Car Crash Case Study Part I

Not long ago, I had a case where a husband was driving in Baltimore City on a Saturday morning with his wife in the front passenger seat. As the husband approached an intersection, he faced a green light. At the same time and place, on the intersecting street, another motorist (other guy) approached the intersection facing a red light. The other guy had a passenger, his cousin, whom he was taking to the bus station. As the husband entered the intersection, so did the other guy.

The cars crashed violently. There were pieces of bumpers, turn signals, and other parts everywhere.

Immediately after the collision, the husband checked to make sure there were no life-threatening injuries to anyone in either car. He then pulled his damaged vehicle to the side of the road and made sure his car was in a safe place. He then called the police. An officer arrived but refused to make a report; he only did an information exchange. In addition, while the other guy apologized no fewer than half a dozen times prior to the police officer’s arrival, he told the police officer and later his insurance company that it was the husband that ran the light. While the police officer was at the scene, the husband took photographs of the scene, damages, and parties.

There were several witnesses to the collision including a car directly behind the husband, but no one stopped to provide their contact information. In the excitement, neither the husband nor the wife took down the license plate numbers of any of the potential witnesses. Eventually, the cousin admitted that admitted that the other guy was on the phone, was lost because he could not find the bus station, and was not paying attention. Even with her admission, however, a lawsuit had to be filed.

By Craig I. Meyers, Esq.