On behalf of Schlachman, Belsky & Weiner, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The Maryland SafeZones program, now in its third year, seeks to slow down drivers in road construction work zones, which make the work zones safer for workers, drivers and passengers. The program uses laser technology and cameras mounted on mobile vehicles. Since inception, the program has issued 954,000 tickets, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.
The program has been credited with reducing the speed of motorists in construction zones and a reduction in Baltimore auto accidents. Yet drivers are still driving too fast through work zones as evidenced by the 474,000 citations issued in 2011, according to the AAA. The citations resulted in $19 million in speeding tickets.
On behalf of Schlachman, Belsky & Weiner, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, February 15, 2012
A fatal three-car accident occurred over the weekend killing one woman at the intersection of Md. 140 and Meadow Creek Road in Westminster, Maryland, and backed up traffic.
According to police, a woman, 44, was driving on Md. 140 when she tried to make a left turn onto Creek Road. She pulled out in front of the victim's car, which then struck the left front end of her car. The victim's car was forced into the westbound side of Md. 140, where his car was struck on the passenger side by a third vehicle, taking the brunt of the collision.
On behalf of Schlachman, Belsky & Weiner, P.A. posted in Medical Malpractice on Monday, February 13, 2012
The decision to have surgery, even if it is elective, is never one that is taken lightly. We trust that our doctors are who they say they are -- skilled, safe and insured.
Sadly, one Baltimore County family learned the hard way that this isn't always true. They are still grieving after losing their wife and mother to medical malpractice in 2005. She died after being operated on by a plastic surgeon who, they later discovered, was uninsured and without hospital privileges.
On behalf of Schlachman, Belsky & Weiner, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Bicycle-car accidents usually end in tragedy and that was the case for a Baltimore, Maryland, family last year that claimed the life of their 20-year-old son. Now, his family is pushing for tougher legislation for driving skills requirements during the Maryland General Assembly this session. The family is hoping that these changes could prevent future accidents.
The driving skills requirements would include a field vision test, recall and reaction testing, cognitive tests, visual and physical tests. All of these areas would go beyond the current vision screening for Maryland drivers. The family feels that these types of tests would be a strong predictor of a dangerous driver and someone who may need more drivers' education classes.
On behalf of Schlachman, Belsky & Weiner, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Saturday, February 4, 2012
It's that time of year again-game day has arrived. Family and friends will gather to celebrate and cheer on their favorite team during tomorrow's Super Bowl Sunday. However, party-goers should take extra special care when traversing the roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a huge percentage of drunk-driving auto accidents occur on Super Bowl Sunday.
According to the most recent statistics, alcohol accounted for 36 percent of all traffic deaths across the state of Maryland in 2010. Luckily, Maryland police will be out on the roads this year to help curb drunk-driving auto accidents and injuries.
On behalf of Schlachman, Belsky & Weiner, P.A. posted in Child Injury on Thursday, February 2, 2012
In a recent survey of more than 650 parents, nearly one-fourth of respondents with children between the ages of four and eight admitted that they do not use a booster seat or other age-appropriate child safety seat. In addition, many of the parents who do use booster seats for their older children only do so because it is required by state law.
These results display a disturbing disconnect in parents' knowledge about the appropriate use of child safety seats for children of all ages. This can easily lead to injuries to children. According to recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 3 and 14.
On behalf of Schlachman, Belsky & Weiner, P.A. posted in Wrongful Death on Saturday, January 28, 2012
Many Maryland residents on their way to support Special Olympics Maryland through the 16th Annual Polar Bear Plunge were forced to find an alternative route this morning after U.S. Route 50 was shut down as emergency personnel attempted to rescue victims of a fatal auto accident in Maryland and clear debris from the crash that spread across the roadway.
The accident occurred at around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 on Route 50 near Route 424/Davidsonville Road. Maryland State Police were called to the scene along with Anne Arundel County firefighters and emergency medical responders. When they arrived, they found two vehicles severely damaged from the head-on collision, one of which had caught fire before the response teams arrived.
On behalf of Schlachman, Belsky & Weiner, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, January 26, 2012
According to a recent Maryland study, pedestrians who wear headphones while they walk or ride their bicycles are at an increased risk of injury and death due to pedestrian accidents. Because young adults are the demographic most likely to be wearing headphones while walking or bicycling, these risks more commonly affect people of that age group.
The car accident study was conducted at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. The study was initiated after the death of a teenager who was wearing headphones while he walked across a set of railroad tracks. Because he could not hear the horn of an oncoming train, the teenager was struck by the vehicle and killed.
On behalf of Schlachman, Belsky & Weiner, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, January 20, 2012
Following a review of the driving records of members of the military before and after deployments, military insurer USAA found that there was a 13 percent increase in car accidents in which the military members were at fault. The car crashes were especially common during the first six months after the troops had returned from a deployment.
In sum, there were 48 members of the military killed in fatal car accidents in Maryland and across the U.S. in 2011. This was the highest number of military motor vehicle accident fatalities in three years, and researchers believe that one common ailment is to blame for the increase: post-traumatic stress disorder.
On behalf of Schlachman, Belsky & Weiner, P.A. posted in Medical Malpractice on Thursday, January 12, 2012
According to recent data, approximately six out of every 1,000 babies born in Maryland and throughout the United States sustains a birth injury of some kind. Certainly, the process of giving birth carries a number of unavoidable risks, so many injuries are not preventable by the medical professionals overseeing the birth. Some birth injuries, however, are simply the result of negligence and malpractice on the part of doctors, nurses, or other hospital staff.
There are a number of improper practices that can result in lasting injury to a newborn following delivery. For example, a doctor can fail to induce a birth or conduct a cesarean section in a timely manner, resulting in a loss of oxygen or similar injury to the infant. If a baby is deprived of oxygen during birth, they can easily suffer brain damage. That damage can, in turn, lead to a diagnosis of cerebral palsy or similar disorders. Improper use of medication during birth can also cause brain damage and resulting diseases.
