Upper Marlboro Car Accidents: Common Causes of Maryland Auto Accidents
Car accidents here in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, are frequent and often cause severe injuries. Victims who have been injured and their loved ones are entitled to compensation for their injuries and for damage to their property from the “at fault” party (or parties). This is a right granted by Maryland law under the legal doctrine of negligence. If you have suffered injuries in an Upper Marlboro, Maryland car or auto accident, contact us here at the Law Office of Robert Castro. Our number is (301) 870-1200. We are experienced and top-tier Maryland car and auto accident attorneys with offices in Waldorf, Maryland. In this article, we discuss some of the common causes of Maryland auto accidents.
Under Maryland law, to recover compensation for injuries through an insurance claim or by filing a Maryland personal injury lawsuit, the victim must prove four legal elements: duty, breach of duty, causation, and damages. In terms of duty, every person using the roads and highways of Maryland has at least two duties: the duty to drive carefully and avoid injuring others and the duty to obey traffic laws and signals. If a driver does NOT drive carefully and obey traffic laws/signals, then the driver has breached his/her duty and will be legally liable if an accident results and injuries are caused.
From this, we can see why many common causes of Maryland car accidents result in liability. For example, one common cause of Maryland auto accidents is called “distracted driving.” This is when a driver becomes distracted — even momentarily — and that distraction results in an accident. By allowing himself or herself to become distracted, the driver violates the duty to drive carefully and to avoid injuring others on the road. Distracted driving can be the result of many behaviors, such as texting while driving, talking on the phone, trying to find something dropped on the floor of the vehicle, eating while driving, loading music, entering GPS coordinates, etc.
The same can be said for other common causes of Maryland car accidents, including driving while drowsy or tired and driving under the influence of drugs/alcohol.
As noted, another duty of every driver in Southern Maryland is to obey traffic laws and signals. Thus, when a driver fails to obey and fails to honor traffic signals, there is a breach of duty. If that breach causes an accident, then legal liability is often very clear. Examples here are common such as
- Speeding
- Not stopping at traffic signs
- Going through red lights
- Going the wrong way on a one-way street
- Failure to yield
- Weaving in and out of lanes and other forms of reckless driving
Road and weather conditions can also be common causes of Maryland car accidents. But, even poor road conditions are not a defense to legal liability. Remember that every driver has a duty to drive carefully. That duty means driving carefully under the conditions of the road and weather. So, generally, it will not be a defense to claim bad roads or bad weather because the duty to be careful means slowing down and being more watchful because the conditions are bad.
Contact Waldorf, MD Personal Injury Attorney Robert Castro Today
This article has been provided by the Law Office of Robert Castro. For more information or questions, contact our office to speak to an experienced Maryland personal injury lawyer at (301) 870-1200. We are Waldorf, MD, Personal Injury lawyers. Our address is 2670 Crain Highway, Waldorf, MD, 20601.
