Severna Park Maryland Legal Blog

How to stop distracted driving

On behalf of KMA Law Office on Sunday, April 5, 2020.

Distracted driving is the cause of a huge percentage of car accidents across the country, and, tragically, many people die each year because drivers were not focusing on the road. Due to increased attention paid to technology and the presence of phone addiction, unfortunately, the cases of distracted driving accidents continue to increase.

If you are worried about getting involved in a car accident as a result of distracted driving, it is paramount that you understand the different types of distracted driving. The following is an overview of the different ways that you can become distracted while driving.

Car accident claims lives, leaves 1 critical

On behalf of KMA Law Office posted in personal injury on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

Recovering from a traumatic event can take time. If a person is seriously injured in a car accident or loses a loved one in a crash, gaining some semblance of normalcy after such an event can seem impossible at first. Though many people can find ways to move on in these circumstances, it can have life-altering effects.

Multiple parties may be working through their physical and emotional difficulties after a recent crash in Maryland. According to reports, the incident involved one vehicle that was carrying three people. The car apparently left the roadway and collided with a tree that was in the median. At the time of the report, it was unclear what may have caused the accident, but speed was being considered a factor.

When estate planning, consider power of attorney documents

On behalf of KMA Law Office posted in estate planning on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.

Many Maryland residents consider themselves the one in charge. They may be a parent or another type of authority figure and feel comfortable making decisions in difficult situations. However, even decision-makers can need someone else to make decisions for them, which is why it is important to include a power of attorney document when estate planning.

A power of attorney document allows the principal, or person making the appointment, to name an agent, or the appointed person, to act on his or her behalf. The agent can make decisions regarding health care, finances or legal details. Having someone appointed to this role can be immensely useful if the principal cannot make decisions for him or herself for some reason. Often, incapacitation is a cause for the agent to take over.

Maryland car accident involving teen has difficult outcomes

On behalf of KMA Law Office posted in personal injury on Thursday, March 12, 2020.

Young people are often excited to get their driver's license, but if they do not commit to paying attention to the road and being safe drivers, a car accident could happen at any moment. Unfortunately, many crashes involving teens happen every year, and those incidents often have devastating outcomes. Injuries can occur and lives can be lost.

It was recently reported that a two-vehicle accident in Maryland involved a 17-year-old driver and a 48-year-old driver. Apparently, the teen was heading east when, for unknown reasons, his vehicle failed to maintain the correct lane and crossed over into the opposite lane of travel. As a result, his vehicle was hit by an SUV traveling west.

Recognize hazards that could pose risks to workers' eyes

On behalf of KMA Law Office posted in workers' compensation on Friday, March 6, 2020.

Most people consider their eyes an important part of their body. As a result, workers want to protect their eyes as much as possible while on the job. Of course, many professions pose serious hazards to eyes and eyesight, so it is smart to recognize hazards and how to prevent injuries.

One way that Maryland workers can understand possible hazards is by assessing their work environment. Individuals who work with machinery or tools, chemicals, shards of glass, metal shavings, splinters, or other objects that could become airborne or slip and strike someone in the eye face serious hazards. Even if individuals have worked in the same occupation for years, it is important to remember that an injury could befall anyone at any time, no matter how many years of experience they have.

Setting up trusts: Do you need one in your estate plan?

On behalf of KMA Law Office on Wednesday, March 4, 2020.

You've been looking into starting work on your estate plan, but you're not entirely sure what you should include in it. One of the things you've seen mentioned before is a trust. You had been under the impression that all trusts were the same, but after looking at websites about them, you feel overwhelmed.

The reality is that there are many kinds of trusts that you might benefit from. The two main categories of trusts include revocable and irrevocable trusts. The names explain what they are fairly well. If you choose a revocable trust, you can revoke it at any time. If you choose an irrevocable trust, it is not revocable once you set it up.

Workers' compensation likely needed after crash injures worker

On behalf of KMA Law Office posted in workers' compensation on Thursday, February 27, 2020.

Construction workers can work in various types of environments, each having their own risks and hazards. Some workers may need to carry out tasks at significant heights that could put them in danger of injuries from a fall. Others may work at ground level but be at risk of being hit by passing vehicles or having objects fall on them. In any environment, construction is a risky profession that could put people in need of workers' compensation.

Unfortunately, one Maryland worker was seriously injured while on the job. Recent reports indicated that the individual was carrying out construction duties on Interstate 95 when the worker was hit by a vehicle. The worker was apparently the victim of a car accident that involved four vehicles. At the time of the report, it was unclear what exactly caused the incident.

Maryland car accident leads to serious injuries, fatality

On behalf of KMA Law Office posted in personal injury on Thursday, February 20, 2020.

Some people may enjoy driving late at night because there are fewer vehicles on the road. However, even with less traffic, the chance still exists that a serious car accident could occur. Night-time driving presents different hazards than driving during the day, including limited visibility, so the dangers of driving are still high.

It was recently reported that a late-night accident in Maryland resulted in multiple injuries and one fatality. The incident involved two vehicles and occurred when a northbound vehicle attempted to make a left turn and collided with a southbound vehicle. The collision caused the southbound vehicle to travel off of the roadway and hit a carport attached to an unoccupied home. That vehicle caught fire, and firefighters responded to the scene. The fire did not reach the home itself.

Estate planning could help avoid adult guardianship

On behalf of KMA Law Office posted in estate planning on Thursday, February 13, 2020.

It is common for people to think about young children when they think about guardianships. However, some older individuals may also need guardians if they face mental decline or other issues that lead to an inability to make certain decisions for themselves. Fortunately, estate planning can help address this issue, but if Maryland residents do not plan thoroughly, they could overlook this important matter.

It may be worthwhile for individuals to consider setting up living trusts in efforts to avoid guardianships. If a person loses the ability to make decisions for him or herself, the court could appoint a guardian to make those decisions. On the other hand, if someone sets up a living trust and appoints a successor trustee, that trustee can take over in the event of incapacitation or incompetence.

Welders may need workers' compensation after exposure to hazards

On behalf of KMA Law Office posted in workers' compensation on Friday, February 7, 2020.

Many Maryland residents likely think of welding workers as tough. They certainly must be to work in such difficult conditions, but it is important to recognize that being tough does not mean they are immune to injuries. In fact, they face many hazards that could lead to work-related injuries and a need for workers' compensation.

Because welders work with extreme heat, it is likely no surprise that fires, explosions and burns are all substantial risks that these workers face. In fact, of the 370 lost-time injuries reported in 2018, one-third of those injuries were thermal or heat burns. Though there are regulations for completing work that produces heat, sparks or flames, there is a chance that a fire or explosion could occur, which can have harrowing outcomes.