Maryland Court Statistics

 Posted on January 10, 2012 in Statistics

While doing some other research, I happened upon the Maryland Judiciary’s Fiscal Year 2010 Annual Statistical Abstract (it covers July 2009 to June 2010). Whenever I see something law-related with statistics, I stop to take notice. I just have to look. There’s a lot of great data here. For example in the Circuit Courts:

  • 107,814 new civil cases filed (5,698 of these (5.3%) were automobile accidents
  • 2010 featured 16,768 more cases than 2009, which was itself 6,129 higher than 2008
  • The number of automobile accident cases filed in 2010 was down 50 cases from 2009 filings
  • The report divides automobile accident cases filed by jurisdiction: 174 (Howard); 91 (Anne Arundel); 966 (Baltimore County); 1,463 (Baltimore City); 531 (Montgomery County); and 1,096 (Prince George’s County)

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Interstate Truck Drivers Banned From Using Cell Phones

 Posted on January 04, 2012 in Distracted Driving

As of January 3, interstate truck and bus drivers (those driving between states) are forbidden from using hand-held cell phones while operating their trucks. The enforcement angle isn’t as strong as it could be–drivers violating the rule are fined up to $2,750 per offense, and their truck-driving privileges can be revoked for multiple offenses. Employers may be fined up to $11,000. If we were really serious about this, there shouldn’t be a warning period. One strike and you’re out.

Truckers still have the option of various hands-free devices, including bluetooth or speakerphones.

It’s hard to say where all this distracted driving/cell phone publicity is going to take us by the end of 2012. There are some groups that want to eliminate all cell phone use in all vehicles–whether hands-on or hands-free. If we were honest with ourselves, we would all probably admit that hands-free isn’t much better than hands-on. On the other hand, drivers and the trucking industry are pushing back hard, arguing that this is an assault on our personal freedoms.

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Improving Technology: Avoiding Distracting Driving or Precursor to Product Liability Claims?

 Posted on December 26, 2011 in Distracted Driving

In light of all the concern about distracted driving being the new drunken driving (as if it were something fashionable, like “40 is the new 30”), we’ve been hit on both sides. On one hand, the government is proposing to take away our cellphones while we are in the car–this includes stop lights, this includes hands-free devices like bluetooth. On the other hand, we have emerging technologies becoming standard on new cars that have their own hands-free devices that automatically connect with our cell phones.

Ford is rolling out MyFord Touch (developed in conjunction with Microsoft) on more and more of its vehicles. It has many functions, including a hands-free calling feature and for sending/receiving text messages via voice, but it allows voice commands to control many car systems, for example, the climate. It’s a little Star Trek for our own private shuttlepods (Majel Barrett Roddenberry’s voice not included).

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Recalled Cars: What If A Defective Vehicle Caused Your Auto Accident?

 Posted on December 22, 2011 in Automobile Accidents

Cadillac announced a recall of their 2010 and 2011 SRX vehicles (yeah, I had to look it up–I drive a Saturn) because of potentially defective transmissions. This recall affects 8,789 cars. The problem is that a transmission shift cable may come out of the transmission bracket. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explains the potential problems:

THE DRIVER MAY BE UNABLE TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION OUT OF GEAR, RESULTING IN NO MOTION OR THE SHIFTER MAY INACCURATELY INDICATE THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS IN PARK WHEN IT IS NOT, ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY AND CAUSE A POSSIBLE CRASH.

The interesting question here is how a recall like this affects Maryland automobile accident lawsuits? The answer: it depends on the type of case.

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Big Rigs Getting Even Bigger?

 Posted on December 19, 2011 in Truck Accidents

There are 15.5 million truck drivers in the United States, and over 2 million tractor-trailers. AAA reports that trucking accidents account for 40% more fatal accidents than passenger cars. The trucking industry is now asking Congress to permit them to increase the national weight limit on tractor-trailer trucks almost 20% from 80,000 to 97,000 pounds. If approved, it won’t be uncommon to see triple-tractor-trailers on the roads.

Larger trucks may be more economical for moving goods across the United States, but the cost is too high. The risks are obvious–heavier trucks are harder to stop, and more likely to cause significant damages and injury when they can’t stop in time. Not only will this mean more trucking accidents, but it will mean more serious and fatal truck accidents, even here in Maryland.

This is a slippery slope–if Congress approves this change, the trucking industry will be asking to increase the maximum levels yet again. It is important to tell them no. See this AAA video clip for examples of the injury dangers of large trucks.

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