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In insurance and Maryland car accident law, we often use terms interchangeably without truly understanding the definitions and meanings of the term.  People call us all the time and say they have full coverage so they assume they have a great insurance policy with tons of coverage. In many, cases, they don’t.

One term that misleads is “full coverage,” a term which is often misinterpreted as indicating that someone has a large of full amount of auto insurance coverage when it actually means quite the opposite in most contexts.

Full Coverage Insurance

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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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According to a Jury Verdict Research study released this month, the average jury award for finger and hand injuries is $629,382. This data for fractures, crush injuries, and nerve damage to fingers and hands is based on a review of jury verdicts in the United States over the last 10 years.

This average finger and hand injury verdict is a bit misleading because the data included a $20,000,000 verdict and other verdicts which completely distort the average verdict.

What does give more context?  Median verdict data.  The median verdict for hand and finger lawsuit verdicts, which, by definition, eliminates both high verdicts and the low verdicts, was $73,250. About a third of these injuries occurred in car, truck, and motorcycle accidents.

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Brake checking is when a driver abruptly and intentionally applies their brakes, often without any reason, with the intent of causing the following vehicle to collide with them, or more likely, put them in fear of colliding with them.  Brake checking is both illegal and stupid and can lead to rear-end collisions, property damage, injuries, and even fatalities.

The other rise with brake checking is that it is arguably intentional in most cases, not negligent.  So your car insurance can disclaim coverage because it is an intentional act, leaving the brake checker on the hook for all of the property damages and injuries in the crash.

What Is Break Checking?

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Our Baltimore car accident lawyers are all too familiar with the most dangerous intersections in Baltimore. Baltimore City is one of the most densely populated areas in Maryland so it has lots of cars on the road at the same time. Baltimore is also an old city, so many of the streets are narrow and many of the intersections are difficult and confusing. As a direct result of these factors, Baltimore City has one of the highest per-driver accident rates of any jurisdiction in Maryland.

RELATED CONTENT:

Most Dangerous Intersections in Glen Burnie

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Most people injured in a rear-end car accident in Maryland look for fair settlement value for their case. No one wants to get ripped off by an insurance company. These companies spend a lot of time training their insurance adjusters how to rip you off. So fair settlement value is not something that will be handed over to you easily. As I explain below, I think “fair settlement value” is the wrong lens to use when approaching the settlement of a rear-end accident case. But let’s start with this premise.

What Is a Fair Settlement Offer for a Rear-End Accident Case in Maryland?

On this page, we will try to give you an idea of what a fair settlement offer should be for a rear-end auto accident case. Rear-end accident cases are the most common type of vehicle collision, accounting for over 40% of all accidents. Not surprisingly, rear-end accidents also generate the greatest number of personal injury claims. Our Maryland auto accident lawyers have literally settled thousands of rear-end cases. We know these cases well. We have a solid understanding of what a fair settlement offer should look like.

The Value of a Rear-End Accident Case Depends on the Severity of Injury

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It is axiomatic that wearing a helmet is the single most effective way of reducing head injuries and fatal accidents on motorcycles and bicycles. One study shows that wearing a helmet has been shown to decrease the risk of serious injury on a motorcycle by 70% and decrease the risk of a fatality by 40%.

Wearing a bike helmet is the lowest possible hanging fruit to save lives on motorcycles and bicycles. We are making tons of progress, we just need that progress to continue.

Key Motorcycle Accident Statistics and Laws

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Trampoline injury lawsuits are on the rise because trampolines have really made a comeback.   The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has firmly stated its opinion: “The trampoline should never be used in home environments or in school physical education classes or outdoor settings or recreational settings.” Yet, in massive numbers, no one follows this advice. Injuries can still occur despite padding and netting.

Trampolines may seem like innocent fun, but they pose a significant risk of injury. These injuries can range from minor sprains and fractures to serious neck and spinal injuries, and in rare cases, can result in death. According to a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, emergency departments in the United States treat approximately 100,000 trampoline-related injuries annually. These statistics underline the urgent need for increased safety measures and responsible use.

Trampoline Injury Lawsuits: Negligence

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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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The Baltimore Washington suburban corridor in central Maryland has changed dramatically over the last few decades. The 30 mile stretch along I-95 connecting the two cities has become one of the most densely developed and populated areas in the entire country. This intense suburbanization has generated a massive volume of vehicle traffic and transformed the roadways in central Maryland.

Columbia in Howard County is one of the areas in the Baltimore Washington corridor that has undergone the most dramatic change during this period. In the early 1990s, Columbia was still felt like the isolated “planned community” that it was originally designed to be.

Today, however, Columbia is the second largest town in Maryland with a population of well over 100,000. The volume of vehicle traffic and nature of the roadways in Columbia have followed a similar pattern of development. What used to be single-lane roads with stop signs have evolved into 4 or even 6 lanes commercial routes clogged with traffic lights.

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