People’s lives seem to get busier and more hectic as more electronic devices are introduced to supposedly make our lives easier and less stressful. The devices, such as smartphones and touch screen car sound systems, seem to have the opposite effect and contribute to adding stress and creating distractions that increase the chances of being involved in motor vehicle accidents. Such may have been the case in a recent fatal accident in Maryland, near Taneytown.

A man was driving west on Taneytown Pike when his car swerved and hit a guardrail. The car then crossed the yellow line into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a car that was heading east. The accident happened about 2:30 on a recent afternoon between Pleasant Valley Road and Tyrone Road.

The drivers of both vehicles were both transported to area hospitals. The driver of the eastbound car was struck head-on was pronounced dead on arrival. The other driver was transported by helicopter to University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center and his condition is not known. The cause of the accident remains under investigation. The road was closed for more than two hours while police investigated the accident.

Car crashes are a fact of life in today’s society. With ever more cars on Maryland roads and with ever more available distractions the risk of being involved in motor vehicle accidents is always there. A life can end in an instant and the pain caused to the family left behind can be horrific. Nothing can bring the loved one back, but a civil lawsuit against the party deemed responsible may provide compensation for medical costs, final costs and other verifiable losses.