Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

A teenager riding his bike on Maryland Route 108 in Elkridge was struck and killed by a passing motorist. Fatal accidents involving bicycles and other two-wheelers happen frequently in the warmer months. Any time a young person loses his or her life it is a tragic event, not only for the family and friends of the victim, but for the community as well. Being a Maryland personal injury lawyer with experience in representing victims of car-bicycle accidents I’ve seen the terrible results of such events.

The recent accident that took the life of a 16-year-old boy happened near Lark Brown Road in Elkridge, MD. Young Benjamin Wortman was cycling eastbound on Route 108 just after midnight on Friday, August 28. Wortman was hit from behind by an eastbound Nissan Altima driving by Aaron Jacob Lorsong of West Friendship, MD. According to news reports, the boy was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. Wortman died from his injuries the following day.

Officers arriving at the scene of the collision noticed a strong odor of alcohol on the 26-year-old driver’s breath as well as slurred speech and a flushed face. As a result, Lorsong was given several field sobriety tests, which he performing poorly. According to police reports, upon searching his person, officers discovered two small plastic zip-lock bags containing heroin.

Lorsong, who was uninjured in the crash, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, causing a life-threatening injury while driving under the influence of alcohol, and possession of heroin. The man was released Friday from the Howard County Detention Center after posting $100,000 bond, but that was before the Elkridge youth died at the hospital.

In Maryland, vehicular manslaughter charges are equivalent to murder charges, which may be treated as a felony. Such a crime is punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison, as well as an additional 2 to 3 years if the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident. The driver who allegedly killed the teenager may end up facing years in jail for his mistakes.

Furthermore, it is not uncommon for victims’ families to pursue civil suits to recover for damages resulting from the loss of a loved one. Potential damages include those of psychological counseling and other expenses. An experienced personal injury attorney has the knowledge to assist victims or their families after tragic events such as this.

Elkridge cyclist, 16, dies after being hit by car, ExploreHoward.com, September 1, 2009

Whether you ride a Harley, Yamaha, Honda or any one of the vast array of motorcycles out there, you know how liberating these machines can be. However, you probably also know that these vehicles can be widow-makers when operated under the wrong circumstances. The incidence of motorcycle accidents, as reported last month, is expected to increase in 2009 due to the poor economy and the increase in use of more fuel-efficient two-wheeled transportation. As a Maryland motorcycle accident lawyer, my firm handles a large number of injury and accidental death claims involving bikes.

Although many accidents are the result of another person’s negligence, sometimes speed can contribute to the severity of a crash, which is particularly dangerous for the motorcycle rider. This is the case for the following three bike accidents which occurred in and around Maryland.

Columbia, Maryland
One rider was killed and another critically injured just a few days ago when the motorcycles they were riding collided on Maryland Route 100. According to Howard County police, the accident happened in the late afternoon near Snowden River Parkway on the westbound side of Route 100.

Sadly, a 41-year-old rider, Ronal Wayne Parker Jr. of Mitchellville, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other motorcyclist, Vincent Williams, 39, of Catonsville was air-lifted by Maryland State Police Medivac to University of Maryland Shock Trauma. Reports indicate that following the collision, one of the motorcycles continued briefly and struck a guardrail, which threw the rider from the bike.

Although police are still investigating the accident, a number of causes are possible, including rider error or defective equipment, each of which could have played a part in the accident.

Springfield, Virginia
Virginia State Police reported a fatal motorcycle accident that occurred on a Saturday morning early in August. The accident happened at 3 a.m. on Interstate 495 about three-quarters of a mile north of I-95. Authorities had to shut down the southbound lanes of I-495 for about six hours until emergency crews and police completed their work at the crash scene.

Based on news reports, police received calls that two motorcycles were traveling at high rates of speed along the interstate. An eye witness apparently saw one of the motorcycle riders pass a dump truck, then moments later the second motorcycle struck the back of the dump truck. That bike was subsequently hit by a 2005 Honda Civic killing 21-year-old Christopher M. Ford of Gainesville, Virginia.

The first motorcycle operator, 23-year-old Wendell Howard, Jr. of Manassas, was charged with reckless driving and failure to have a valid motorcycle endorsement. Police did not know at the time if alcohol was a factor in the crash.

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