Motor Vehicle Accidents

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) projects that an estimated 38,680 people died in U.S. motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2020 — the largest projected number of fatalities since 2007. This represents an increase of about 7.2 percent as compared to the 36,096 fatalities reported in 2019. And this is despite people driving less during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NHTSA has projected increased motor vehicle accident deaths for the third and fourth quarters of 2020 — an increase in road fatalities over the same time period in 2019. Traffic fatalities by major category include passenger vehicle occupants (23,395 deaths, up 5 percent), pedestrians (6,205 deaths, flat with those in 2019), motorcyclists (5,015 deaths, up 9 percent), and pedalcyclists (people on bikes, 846 deaths, up 5 percent.)

The 2020 fatality rate was 1.37 fatalities per 100 million VMT (vehicle miles travelled), up from 1.11 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2019. NHTSA’s analysis shows the main causes for this increase in auto crash fatalities included impaired driving, speeding, and failure to wear a seat belt.

Motor vehicle accident fatalities are also up in Maryland. Zero Deaths Maryland — a public safety initiative of the Maryland Highway Safety Office (MHSO), a division of the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) — reported 573 traffic accident deaths in Maryland in 2020, up from 535 fatalities in 2019. These traffic crash deaths include drivers (349), passengers (71), pedestrians (138), and those riding a bicycle or other pedicycle (15). In 2019, Maryland experienced 32,919 motor vehicle crashes with injuries and 48,658 people injured in those crashes.

The top contributing factors for Maryland fatal motor vehicle accidents are Driver Alcohol or Drugs Involved / Impaired Driving, Speed / Aggressive Driving, and Distracted Driving.

The Law Offices of Butschky & Butschky, LLC have more than three decades of experience helping accident injury victims in and around Maryland. Below are the types of Maryland motor vehicle accident cases our firm handles.

Car Accidents: We work with victims in all types of passenger car accidents, including automobiles, minivans, SUVs (including rollover accidents), and pickup truck accidents. We also handle cases involving these types of crashes in Maryland:

• Front Impact Auto Accidents (also known as head-on collisions)
• Broadside Car Accidents (also known as being sideswiped or broadsided)

Truck Accidents: Including large, commercial truck accidents involving box trucks, tractor trailer trucks, 18-wheelers and semi-trucks. We handle Maryland Workers Compensation cases in work-related accidents involving cars, vans, pickup trucks and large commercial trucks.

Motorcycle Accidents: Including accidents between cars, trucks, and motorcycles in Maryland.

Pedestrian Accidents: Traffic accidents where pedestrians are injured or killed after being struck by a car or truck in Maryland.

Drunk Driving Accidents: This includes all types of drunk driver crashes in Maryland involving cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, commercial trucks and/or pedestrians (Maryland DUI accidents).

Farm Vehicle Accidents: Involving cars, trucks, and motorcycles that are in accidents on Maryland back roads involving agriculture equipment such as tractors, combines and other harvesting machinery.

Livestock in the Road: Including cattle and other farm animals that may escape onto the roads and cause motor vehicle accidents in Maryland.

We serve all of Northeast Maryland including Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Harford County, Carroll County, and Cecil County, Maryland. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a motor vehicle accident, please contact us online for a complimentary consultation. You may also call us toll free at (800) 722-6616. We look forward to discussing your case.