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No matter the circumstances, getting into a car accident is a frightening and sometimes traumatic experience. This fear can multiply tenfold for pregnant women that are concerned not only for their own health but for the health and well-being of their baby.

Our law firm has represented many mothers-to-be injured in car accidents in Maryland and Washington, D.C.  There is typically no serious injury to the mother in most car crashes and the mother’s injuries rarely meaningfully impact the unborn baby.  But there are several of the more severe injuries that pregnant women can suffer from a car crash. 

What Are the Four Major Risks to the Fetus from a Car Accident?

A car accident can pose a significant risk to a fetus. The sudden impact and rapid movements involved in a car accident can cause serious harm to a developing fetus.  

  • Miscarriage: The force of the impact and sudden movements can cause a woman to miscarry, losing the pregnancy.
  • Preterm labor: The stress and trauma of the accident can induce labor, leading to a premature birth.
  • Placental abruption: A sudden and severe impact can cause the placenta to separate from the uterus, cutting off the fetus’s supply of oxygen and nutrients.
  • Umbilical cord compression: The rapid movements in a car accident can cause the umbilical cord to become compressed, potentially reducing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus.
  • Fetal injury: The force of the impact can cause injury to the fetus, including skull fractures, brain damage, and broken bones.

What Is the Greatest Fear After a Car Accident While Pregnant?

One of the most dangerous injuries that can occur is placental abruption. This is a condition in which the placenta partially or completely separates from the uterus before the baby is born, which disrupts the baby’s supply of oxygen and nutrients.

According to a study by the American Journal of Epidemiology, placental abruption causes the mortality rate to increase 12-fold. This spike in the mortality rate is due largely to the correlation between placental abruption and early delivery. A car accident is a significant cause of placental abruptions. At least one study has suggested that broadside car accidents cause the greatest risk of placental abruption.

A placental abruption can lead to internal bleeding, hemorrhaging, premature labor, and miscarriage. What’s even more concerning is that sometimes there aren’t necessarily any noticeable symptoms of placental abruption immediately following the accident. It is potentially fatal to your baby and dangerous to your own health.

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Our lawyers handle serious personal injury accident claims. Although we do not charge a fee for handling property damage claims for our injured clients, we almost invariably are drawn into property damage claims, many of which involve total loss to the vehicle.

When Is a Car in Maryland Considered Totaled?

In Maryland, a car is considered to be a total loss when the cost of repairing the damage exceeds 75% of its value. This is due to the state’s total-loss threshold, which is a percentage set to determine when a vehicle is considered a total loss. If the repair costs are more than the total-loss threshold, the insurance company will classify the car as totaled.

What Is Total Loss Only (TLO)?

What Is Total Loss Only? TLO stands for Total Loss Only, which is a term commonly used in insurance investigations. The TLO designation is used to describe a vehicle that has been involved in an accident and is deemed to be a total loss due to the cost of repairs exceeding the actual value of the vehicle. In other words, the insurance company has determined that it would be more cost-effective to declare the vehicle a total loss rather than repair it. The TLO designation is important in insurance investigations as it can impact the amount of compensation an individual is eligible to receive for their vehicle after an accident.

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Many people researching information on their accident claims in Maryland ask what COMAR is. COMAR is the Code of Maryland Regulations. COMAR regulations are Maryland state agency regulations. You can find all the COMAR regulations here.

What is COMAR?

What is COMAR and who writes these crazy regulations?   COMAR stands for Code of Maryland Regulations.  These regulations come from the executive branch of the Maryland government.  So they are the governor’s regulations as promulgated by administrative agencies.  How do they get the power to make what is essentially state law?  Like Congress, the Maryland Legislature delegates some rule-making authority to the executive branch (the governor).

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insurance policy limitIf you have been injured in an accident and you are pursuing a personal injury claim, it is important to know the insurance policy limits of the defendant. The insurance policy limits are the maximum amount that the defendant’s insurance company will pay out for a claim.

When our lawyers get a wrongful death or serious personal injury case, our first concern is insurance coverage.  The fear is that you will prove your claim is worth a certain dollar amount.  But then you cannot collect because there is inadequate insurance coverage.

How do you find out what the insured’s policy is in a Maryland car accident?  In the old days, the only way to get the policy limits was to sue.

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When a disability insurance claim is denied, it can be a frustrating and stressful experience, particularly if you’re relying on those benefits to support yourself and your family. Fortunately, there is often an opportunity to appeal the decision and potentially get the benefits you need. However, the appeals process can be complex, and there are many factors that can influence your chances of success.

Why Was the Disability Appeal Denied?

First and foremost, it’s important to understand the grounds for the denial. Disability insurance policies can be complicated, and there are often a variety of exclusions, limitations, and requirements that must be met in order to qualify for benefits. If your claim was denied because you didn’t meet one of these requirements, or because the insurer believes that your condition isn’t severe enough to qualify for benefits, your chances of success on appeal may be lower.

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Back in the old days from 1972 to 1989, insurance companies had to provide PIP insurance with Maryland car insurance policies that provided some measure of coverage for lost wages and medical bills after a car accident regardless of fault. Then the car insurance companies wore down the Maryland legislature and PIP was no longer a requirement. The grand compromise was that car insurance companies would “offer” PIP, but that the insured could waive PIP coverage.

Please note, I’m making all of this up. I was in college at the time and I’m sure even people who were there don’t remember exactly how it happened. But I will bet you it happened just like that.

Anyway, to waive PIP in Maryland, the waiver must be both affirmative and written (although electronic signatures count as “written” in 2010). So a Maryland car insurance company must have a waiver to deny coverage after a car accident. If it has the waiver, it wins. If it does not, it loses.

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Most of us have experienced some neck pain or lower back pain in our lives. As a personal injury lawyer who handles car accident cases, I see these complaints all the time. Car accidents exert extreme forces on the human body, particularly the spine. 

The neck and lower back are two areas that are commonly injured in accidents because of car crash mechanics. The vertebrae in the neck are called the cervical vertebrae and those in the lower back are called the lumbar vertebrae.

As the car comes to a sudden stop, the body lurches forward and is caught by the seat belt, causing the neck to whip quickly. This is what is commonly known as whiplash. 

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Within the United States, Progressive Auto Insurance is one of the largest insurance companies, holding over 10 million policies and growing. They stand along the lines of other insurers, such as State Farm, Allstate, Nationwide Insurance, Farmers Insurance, and USAA.

Progressive offers policies to individuals for automobiles, motorcycles, boats, and even recreational vehicles. Known best by their advertising campaigns sporting a quirky saleswoman, Progressive wants to be known to consumers as just that – a “progressive” insurance company.

Progressive Claims in Maryland

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Tire regrooving is a service that intends to improve vehicle mileage, fuel efficiency, and traction. Truck drivers, construction workers, and farmers often regroove tires to cut costs. It allows them to maximize tire use, eliminating the need for new tires. Regrooving tires involve carving a tire’s grooves to restore tread depth and improve friction. Car mechanics use either a handheld tool or a regrooving machine to do this. Tire regrooving is resurging because of increased fuel and tire manufacturing costs. But a regroove tire comes with real risks.  The result is sometimes a personal injury case that makes it to a courtroom.

How Do Regrooved or Retreaded Tires Work?

Regrooved tires, also known as retreaded tires, are tires that have had their worn-out treads removed and replaced with new tread material. This process extends the life of a tire, allowing it to be used again after it has been worn down.

Regrooving is typically performed on truck tires, as they are subjected to heavy loads and high mileage, making them expensive to replace. By retreading tires, a significant portion of the tire’s original structure is still intact, including the casing, belts, and sidewalls.

The process of regrooving involves removing the worn-out tread down to the tire’s base, which is then inspected for any damage. If the casing is in good condition, a new layer of tread material is applied to the tire and cured, usually through a combination of heat and pressure. The finished product is then ready to be used again, providing a cost-effective alternative to buying a new tire.

What federal laws cover tire regrooving?

Tire regrooving is subject to federal regulations.  Specifically, 49 CFR Section 569.3(c) defines a “regroovable tire” as tires that are “designed, and constructed with sufficient material to permit renewal of the tread pattern.” This means tires can only be legally regrooved if they have enough rubber to maintain its original tread pattern. Non-commercial vehicle tires are not regroovable because they are too thin to preserve its tread pattern.

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Workplace injuries are a fact of modern life and many workers get injured on the job every day in Maryland. But most workers, even those in high-risk fields, do not spend a lot of their free time preparing personal game-plans for what to do if they get hurt on the job. This mentality is easy to understand, but it can be detrimental.

If you suffer a work-related injury, knowing what to do and, more importantly, what not to do can have a big impact on your ability to get compensation.

Maryland’s workers’ compensation is a complex legal scheme designed to help employees who have been injured on the job. But that is easier said than done.  Navigating the process can be like walking through a minefield for many victims.  Too many workers’ compensation victims make mistakes that can negatively impact their claims.

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