Baltimore County, home to Dundalk, Maryland, experiences more fatalities and serious injuries from car accidents than it should have based on its population share. Specifically, the county makes up nearly 13.7% of the state’s population but accounts for roughly 13.9% of the state’s traffic deaths and 15.8% of its traffic injuries.
The accidents that produce these injuries and fatalities tend to occur in the same locations. Such traffic crash patterns develop when various factors come together to create crash hotspots. Congestion, for instance, often combines with poor road design or inadequate traffic controls to produce an unusually high number of crashes.
If you’ve sustained injuries in a collision due to another driver’s negligence, contact WGK Personal Injury Lawyers. Our Dundalk car accident attorneys provide a free initial consultation to discuss your legal options for compensation, contact us at (410) 970-3080.
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How WGK Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Car Accident in Dundalk, MD
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers has been representing accident victims in Dundalk, MD since 1977. Since that time, we have recovered tens of millions of dollars in financial compensation for our injured clients.
We assist each of our clients following a car accident by providing the following:
- A free consultation to discuss injuries and evaluate potential claims
- Over 100 years of combined legal experience to work on getting the best possible outcome
- Contingency fee representation so clients only pay after we recover compensation
A car accident can leave you facing ongoing health problems and financial difficulties. Contact WGK Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss your injuries and learn how we can help you fight for fair compensation.
How Do Crash Hotspots Form?
Traffic accidents can transpire as the result of any number of causes, but the overwhelming majority of crashes are the direct result of driver behaviors. By one estimate, 94% of car accidents are caused by factors such as speeding, distracted driving, and other driving errors.
That, however, does not mean that road design, surface conditions, weather, and other external factors do not play a role in traffic crashes. In actuality, they often act in combination with driver behaviors to amplify their effects.
With that in mind, some examples of the formation of hotspots are as follows:
- Drivers drive too fast when the speed limit is set too high
- Blind alleys and driveways interfere with proper driver surveillance
- Mistimed traffic lights cause drivers to disobey traffic signals
When traffic engineers and police agencies identify accident clusters, they try to find ways in which they can effectively address the hazards and improve safety.
Locations of Traffic Accidents in Dundalk, Maryland
Crash clusters can form on roads or at intersections, often due to hazardous but fixable conditions. By mapping out the area’s car accidents, Dundalk’s city planners can see where problems need fixing.
Dundalk has several crash clusters around its roads and intersections. According to the database of motor vehicle crashes provided by Maryland’s Open Data Portal, we can determine some of the most dangerous roads/intersections in Dundalk, MD:
Dangerous Roads in Dundalk
Some of the most dangerous roads in Dundalk include the following:
- Liberty Parkway
- Merritt Boulevard
- Dundalk Avenue
- Dunman Way
- Holabird Avenue
- German Hill Road
- Sollers Point Road
These roads’ crashes happen for many reasons, such as:
- Distracted driving
- Tailgating
- Speeding
- Unsafe lane changes
Road crashes usually produce a sideswipe or rear-end crash. The former happens when one vehicle approaches an adjacent vehicle and causes their sides to collide. These crashes typically involve very little direct kinetic energy and, as a result, cause only minor injuries like bruises, strains, and sprains.
The latter crash occurs when one vehicle plows into the back of the vehicle ahead of it. The victim’s vehicle can be stopped or sent moving in the same direction as the other vehicle, but in either case, these crashes cause much more serious injuries, such as whiplash, concussions, and herniated discs.
Dangerous Intersections in Dundalk
According to the Open Data Portal, Dundalk’s most dangerous intersections are as follows:
- Sollers Point Road and Belclare Road
- Liberty Parkway and Dunmanway
- Sollers Point Road and Merritt Boulevard
- Dundalk Avenue and Center Place
- Merritt Boulevard and German Hill Road
- Delvale Avenue and Holabird Avenue
Intersection accidents typically take place when multiple road users enter the junction at the same time, often when a driver fails to yield to another road user.
Some circumstances where these incidents can happen include turning in front of an oncoming vehicle, going into an intersection out-of-turn, and driving through an occupied crosswalk. They can also happen when a driver fails to obey a sign or traffic light.
Intersection accidents often produce side-impact collisions, in which one vehicle collides with the side of another. Doors can buckle and collapse when a car gets hit from the side, and worse yet, occupants can be thrown about the car, given that seat belts are not expressly designed for side-impact collisions.
Some injuries that might result from an intersection collision include the following:
- Concussions
- Lacerations
- Fractured bones
- Torn joint cartilage
These injuries can cause permanent disabilities depending on the nature and extent of the tissue damage.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Dundalk Car Accident Lawyers If You Were Injured in a Collision
An accident at these hotspots can cause severe, even disabling, injuries. To learn about the compensation you can seek for the effects of your car accident injuries, contact WGK Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.
