Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

For most of us, it likely that we cannot see a day, too soon, that will spell an end to our driving a car to get around. Even for those in there 50s and 60s, we can imagine another couple decades of “automotive independence” ahead of us. But despite eternal optimism, some individuals who are driving today may find themselves with a challenge before long; that challenge may come in the form of a family member sitting down and talking frankly about giving up one’s driver’s license voluntarily.

This discussion is not hypothetical, it happens every day to many people across this country who have reached the point of being unable, either physically or mentally, to control a motor vehicle safely -- at least in the eyes of their family; others, who either do not have caring family member living nearby, or through some type of serious traffic mishap, may be forced by the state to relinquish their driver’s license.

For many drivers, it must be said that losing one’s license due to incapacity may be one of the more difficult chapters in the aging process. The term between Maryland driver’s license renewals is what one might call a sweet spot -- a time when, as long as we cause no serious car accidents or receive too many citations for traffic infractions -- each of us can relax and not worry about being retested until our next operator’s license renewal.

Continue reading " Maryland Injury Accident News: Family of Deceased Cyclist Opposes Proposed 8-Year Drivers License Renewal Term " »

Every year across the nation more a half million people are hurt in bicycle-related accidents; about 700 of those individual die each year from injuries received while on a bike. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my colleagues are well aware of the seriousness of some traffic-related accidents that involve a car or truck and a person riding his or her bicycle.

When we hear of biking-related injuries, it’s natural to think immediately of children. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control in Washington, D.C., youngsters under 15 years of age typically account for more than half of the bike-related injuries every year; based on statistics from 2001, 59 percent of emergency room cases involving a bicycle injury happened to a child 15 years or under.

When cyclists mix with motor vehicle traffic, the stakes increase for the bicycle rider many times over, if only because larger and heavier cars and commercial trucks are less forgiving than another bicycle or a pedestrian. Based on figures from 2009, 630 bicyclists died as a result of a car or trucking-related traffic accident. That’s almost two cyclists a day, every day, killed by a motor vehicle.

Continue reading " Baltimore Biking Accident News: Pasadena, MD, Minivan Driver Charged in Hit-and-Run Bicycle Collision " »

Amidst the finger-pointing and official investigation following the tragic deaths of two young people in a drunken-driving-related motorcycle accident last summer, the Annapolis bar that sold the two underage victims was “slapped” with a $6,000 fine and two-week license suspension from the city’s liquor control board. While the action against Acme Bar and Grill is one of the more serious that the Annapolis Alcoholic Beverage Control Board has ever taken against an establishment that serves liquor to the public, some people may be wondering if the penalties do justice to the accident victims or their families.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we understand that alcohol regulating authorities can only do so much within the law, which is why we have civil courts and personal injury law. Whether one lives in Baltimore, Rockville, Howie or the District, underage drinking is wide-ranging problem. But many would argue that it doesn’t need to be exacerbated by the apparently lax standards and loose policies demonstrated by some drinking establishments across this nation.

Not only do bars, pubs, restaurants and convenience stores have a responsibility to follow state laws against serving liquor to underage individuals, their actions (or inaction) can result in greater consequences than simply that of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. As evidenced by this particular story, many underage kids possess driver’s licenses and regularly operate motor vehicles on public roads.

Continue reading " Annapolis, MD, Bar Faces Fines, License Suspension in Wake of Underage Customers’ Fatal Motorcycle Crash " »

Recovering from any injury accident can be a challenge, especially if it was severe, such as a passenger car or trucking-related traffic accident. Therefore, it goes without saying that most individuals who receive serious injuries due to a bicycle-related traffic accident might have an even harder time recovering from such a collision. This goes not only for the initial medical treatment, but also for the inevitable rehabilitation period needed to get oneself back to a relatively normal level; that of one’s pre-crash health, if that is even possible.

Never mind the sometimes incredible cost of medical care and rehab expenses, a person injured as a result of a car-bicycle collision can suffer from extreme bodily distress, including compound fractures of the arms or legs, spinal cord damage, internal injuries and, many times worst of all, closed-head trauma (also known as traumatic brain injury).

As Maryland personal injury attorneys representing individuals injured or killed as a result of another person’s negligence, I and my staff know the pain and discomfort that comes in the wake of a devastating car, truck or motorcycle crash. Pedestrians and bicycle riders are not immune to such incidents, since they also share the road from time to time with other, larger motor vehicles.

Continue reading " Baltimore Personal Injury News: Maryland Teacher, Seriously Injured in Traffic Accident, Returns to Work " »