Articles Posted in Bicycle Injury Accidents

Earlier this week in Bethesda, Maryland, a 22-year-old man was struck while riding his bike on Old Georgetown Lane just south of Lucas Lane. According to a report by the local Fox affiliate, the force from the collision threw the bicyclist off his bike and into the rear windshield of another car.

The bicyclist was taken to the hospital, where he was given eight stitches above his eye and a few staples in his shoulder to reattach the skin that was damaged as a result of the accident. He is expected to be fine, although he told reporters that he is still very sore.

Evidently, the driver of the car that hit the man did not stop to make sure that the man was all right. Instead, he drove away, fleeing the scene of the accident. Police are currently looking for the driver of a brown-colored sedan, but no more information is available on the driver. Police are hopeful that witnesses to the accident will come forward.

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Two bicyclists were seriously injured in an accident over the weekend when a car crossed onto the shoulder, striking them. According to a report by the Washington Post, the bicyclists were driving on an area of the Baltimore-Annapolis Trail that uses the shoulder of the road as the trail when a car crossed over the shoulder and struck both riders. Evidently the accident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on Route 450 near Brice Road when the riders were heading south on Route 450.

The bikers were properly using the right shoulder as they traveled south when a car traveling in the same direction veered over into the shoulder and crashed into the bikers. The two bicyclists were flown to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where one was admitted with serious injuries and the other with life-threatening, critical injuries.

Police told reporters that the cause of the accident was driver error, and that alcohol was involved in the serious accident. The driver of the car will likely face criminal charges for his role in the accident.

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Understanding the potentially life-shattering power that a serious pedestrian or bicycle-related traffic accident can have on a person could go a long way toward altering the way people perceive traffic safety and its effect on the non-vehicular component of our cityscapes. Because almost every one of us assumes the role of pedestrian at one time or another during our workweek or on the weekend, traffic safety as it pertains to pedestrians and bicyclists should be on everyone’s mind.

While walking is a healthy pastime, many individuals prefer to cover more ground and see a little extra scenery by taking advantage of pedal power. A usually pleasant and beneficial way to exercise — as well as being a decent mode of transportation, of course, depending on the weather – cycling is an eco-friendly activity for many people, young and old. In places like Baltimore City, local government is trying to make streets more “bike-friendly.” But there are always dangers when people and bikes mix with motor vehicle traffic.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we keep an eye on the traffic-related injury totals from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In 2011, the latest year for fatality statistics from the safety agency in Washington, D.C., 102 pedestrians were killed in automobile-related collisions here in Maryland, while “only” five cyclists died in traffic crashes. If we compare this to the total number of deaths on our state’s highways and city streets, bicycle fatalities made up less than one percent of the total figure.

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Personal responsibility is one of the important cornerstones of a civilized society, yet it appears that many people choose to shirk this most basic of civic duties for their own personal gain, and to the detriment of their neighbors and fellow citizens. For those who injure or kill another person as a result of their own negligence, the law is strict and relatively unyielding. But still, many of those people who inflict pain and suffering through negligence or just plain thoughtlessness apparently decide that they are better served by avoiding the law and deferring justice. Frankly, their respite typically lasts only a short period of time.

As Maryland injury lawyers, I and my legal staff and colleagues put our energies into representing individuals who have suffered in one way or another following an injury-related motorcycle, car or commercial trucking accident. No two car accidents, truck crashes or bike wrecks are quite the same, which is why police and personal injury attorneys like ourselves must investigate the facts, gather evidence and present these elements in a courtroom to establish negligence on the part of one or more individuals or parties.

Naturally, in any civilized society those accused of wrongdoing are expected to face their accusers and present their own evidence to defend themselves against accusations or formal criminal charges. However, some individuals attempt to prolong the process by failing to show up for scheduled court hearings. We were reminded of this kind of situation when reading a recent news article about an man who was accused of hitting a young bicycle rider with his vehicle and then leaving the scene of the bicycle-automobile accident.

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Anyone who has seen a hit-and-run traffic accident probably knows the feeling of anger or, at the very least, outrage at the ease with which some motorists can blithely drive away following a potentially serious automobile crash. While many hit-and-run accidents involve simple property damage, some can and do result in serious and occasionally life-threatening bodily injury. As Maryland personal injury attorneys representing individual victims or their families, we can say that these kinds of roadway accidents can be expensive in both life and limb, as well as financially.

Not only can a hit-and-run driver face certain criminal charges if he or she is found guilty, the victims of such negligent actions can sometimes bring a civil suit against that individual and sue for damages as a result of the crash. These damages can include medical treatment for severe injuries like closed-head trauma, spinal cord damage, broken bones and internal injuries; rehabilitation costs for those people who have lost the ability to walk on their own or sustained partial or permanent paralysis; not to mention lost wages due to being out of work for an extended period.

It’s important to remember that some families of victims killed by a hit-and-run driver may also file a wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent party or parties. As is the case, many a hit-and-run accident occurs because the negligent individual may have been drunk behind the wheel of his vehicle at the time of the crash. Also, lack of automobile insurance can also drive a motorist to leave the scene of an accident, without concern for the ultimately more complicated situation that doing so can create.

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There is no need to go into great detail on the dangers of riding a bicycle in busy urban areas, such as Baltimore, Annapolis, the District and Gaithersburg. The point we make here is that when you mix large motor vehicles with lightweight and relatively flimsy bikes, there is not much margin for error.

Bicyclists know this, and for the most part, cyclists do what they can to protect themselves from serious injury as a result of a crash with a passenger vehicle, commercial delivery truck or city bus. Pedestrians, as well, should be vigilant when walking or standing near busy intersections or when traversing crosswalks, but bicycles and their riders by the very nature of the sport must inevitably travel side-by-side with motor vehicle traffic. Sadly, accidents are bound to occur.

Given the relative frequency of car-bike and bicycle-truck collisions, its no surprise that state and municipal roadway engineers and civic planners are trying to create safer traffic arrangements in some parts of our cities and communities. With luck, these changes may go a long way toward alleviating the near-constant danger that some cyclists experience every time they venture out on their bikes.

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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.

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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.

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