Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Drunk Driver Allegedly Strikes and Kills Bicyclist

June 26, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Vermont, a doctor was struck by an allegedly drunk driver as he was enjoying an afternoon bike ride before dinner. According to one local Vermont news report, the man and his wife were preparing to have guests over for dinner, and, while his wife was preparing dinner, the man left to go on a bike ride on his regular route. Sadly, he never returned home.

Evidently, the man was riding his bike south on Greenbush Road in Ferrisburgh when a 2013 Chevy Cruze struck him from behind. The woman stopped and remained on the scene until police showed up.

After police arrived and began their investigation, it was discovered that the woman driving the Chevy Cruze was allegedly intoxicated. Specifically, the officers administered a blood-alcohol test and found that her blood-alcohol content (BAC) was .123. The legal limit for BAC in both Vermont and Maryland is .08. She was arrested on suspicion of DUI and released a short time later.

Maryland Man Dies in Bicycle Accident

June 19, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in York County, Pennsylvania, a Maryland man passed away from injuries he sustained as a result of a fatal bicycle accident. According to one local York County news source, the accident occurred just after three in the afternoon on June 9.

Evidently, the accident occurred on a Sunday afternoon in Littlestown, Pennsylvania, just a few miles from the Maryland-Pennsylvania border. According to the news report, the accident involved the bicyclist and a truck that was pulling a utility trailer. Police have not finished conducting their investigation into the accident, but they have told reporters that the bicyclist was not wearing a helmet.

Immediately after the accident, the bicyclist was taken to York Hospital, where he died a few hours later from multiple blunt-force wounds to the head.

SUV Fails to Yield to Motorcycle, Causing Serious Accident

June 12, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in Abilene, Texas, an accident between a Jeep SUV and a motorcycle sent two people to the hospital with serious injuries. According to one local news source, the accident took place around six p.m. on a Sunday evening.

Evidently, the Jeep was at a stop sign waiting to continue eastbound when it failed to yield to oncoming traffic and entered the intersection without checking for approaching vehicles. As the Jeep entered the intersection, a motorcycle with two people on board crashed into the rear-passenger side of the Jeep, sending both riders flying off the bike.

Both people on the motorcycle were wearing approved helmets. However, they did sustain major injuries, including heavy bleeding, and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. It is expected that they will make a full recovery. The driver of the Jeep did not sustain any injuries in the accident and was cited by police for failing to yield to the motorcycle.

Hyattsville Motorcycle Accident Kills Seven-Year-Old Pedestrian

June 5, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in Hyattsville, Maryland, an accident between a motorcycle and a car resulted in the death of a seven-year-old pedestrian who was standing near the scene of the accident. According to one local news report, the accident occurred in the afternoon hours on the East-West highway, between Belcrest and Toledo Roads.

Evidently, the motorcyclist was heading west when an eastbound car attempted to make a turn in front of him. The motorcycle crashed into the side of the turning vehicle, and the rider was sent flying over the car. The motorcycle ricocheted off the car and was sent into a crowd, where it collided with four people.

All four of the people struck by the errant motorcycle were taken to the hospital with varying injuries. Three of the four pedestrians taken to the hospital are expected to recover from their injuries. However, one seven-year-old boy tragically passed away from the injuries he sustained in the accident. The driver of the motorcycle did not sustain life-threatening injuries.

Virginia Man Killed in Motorcycle Accident Involving Two Motorcycles and One Truck in Fairfax County

May 27, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in nearby Fairfax County, Virginia, a 25-year-old man was killed when he was involved in a two-motorcycle accident. According to one local news source, the accident occurred in the afternoon hours on southbound Route 123, near the intersection with Clifton Road.

Evidently, two motorcycles were approaching the intersection at a high rate of speed, one in each of the road’s two southbound lanes. As they both approached the intersection, a northbound truck was attempting to make a left-hand turn in front of the bikers. The motorcycle in the right lane was able to swerve around the front of the truck and avoid a collision. This motorcyclist continued on and has not been identified.

The other motorcyclist in the left lane was not so lucky. As he attempted to pass the truck, he struck the rear end of the vehicle and was thrown from his bike. He suffered life-threatening injures at the time of the accident and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Maryland Man Killed in Left-Turn Motorcycle Accident on Route 32

May 20, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, a Maryland man was killed when he was struck by an oncoming car as he was attempting to make a left-hand turn. According to an article by the Baltimore Sun, the accident occurred shortly after five in the afternoon on Route 32, near the intersection with Livestock Rd.

Evidently, the motorcyclist was traveling south when a Jeep pulled out in front of him, attempting to make a left-hand turn from Livestock Road onto Route 32. The two vehicles collided, and the driver of the motorcycle was pronounced dead on the scene by emergency responders. The driver of the Jeep was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police are conducting an investigation into the fatal motorcycle accident. Thus far, they have indicated that it seems that the driver of the motorcycle was traveling at a high rate of speed immediately prior to the accident. Accident reconstruction data is not yet available to tell exactly how fast the motorcyclist may have been going.

Two Die in Washington DC Motorcycle Accident

May 13, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Waldorf, Maryland, a fatal motorcycle accident claimed the lives of two Maryland residents as they were enjoying an afternoon ride. According to one local news report, the accident occurred on a Sunday afternoon on Route 301. The operator of the Harley Davidson was the bass player and manager of the well-known music group, the DC Junkyard band.

Evidently, the driver of the motorcycle was traveling at a fairly high rate of speed when he was unable to control the motorcycle and ended up crashing into the rear of a stopped pick-up truck. After the initial collision the motorcycle caught on fire. Both driver and passenger were thrown from the bike at the point of collision. The driver of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency workers. His passenger, a 34-year-old woman from White Plains, Maryland, was taken to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injures a short time later.

Since the fatal accident, police have had a chance to conduct a preliminary investigation and have determined that speed was a contributing factor in the fatal accident. They also noted that the passenger was not wearing an approved helmet at the time of the accident, potentially exacerbating her injuries.

Two Seriously Injured in Motorcycle Accident Near Frederick

May 6, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month near Frederick, Maryland, two people were taken to a Baltimore-area hospital after they were struck while riding a motorcycle. According to one local Frederick news report, the accident occurred on US 15, just outside the Frederick city limits around three in the afternoon.

Evidently, the driver of a black SUV was traveling northbound on US 15 when it failed to see the motorcycle and collided with it, causing the accident. The two people on the motorcycle were immediately taken to R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore via helicopter, according to emergency responders. Their condition upon admittance was not known, but it is believed that they will make a full recovery.

There is no indication that drugs or alcohol were involved in the serious motorcycle accident, and police have not yet told reporters if they plan on charging the driver of the SUV with any traffic offense. However, given the nature of the accident, it would seem likely that the driver will at least be ticketed for failure to yield.

Motorcyclist Killed in I-795 Accident in Baltimore County

April 27, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Baltimore County, one man was killed when he struck a disabled car on the side of the road on his motorcycle. According to one local news report, the accident occurred just after 9:30 in the evening on I-795 near McDonough Road.

Evidently, the motorcyclist was heading north on I-795 when he attempted to avoid a vehicle that had slowed down or come to a stop in his lane. Upon doing so, however, the motorcyclist lost control of the bike and struck a disabled car that had been left on the side of the highway. The motorcyclist was thrown from his bike and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident by emergency responders.

Potential Liability in Single-Vehicle Motorcycle Accidents

In Maryland, many motorcycle accidents involve only the motorcyclist. These types of motorcycle accidents are termed single-vehicle accidents, and many Marylanders mistakenly believe that they cannot seek financial recovery in a single-vehicle accident. However, that is not always the case.

Delaware Legislature Blocks Proposed Maryland-Like Motorcycle Helmet Law

April 20, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Some members of the Delaware House of Representatives recently made a move to prevent a mandatory helmet bill for motorcyclists from moving to the full House of Representatives. A report from one local news source stated that the maneuver puts the plan to require all motorcycle riders to wear a helmet in “legislative purgatory,” and it will prevent the bill from becoming law until at least the next legislative session.

What Is the Law and What Are the Benefits?

The proposed law would require all riders to wear a helmet. The current law requires motorcyclists to have a helmet in their possession but not to wear it. When actually worn, helmets make motorcycle riding safer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, helmets reduce the risk of death by 37% and reduce the risk of head injury by 69%. The proposed change would have made Delaware a state with a universal helmet law, much like the law in Maryland, where helmets became mandatory in 1992.