Maryland car accident statistics show that there are more than 100,000 crashes in the state each year. Roughly 30,000 of these will result in injury to one or more people in the cars. Drivers are the cause of almost all of these accidents. Poor Maryland road maintenance can cause crashes, whether it is because of potholes or failure to clear other dangerous conditions within a reasonable amount of time. When state or local governments do not do their job, they can cause crashes. They can be legally responsible for causing an accident, just like any driver in the state.
When you have been injured by a lack of Maryland DOT road safety, the Snyder Law Group can aggressively pursue compensation on your behalf. We fight for car accident victims, whether we are taking on an insurance company or the state. It does not matter who is on the other side – we can “Snyder Them” on your behalf.
What Are the Main Causes of Road Accidents in Maryland?
Most road accidents are caused by driver error. One driver will make a mistake and not uphold their own duty of care. Drivers are expected to do what a reasonable driver would do under the circumstances. They must pay attention behind the wheel and follow traffic laws. Unfortunately, careless drivers do not do what is expected of them, and you may pay the price.
Besides driver error, other causes of Maryland road accidents include:
- Defective cars and auto parts
- Poorly designed roads
- Improper road maintenance
- Failure to clear roads within a reasonable amount of time
An experienced car accident lawyer will help determine the cause of your accident. They will work on your behalf for you to recover full financial compensation for your injuries.
Bad roads may also cause accidents in Maryland. Drivers can be caught off guard by poor road conditions with no way to anticipate the dangers they face.
What Areas of Maryland Have the Most Unsafe Roads?
Given the state of disrepair of Maryland roads, there are far too many accidents that are the result of decrepit conditions and poor design. These accidents occur more often in metropolitan areas, such as Baltimore and the Washington D.C. suburbs. However, local authorities may also disregard their obligations in more rural areas. An experienced car accident attorney would investigate your crash to determine the cause, whether it was another driver or poor roadway conditions.
In general, Maryland roads are known for their poor condition. According to the annual report by the Reason Foundation, Maryland ranks 38th nationally in overall cost-effectiveness and condition of the roads. While this ranking is low, it is a slight improvement from past years. Like many states, the rural highways in Maryland are in relatively good shape, while the roads in urban areas are more dangerous.
The roadways are in particularly poor condition in the Baltimore area. The pavement conditions on major highways, such as I-95 and the Jones Falls Expressway, are usually poor. Authorities are often slow to fix potholes and other defects in the roads. There have been major highway reconstruction projects in the area, such as a complete rebuild of the Harbor Tunnel Thruway, but then the rebuilds call into question the safety of road design.
Although there is more roadway spending in the suburban Washington, D.C. area, the heavy traffic on these roadways leads to more potholes and cracks in the pavement. The bridges in Montgomery County are in the second-worst condition in the state.
How Can I Report a Dangerous Road Hazard to Authorities in Maryland?
Maryland DOT road safety often depends on drivers like you reporting dangerous conditions to the authorities. If the authorities have enough reports of a dangerous condition on a road, they may be prompted to do something to fix it.
For road hazard reporting, you should contact the Maryland Department of Transportation. MDOT maintains a statewide operations center. Drivers should report things like potholes and sinkholes on state roads to MDOT. If you are on a Baltimore city road, you should report dangerous road conditions by calling 311. Each county may have its own reporting hotline. Generally, calling 311 is the way to report issues wherever you are.
A Maryland car accident attorney will advise you that the government may be liable when poor road conditions cause an accident. One of the considerations is whether the government fixed the dangerous condition within a reasonable amount of time after they knew or should have known about it. They cannot pretend that nothing is wrong, and they cannot ignore reports of danger for too long.
Contact a Baltimore Car Accident Attorney Today
Maryland law allows you to sue the government when they have failed to do their job in keeping the roads in reasonably safe condition. There are special rules that you need to follow when taking on the government, and you must act quickly to seek compensation. Snyder Law Group has earned our reputation for tough and aggressive legal representation by fighting for injured clients like you.
Contact us to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced lawyers. We are standing by and ready to speak with you today. The first step is to send us a message online or to call us today at 410-THE-FIRM, and we can give you a free case evaluation, where we will learn more about what happened and discuss the next steps. You do not need to pay us anything for our time and services unless you win your case.