General Motors Sued Over Collision Between Autonomous Vehicle and Motorcycle

General Motors Sued Over Collision Between Autonomous Vehicle and Motorcycle

As my avid blog followers already know, I am a Baltimore Chiropractor with three Chiropractic/rehab clinics in Baltimore, MD. Due to the congested nature of the roads in and around Baltimore, we treat many Baltimore citizens who have suffered from auto accident injuries. Typically these patients present with headaches, neck pain, and back pain. Occasionally these pains radiate from their neck and go down their arm. These symptoms can include radiating pain and/or numbness, tingling, and weakness in the affected extremity. Additionally, we routinely treat patients with sciatica, as they similarly display pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness due to lower back injuries.

I like to skim the headlines for news articles that are likely to impact me and my business. Anytime I see something that relates to autonomous driving and auto accidents I stop in my tracks to read the article. A recent article has surfaced that I find interesting because it has many ramifications on the future of autonomous driving. In past blog posts I have posed the question as to who is ultimately financially responsible if an autonomous vehicle causes a crash? Would it be the manufacturer? The owner of the vehicle?

In what’s thought to be the first lawsuit of its kind, a motorcyclist in San Francisco is suing General Motors, manufacturer of the Chevy Cruise for injuries and pain and suffering stemming from a December 7th collision in which the motorcyclist alleges that the Chevy Cruise changed lanes and knocked the cyclist onto the ground, injuring his neck and shoulder. By the way, we routinely treat patients with neck and shoulder pain so these symptoms would not be shocking to me or the Chiropractors that I work with.

As is the case with any motor vehicle collision or car accident, there are two sides to the story. The motorcyclist reports that he was lane-splitting (riding between two lanes of traffic, which apparently is legal in California) when he reported that the Chevy Cruise left the center lane and attempted to merge into the left lane. He then reports that the Cruise veered back into the lane that he was in, striking him, and causing his motorcycle to wobble before finally hitting the ground and injuring him. It is thought that the speeds during the collision were relatively slow, somewhere between 12-17 mph. As my chiropractors and I are aware injuries can definitely occur even at relatively low rates of speed.

Another interesting twist to the article is that there was a human assistant driver behind the wheel of the Chevy Cruise at the time of the collision. He reportedly tried to take control of the vehicle to avoid impacting the motorcyclist but he was unable to. Will he also be named in the lawsuit? I think its too early to tell.

The police report alleges that the motorcyclist was at fault, stating that the Cruise attempted to merge left, aborted the merge, and then came back into its own lane. It further alleges that the motorcyclist made an unsafe lane change when conditions did not permit it.

First and foremost I hope that the motorcyclist, regardless of who is ultimately at fault for the accident, makes a complete recovery. The more interesting thing that remains to be seen over the next few months is the case-law component. That is, who will the courts find is ultimately responsible for injuries inflicted upon motorcyclists and car passengers when an autonomous vehicle is found to have caused injuries. As soon as I know the answer I’ll be sure to post an update to this blog post.

For now, if you, or someone you know, has been injured as a result of a Baltimore auto accident injury, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to get you back on the road to recovery!

Dr. Gulitz

Maryland Considering Lower Blood Alcohol Levels from .08 to .05

As my avid blog followers are already aware, I am a Baltimore Chiropractor with three Baltimore Chiropractic clinics in Baltimore, MD. The great part about our clinics is that not only do they serve the Baltimore city community, but with our convenient locations are are also accessible to the Baltimore county communities of Catonsville, Arbutus, Halethorpe, Pikesville, and Dundalk. Lately all of these clinics have been seeing an uptick in the number of Baltimore auto accident injury patients that have been injured as a result of drunk drivers. So it got me thinking – what, if anything, are we doing to make the roads safer?

An article I found on WJZ (local CBS affiliate) seems to indicate that law makers are considering decreasing the legal blood alcohol content from .08 to .05. You can see a copy of that link here. Apparently over two billion people in the world are already capped at a max BAC of .05 before they are considered to be driving under the influence. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University state that on American roads there are approximately 10,000 deaths a year that are directly linked to alcohol related drunk driving car accidents, with approximately 1,200 of those occurring within the state of Maryland. That seems like a high proportion of those deaths happening in this state. Between our density of local colleges and our big cities with bars on every corner, it sort of doesn’t surprise me.

In addition to considering lowering the legal limit of BAC, the state is considering increasing taxes on alcohol, limiting the ability of alcohol manufacturers to advertise for their products, and restricting the supply of alcoholic beverages during major events such as sporting events.

To further confuse matters – exactly what would a lower blood alcohol content from .08 to .05 mean to me or you? Can we still have a beer or glass of wine with dinner? How can we tell the impact it will have on our particular bodies with the way that we individually process alcohol?

Personally I think the only acceptable level of consumption of alcohol to get behind the wheel is 0. That is, with the abundance of rideshare apps such as Uber and Lyft, its reasonable to never have to drive having even consumed one alcoholic beverage. I personally would feel safer if there was a “zero tolerance” law around alcohol and driving. But, that’s easy for me to say since I don’t really like drinking. As my friends with legal DUI practices like to remind me, it’s way cheaper to spend ten dollars for an uber ride than it is to spend $5,000 or more on DUI defense. If you unfortunately need to consult with a DUI attorney please contact the law office of Ross Albers here.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured as a result of a Baltimore auto accident due to drunk driving, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at 443-842-5500. We would be happy to see you today in any one of our three Baltimore chiropractic clinics and get you back on the road to recovery.

Dr. Gulitz

Top 10 Causes of Baltimore Auto Accidents

As my avid blog followers are aware, I am a Baltimore Chiropractor with three Chiropractic clinics in Baltimore, MD. We recently opened our Southwest Baltimore clinic, located at 4600 Wilkens Avenue #102, Baltimore, MD 21229. As expected we’ve seen an increase in the number of auto accident injuries early in January. Typically these patients present with a constellation of symptoms including, but not limited to, headaches, neck pain, back pain, arm pain, and leg pain. While my staff and I are more than happy to take care of these patients when they present, it became clear to me that auto accident injuries were on the rise. As such, I wanted to take a look at the top 10 causes of Baltimore auto accidents. So here they are in no particular order:

1. Rain/Snow – The elements definitely play a factor in auto accidents. Posted driving speed limits are meant for “ideal” conditions and not compromised conditions. I know that in my clinics shortly after rain and/or snow we typically see an influx of new auto accident injury patients. Please slow down and allow for more time to brake during rainy or snowy conditions.

2. Aggressive Driving – Many people do not provide adequate distances between them and other motor vehicles. They speed aggressively, they slam their brakes, and they change lanes quickly without engaging a turn signal. Remember when you are on the road other drivers need to be able to predict your behavior so that they can drive safely around you.

3. Drunk Driving – While there is a legal limit for alcohol content, I personally think that even a single alcoholic drink impairs decision making, reaction times, and motor control. With the advent of uber and lyft and other ride share applications, we should really be focusing on decreasing the amount of impaired/drunk driving.

4. Distracted Driving – When was the last time you pulled up to a red light and looked next to you, only to see the other drivers looking down at their cell phones? I’m surprised that billboards event exist anymore because I routinely see other drivers staring down at their laps as they drive. I personally think that this is the biggest threat to safety on the roads right now.

5. Speeding – Just about every driver thinks that they are a “good driver” and that speed limits are merely suggestions. The truth is that speed limits exist to help to keep traffic moving and to help prevent catastrophic injuries. Speeding even 5-10 mph over the posted limit doesn’t actually get you to your location any faster, but they do significantly increase your risk of injury.

6. Inexperienced drivers – As anyone who has been a teenager or who has teenagers can attest, experience is an important teacher when it comes to driving. Auto insurance rates are typically higher for teenagers because they are more likely to take chances or make poor decisions behind the wheel.

7. Road Hazards – Potholes, uneven road surfaces, cracks, and road debris also present a hazard while driving. It can force cars to react abruptly, causing a chain reaction of accident avoidance maneuvers which is dangerous for every other car on the road. These should absolutely be reported to 311 so that the city/county can work on correcting them.

8. Construction Zones – Typically these construction zones are littered with road cones and they force traffic into new patterns that we aren’t expecting. If drivers carry too much speed or are driving while distracted, they can easily crash or harm construction workers. There’s a reason why the speeds and penalties are drastically different in these zones, so please be aware.

9. Animals – This is more for rural areas and less for urban ones. But even in Baltimore I’ve seen deer and foxes that make their way into the roadways. They are usually scared and disoriented. They can dart into and out of traffic suddenly and without warning, causing crashes and aggressive driving.

10. Human Error – Despite driver’s education, yearly reinforcement for insurance purposes, and daily driving simply put we are all human and we make mistakes. As long as humans are the main operators of motor vehicles, there will always be human error, and there will always be auto accidents and injuries.

These top 10 causes of auto accidents in Baltimore are by no means the only reasons for auto accidents. Fortunately my clinics are conveniently located throughout Baltimore to help with the acute rehabilitation of these injuries. If you, or someone you know, has been injured as a result of a Baltimore auto accident injury, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at 443 842 5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz

Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic Set to Open Third Location in Southwest Baltimore In January

It is with great excitement and anticipation that we are announcing the grand opening of our third location on January 02, 2018. Dr. Joshua Levin D.C. and the team of Advanced Correction Chiropractic & Physical Therapy will be joining the Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab family moving forward. Dr. Levin and his team have been providing great quality chiropractic care for headaches, neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, and leg pain for over ten years and now he brings that experience to the Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab family. The move helps to expand Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab’s reach into Southwest Baltimore, Catonsville, Arbutus, and Halethorpe.

For now Dr. Levin’s location will remain the same at 4600 Wilkens Avenue Suite 102, Baltimore, MD 21229. His phone number (410) 737-8193 and office hours will remain unchanged as well. Those hours are as follows:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9a-12p ; 3p-6p
Tuesday: 3p-6p
Thursday: Closed
Saturday: By Appointment
Sunday: Closed

Here is a little bit about Dr. Joshua Levin D.C. for those who don’t yet know anything about him.

Dr. Levin is originally from Westminster, Maryland, to which he returned after achieving a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and a Doctorate in Chiropractic in 2002 from Logan Chiropractic College in St. Louis, MO. He was Valedictorian of his graduating class and received the Award of Excellence from the Department of Radiology at Logan. He also attended Towson University prior to his Chiropractic education in their pre-med program. Dr. Levin is a licensed Chiropractor with Physical Therapy privileges in the state of Maryland. He is a member of the Maryland Chiropractic Association and is on the Board of Directors.  Most recently, Dr. Levin has been certified as a Graston Technique provider which is a myofascial release technique utilized by professional sports therapy staffs.

Dr. Levin likes to focus on the treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders resulting from auto or work injuries, sports injuries or just daily wear and tear. He treats patients of all ages from infants to seniors. He also likes to counsel his patients on the benefits of healthy eating, supplementation, regular exercise and stress reduction. In his office he utilizes several Chiropractic techniques, physical therapy, myofascial release and exercise rehab to get the results that our patients are looking for.

Dr. Levin decided to go into Chiropractic as a profession after being treated as a teenager for back pain resulting from sports injuries. He played competitive baseball and tennis, but recreationally also enjoyed golf, water skiing and snow skiing. As a teenager he began training in martial arts and achieved a level of Second Degree Black Belt in Hapkido. He has traveled around the United States and even Australia teaching self-defense to men, women and children as well as helping to train security and police professionals.

Dr. Levin co-founded Advanced Correction Chiropractic and Physical Therapy in 2003 and is now part of the Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab and Chiropractic family of offices. We service the Catonsville/Arbutus/Southwest Baltimore communities and get involved with the community whenever possible.

When he is not at work, Dr. Levin enjoys watching sports ( football, baseball and golf), cooking, and spending time with his amazing wife of 10 years Laise and their two children Alexander and Bellamy.

So please join me in extending a warm welcome to Dr. Levin and his team as they help to enhance the Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic family of offices in southwest Baltimore. Be on the look out for an updated website with updated contact information for this newest clinic. Good news for existing patients of Dr. Levin: nothing will change. He will still be in the office to continue to serve you as if nothing has changed. We look forward to working together for many years to come.

Dr. Gulitz

Auto Insurance Rates Are Rising – Why? And What Can We Do About It?

As my avid blog followers are already aware, I am a Baltimore Chiropractor with two (soon to be three) Baltimore Chiropractic clinics. We routinely treat patients with predominately headaches, neck pain, and back pain. About half of these patients present to our offices due to acute Baltimore auto accident injuries. Many have whiplash symptoms and they require intervention to help get them back to pre-injury status. I spend my time on the internet looking for news and stories that impact these patients since they make up much of my practice. I stumbled across a story that confirms what we’ve all been experiencing – that auto insurance rates are rising. So it got me wondering why that was happening and what we can do to counteract the rising rates.

So let’s start at the beginning. Auto insurance rates are going up for a number of reasons. For one, the economy is good. More people have jobs compared to years ago, which means that by in large, more people are commuting to and from work. This leads to more road congestion and then more crashes. Auto insurers (AllState, StateFarm, Erie, etc.) need to charge increased premiums too offset having more claims and more money to pay out those claims. So they are passing that increase in their cost along to you and me, the consumers.

There’s also distracted driving. As we’ve discussed in past blog posts, people are busy texting, snapping, periscoping, facebooking, tweeting, selfie-ing and doing just about anything other than driving and focusing on the road. This leads to many more injuries due to distracted driving. This also causes insurance rates to go up. Keep in mind – human error has always been a contributor to fatal an non-fatal auto accidents in Baltimore and elsewhere, but having more electronics behind the wheel causes more distraction and ultimately does lead to more accidents.

Finally, the cost to repair people and cars have gone up. As cars have become more technologically advanced the cost to repair damaged vehicles has gone up. And you guessed it- those increases are being passed along to you, the consumer. Additionally, as injuries have gone up, so have the number of ambulance rides to the hospital, the number of x-rays, and the number of medical interventions/treatments that people require after an injury.

Like just about everything in life, the costs are going up. So what smart steps can we take to try and reduce our premiums (without unnecessarily diminishing our coverage)?

1. Use months such as December to re-quote your insurance. If you stick with one particular insurer they aren’t likely to get you the best rates year after year. Consider shopping your policy to see if you can save money. You’ll find that you typically can. Additionally, call your existing insurer and ask if you qualify for any discounts on your account. One such way to qualify for a discount is to bundle insurance. If you have your renters/home owner’s policy with the same insurer as your auto policy you can typically save a hefty percentage compared to having two separate policies.

2. If you drive a small amount (just to church and back) consider asking for a discount. Some carriers will discount your rate for lesser driving distances.

3. See if your insurer offers discounts for defensive driving courses. While these courses are boring and eat up typically a whole weekend, they do help to remind us of how we SHOULD be driving, and typically they come with a premium decrease for auto insurance.

4. Try and improve your credit – so much of your rate is credit dependent. If you are able to raise your credit score you can save lots of money a month for the same coverage. So pay down those credit cards and run your credit reports to make sure there are no false charges – your rates can improve significantly just by doing thos.

5. DO NOT cut coverage in an attempt to save money. All too often people just get “the cheapest thing available” in order to get their cars on the road. What they later find out is that their coverage limits are insufficient to handle a claim. Do not make this mistake. Speak to someone you trust and get a sense as to what policy limits would be beneficial to carry given your financial holdings and your car’s value.

Did you know that you can speak to both captive agents (those who work for one company) and non-captive agents (those that can quote multiple companies at once to get you the best price)? Don’t be afraid to ask us or your friends where they buy their insurance. You could be wasting money unnecessarily by spending too much.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured in a Baltimore auto accident, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic. We’ll be happy to have your back on the road to recovery.

Dr. Gulitz