Maryland Injury Attorney Blog

August 4, 2011

Is Your Maryland Workplace Unsafe? OSHA Announces Plans to Improve Whistleblower Protection Program

“Whistleblower.” The name itself conjures up images straight out of a Hollywood thriller. Many movies have been made over the years about the plight of whistleblowers — brave souls who try to expose corporate corruption, greed, and danger in the workplace — usually at their own peril. Memorable movies about whistleblowers include Silkwood (nuclear power plant dangers), The Insider (tobacco and smoking health risks), and Erin Brockovich (toxic waste dumping).

Some of these movies are based on the real-life stories of whistleblowers and the consequences they suffered from those who’d silence them. Whistleblowers are indeed real working people who speak out against their employers and bring problematic situations to light. Their grievances may center on workplace safety violations, illegal workplace practices, and poor working conditions.

As the experienced Baltimore, Maryland workers’ compensation lawyers at Butschky & Butschky, LLC know — it can be very tough to speak out against one’s employer. This is especially true in this struggling economy, where working people are happy to have any job at all. However standards for workplace safety in Maryland and around the country are required, not optional. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) wants to ensure that workers who have concerns about their workplace safety may raise those concerns without fear of reprisal from their employers. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act)…

July 22, 2011

Maryland Restaurant Sued for Liability in Fatal Drunk Driving Car Accident Case : SUV Crash Killed Girl, Age 10

by Jeff Butschky

As of this past April, 37 states had laws on the books holding liquor vendors liable or partially liable for serving patrons who become intoxicated and then get in drunk driving auto accidents causing injury, death, or damages. These are called “dram shop acts” or “dram shop laws” — and Maryland is not among states with such laws in place.

This is in part why a fatal DUI car accident case out of Montgomery County, Maryland, is garnering attention.

According to media reports, in Aug. 2008, a Fairfax, Va. man was consuming drinks at the Dogfish Head Alehouse in Gaithersburg, Md. News reports state that the individual consumed a staggering 14 drinks and 2 shots — before starting a second tab. Restaurant staff reportedly served the individual 3 more beers and another shot, after which he got behind the wheel of his Land Rover. He reportedly drove south on Interstate 270 at speeds between 88 and 98 mph, crashing into a Jeep Grand Cherokee and killing a 10 year old girl sitting in the back. The child’s guardians sued the restaurant for $3.25 million in Dec. 2010.

June 29, 2011

Lighter Maryland Traffic Expected for July 4 Holiday — But Drunk Driving Accidents Still a Public Safety Concern

by Jeff Butschky

Blame it on the economy and high gas prices…and maybe a little Maryland driver fatigue.

AAA Mid-Atlantic projects that Maryland traffic this 4th of July holiday weekend will be 2 percent lighter than last year, with an estimated 760,000 Maryland drivers taking to our state’s roads and highways. Those who aren’t piling into their cars, minivans, and SUVs to seek fun in the Maryland sun may opt for the “staycation” alternative instead. That is, leaving the family auto parked in the driveway is cheaper and safer than jockeying with other July 4 motorists.

But fewer July 4 holiday drivers doesn’t mean driving this weekend in Maryland is without risks. Any holiday brings with it the risk of drunk driving accidents. A cooler full of beer is a backyard barbecue staple at many homes — particularly on a hot Fourth of July afternoon.

June 13, 2011

Maryland Motorist Safety : Is What’s Parked in Your Driveway Safer than the Car Your Father Drove?

by Jeff Butschky

How many modern safety features does the car you own and drive in Baltimore County, Maryland have? We’ve come a long way in motor vehicle safety features since our parents first herded us kids into the back of the family sedan.

All passenger cars since 1967 are required to have seat belts. Go to an antique car show and you’ll be amazed at the beauty of vintage car interiors — and the absence of seat belts. Dual air bags are a required automotive safety feature to diminish driver and passenger injury in event of a car crash (on cars made since 1998 and light trucks since 1999). Infant and child car seats and restraints — which I didn’t have growing up — are now required by law. In Maryland, children under eight years old must ride in an appropriate child restraint, unless the child is 4’9″ or taller or weighs more than 65 pounds.

Other safety features such as as all-wheel drive and anti-lock brakes are common on many makes and models of today’s cars, trucks, and SUVs. And the automotive innovations keep coming. Manufacturers seek to make their cars studier, smarter, and more crash worthy…to help drivers avoid traffic accidents and minimize motorist injury and fatality, when traffic accidents do occur.

June 7, 2011

Maryland Motorcycle Traffic Accident Deaths Increase in 2010, Study Results Show

by Jeff Butschky

Do you own and operate a motorcycle in Maryland? How safe do you feel sharing Maryland’s back roads, Baltimore city streets, highways, and bridges with cars, trucks (including commercial trucks), SUVs, vans, and other motor vehicles? Do you feel Md.’s traffic safety laws are adequate to protect motorcycle operators and their passengers?

As Baltimore County motorcycle accident injury lawyers, we’ve seen the devastating results of what can happen when a motorcycle traffic accident occurs in Maryland. Now a new national governors’ study sheds some interesting light on motorcycle traffic safety laws and motorcycle accident deaths — and the results are mixed.

The Governor’s Highway Safety Association released preliminary data that suggests accidental deaths from motorcycle crashes in the U.S. declined overall by 2 percent in 2010. That’s down to 4,376 motorcycle accident deaths estimated for 2010 as compared to 4,465 fatalities in 2009. The GHSA looked at all 50 states and our neighbors in Washington, DC. However, some of that initially encouraging news may be tempered by other factors, such as…

May 31, 2011

Maryland Farmer Work Safety : Labor Dept. Says Farming Jobs Among Most Dangerous, Prone to Accidents

by Jeff Butschky

When people think of hazardous occupations, a certain few come to mind, such as fire fighters and police officers. However anyone in Maryland who does farming and agricultural work already knows what a government report revealed to be true: Farming work is hazardous and can cause injury and death. What might surprise some is national statistics for fatal farming accidents reveal that farming work is more dangerous than firefighting or police work combined.

U.S. Department of Labor data show that the national rate of fatal occupational injuries for farmers and ranchers in 2009 was 38.5 per 100,000 full-time workers — as compared to 13.1 for police officers and 4.4 for firefighters. City dwellers and other people who don’t live near working farms may not realize how dangerous farming work can be. Labor Department economist Jim Rice told Market Watch that “…you probably hear less about people dying when tractors roll over on them. For those who do work on farms, it’s still a dangerous occupation.”

Maryland farmers, ranchers, and others in the agriculture industry work with heavy equipment and vehicles. Like construction workers, these hard-working Maryland farmers put in long hours doing heavy labor–particularly now that the warm weather has arrived. If you live and drive in Maryland, you may already have noticed farm vehicles on the rural roadways –which pose traffic accident risks for both the farmers and other motorists.

May 27, 2011

Maryland Drivers Among Worst in U.S. for Knowledge of State Driving Laws

by Jeff Butschky

As experienced Baltimore County car accident injury lawyers who’ve served the people of Maryland for decades, we’re well aware of the dangers of driving in the Old Line State. From Baltimore City streets, to our beloved Chesapeake Bay Bridge, to our highways and back roads — all are travelled by dangerous drivers, all fraught with driving hazards. If you live and work here in Maryland, like us, you know driving can be a daily challenge.

Our clients in and around greater Baltimore, Md. have been telling us for years about the incredible antics of local drivers. And we’ve seen our fair share of incredibly bad drivers — the speeders, weavers, tailgaters, lane changers, stop sign runners, pass-on-the-right siders, texters and cell phone chatters, angry/distracted/impaired drivers — you name it. The kind of Maryland drivers who can cause serious and fatal auto accidents.

Now a new study proves what we Baltimore injury attorneys and our clients already knew to be true: Maryland drivers are not at the top of the class when it comes to knowledge of road rules.

May 17, 2011

Protecting Baltimore, Maryland Dock Workers from Accident and Injury : OSHA Updates General Working Conditions for Shipyard Employment

by Jeff Butschky

This month, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) updated regulations protecting shipyard workers from work-related injuries. The new ruling reflects advancements in maritime industry technologies and practices. OSHA reports that its employment standards for shipyard workers had not been significantly updated since 1972.

As we can attest, Maryland waterfront work is dangerous business. There are many ways that Baltimore’s hard-working longshoremen can get hurt or killed, including slip and fall injuries, crane and forklift accidents, being hit by falling cargo, and drowning. The amended OSHA standards for waterfront workers in Baltimore, Md., and ports around the country address the following safety concerns:

Adequate lighting for work spaces

May 11, 2011

Maryland Ford F-150 Driver Safety Alerts : Pickup Truck Airbags and Gas Tanks Under Investigation

by Jeff Butschky

The Ford F-150 pickup truck and its companions in the Ford F series have been dubbed by auto critics as the “best selling vehicles in the USA” for more than three decades. With its imposing grill and beefy demeanor, the Ford F-150 is a favorite choice of farmers, construction workers, and other drivers who enjoy a powerful pickup that can haul a good-sized load. But popular does not mean perfect, as evidenced by recent Ford F-150 truck safety concerns in the news.

If you’re a Maryland driver of a Ford F-150 pickup truck — be aware of two recent automotive safety investigations that may include your vehicle. Last month, an expanded recall went out for Ford F-150 pickup trucks (model years 2004 to 2006) because of reports the air bags could suddenly deploy without a traffic accident having taken place.

Now news reports state that NHTSA — the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — is looking into more than 200 reports from consumers that their Ford F-150 gas tanks have fallen off. The problem, NHTSA asserts, may be that the steel straps holding the Ford F-150 gas tank in place could rust and break — causing the potential for gas leakage and fire. Model years 1997 – 2001 are being investigated. Thus far no one has been injured or killed in a truck accident resulting from the Ford F-150 gas tank straps issue.

April 27, 2011

Car Accidents in Maryland That Bring Criminal Charges and Civil Lawsuits

by Jeff Butschky

Pick up a copy of the Baltimore Sun and you’ll likely find cases of Baltimore County car accidents where the offending drivers were slapped with serious traffic or criminal charges. The State of Maryland has very specific legal language on the books regarding when traffic violations warrant traffic or criminal charges. In the eyes of Maryland law…

Reckless Driving is defined as, “A person is guilty of reckless driving if he drives a motor vehicle: In wanton or willful disregard for the safety of people or property; or In a manner that indicates a wanton or willful disregard for the safety of people or property.”

and…