Maryland Beltway and Washington, D.C. Beltway Accidents
Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
If you or a loved one commutes daily into Washington, D.C. or Baltimore, Maryland, you deal with the delays caused by traffic congestion and probably put the danger of a potentially deadly accident out of mind. But when the unthinkable happens, you have to face it and find help to get you and your family through the aftermath of your tragedy so you can put your life back together.
If you are struggling to get by after a serious injury accident or coping with the loss of a loved one, the personal injury lawyers at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel, P.C. can help. Whether your accident happened on the Capital Beltway, I-495 and I-95; the Baltimore Beltway, I-695; supporting highways, including I-295, DC and Maryland 295, I-270, I-66, or a dangerous intersection like the Springfield Interchange (the “Mixing Bowl”) in Virginia, the talent, training, and experience of our lawyers will be helpful in your case. Please contact us today for a free initial consultation.
High Volume, High Risk
When planners designed the Capital Beltway (not officially named until 1960 by an act of Maryland Virginia officials) as part of the original Interstate Highway System under the Eisenhower administration in 1955, they had no idea what American society would look like fifty years later. They certainly did not realize that their roads would be expected to carry nearly triple the number of cars on a daily basis. In fact, almost as soon as it opened, the beltway was overcrowded. The final stretch of the beltway was completed in 1964, but by 1972 the entire Maryland section had already been widened from four lanes to eight. The Baltimore Beltway was begun as a county project, funded by local taxpayers, but was taken over by the state of Maryland completed using federal funds. It has not been widened to the same extent as the Capital Beltway, and the two systems experience similar levels of congestion. Congestion leads to delays for commuters and people trying to bypass the two cities, creating frustration increasing the risk of car accidents. And when accidents occur, high traffic volume can change a one- or two-car accident into a multi-car pileup.
At Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel, P.C. our experienced car accident lawyers know the roads of the region and how they create dangerous volume. Let us put our expertise to work for you.
Construction: Solution and Contributing Cause
With traffic originally estimated at many fewer cars per day, most sections of the Capital Beltway originally had only four lanes. As mentioned above, construction to widen the highways began essentially as soon as the road opened, and it continues to this day. Now nearly all sections of the highway have been widened to twelve lanes with a series of sometimes decade-long construction projects. Unfortunately, these construction projects often contribute to congestion by temporarily narrowing existing roadways. They also create unpredictable and changing conditions that can catch drivers unprepared and lead to more car accidents. Construction zones are particularly dangerous places to be with large trucks. According to reports released by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), nearly one fourth of all motor vehicle accident fatalities in construction zones are the result of large truck accidents.
Accidents in construction zones can be very complicated cases to handle. We have represented thousands of motorists hurt by the neglect of others and we may be able to help you.
Mixed Traffic
Although the Baltimore Beltway was begun as a way to connect local suburbs of the city, it was taken over as a major roadway project to serve as a bypass of downtown Baltimore for I-95 traffic traveling up and down the coast. This highlights the conflict between local and national traffic that contributes to accidents on the Baltimore Beltway and Capital Beltway. These roads carry not only the daily load of commuter traffic, but also many large trucks carrying cargo to and from nearby ports of Norfolk and Baltimore. Add to this the tourist traffic, whose drivers are unfamiliar with the area and may act unpredictably, and you have a recipe for an increased risk for accidents. When the road is shared by commercial drivers trying to keep to a tight, potentially unrealistic schedule, commuters who may be bored and distracted or trying to get a jumpstart on work, and tourists trying to navigate the complicated interchanges, there is a high likelihood for dangerous, potentially deadly collisions.
It doesn’t matter whether your accident was in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, D.C. It doesn’t matter whether it was caused by a distracted driver, an aggressive trucker, or a negligent tourist. What matters is the severity of your injuries and how you are going to put your life back together. The personal injury lawyers at Chaikin, Sherman, Cammarata, & Siegel, P.C. can help. Please call or email us today to schedule a free initial consultation.
