Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog
Over the holiday weekend last week, two motorcyclists were killed in two different motorcycle accidents across Maryland. According to a report by WUSA 9, the first accident took place in Silver Spring, at the intersection of University Avenue and Dennis Avenue. Evidently, the motorcyclist was thrown from his bike when he hit a curb. The biker died from the injuries he sustained in the accident.
The second accident occurred in Burtonsville, and it involved an SUV as well as a motorcycle. Apparently, the SUV was making a left turn and collided with the motorcycle. The rider was thrown from the bike and suffered only minor injuries. However, his passenger suffered much more serious injuries and was pronounced dead later that day. The driver of the SUV suffered only minor injuries.
Determining Fault is Not As Easy As it May Seem
In Maryland motorcycle accidents, the fault determination is critical not just to decide who is issued a traffic citation for the accident, but also for the purposes of upcoming civil litigation. Indeed, the victim of the accident will likely be able to recover for their injuries from the person or people who are determined to be at fault. Thus, who is the “victim” in a motorcycle accident is of critical importance.
It is a common misconception that fault is easily determined in most accidents. For instance, consider the first motorcycle accident described above. It seems as though the rider simply made an error in judgment and crashed on his bike and that no one was at fault besides the rider. While that may be true, it is entirely possible that another motorist cut off the motorcyclist and forced him into the curb. If this was the case, the other driver may have been at fault.
The bottom line is that it is difficult to say who is at fault without conducting an in-depth investigation into the accident. That is why, in most cases, police are hesitant to say who is at fault soon after an accident. It usually takes some time to put together the entire story.
Once the police do figure out who was at fault for the accident, the victim of the accident may wish to bring a civil suit for damages against the at-fault party. If so, the accident victim should retain the services of an experienced Maryland motorcycle attorney to ensure that his or her rights are fully enforced.
Have You Been Involved in a Maryland Motorcycle Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been involved in a Maryland motorcycle accident, you should speak with a dedicated Maryland motorcycle accident attorney as soon as possible. It may be that you or your loved one is entitled to a substantial monetary award based on the other driver’s negligence. To learn more about the laws in Maryland that permit motorcycle accident victims to seek compensation for their injuries, and to speak to an attorney about your case, call 410-654-3600 today to schedule a free initial consultation with the Maryland personal injury law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers. You can also contact the firm on its website.
More Blog Posts:
Prince George’s County Sees Four Fatal Motorcycle Accidents in Just Four Days, Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog, published June 2, 2014.
Motorcyclist Dies in Accident While Fleeing Police, Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog, published June 23, 2014.