Annapolis Personal Injury Law Blog
The damage that Maryland car accidents cause range from the minor fender benders to devastating high-speed multi-car pileups. When serious injuries or deaths occur, legal claims in relation to a car accident are governed by the laws of negligence. Motorists must exercise reasonable care under the circumstances, and a failure to do so typically constitutes negligence.
A fatal two-car accident occurred recently in St. Mary’s County. The crash happened around 8 p.m. on a recent Friday in January. The tragedy resulted in the death of two individuals.
Members of the Collision Reconstruction Unit with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation into the accident. Their investigation revealed that a 24-year-old Waldorf man was headed northbound when a car operated in the southbound lane by a 42-year-old Pennsylvania man suddenly crossed the center of the roadway and struck the first vehicle, head-on. The driver of the northbound was extricated and airlifted to Shock Trauma. Both occupants of the southbound vehicle died at the scene of the accident. Although it appears that speed was not a contributing factor, it is not yet clear whether alcohol contributed to the accident.
When a car accident results in a serious injury or death, the victim — or a fatal victim’s surviving family — may be entitled to financial relief, even if the party believed responsible perishes in the crash. Civil court claims for monetary damages must be based upon proof of negligence that is found to have caused or materially contributed to the accident and injuries or death that resulted. Those affected by these tragedies typically consult an experienced Maryland attorney concerning the validity of a claim and the steps involved in asserting it.
Source: smnewsnet.com, “UPDATE: Names Released Fatal Motor Vehicle Accident in Lexington Park”, Jan. 28, 2017
