Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog
During the warmer weather, with its attendant sunshine and pleasant breezes, Maryland motorcycle riders can enjoy afternoons traveling though the countryside or ply the city streets of Annapolis, Rockville, Bowie and the District with hardly a care in the world. But add just one thoughtless driver in another vehicle and one could have a recipe for disaster. Whether one rides to work, school or just for fun and enjoyment, motorcyclists must constantly be on the alert for potential danger lurking around nearly every corner.
Especially in a state as densely populated as ours, there is more than one way in which a rider can be hurt or killed through no fault of his own. And while most bikers are safe drivers, the growing popularity of motorcycling inevitably leads to more riding accidents. As Baltimore personal injury lawyers, my firm is dedicated to helping victims of auto, truck and motorcycle accidents, aggressively representing the victims of these and other accidents, such as pedestrian collisions, medical malpractice, and nursing home abuse and neglect.
One thing we know, motorcycle accident victims and their families can benefit from the individual attention that we provide to every case. Whether a crash has been caused by a careless driver, one who is distracted, or a collision that is caused by a drunk behind the wheel, the potential for a life-changing injury that can leave a biker seriously injured or permanently disabled is rather high.
It’s no secret that motorcyclists are often hurt or killed when a motorists in a passenger car or driver of a commercial delivery truck does not recognize the rider and fails to yield the right of way. The resulting collision hardly ever goes well for the biker, regardless of whether he or she was wearing a helmet. This is why traffic safety experts advise motorcyclists to wear high-visibility clothing and maintain adequate and fully functioning lights on their bikes.
Anyone who wonders what the odds are of a biker coming out of a traffic wreck in one piece need only to read the daily news reports to find examples of the lucky and unlucky bikers who crash on a regular basis. We ran across two separate stories not long ago that illustrate the possible outcomes of motorcycle wrecks on Maryland roadways.
In one instance, a woman riding her Harley-Davidson was sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following a collision with a pickup truck in Baltimore County. According to the news reports, the motorist was attempting a left-hand turn when he failed to notice or yield to the oncoming motorcycle. Based on police reports, the 54-year-old victim was headed southbound along a stretch of Main St. when the crash happened around 3:30 on a Thursday afternoon.
Police indicated that a 2004 Ford Ranger driven by a 26-year-old Pennsylvania man turned in front of the oncoming biker. Police issued the driver a citation for failing to yield while making a left turn; the woman on the bike, however, was seriously hurt and had to be taken by ambulance to Sinai Hospital for treatment of her injuries.
In another situation, a crash on a Saturday afternoon in St. Mary’s County apparently involved just one motorcycle, though the news report was sketchy. Based on that article, emergency responders arrived at the scene of a crash involving a motorcyclist near the intersection of St. Andrews Church Rd. and the entrance to the local landfill in Lexington Park. Rescue personnel treated the individual at the scene and then transported the victim to the local trauma center.
UPDATE: Motorcycle Driver Hospitalized After Main Street Accident Thursday, Patch.com, October 4, 2012
Rider Transported after Motorcycle Accident, TheBayNet.com, September 22, 2012