Annapolis Personal Injury Law Blog

Police suspect drunk driver to blame for fatal crash

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in motor vehicle accidents on Saturday, December 7, 2019.

The approaching holidays mean that many more people will travel for varying reasons. This unfortunately also means that car accidents will be on the rise in some areas. When they prove fatal, they can be devastating to the surviving loved ones of the victim, especially at a time of year that is meant to be joyous. This is what one Maryland family is likely experiencing after the death of one man due to an accident that, according to law enforcement, may have been due to a drunk driver.

Authorities say that the collision happened on a recent late evening. One man was driving northbound when his car apparently crossed over into southbound traffic. His car then struck another vehicle head-on. When first responders arrived, both drivers were unconscious. The southbound driver was extricated from his vehicle quickly and emergency personnel worked to save his life, but he was pronounced dead.

Vaping can lead to serious injury

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in personal injury on Thursday, December 5, 2019.

Maryland parents have probably seen scary stories regarding the dangers of vaping in recent weeks. The use of these devices became increasingly popular in the past few years, as the recent craze was originally touted as a safer alternative to smoking or smokeless tobacco products. Now, it has become apparent that the use of a tobacco vaporizer can lead to serious injury, but many teens remain unaware of the danger.

Statistics now estimate that Maryland has confirmed more than 50 cases of vaping-related injuries. In only two years, the number of teens that admit to using e-cigarettes and similar products has more than doubled. It is no wonder that teens are unaware of the dangers, because even adults admit that they began using such products thinking they were a safer and better tasting alternative to cigarettes.

Big changes on the horizon for medical malpractice cases

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in Medical Malpractice on Tuesday, November 26, 2019.

Veteran's Day recently passed, and Maryland residents were once again honored the sacrifices brave men and women in the armed forces have made to protect the freedoms and liberties that make our nation great. With this in mind, people might be shocked to learn that a Supreme Court ruling prevents veterans from filing medical malpractice claims against the government for conditions suffered as a result of military service. What many consider to be an unfair ruling may soon change because one brave veteran continues to fight for others from his deathbed.

Richard Stayskal served with the Green Berets, an elite Army unit. He is now dying of lung cancer. He fights on to try to change the law preventing veterans from filing medical malpractice lawsuits because he claims that during his time in the service, doctors neglected to tell him that he had lung cancer, and as a result he didn't find out about the disease until it was too late.

Student suffers head injury after brawl with teacher

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in brain injury on Wednesday, November 20, 2019.

Maryland parents may be able to attest to the fact that, sometimes, children, especially teens, can exhibit behavior that adults find frustrating. Even when a child becomes unruly, adults must not allow the situation to escalate to physical violence. While parents may have firsthand experience with trying teen behavior, a recent incident at school left one student with a reportedly severe head injury.

The trouble began inside a Maryland classroom. One of the students, a 17-year-old female, became unruly during class and brushed past her teacher, intentionally stepping on her foot. While certainly this was an unacceptable affront on the part of the young lady, her teacher responded with even worse judgement when she came to blows with the teen girl.

Jury awards $101 million for a child's birth injury

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in birth injury on Wednesday, November 13, 2019.

The birth of a child is one of the greatest joys that a parent could ever experience. Expecting parents in Maryland often spend months planning for their new baby, like decorating the nursery, buying diapers and even selecting a pediatrician. While parenthood itself can easily throw off some of those plans, having a baby who has suffered a birth injury can derail the plans altogether.

This was the situation that an out-of-state mother found herself in just over five years ago. While she was in labor, fetal monitoring showed abnormalities that were detrimental to her son's health. However, the medical professionals at the hospital ignored the warning signs for nearly six hours before she finally gave birth. Her son was born with injuries as a result of their failure to act in time.

Study reveals that birth injury is common danger nationwide

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in birth injury on Wednesday, November 6, 2019.

When parents are preparing to welcome a new baby into the household, they make the necessary preparations and try to find reliable prenatal care to detect any possible complications. Maryland parents may not be aware that about one in every 200 children suffer serious birth injury in the United States. A recent study aims to shed light on new treatments for these tiny victims.

One of the most common forms of birth injury is brachial plexus injury. The symptoms of this injury are much like the symptoms of cerebral palsy, with which children can be born. Sadly, such a serious birth injury can lead to a lifetime of suffering and irreparable physical limitations, because muscle contractions associated with the condition cause bones to form improperly, causing worsening pain and immobility over time.

At least three killed when dump trucks causes car accident

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in motor vehicle accidents on Thursday, October 31, 2019.

This time of year seems to pass quickly, and with Halloween over and Thanksgiving fast approaching, it is easy to see that the winter holidays will arrive in the blink of an eye. While some families hold steadfast in tradition, others may look forward to trying something new this year. With such to look forward to, it's easy to forget that a car accident can happen out of nowhere, as several unfortunate Maryland families have learned.

On a day when driving conditions and traffic were seemingly normal, the driver of a small passenger car slowed down to make a left turn. Suddenly, the car was struck from behind when the driver of a dump truck failed to stop in time. The huge truck smashed into the back if the car and sent it careening into oncoming traffic. The passenger car was pushed into the path of two motorcycles headed the opposite way.

Police accused of causing serious injury

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in personal injury on Thursday, October 24, 2019.

Getting pulled over by the police is never something to look forward to. Sometimes a person is not even sure why he or she is being stopped. It can be nerve-wracking to wait for the officers to explain why they stopped a vehicle, but recently, an incident involving Maryland police shows that a traffic stop might also result in serious injury.

Details are still being investigated, but reports seem to agree on a few basic facts. A man and his passenger, a woman identified as his girlfriend, were pulled over by police. The man's girlfriend began to record the incident on her phone's video camera. The man allegedly tried to evade an officer when asked to exit the vehicle, and the officer allegedly took the man to the ground with a body tackle.

Bus accidents cause fear and serious injury

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in motor vehicle accidents on Thursday, October 17, 2019.

The crisp autumn air has finally blown into Maryland, and people are out and about. There is lots to see and do in the fall, and many people are busy preparing for company, decorating for upcoming holidays or getting some snacks together for the big game. Many people rely on public transportation, such as a bus, to get to and from each destination. While certainly a convenient way to travel, a person has no guarantee of avoiding serious injury.

Recently, a Maryland Transit Authority bus was stopping to let passengers get off at a regular stop near Baltimore. Suddenly, witnesses say, a pickup truck crashed right into the side of the stopped bus. Some people recall being thrown from their seat, and all of the passengers worried when the bus began to fill with smoke.

Serious car accident amidst new seat belt campaign

On behalf of Joel L. Katz, L.L.C. posted in motor vehicle accidents on Wednesday, October 9, 2019.

Several police departments from Maryland and surrounding states have kicked off a new campaign to urge drivers to always wear seat belts. In addition to being required by law, wearing a seat belt can save lives. A recent car accident involving several vehicles serves as a grim reminder to all motorists of the need .

The car accident was caused when a woman driving pickup truck was making a turn. A large box truck did not stop in time and slammed into the back of her vehicle. This caused the pickup to slam into a vehicle heading the opposite direction. Both vehicles spun, and were hit by a third oncoming vehicle.