Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Bicycle injury accidents are fairly common in urban areas like Washington, D.C., Annapolis and Baltimore, MD, however, reducing the frequency of car-bike and bicycle-commercial truck crashes is a challenge due to the shear volume of traffic in these areas. As Maryland automobile accident lawyers who represent cyclists and motorcycle riders hurt in traffic collisions, our job is to help these victims recover damages, including medical, rehab, and work-loss costs following a car accident.

Especially for bicyclists, the potential for serious injury, not to mention possible fatal injury due to being hit by a passing motor vehicle, is very high in cities and other urban areas. Being struck and knocked to the ground can lead to broken arms and legs, road rash, cuts and bruises, and worst of all, traumatic brain injury. Wearing a helmet is always a good idea, but is no guarantee of a good outcome.

A while back, we saw a news item that reminded all of us of one key element in hopefully reducing injuries from car-bike collisions. Over in the District, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) has apparently resolved to improve safety for all who travel on public roads. How? A spokesperson for WABA said the group wants cyclists to "better respect the rights of other road users."

One can assume that WABA hopes passenger car, long-haul truckers, and commercial delivery truck drivers will reciprocate as well. According to the article, WABA had asked its membership to make a New Year's resolution that includes respecting the rights of others on public roads and to make what the group says is “a good faith effort to follow the law.” This includes, according to the article, yielding the right of way to pedestrians.

The outgrowth of this latest movement apparently came following the death of D.C. resident who was struck by a cyclist the day following Thanksgiving. According to reports, 78-year-old Quan Chu and his wife were hit by bicycle rider while walking in an alleyway near Massachusetts Ave. The elderly gentleman and his wife were both knocked to the ground as a result of the incident. Chu subsequently died from his injuries.

Continue reading " Bike Safety News: Washington D.C. Area Bicycle Group Seeks More Respect from All Cyclists " »

According to news articles, a resident of Clarksburg, MD, has been sentenced to eight years following his conviction for the 2010 death of a Gaithersburg bicyclist who was killed in a fatal bike-car crash in Germantown, Maryland. The accident took place on June evening when 48-year-old Stanton Miller Jr. was hit by Quinzy Fraser while riding his bike along Ridge Road.

According to news reports, police said that Fraser, 34, was driving under the influence of alcohol and traveling about 68mph when his vehicle struck and critically injured Miller, who was riding on the shoulder of the roadway. Based on court records, Montgomery County police stated that Fraser's blood-alcohol content (BAC) was 0.19 percent on the evening of the traffic accident.

As a Baltimore bicycle and pedestrian accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers, we’ve seen the tragic results of drivers who attempt to operate passenger cars and commercial trucks while under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs. As with many traffic accidents, the human toll can be measured in terms of broken bones, head and neck injuries, spinal damage and traumatic brain injury. Pain and suffering, not only of the victim, but also his or her family is always a factor.

In the case of this accident, the defendant was reportedly driving an SUV northbound on Ridge Road around 7pm when for some reason the truck departed from the traffic lane and hit the bicyclist who was riding on the paved shoulder. Police determined the vehicle’s speed at 68mph and the force of the crash caused Miller to be thrown more than 110 feet in the air where he struck a nearby fence.

Although the rider was wearing a helmet, according to police, Miller sustained life-threatening injuries in the crash. Emergency responders attended to the injured rider at the scene and then transported him to Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, MD. Unfortunately, doctors could not save the cyclist and he died from his extensive injuries not long after his admission.

Court records indicate that police officer responding to the crash that evening detected the scent of alcohol on the defendant. Fraser reportedly refused a breath test at the scene; police subsequently took the man to the hospital for a blood sample.

Clarksburg man who killed cyclist on Germantown road sentenced to eight years, Gazette.net, January 14, 2011

Clarksburg man pleads guilty to killing Gaithersburg bicyclist on Germantown road, Gazette.net, December 15, 2010

A resident of Carroll County, MD, recently pled guilty in a Howard County court room to the fatal drunk driving-related motorcycle-car collision that killed a 68-year-old woman who had been riding on the back of her husband’s bike. The accident took place on Rte 40 when now 23-year-old Alison Walsh, 23, reportedly drove her Honda Civic into the back of the cycle being driven by a 74-year-old man, Antonio Amato, and his wife, Cecilia.

According to news reports, Amato told police that the couple’s motorcycle was stopped at a red signal along a stretch of Rte 40 at the intersection of Marriottsville Rd at the time of the crash. Amato stated that his bike was sitting approximately 15ft from the intersection when they were hit from behind by Walsh’s car.

As a Baltimore motorcycle accident lawyer and Maryland personal injury attorney, I know that this kind of accident can cause severe injuries and sometimes death. In this particular case, the man’s wife was riding on the back of the bike and was thrown off as a result of the impact. Even with the use of a helmet, brain trauma and spinal damage can result from this type of traffic accident.

Based on news reports, the force of the crash caused Mrs. Amato to land on the hood of Walsh’s vehicle and then onto the roadway. Mr. Amato was also thrown to the ground, but apparently suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Walsh, who was not injured in the crash was arrested by police and charged with drunken driving after she registered a 0.17 percent blood-alcohol content.

Police reports indicate that Cecilia Amato was conscious when emergency responders transported her to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. As a result of the collision, the woman suffered a number of fractured ribs and severe internal bleeding -- she died not long after as a result of blood loss and cardiopulmonary arrest, according to news articles.

Based on court records, the Howard County prosecutor’s office is pushing for a five-year prison sentence for Walsh in connection with the fatal 2010 crash, though a previous run-in with the police may not help her situation. In that instance, she was reportedly arrested in 2008 by Carroll County police who charged her with attempting to drive under the influence of alcohol as well as negligent driving. At that time, the Hampstead, MD, resident pleaded not guilty and received probation before judgment.

Carroll County woman pleads guilty to negligent manslaughter, BaltimoreSun.com, February 11, 2011

It’s not something any parent wants to think about; their child alone on a bike getting hit by a car or truck. Yet this is reality for hundreds of families every year across this county. Whether you live in a large city like Annapolis, Baltimore or the District, or have a home in a smaller town like Bel Air, Havre de Grace, or Ocean City, the dangers for kids near traffic are real and can be very scary.

Proper safety equipment and other protective measures can give a youngster some defense against falling off his or her bicycle, but tangling with a commercial delivery truck in the city or getting sideswiped by a passenger car in the neighborhood can lead to severe injuries or even death. As a Maryland personal injury lawyer, I know that these are tough images to consider, but the point is here to make certain your child is well equipped to travel the streets and bike paths throughout our state.

Running across an editorial piece not long ago, we were reminded at how lucky some auto accident victims really are following a bad crash. While this story begins with a harrowing discovery by the young boy's father the outlook appears good for the teen. According to the article, 16-year-old Tyler Junkin-Mills and his family had only recently moved into a new home in Olney, MD, when one day the teen didn’t return home when expected.

Having only just begun to unpack a myriad of items from their move, the family’s bicycling helmets were still packed away in one of the many boxes located around the home. Regardless, Tyler apparently rode off on his bike without his helmet on a supposedly quick trip to a local bakery where he worked.

Becoming anxious after some time had passed and not hearing their son return, Tyler’s father drove off to try and locate the missing boy. Just two blocks away, on Rte 108, the father saw what surely made his stomach turn; patrolmen were in the process of cleaning up an apparently accident scene, which included his son’s bicycle, mostly a tangled mess of metal tubes by the side of the road.

Continue reading " Maryland Teenager Recovering following Bicycle Accident in Montgomery County Illustrates Seriousness of Bike-Car Crashes " »