In an accident earlier this week out of Missouri, a 41-year-old man was killed when an elderly driver proceeded to make a left turn on a steady green light, cutting off a motorcyclist. According to a report by the t. Louis Post Dispatch, the accident occurred in the afternoon hours when the elderly man, driving a Mercury Sable, cut the motorcyclist off.
As the driver made the left turn in front of the motorcyclist, he struck the bike with the front of the car, sending the man flying off his motorcycle. The man, who was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, was found dead by emergency personnel when they arrived a few moments later.
Elderly Drivers Cause More Accidents
This is not meant to be disrespectful to our older population, but the statistics speak for themselves: elderly drivers tend to cause more accidents than the younger population. This is due to a number of reasons, including:
- Slower reaction times;
- Failing vision;
- More likely to get confused while driving;
- Decrease ability to physically maneuver the car and respond quickly to events;
- Reactions to various medications;
- Difficulty hearing traffic noise; and
- Other medical conditions that may affect their driving.
In some cases, elderly persons drive despite knowing that they have a medical impairment that greatly limits their ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. In these cases, that driver is being legally negligent and putting those around them at an unnecessary risk.
Unnecessarily Increasing Risk to Those Around You Is Negligence
By increasing the risk to others, an elderly driver may be found to be legally negligent if he or she causes an accident that is due to a condition known to the driver. For example, if am elderly driver has a known condition, such as dementia, and operates a motor vehicle nonetheless, that can show a disregard for the safety of others.
Such a disregard might translate into a verdict against that driver in a Maryland civil court. Generally speaking, an accident victim can recover for personal injuries and property damage caused by another if they can prove that the other driver owed them a duty of care; that the other driver violated that duty of care; that the violation was the cause of the accident; and that there were some compensable damages caused by the accident.
Have You Been Involved in a Maryland Motorcycle Accident?
If you have been involved in any kind of Maryland motorcycle accident, you should speak to a skilled Maryland motorcycle injury attorney at the personal injury law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers. The skilled lawyers at Lebowitz & Mzhen have years of collective experienced recovering for Maryland motorcycle accident victims and know what it takes to recover for their clients. Through a client-centered approach to their representation, they have earned a reputation among personal injury attorneys as a formidable force in and out of the courtroom. Click here, or call 410-654-3600 today to schedule your free initial consultation.
More Blog Posts:
Motorcyclist and His Passenger Die in Collision with Pick-Up Truck; Fault Still Undetermined, Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog, published April 9, 2014.
Man Charged with Murder After Fatal Motorcycle Accident , Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog, published April 2, 2014.