Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Bicycle accidents, both fatal and non-life-threatening, have become more frequent as the warmer weather has drawn more and more cyclists out onto public roadways. Sharing the road is great in theory, but it takes the active participation of all parties. When motor vehicles and pedal-powered two-wheelers tangle it’s almost always the bicycle rider who gets hurt, or worse, killed. As Maryland bicycle accident attorneys, my staff has experience in the area of bicycle and pedestrian injury accidents.

Particularly in cities as vibrant as Baltimore, MD, bike riding is both a healthy way to exercise and a eco-friendly and low-cost method of transportation. Danger does exist and every bicyclist knows that the smallest mistake can result in serious injury or even death. Car, bus, taxi and delivery truck drivers also need to be especially vigilant during the summer months for cyclists traveling in urban traffic situations.

Not long ago an all-too-familiar and sadly reminiscent scene played out in a Worchester County courtroom. The hearing involved a 35-yearold Berlin motorist pleading guilty to manslaughter in the case of a June 2009 hit-and-run incident. According to news reports, Daniel Matthew Bren was driving along a Route 50 bridge when his vehicle struck two bicyclists in the roadway. The driver then left the scene of the accident, which left one cyclist dead and a second injured following that bicycle-automobile collision.

During the hearing, Bren reportedly struck an agreement with local prosecutors and pleaded guilty to negligent manslaughter by automobile, as well as to leaving the scene of an accident. A number of other charges that had also been brought against the man, including driving under the influence, were apparently dropped by prosecutors in exchange for the guilty plea in district court.

The presiding judge, Gerald Purnell, ordered a pre-sentencing investigation and remanded Bren into the custody of the Worcester County Jail. The judge said Bren could be in jail four to six months while that investigation is conducted. In Maryland, vehicular manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison. Leaving the scene of an accident with injuries calls for a one-year maximum sentence.

Man pleads guilty to OC hit-and-run, DelmarvaNow.com, April 20, 2010

Few can deny that motorcycles have their appeal. On one hand they offer a feeling of freedom. On the other hand, they certainly can be dangerous. This is why some motorcycle owners describe riding a bike as an exercise in risk management. One of the biggest risks for bikers here in Maryland — regardless of whether they own a Honda, Kawasaki or Harley Davidson — is the potential for severe injury or even death as a result of a traffic accident.

As a Baltimore motorcycle accident lawyer, I’ve met many motorcyclists and they all share an undying passion for riding, for the open road. Each person deals with the inherent risks in his or her own way. Sadly, however, all bikers face some formidable dangers in the guise of passenger cars, family minivans and commercial trucks. From being side-swiped by a distracted driver to catching a thrown tread off a poorly maintained semi tractor-trailer, the prospect of receiving cuts, bruises, broken bones and road rash looks downright sunny next to the dead-end alternative a fatal high-speed crash with another, larger motor vehicle.

Not long ago, two riders died in separate accidents on the same Friday evening here in Maryland. One could say it was a fluke, but with the number of motorcycle enthusiasts on the road these days, a more cynical person would suggest it was simply inevitable. In each of these cases — one in Joppa, MD, and the other in Hanover — the accidents involved questionable riding behavior on the part of each rider. Both motorcycle accidents involved a collision with an automobile.

According to news reports, the accident in Joppa occurred around 7pm on Friday on Joppa Farm Road near Foster Knoll Road. Harford County Sheriff's deputies responded to an accident involving a 2009 Yamaha motorcycle and a 2010 Toyota Corolla. Apparently, 20-year-old Karl Michael Kunz had been traveling north passing vehicles at high rates of speed in a no passing zone when he struck a Toyota Corolla which had started to cross Joppa Farm Road westbound from Foster Knoll Road.

Police reports show that Kunz was ejected from the bike after striking the Toyota’s driver-side door. The Toyota ended up striking a tree and nearby street sign before coming to a stop. Police reports showed that Kunz was taken to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

The second crash involved a 2004 Suzuki GSX R 600 that ran a red light and hit a 1992 Nissan 300 ZX. Police reports indicated that 25-year-old Gustin Samuel Page was heading westbound on his Suzuki along Dorsey Road at about 6pm when a the Nissan made a left turn from Candlewood Road onto eastbound Dorsey Road. Page apparently couldn't slow down for the red light, causing him to hit the passenger car on the left-hand side.

Page was taken to Baltimore Washington Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The Nissan’s driver, Norman Walter Faber Jr., 52, of Churchton, also was taken to BWMC with injuries that were not life-threatening. Witnesses told police Page was driving recklessly and speeding before the crash, including riding on the rear wheel of the motorcycle.

Motorcyclist Killed In Joppa, WJZ.com, April 27, 2010

Man Killed In Motorcycle Accident In Hanover, WJZ.com, April 27, 2010

Cycle accidents were on the rise earlier this spring as many bikers and other motorcycle enthusiasts hit the interstates and rural roads at the first sign of warm weather. Calvert County experienced the third of southern Maryland’s serious motorcycle crashes late on a Saturday evening in April when a husband and wife where injured in a single-bike wreck.

The accident took place on Bowie Shop road, near Lowery Road in Huntington, MD. According to reports, the couple had been traveling westbound through Calvert County just before midnight when for some reason their 2007 Harley Davidson entered the westbound shoulder of the roadway. According to police at the scene, 43-year-old Flint Duffey was piloting the vehicle with his wife, Tracy, seated on the back. (It was unknown at the time whether or not the accident was cuased by rider error or defective vehicle equipment.)

The husband apparently steered to the left and applied brakes in order to avoid leaving the pavement; however he lost control of the motorcycle, which apparently laid over and slid on its side across the roadway. Both riders were reportedly ejected from the motorcycle, which came to rest following a collision with the eastbound guardrail.

As we’ve said here before, regardless of whether you ride a cruiser, standard or so-called crotch-rocket, motorcycle crashes can result in serious injuries depending on the nature of the crash and whether or not another motor vehicle, such as a passenger car or commercial truck, is involved in the traffic accident. Head trauma is always a possibility, though helmet use can improve a rider’s chances of severe injury or possible death.

In this instance, no other vehicles were involved and the Duffeys survived the crash with non-life-threatening injuries. Emergency responders arriving at the scene treated the couple, who were then transported to the Prince George's Shock Trauma by Maryland State Police helicopters. They were both listed in stable condition at the time of the news report, and police were still investigating whether alcohol or prescription drugs use was a factor.

Two Injured in Calvert Motorcycle Crash, SoMD.com, April 5, 2010

A Washington, D.C., cyclist and well-known reporter for Science Magazine was struck and tragically killed by a five-ton National Guard transport vehicle being used to block a D.C. intersection for an approaching motorcade. The accident happened not far from the site of a Nuclear Security Summit being held in the Capital. The victim, 68-year-old Constance Holden of Northwest Washington, was pronounced dead at the scene. She reportedly was heading home from her office at the end of the work day.

Living and working in the Baltimore area, I and the other Maryland injury lawyers at our office know that bicycles make up a percentage of vehicular traffic in Maryland, Virginia and the District. As tragic as this bicycle accident was, it’s not the only one and sadly will not be the last.

Bicycle and motorcycle crashes, whether caused by the driver of a passenger vehicle or commercial truck, can be serious at best; fatal at worst. Like the one reported here, the odds of a rider being killed by a large motor vehicle are quite high. For those who survive such encounters, bodily injuries can range from cuts and bruises to broken bones and traumatic head or spine injury. Hospital costs for such extensive injuries can run in the tens of thousands of dollars.

In this particular case, a motorcade was on its way through the D.C. streets at the same time that many commuters were heading home from work. Among them, Holden was on her bike just after 6pm as she attempted to cross the intersection of 12th Street and New York Avenue. According to news accounts, a police officer told her to move back. As she did so, one of two National Guard trucks struck the woman.

Witnesses said that the height of the large trucks made visibility difficult. However, there reportedly was a ground guide on foot working to direct the larger vehicles, but that individual apparently missed the impending collision.

The D.C. National Guard reportedly has been part of the security contingent for motorcades such as the one that day, however at the time of this accident this was reportedly the largest gathering of world leaders in the city to date, which may have contributed to the potential for tragedy. The commanding general in charge said that there had never been a deadly accident such as this in the past.

Holden, also a talent artist in her private life, had been a reporter for Science since 1970, according to a statement from the journal's publisher, the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Among her awards was one from the National Mental Health Association for stories she wrote in 2003 on new developments in understanding and treating schizophrenia, depression and other mental health issues.

Bicyclist Killed in Collision With Guard Vehicle, MyFoxDC, April 13, 2010