Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

There’s a sadness that accompanies any traffic accident in which a child is injured or killed. In the first place, many automobile accidents could be prevented. In the second place, youngsters are so innocent that we as parents want to shield them from any pain or suffering. A passenger car or commercial trucking accident is a violent assault on that innocence.

As Baltimore personal injury lawyers, I and my legal team understand the difficult emotional time that a family may experience after their child is hurt in a traffic collision. We all cringe when we see kids on bikes mixing with motor vehicles, but the result of an actual crash is always a shock.

According to a news article, a young boy from Queen Anne's County was struck by a car while he was cycling in Stevensville on a Sunday night. Based on police reports, the accident happened around 9pm on Thompson Creek Road, just in front of a Food Lion supermarket.

The police reports indicated that the driver of the car, 23-year-old Tara Riley, had missed the turn for the food store. Police stated that Riley then pulled onto the shoulder of the roadway so that she could turn into the next entrance. At that moment the bicycle rider was riding against traffic and boy, who reportedly was wearing dark clothing, was hit head-on by the vehicle.

Although the teenage was wearing a helmet, he treated by emergency responders and then taken to Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore where he was listed in critical condition. The driver of the car was unhurt in the accident. At the time of the report, Maryland State Police were asking for any eyewitnesses to come forward with additional information.

Police Beat: Bicycle Hit, HometownAnnapolis.com, September 24, 2010

Nothing can bring back a loved one who has been killed in a senseless automobile accident, or taken by a bullet from a criminal’s gun. As a Maryland personal injury attorney, I’ve seen first-hand the torment that victim’s families experience in the wake of an untimely death. Whether caused by the negligence of a passenger car driver, the operator of an 18-wheeler, or a seasoned criminal, the anger and pain seems to never quite go away.

For the victims of fatal motorcycle accidents, their families are always left wondering what if. What if he didn’t go for a ride that afternoon? What if he stayed the night instead of heading home after dark? What if it was someone else behind the wheel of the car who hit him? None of these questions can be answered to anyone’s satisfaction. But still the second-guessing continues.

Not long ago eight victims of violent crime and motor vehicle accidents met in Baltimore to share their stories of grief and frustration with each other and cities officials. According to one report, the group included residents of Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Harford, Cecil and Howard counties. Families and victims alike told their stories in front of a panel at Long Reach High School. It was the second of several such regional meetings being held statewide.

Based on the news article, one couple recounted the death of their son who was killed in a fatal car-motorcycle accident in Ellicott City by a drunk driver. According to reports, James and Joan Sullivan have since relocated to West Virginia, but they drive four hours to be at the forum.

According to the husband, their 42-year-old son Jay was thrown 100 feet from his motorcycle after being struck by a passenger vehicle at St. John's Lane and US 40. The Sullivans blamed a number of careless and insensitive errors that reportedly occurred following their son’s tragic death. Because of a reported technicality, the parents said the motorist was never charged in their son’s death despite the fact that she was allegedly drunk at the time of the accident.

Some of the mistakes, said Sullivan, included them finding out that Jay’s body had been taken to an organ donor center even though he never registered as a donor. Further errors included the hospital listing three separate times of death for their deceased son, and the hospital staff’s transporting the lifeless corpse down to radiology for an X-ray.

According to the news, the drunk driver only received a ticket for negligent driving, despite Sullivan’s alleged claims that she had a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of 0.29 percent -- three times Maryland’s legal limit for DUI. However, because the woman paid the traffic ticket, the state's attorney's office told the Sullivans that she couldn't be charged with anything else in the incident.

Representatives on the panel included Baltimore State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott D. Shellenberger; Howard County Police Chief William McMahon and Howard County State's Attorney Dario Broccolino; as well as six other officials from state and local government.

Crime victims share stories of grief, frustration with legal system, BaltimoreSun.com, August 26, 2010

I’ve spoken here before of the danger that is posed to bike riders every day in our city streets and rural country roads. Maryland provides cycling enthusiasts with a wonderful venue for sport and recreation, but when it comes to cycling on public roads, riders everywhere must be vigilant. As a Baltimore personal injury attorney, I have read the stories of bicyclists who have been hurt, permanently injured or who have died senselessly at the hands of thoughtless or inattentive motorists.

But another danger exists, one which many riders may already know, but which nobody ever expects until it happens to them. I’m speaking of the real threat posed by those who steal manhole covers in Baltimore, such as Annapolis, Frederick and the District. Though it may be portrayed comically in old movies, there is nothing funny about having your bike’s front wheel fall into a two-foot wide hole at 20mph or more.

According to the news, scrap metal thieves have targeted these heavy cast-iron discs even though the value on a per piece basis only about 10 dollars. Although manhole covers weigh in excess of 100 pounds, people strapped for cash are still willing to try and lift them. But the void left behind could be extremely dangerous for bicycle riders and motorcyclists alike.

Injuries such as traumatic head injury, spinal injury, cuts, bruises and broken bones are just the tip of the iceberg. Riding into an open manhole can be deadly, especially at higher speeds. Where a passenger car or commercial truck may only suffer extensive mechanical damage the occupants of these larger motor vehicles will likely escape with only minor injuries, if any, cyclists and bikers are a different story.

Based on reports earlier this summer, the city of Baltimore found 17 of them missing on one particular Tuesday in July. That discovery was the city’s largest manhole-cover theft in the past four years, according to the Baltimore Department of Public Works.

While some were stolen from grassy areas, others came from locations on public roadways. While the cost to the city is relatively small, according to the article, the level of danger from an open manhole is quite high.

Not only can such a situation kill or maim a motorcyclist or bicycle rider, the cost to a family who might lose a bread winner in the process can be devastating. Negligence like this, the kind that can result in the death of an innocent person, is unacceptable and reprehensible. We can only hope that in the future, acts like these will lessen as the economy begins to improve and people find other means to make a living. Meanwhile, be aware of the potential hazards on the road and stay safe.

City replaces 17 stolen manhole covers stolen for scrap, ABC2News.com, July 22, 2010

Bulky manhole covers yield thieves little payoff, BaltimoreSun.com, July 22, 2010

Cyclists in Annapolis, Baltimore, Columbia and everywhere else across our state can possibly breath a little easier now that the state’s three-foot rule is law. As a Maryland personal injury lawyer representing victims of bicycle-related traffic accidents, I know that several feet may not seem like a lot to some people, but ask most any cyclist and you’ll find they appreciate the extra margin of safety that this new law hopes to provide.

That’s not to say that we have now eliminated any chance of bicycle-related injuries as a result of a car, SUV, pickup or commercial delivery truck accident. Let there be no mistake, cycling enthusiasts and bicycles in general have not become invincible, but they have gained a little more respect on the road, at least in the eyes of the law. Head and spinal injuries, not to mention broken bones, cuts and bruises are all potential injuries when a bike is struck by a car or truck.

According to news articles, it’s been decades since the original “share the road” signs began to appear across the state, reminding Maryland motorists to be mindful of pedal-powered commuters on our public roadways. With the latest law taking effect, that reminder now has some teeth -- driver that ignore the three-foot rule could face a fine of up to $500 if they are caught. But will this help reduce fatal car-bike accidents?

The new law, which took effect on October 1, provides more exacting definition of what is acceptable when motor vehicles and bicycles meet on our ever more crowded roads. By now, everyone has heard stories of nerve-shaking close encounters that cyclists have long endured when riding around on urban, and even rural, streets and roadways.

Based on reports, more than 600 cyclists died across the nation in 2009. A sobering 51,000 bike riders were injured in car and truck accidents last year as well. Here in Maryland, 11 cyclers were killed in collisions on state roads in 2009, and that represented an increase over the previous year.

Sadly these statistics have been rising as more and more recreational cyclists as well as two-wheel commuters have increased in number -- all encouraged by the newly established bicycle lanes, which unfortunately have also added to the frustration level of automobile drivers and engendered in some drivers active aggression against cyclists. One can only hope that this new law will make drivers think about and watch for those lesser protected road users.

New bike law takes effect in Md., WashingtonPost.com, September 30, 2010

If anyone thinks that bicycle riders are completely safe as they travel the city streets of Baltimore, Annapolis, the District, or any other large urban area across Maryland, think again. While much has been done to improve riders’ safety, the fact remains: When motorists and cyclists are constantly sharing the same public roadways, the potential for bike-car accidents exists as does the possibility of injuries and even fatalities.

As a Maryland injury lawyer, I and my colleagues understand the dangers that cycling enthusiasts face every day across our state and even in the nation’s capital. Washington, D.C., has its share of bicycle riders and, hence, it’s share of bicycle accidents. A discussion on the pluses and minuses of bicycle and rider safety caught our eye not long ago, which addresses some of the concerns out there.

According to the article, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association’s Shane Farthing answered a barrage of questions from concerned riders and other citizens. In particular a question came regarding whether or not the police would be doing anything more to prosecute motorists who hit bike riders, much less commercial trucks that occasionally kill cyclists.

Farthing responded that over the past couple years he knew of no significant steps taken by the police to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety. He said that the WABA was stepping up its outreach efforts to the police agencies by trying to open a dialog between law enforcement and the association.

Additionally, he reportedly said that the group would like to see existing traffic laws enforced more vigorously -- apparently the group is considering some ways to advocate for the cycling community by educating police officers on the issues and perhaps help to improve the situation. Other laws, he added, the WABA would really like to see changed altogether, such as abolishing the contributory negligence standard and replacing it with a comparative negligence standard, which would be more in line with the rest of the country.

Sadly, however, Farthing believes that things, at least in this region of the country, have a long way to go before people will see any major improvement in cyclist and pedestrian safety.

WABA's Shane Farthing answers the rest of your questions, GreaterGreaterWashington.org, August 6, 2010