Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog
If you’ve ever wondered why local police and other law enforcement agencies work so hard to get drunk drivers off Maryland roads, consider that hundreds of people are killed every year across the country by motorists who cause traffic accidents while impaired by alcohol, prescription meds and even illicit drugs (controlled dangerous substances).
Looking at the motoring public as a whole, one can easily deduce that motorcycle riders are at the greatest risk of physical harm when it comes to highway accidents, urban collision and even wrecks along lightly traveled rural roads. It’s not that motorcyclists are any less vigilant than other motorists — in fact, as a group these individuals are probably one of the most safety conscious on the street — but it is that they are much more vulnerable to injury.
One reason why motorcycle accidents involving passenger cars and commercial trucks happen is the visibility issue. Having a much smaller profile, a motorcyclist on the roadway literally does not always register in the mind of the average automobile driver or tractor-trailer operator. Size makes these vehicles more risky in terms of potential collisions.
Still, as Baltimore car and motorcycle accident attorneys and Maryland personal injury lawyers, we can understand the lure that the open road has on riders, especially during the warmer months of the year. That said, we also know that bikers are more likely to suffer from some serious injuries following a truck or car crash.
In addition to the “normal” road rash, bruising, cuts and lacerations, riders who are caught in a traffic accident with a car, truck or SUV can receive serious internal injuries as well as life-threatening closed-head trauma, spinal cord damage and possibly permanent paralysis. Whatever the cause, recovery from a motorcycle crash can take weeks or months, if not years. We’ll add that anyone involved in a bad bike wreck and lives to talk about it can consider themselves lucky beyond words.
A little while ago, a motorcyclist was killed in an early morning accident in Baltimore County. Based on police reports, 26-year-old Zakry Foster was headed southbound on York Rd. in Parkton, MD, when he was hit from behind by an allegedly drunk driver. According to news reports, the victim was making a U-turn on his late model Harley-Davidson at Bentley Rd. when the crash took place.
Police said that 26-year-old Charles Wood, who was operating a 2000 Chevrolet 3500 pickup truck just after midnight, came up from behind the biker, swerved and then hit the motorcycle on the left side. Emergency responders arriving on the scene could not help the man, who was pronounced dead at the crash site.
After the initial collision, the pickup driver apparently lost control of his vehicle, which left the roadway and reportedly sideswiped a utility pole. The vehicle then struck an embankment and flipped over, injuring the driver. Wood was transported to York Hospital were he was admitted in serious condition, according to news reports at the time. The truck driver was charged by police with driving under the influence, according to a police spokesperson.
Three dead in two collisions in northern Baltimore County, BaltimoreSun.com, June 23, 2011