Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog
It’s a good guess that here in Baltimore almost many people know somebody who owns or rides a bicycle in the city from time to time. Of those people, there is a pretty good chance that someone knows a cyclist who has either had a close call with a motor vehicle in traffic, or who has actually had an accident on a bike.
As Maryland personal injury lawyers, my firm specializes in representing individuals who have been injured in car, truck or motorcycle crashes, as well as pedestrians and bikers who may have been severely injured or killed as a result of the negligent actions of a motor vehicle driver.
Some may joke about bicycle riders being hurt in traffic, but the lack of protection that cyclists must deal with as part of their hobby can literally expose them to greater personal danger, even at low speeds. The same can be said for motorcyclists involved in roadway collisions; both groups face greater risk of injury than the occupant of a typical passenger car given similar circumstances.
Naturally, every car, bike and commercial trucking accident is unique to that particular situation; and while the variables range from driver distraction to faulty safety equipment, the results can be painful, costly and even life-threatening.
Living and working in Rockville, Owens Mills, Gaithersburg, or Washington, D.C., bicyclists must be constantly aware of the traffic hazards that are ever present on the street. While biking accidents cannot be totally eliminated, safety should always be foremost in the rider’s mind at all times when sharing the road with larger vehicles.
In addition to injuries or traffic deaths caused by other drivers, I and my staff of automobile injury attorneys understand that occasionally a person can be hurt or killed as a result of defective equipment on a motor vehicle. While this is the typical scenario, it is conceivable that some solo bicycle crashes can also be caused by poorly designed or incorrectly maintained bicycle parts.
According to a recent news article, a 29-year-old Maryland woman was apparently injured while riding alone on her bicycle in the Annapolis area. Based on police reports, the accident happened next to a convenience store along Taylor Avenue. Not a lot was known at the time of the news report, and police could not confirm whether the crash that injured the woman was a direct result of a collision with a larger motor vehicle or some other cause.
Based on news reports, the woman likely fell from her cycle, which may or may not have been struck or otherwise adversely affected by a car or truck. She was apparently treated at the scene and then taken to Shock Trauma following the crash. As mentioned previously, it is possible that a broken or faulty component on the woman’s bike may have contributed to the crash.
In the rare event of a bicycle accident caused by defective equipment, it might be worth it to check the tightness of the axle nuts, handle bar and stem clamps, derailleur gear-change system and especially the brakes and cables. If an accident happened at night, the question of proper lighting and reflectors would also come into play. Furthermore, it goes without saying that any of these aforementioned items should always be on a rider’s checklist before hitting the road. As the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.”
Woman Transported to Shock Trauma Following Bicycle Accident, Patch.com, July 19, 2011