Maryland DUI/DWI and Criminal Defense Lawyers 410-995-1515: August 2015

Friday, August 28, 2015

Maryland DUI Crash Victim Looks to Strengthen DUI Laws in the State

A Hagerstown, Maryland man, Gary Clever, was a passenger in his daughter’s car one year ago when a drunk driver slammed into their car on Sterling Road. Everyone in the vehicle was injured, but Gary suffered the worst. Immediately after the accident, it was believed by many that he was paralyzed. Sadly, he was indeed paralyzed from chest down with spinal injuries, staying in shock trauma for over two months and a rehabilitation hospital for 11 weeks. Gary’s insurance stopped paying for the rehab treatment, and now he uses a therapy bike every day to continue improving. Now, he has slowly regained movement in the paralyzed areas.

As a result of everything Gary has gone through since the horrific accident, he and his wife, Deanna, have been trying to raise awareness about the state’s unfair drunk driving laws. Their goal is to have Maryland lawmakers make DUI laws tougher for offenders. For example, the man involved in this crash had already pleaded guilty to two DUI charges in 2004, yet he was still allowed to drive on Maryland’s roadways. Current Maryland law requires minimum insurance coverage of $30,000 if you have a previous DUI charge. That amount of money does not come close to covering medical bills and other expenses related to injuries sustained in a DUI car accident. Gary believes DUI offenders should face higher financial penalties and be forced to carry more insurance if allowed to get back on the road again. Fortunately, Gary should be allowed to return home in a month. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens when Maryland’s legislators return back for Session in January 2016. If any progress is made concerning DUI legislation, we will surely keep everyone updated.

If you or a family member has been injured or killed in an accident caused by the fault or negligence of a drunk driver and would like to consult an experienced Maryland personal injury attorney for free, contact us at (301) 854-9000 to schedule an appointment at one of our office locations in Rockville or throughout Maryland or visit us online at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Auto-Accidents/Car-Accidents/Fatal-Car-Accidents.shtml

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Maryland Drunk Driver Hits Police Car Injuring Officer

Monday night, a police officer was parked on the side of the road after pulling over another vehicle. While the officer was sitting in his police vehicle, a Toyota 4 Runner came crashing into the back of the police car on Matchbox Alley, which then hit the car in front of it. Initial investigations revealed that the driver of the 4 Runner was driving under the influence of alcohol. The police officer and the drunk driver were both transported to the hospital with minor injuries. Charges are now pending against the drunk driver as police finish conducting their investigation of the accident.

Every day Marylanders are driving drunk on roadways and highways statewide. In fact, a recent study showed that every 30 minutes, a drunk driver is being arrested in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, which includes Maryland. There are far too many people on the roads driving drunk for police officers to be able to arrest every single one of them. Drivers must make smart decisions when they are drinking, but those two things do not work well together. All it takes is one DUI arrest to potentially cause you to face significant consequences and penalties. Just make the smart decision if you are drinking and need a ride home to call an Uber, Lyft, or a taxi. The risks of choosing to drive drunk far outweigh the benefits. A drunk driver not only puts their own life in danger, but more importantly, he or she puts the lives of innocent people in danger too.

If you have been arrested for a DUI/DWI it is important that you consult an experienced Maryland DUI attorney immediately because DUI is a criminal offense and carries potentially severe penalties. An experienced attorney can guide you through the court process and find any possible defenses that can either mitigate the penalties in the case, or in some instances, lead to an acquittal or dismissal.

If you or a family member has been charged with DUI in Maryland and would like a free legal consultation or if you would like more information on DUI or DWI please feel free to contact our office at (301) 854-9000 to schedule an appointment at our office in Columbia or one of our many other offices located throughout Maryland or visit us on the web at http://www.portnerandshure.com/Criminal-Defense/DWI-DUI/

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Head-On Crash Kills 1, Injures 5, Alcohol Believed to be a Factor

Last night, an SUV with three occupants was driving on Darnestown Road near Germantown, and a car was also driving on the same road, but on the other side of the center line. The SUV crossed the center line as it approached a curve in the road and it struck the front of the car. The entire front end of the car was heavily damaged with all of the airbags deployed. The SUV then left the road and crashed into a tree. Two occupants from the SUV were thrown from the vehicle, and one of these passengers later died at the hospital. The driver of the SUV was not thrown from the vehicle and suffered serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. The three occupants in the car suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Montgomery County Police believe that alcohol was a factor in the crash, but are still investigating other possible causes.

If police do determine that alcohol was the cause for this fatal head-on collision, it would make this crash even more tragic. Fatal car accidents that are attributed to drunk drivers happen far too often in Maryland. The state’s Department of Transportation has a goal of zero deaths on Maryland’s roadways, and they continue to work tirelessly to improve the roads and make them safer for drivers. Drunk driving related deaths are the worst kind of accident-related death because someone makes an irresponsible decision to drive drunk and then an innocent life is taken away because of that. Losing a loved one in a fatal car accident is devastating for any family, especially when it could have been prevented. No amount of money will ever replace losing that person. In a wrongful death case, the law allows for surviving estates to collect a financial recovery when a negligent party is held liable for the cause of the death. Compensation for damages can include: loss of services, loss of future income, mental anguish, medical expenses, funeral expenses, and punitive damages.