely to be victims of whiplash injuries than males. In fact, researchers found that women nearly two-to-three times more likely to suffer from ongoing whiplash symptoms than men. This may be due to the fact that female drivers are more likely to be hit from behind than to hit another vehicle from behind with their own vehicle, according to the NHTSA. As a result, female motorists (especially those over age 65) are often the victims of serious neck and spine injuries caused by the negligence of another driver who strikes their car from behind.
As legal professionals trained in the law and experienced in representing victims of injury-related traffic accidents, Lebowitz & Mzhen knows that many automobile insurance companies will resist paying damages for injuries received in a rear-end accident. Fighting against the commonly held belief that rear-end accidents are mostly minor in nature, victims will often encounter trouble getting an insurance company to pay damages for serious injuries. Usually, insurance adjusters will associate the victim’s injuries with the damage to the victim’s vehicle; however this is hardly an accurate gauge of the severity of the individual’s medical condition following a back-end accident.
At Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers, we make a point of preparing every auto, truck and motorcycle injury case with the intent to take it to trial. In some cases, just the strength of the victim’s claims and the thoroughness of our case preparation can result in an out-of-court settlement, which can save time and cost for our clients. Whether you or a loved one has been hurt in a car, truck or motorcycle wreck, we recommend that you discuss your situation with an experienced personal injury attorney.
The auto injury lawyers at Lebowitz & Mzhen are ready to listen and help you understand your rights following a serious automobile or commercial trucking accident. Please give us a call at our toll-free number — (800) 654-1949 — or email either Jack Lebowitz or Vadim Mzhen to schedule a free, no obligation consultation.