Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Sometimes it seems like things can’t get any worse following a severe traffic accident. But whether it’s a car, motorcycle or trucking-related crash, there are instances where things can and do get worse some time down the road; occasionally months or years after the initial car or bike collision is but a hazy, yet painful memory.

As a Baltimore motorcycle injury lawyer, I and my colleagues understand how injuries sustained following a tragic traffic wreck can continue to trouble an individual both medically and financially all thought his or her lifetime. Such can be the case with injuries that affect the brain and spinal column.

Especially in cases involving traumatic brain injury (TBI), a person can suffer ill effects for years following a motorcycle or car crash. There are few maladies worse than those caused by a closed head injury. The complete or partial lose of motor function, speech problems and permanent memory loss, just to name a few, can each be a life altering affect of a single traffic accident.

Traumatic brain injury has also been known to alter an individual’s personality and even basic behavior and moral compass, according to some experts. Not long ago an article appeared discussing how one 38-year-old victim of TBI became entangled in his local criminal justice system following his injuries.

In this case, the man already had mental health issues as a young adult, with occasional marijuana use and weekend drinking. The article goes on to explain that he experimented with cocaine and amphetamines, yet never used them habitually. However, when he was 26 years old he was involved in a low-speed motorcycle accident. The crash reportedly left him briefly unconscious for about an hour.

Once he regained consciousness, there didn’t seem to be any obvious problems save for a broken arm. But over the next few years, the man began to exhibit more risky behavior, which involved an increased use of drugs and speeding on his motorcycle. At 29, while working for a construction company, the man reportedly fell three stories and sustained a much more severe TBI.

Continue reading " Maryland Injury Accident Update: Motorcycle, Bicycle-related Head Injuries can Lead to Serious Problems Later On " »

Following a car-scooter crash that injured Maryland football player Pete DeSouza on the University of Maryland campus, some people are asking whether the increase in scooter use on college campuses could lead to an increase in injury accidents among university students. As Baltimore motorcycle accident lawyers, we would also ask if the savings in time getting from one side of school to other is worth the added risk to life and limb.

According to news reports, DeSouza suffered severe injuries as a result of a traffic accident last fall caused when a passenger car turned directly in front of the 310-pound offensive lineman's scooter. Based on reports, DeSouza was headed back from study hall on the evening of October when the crash occurred, resulting in the man receiving two broken legs, which required numerous surgeries that will likely lay him up for six months or more.

It appears that DeSouza could have suffered other, more severe injuries to his head or brain had the backpack he was wearing not protected his head from direct impact with the pavement after he was thrown from the scooter that evening. Following the accident, the University Senate began debate on whether or not scooter riders be required to wear helmets when traveling on campus -- right now, helmets are not required for those who rider scooters on public roads.

Crashes like DeSouza’s can result in tragic results. Serious spinal damage as well as traumatic brain injury are relatively common in scooter, bicycle and motorcycle traffic accidents. Because most other motor vehicle are larger and heavier than a tiny scooter, it is not uncommon to see a rider killed during a severe car crash.

The argument for using scooters would seem to have many supporters, at least on the University of Maryland campus, which occupies more than 1,200 acres. For a student like DeSousa, a cross-campus walk takes about 15 or 20 minutes; taking a scooter cuts that transit time down to about six minutes. As many have said, for those students who already have tight schedules and extra 15 minutes here or there would be welcome for any number of tasks, like study, eating or catching up on notes with other classmates.

Efficiency and economy are big draws, but the “cool” factor is another significant appeal of these small-displacement motor scooters. With some scooters selling at around $600 for a base model, college administrators around the country claim that these cheap modes of transport are now popping up like weeds on campuses all over.

Maryland football player Pete DeSouza's scooter accident raises safety concerns on college campuses, WashingtonPost.com, November 5, 2010

Looking forward, and at this point we’d say rather far forward, to spring and the new riding season, motorcyclists will at some point be getting back on the road. When that time comes, there will likely be some more intrepid riders heading out early. Whether you ride a Yamaha, Harley, Honda or Suzuki, when the next clear and warm riding day arrives bikes will start to make their appearance all across the state.

As a Maryland personal injury lawyer and motorcycle accident attorney, I know that as the snows melt and the roads dry out, motorists will start to encounter bikes on the street again. There is a danger during those early weeks, however, for riders and their passengers. It’s a good guess that passenger car and commercial truck drivers will need to acclimate to motorcycles being out on the roadways.

Especially for those die-hard bikers who venture out early in the season, it’s good to be aware that four-wheelers aren’t expecting these smaller and faster bikes being in traffic again. Use caution during those early weeks, when riders are fewer in number. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether or not motorcycle-car accidents may increase as riders begin to hit the road, due in part because car, minivan, SUV and semi drivers have become less conscious of motorcycles during a long and nasty winter season.

Automobile-motorcycle and truck-bike crashes can be some of the most deadly traffic collisions that police and emergency responders see on a weekly basis here in Maryland. As such, every rider should be careful not to assume that motor vehicle operators see them or are even aware that they are in the area. As they say, better to ride as if you are invisible rathter than assume a driver sees you and your bike.

When the season starts up in Baltimore, Annapolice, the District or Rockville, it will be safe to say that there will be fewer motorcycle riders out and about than in the summer and early fall months. That doesn’t mean that your chances of a bike accident are low, since Maryland drivers may not be looking for those early season riders. On a percentage basis, our guess is that the rate is higher early on, so please keep this in mind as you clear out those cobwebs and get that iron horse, crotch rocket or cruiser back on the road.

I and my colleagues are all concerned for the safety of all cycle jockeys. But if something does happen and a rider finds him or herself injured as a result of another person’s negligence, be sure to consult with an experienced motorcycle accident attorney to understand the options and next steps. And, by all means, keep the rubber on the road and shiny side up.

While the weather may not allow for pleasant afternoon bike rides just yet, it’s always good to consider the safety aspect of bicycling as we all dream of the coming spring thaw. Getting back into the swing of bicycle -- and even motorcycle riding -- will improve the chance of a safer and more enjoyable springtime, when it finally arrives.

As a Maryland personal injury lawyer, I know that Baltimore has provided a wellspring of bicycling culture and cycling enthusiasts. While it’s likely true that motorists in this part of the state have become more attuned to the presence of bike riders, it’s never a mistake to remind people about the dangers of cycling as it related to traffic safety.

Wearing a helmet and having a working headlight on one’s bicycle are important safety points to remember anytime a cyclist ventures onto city streets or rural country roads. Passenger car drivers and 18-wheel truckers should also be aware of the large percentage of two-wheelers that appear on the roads as the weather warms up.

As a rider, one must always be on guard and actively aware of the dangers. Even the most seemingly minor kind of bike-truck or bicycle-car accident can send a cyclist to the hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries, not the least of which are traumatic brain injury and internal injuries.

According to news articles, more bicycles are expected on Maryland roads thanks to bicycle sharing programs like that at Hood College in Frederick, MD. Called the Campus Safety Bike Program, which allows students to borrow bicycles free of charge, the school has added bike-sharing as one of many continuing efforts to be environmentally friendly.

The program, which has been in the planning stages for a while now, purchased two men's and two women's bikes, as well as various necessary accessories including chains, locks and lights (and optional helmets). The program provides students the opportunity to borrow one of the four cycles for up to four hours. Any student with a Hood College ID can borrow a bike at the school’s switchboard office in the Whitaker Campus Center. All bikes must be returned by 8pm.

If the program is a success with those first four bikes, the program is expected to additional cycles next semester to meet the hoped-for demand. As part of the initiative, the Hood is adding more bike racks around the campus to handle the growing number of privately-owned bicycles that students are apparently bringing to school each year.

Continue reading " Frederick County Bicycle Safety News: Bike Sharing Programs May Mean More Bikes on the Road " »