Damages could be sought after Maryland car accidents

There are many dangers when traveling on the country’s Interstate highway system. Other drivers can cause problems if they fail to demonstrate the level of vigilance required to maintain safe conditions. When additional factors are encountered, including construction or poor road conditions, it is necessary that all drivers are constantly aware of traffic conditions and adjust their speed accordingly. Failure to do so could lead to serious, even fatal, car accidents. For example, a tragic accident in Maryland recently took the lives of a wife and husband.

Just before noon on a recent Tuesday, the couple was traveling on a Maryland Interstate. The vehicle apparently slowed quickly, along with other vehicles, due to delays caused by road construction. Police claim that the 28-year-old driver of a pickup failed to notice the slowing traffic, causing his truck to crash into the back of the couple’s vehicle before striking a third vehicle. Reports indicate that the couple died upon impact. Neither of the drivers of the other two vehicles required medical attention.

The accident caused the couple’s vehicle to burst into flames which spread to the pickup truck. Firefighters were eventually able to extinguish the flames. Authorities are unsure at this time if they will pursue criminal charges against the driver of the pickup. As a result of the accident, the Interstate was closed for approximately five hours.

While authorities determine if criminal charges may be appropriate, the family of the deceased couple will have several struggles to face, including their future financial well-being. As with similar fatal car accidents in Maryland, the family of this couple has the option of seeking financial relief in a civil court. If they can prove that their loved one’s death was caused by the pickup driver’s negligence, the court could award them with monetary damages as allowed under state law.

Source: Herald Mail Media, W.Va. husband and wife killed in I-81 crash near Williamsport, Dan Dearth and Dave McMillion, March 11, 2014