Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Off-Duty Police Officer Killed in Motorcycle Accident

July 24, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in Chicago, a man was issued a citation for his involvement in the death of an off-duty police officer who was killed in a motorcycle accident. According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, the officer was riding on the highway when the driver of a Pontiac attempted to make an abrupt lane change to avoid missing an approaching exit.

As the driver shifted into the off-duty officer’s lane, he left the officer with no way to avoid a collision. The Pontiac crashed into the officer’s motorcycle, sending the officer off the bike and severely injuring him. The officer was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The driver of the Pontiac, who remained on the scene after the accident, was issued a citation for improper lane usage as well as for having no valid insurance.

Police Make Arrest in Fatal Motorcycle Crash Near Maryland-Pennsylvania Border

July 17, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this year near the Maryland-Pennsylvania border, a motorcyclist was killed when another vehicle crossed the center line on a highway and crashed into him. According to a recent report, police have apprehended the driver of the vehicle and charged him with homicide by vehicle, causing an accident involving death while not properly licensed, driving while operating privileges are suspended, driving without a valid license, reckless driving, careless driving causing death, and failure to drive on the right side of the road.

Evidently, the accident occurred on Barrett Pike near Garrett Road when the driver of a

mini-van that was heading south crossed over into northbound traffic. As the van entered the lanes of opposing traffic, the driver collide with the motorcyclist, fatally injuring him.

As it turns out, the driver of the van was from Mexico, and was not legally in the country. The judge denied the man bail and he currently awaits his trial date.

Two Maryland Motorcyclists Lose Their Lives in Recent Motorcycle Crashes

July 10, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Over the holiday weekend last week, two motorcyclists were killed in two different motorcycle accidents across Maryland. According to a report by WUSA 9, the first accident took place in Silver Spring, at the intersection of University Avenue and Dennis Avenue. Evidently, the motorcyclist was thrown from his bike when he hit a curb. The biker died from the injuries he sustained in the accident.

The second accident occurred in Burtonsville, and it involved an SUV as well as a motorcycle. Apparently, the SUV was making a left turn and collided with the motorcycle. The rider was thrown from the bike and suffered only minor injuries. However, his passenger suffered much more serious injuries and was pronounced dead later that day. The driver of the SUV suffered only minor injuries.

Determining Fault is Not As Easy As it May Seem

In Maryland motorcycle accidents, the fault determination is critical not just to decide who is issued a traffic citation for the accident, but also for the purposes of upcoming civil litigation. Indeed, the victim of the accident will likely be able to recover for their injuries from the person or people who are determined to be at fault. Thus, who is the “victim” in a motorcycle accident is of critical importance.

Two Bicyclists Injured in Annapolis Area Accidents Over the Weekend

July 3, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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.

Motorcyclist Dies in Accident While Fleeing Police

June 23, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in Ellicott City, a man was killed when he ran a red light on his 2013 Kawasaki Ninja. According to a report by a local news source, moments earlier the man was being pursued by the police for speeding. The police officer gave up the pursuit in order to avoid a high-speed chase. However, the motorcyclist continued speeding and eventually ran a red light at the intersection of Route 40 and Normandy Drive.

He continued speeding and then ran another red light at the intersection of Route 40 and Rogers Avenue. As he ran the second red light, he crashed into a Saturn sedan that was turning left.

The motorcyclist—who did not have a motorcycle operating permit, and whose regular driver’s license was suspended—was pronounced dead shortly after he was taken to Howard County General Hospital. The driver of the Saturn was taken to the hospital out of precaution, but he did not suffer any major injuries. Police are currently investigating the accident to see if any other causes contributed to the fatal crash.

Motorcycle Accident in Prince George’s County Kills One

June 16, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last month in Prince George’s County, one man was killed when the motorcycle he was riding crashed into another car after he ran a red light. According to a report by ABC 7, the motorcyclist was fleeing from the police when he ran a red light and T-boned a Hyundai that was going through a green light and making a left turn in the intersection. The accident occurred on Route 214.

The motorcyclist flew off the bike and onto the pavement, sustaining several trauma-related injuries. He was then taken to the hospital, where he died shortly afterward. The driver of the Hyundai was not injured in the accident, but he was found to be driving while intoxicated. Police arrested the man, although he was not at fault for the collision.

The motorcycle death marked the eighth over Memorial Day weekend, a period of unusually high motorcycle activity. Despite the fact that there are many motorcycles on the road, eight motorcyclist deaths over a single weekend is still a surprisingly high number.

Man with Suspended License Cuts Off Motorcyclist, Killing Him

June 9, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in New Jersey, a motorcyclist was killed when a Ford Ranger attempted to make a left turn in front of the rider, causing the rider to collide with the side of the truck. According to a report by NJ.com, the accident occurred around six in the evening around East Veterans Highway and South Hope Chapel Road.

Evidently, the truck’s driver attempted to make a left-hand turn in front of the motorcyclist, cutting him off and leaving him no option but to slam into the side of the truck. The motorcyclist was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died of the injuries he sustained in the accident.

As police were investigating the accident scene, a woman drove over several of the cones and into the area where police were investigating. Upon stopping her, police determined that she was driving under the influence of drugs. The woman was cited for driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, possession of marijuana under 50 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Prince George’s County Sees Four Fatal Motorcycle Accidents in Just Four Days

June 2, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s getting to be mid-spring, and the weather is getting nicer with each passing week. With the increase in temperatures comes an increase in the number of people getting out on the road and opening up the throttle on the motorcycle that has been in storage for the past eight months. However, tragically, with this increase in motorcycle traffic comes a corresponding increase in motorcycle accidents.

According to a report by 4 NBC Washington, last week in Prince George’s County there were four fatal motorcycle accidents claiming the lives of four riders. One of the victims was riding when a SUV made a U-turn in the middle of the road without yielding to the rider. With no other option, the rider collided with the SUV. Although he was promptly taken to the hospital, doctors were unable to save the man’s life, and he died shortly after being admitted.

There were three other fatal motorcycle accidents in Prince George’s County over Memorial Day weekend. One was caused by another failure-to-yield situation, one by a speeding car fleeing the police, and the other by rider error.

Motorcyclist Killed in Charles County Accident

May 26, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in Charles County, a fatal motorcycle accident claimed the life of one man when he struck the rear side panel of a car that was turning left in front of him. According to a report by Southern Maryland News Net, the accident occurred on Brandywine Road and Carriage Crossing Lane shortly before 8:30 in the evening on May 16th.

Evidently, a Mercedes was heading south on Brandywine Road and was attempting to make a left turn when it was struck in the side rear panel by a Honda motorcycle heading north on Brandywine Road. A third vehicle, a PT Cruiser, also became involved when it ran into some debris caused by the accident.

Emergency crews responded immediately, but the driver of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene. The other two drivers were not transported to the hospital and did not suffer any serious injuries.

Driver Kills Motorcyclist While Texting and Driving and Fined Only $500

May 19, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week, a woman who was responsible for the death of a motorcyclist pled guilty to negligent driving and was required to pay $500 for her role in the accident. Evidently, back in 2013, the woman was texting as she left the parking lot of her employer, telling her mother that she didn’t feel well. Two minutes later, she pulled out onto a busy highway and cut off a motorcyclist, causing him to run into the side of her car and fly off the bike.

The motorcyclist was killed in the accident, but according to a report by WBALTV, the driver of the car is facing only a $500 penalty. She was initially charged with six offenses: negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle, criminal negligent manslaughter, reckless driving, negligent driving, failure to yield the right of way, and text messaging while driving. The woman struck a deal with prosecutors where she plead guilty to a low-level offense in exchange for their dropping all the other charges.

The family of the victim was sorely disappointed by the especially lenient sentence handed down by the judge. However, the judge had little discretion to do anything else, since it was the prosecution who offered the woman the plea bargain. The family told reporters that they just wanted a jury to hear what happened and to let the jury decide. They didn’t care whether she was found guilty or not but just wanted the case to go to trial.