Domestic Criminal LawCriminal Traffic Charges

Maryland vehicular manslaughter law defines vehicular manslaughter as causing the death of another person as a result of driving, operating, or controlling a vehicle in a grossly negligent manner. Gross negligence is a higher standard to prove than ordinary negligence. The risk must also be one that a law-abiding citizen under similar circumstances would not take. If the conduct that caused the death was due to negligence, carelessness, or an accident, a person is not grossly negligent and should not be found guilty of vehicular manslaughter.

Factors to consider when determining if a driver’s actions were grossly negligent or merely negligent in a vehicular manslaughter trial include: the area of the accident, I.E., lighting and traffic; the defendant’s speed; evidence of alcohol or drugs; the force of the impact; the damage to the vehicle(s); the presence or absence of skid marks; whether the defendant fled the scene.

Maria’s experience with cross examining accident reconstructionists, police officers and witnesses is essential to the proper defense of vehicular manslaughter, DUI, and reckless driving cases. Car accidents involving serious injuries or deaths will usually be the subject of an accident reconstruction. These accident reconstruction reports are often relied on by prosecutors that may not be as familiar with the techniques and assumptions used by accident reconstructionists to reach their conclusions.

Lawyer Maria Patterson also handles motor vehicle administration hearings that are typically initiated after a licensed driver has been charged with a serious traffic offense. It is important to have a lawyer for the motor vehicle administration hearings to help protect your driving privileges while safeguarding your 5th Amendment privileges as well.

In most manslaughter cases, a personal injury attorney is monitoring the criminal case. Most criminal vehicular manslaughter defendants are unaware that a personal injury lawyer is considering whether to settle the case for the insurance policy or to seek a judgment against the defendant beyond the insurance policy limits . The personal injury attorney will monitor the criminal case to see if the defendant makes an admission against interest or is financially able to contribute to a settlement or pay a judgment.

Annapolis and Bowie lawyer, Maria Patterson, began litigating in 1997 at the oldest law firm in Upper Marlboro.  She spent over a decade of her legal career defending people who were sued by individuals claiming serious injuries in car accidents or premise liability accidents.  As a result of the abundance of her successful trial results, Maria Patterson was recognized as a top 1% car accident lawyer early in her career.  She then went on to become a top trial attorney litigating cases for State Farm.  Less than 10 years after her first jury trial in 1997, she had tried over 100 jury trials, to verdict, as sole counsel.  Maria Patterson handled wrongful death claims and defended many drivers who were alleged to have been reckless and negligent. Vehicular manslaughter cases typically result in personal injury claims. Maria Patterson has cross examined and retained numerous accident reconstruction and toxicology experts that are often called to testify in vehicular manslaughter trials.

Criminal defense attorney Maria Patterson has been selected as a top 100 Maryland super lawyer, a Top 50 Female Super Lawyer and a Top 100 National Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers. She has also received a Top 10 Client Satisfaction award as a criminal defense attorney.

Annapolis and Bowie lawyer, Maria Patterson, handles criminal charges arising out of the use of a vehicle, including vehicular manslaughter in most counties in Maryland.

Bowie and Annapolis lawyer, Maria Patterson, began her legal career as an insurance defense attorney defending people who were sued for injuring others in car accidents. Most of her trial work took place when Maria Patterson was a trial attorney at Sasscer, Clagett & Bucher located in Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s County, Maryland and at the Law Offices of Timothy S. Smith & Associates located in Greenbelt, Maryland. Lawyer Maria Patterson tried over 100 civil jury trials and repeatedly obtained favorable verdicts for those who were alleged to have caused serious injuries as a result of negligent or reckless driving.

Often criminal charges for serious driving offenses involve accidents with serious injuries. Personal injury attorneys will often monitor these criminal cases for admissions against interest. What may appear to be a harmless apology or admission in a criminal case may expose the defendant to significant personal liability. Bowie and Annapolis lawyer Maria Patterson’s extensive experience as a personal injury attorney for plaintiffs and defendants means that she is well suited to protect a criminal defendant from civil liability.

If you have been charged with a serious traffic offense, like reckless driving or manslaughter, please call attorney, Maria Patterson, who handles serious traffic cases, at 301-888-4878 to schedule a consultation at the Bowie or Annapolis offices of Patterson Law.

If you have questions about a potential personal injury claim from a car accident involving reckless driving or negligent driving, please click here. Maria Patterson has been recognized as a Super Lawyer and honored as a Top 1% car accident lawyer due, in part, to her impressive record of favorable jury verdicts. If you or a loved one were injured as a result of car accident, please visit Patterson Law’s Prince George’s Injury lawyers’ website. Passengers in car accidents where reckless driving was involved are usually entitled to compensation for their injuries. Insurance companies will frequently deny these claims if they believe that the passenger was a participant in a drag race, a willing participant in the reckless driving, or assumed the risk of injuries by riding with a driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs.