Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Baltimore Motorcycle Accident and Injury Update: Maryland’s Motorcycle Law Specifics Aim at Rider Safety

March 16, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Baltimore injury accident lawyers, we are well aware of the laws and statutes created to protect motorists, including motorcycle riders, here in Maryland. These laws, while seeming to some as interfering with personal freedom were nonetheless written with good intentions in mind, especially where they provide safer and less dangerous traffic conditions for riders and passenger car drivers alike.

When it comes to traffic laws specifically written with bikers in mind — helmet regulations and lane-sharing laws immediately come to mind — these likely vary from one state to another. All the same, it is critical that every motorist who shares our public roadways clearly understands and follows these rules.

By all bikers being aware of and abiding by Maryland’s helmet and other mototcycle-related traffic laws, this can go a long way toward helping to reduce the instance of motorcycle crashes in cities like Frederick, Rockville, Hagerstown and Bowie.

Anybody who has ever seen a friend or relative in a hospital ward following a serious motorcycle crash can understand how extensive a rider’s injuries can truly be. Compared a person injured in a passenger car or commercial truck accident, under similar circumstances, the motorcyclist is usually worse off following the wreck.

The laws of physics being what they are, fate does not lend a biker much margin of safety when tangling with an SUV, pickup truck or 18-wheeler. In cases where a rider is hit by a car or box truck on a city street or highway, size is a big factor in who ends up in the emergency room. Sadly, in such accidents the motorcyclist typically loses that encounter hands down.

Whether a person is riding a motorcycle, scooter, bicycle and other two-wheeled vehicle, a traffic accident can land the rider in the hospital with cuts, bruises and road rash, if they are lucky. Worse accidents can result in neck and spinal damage, or traumatic brain injury. Here’s a short list of some Maryland state laws that may help save your life.

Maryland Motorcycle Safety Update: Don’t Let Enthusiasm for Warmer Weather Lead to Serious Motorcycle Crash

March 9, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Having worked for years as a Baltimore personal injury attorney and auto accident lawyer, I have seen the result of numerous motorcycle accidents. In fact, just a look at the local news during the year and one will likely find a string of bike accident articles. Whether you live in Annapolis, the District, Frederick or Gaithersburg, MD, motorcycle collisions involving passenger cars, light trucks and commercial deliver vehicles are not uncommon during the riding season.

No biker, regardless whether he or she is a Harley, Honda, Triumph or Vespa fan, will deny that motorcycles, scooters and mopeds offer virtually no protection to their operators in the case of a traffic accident. Nevertheless, this fact has hardly discouraged the tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to hit the road every year as temps warm up and the snow and ice melt away.

As a motorcycle accident attorney, I truly understand the lure of the open road for many individuals. But that doesn’t change the fact that a motorcycle wreck, whether caused by poor weather conditions, another driver’s error or equipment failure, can be much more severe than the average car accident under similar circumstances. Much of this is due to the relatively poor protection that a bike provides to its rider.

Bike Safety News: Washington D.C. Area Bicycle Group Seeks More Respect from All Cyclists

February 28, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Bicycle injury accidents are fairly common in urban areas like Washington, D.C., Annapolis and Baltimore, MD, however, reducing the frequency of car-bike and bicycle-commercial truck crashes is a challenge due to the shear volume of traffic in these areas. As Maryland automobile accident lawyers who represent cyclists and motorcycle riders hurt in traffic collisions, our job is to help these victims recover damages, including medical, rehab, and work-loss costs following a car accident.

Especially for bicyclists, the potential for serious injury, not to mention possible fatal injury due to being hit by a passing motor vehicle, is very high in cities and other urban areas. Being struck and knocked to the ground can lead to broken arms and legs, road rash, cuts and bruises, and worst of all, traumatic brain injury. Wearing a helmet is always a good idea, but is no guarantee of a good outcome.

A while back, we saw a news item that reminded all of us of one key element in hopefully reducing injuries from car-bike collisions. Over in the District, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) has apparently resolved to improve safety for all who travel on public roads. How? A spokesperson for WABA said the group wants cyclists to “better respect the rights of other road users.”

One can assume that WABA hopes passenger car, long-haul truckers, and commercial delivery truck drivers will reciprocate as well. According to the article, WABA had asked its membership to make a New Year’s resolution that includes respecting the rights of others on public roads and to make what the group says is “a good faith effort to follow the law.” This includes, according to the article, yielding the right of way to pedestrians.

The outgrowth of this latest movement apparently came following the death of D.C. resident who was struck by a cyclist the day following Thanksgiving. According to reports, 78-year-old Quan Chu and his wife were hit by bicycle rider while walking in an alleyway near Massachusetts Ave. The elderly gentleman and his wife were both knocked to the ground as a result of the incident. Chu subsequently died from his injuries.

Maryland Traffic Accident News: Montgomery County Driver Faces 10 Years for Death of Gaithersburg Bicyclist

February 23, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to news articles, a resident of Clarksburg, MD, has been sentenced to eight years following his conviction for the 2010 death of a Gaithersburg bicyclist who was killed in a fatal bike-car crash in Germantown, Maryland. The accident took place on June evening when 48-year-old Stanton Miller Jr. was hit by Quinzy Fraser while riding his bike along Ridge Road.

According to news reports, police said that Fraser, 34, was driving under the influence of alcohol and traveling about 68mph when his vehicle struck and critically injured Miller, who was riding on the shoulder of the roadway. Based on court records, Montgomery County police stated that Fraser’s blood-alcohol content (BAC) was 0.19 percent on the evening of the traffic accident.

As a Baltimore bicycle and pedestrian accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers, we’ve seen the tragic results of drivers who attempt to operate passenger cars and commercial trucks while under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs. As with many traffic accidents, the human toll can be measured in terms of broken bones, head and neck injuries, spinal damage and traumatic brain injury. Pain and suffering, not only of the victim, but also his or her family is always a factor.

Maryland Motorcycle Injury News: Carroll County Driver Faces Prison for Fatal Drunk Driving Crash with Biker

February 17, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A resident of Carroll County, MD, recently pled guilty in a Howard County court room to the fatal drunk driving-related motorcycle-car collision that killed a 68-year-old woman who had been riding on the back of her husband’s bike. The accident took place on Rte 40 when now 23-year-old Alison Walsh, 23, reportedly drove her Honda Civic into the back of the cycle being driven by a 74-year-old man, Antonio Amato, and his wife, Cecilia.

According to news reports, Amato told police that the couple’s motorcycle was stopped at a red signal along a stretch of Rte 40 at the intersection of Marriottsville Rd at the time of the crash. Amato stated that his bike was sitting approximately 15ft from the intersection when they were hit from behind by Walsh’s car.

As a Baltimore motorcycle accident lawyer and Maryland personal injury attorney, I know that this kind of accident can cause severe injuries and sometimes death. In this particular case, the man’s wife was riding on the back of the bike and was thrown off as a result of the impact. Even with the use of a helmet, brain trauma and spinal damage can result from this type of traffic accident.

Maryland Teenager Recovering following Bicycle Accident in Montgomery County Illustrates Seriousness of Bike-Car Crashes

February 7, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s not something any parent wants to think about; their child alone on a bike getting hit by a car or truck. Yet this is reality for hundreds of families every year across this county. Whether you live in a large city like Annapolis, Baltimore or the District, or have a home in a smaller town like Bel Air, Havre de Grace, or Ocean City, the dangers for kids near traffic are real and can be very scary.

Proper safety equipment and other protective measures can give a youngster some defense against falling off his or her bicycle, but tangling with a commercial delivery truck in the city or getting sideswiped by a passenger car in the neighborhood can lead to severe injuries or even death. As a Maryland personal injury lawyer, I know that these are tough images to consider, but the point is here to make certain your child is well equipped to travel the streets and bike paths throughout our state.

Running across an editorial piece not long ago, we were reminded at how lucky some auto accident victims really are following a bad crash. While this story begins with a harrowing discovery by the young boy’s father the outlook appears good for the teen. According to the article, 16-year-old Tyler Junkin-Mills and his family had only recently moved into a new home in Olney, MD, when one day the teen didn’t return home when expected.

Having only just begun to unpack a myriad of items from their move, the family’s bicycling helmets were still packed away in one of the many boxes located around the home. Regardless, Tyler apparently rode off on his bike without his helmet on a supposedly quick trip to a local bakery where he worked.

Becoming anxious after some time had passed and not hearing their son return, Tyler’s father drove off to try and locate the missing boy. Just two blocks away, on Rte 108, the father saw what surely made his stomach turn; patrolmen were in the process of cleaning up an apparently accident scene, which included his son’s bicycle, mostly a tangled mess of metal tubes by the side of the road.

Maryland Injury Accident Update: Motorcycle, Bicycle-related Head Injuries can Lead to Serious Problems Later On

January 31, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Sometimes it seems like things can’t get any worse following a severe traffic accident. But whether it’s a car, motorcycle or trucking-related crash, there are instances where things can and do get worse some time down the road; occasionally months or years after the initial car or bike collision is but a hazy, yet painful memory.

As a Baltimore motorcycle injury lawyer, I and my colleagues understand how injuries sustained following a tragic traffic wreck can continue to trouble an individual both medically and financially all thought his or her lifetime. Such can be the case with injuries that affect the brain and spinal column.

Especially in cases involving traumatic brain injury (TBI), a person can suffer ill effects for years following a motorcycle or car crash. There are few maladies worse than those caused by a closed head injury. The complete or partial lose of motor function, speech problems and permanent memory loss, just to name a few, can each be a life altering affect of a single traffic accident.

Traumatic brain injury has also been known to alter an individual’s personality and even basic behavior and moral compass, according to some experts. Not long ago an article appeared discussing how one 38-year-old victim of TBI became entangled in his local criminal justice system following his injuries.

In this case, the man already had mental health issues as a young adult, with occasional marijuana use and weekend drinking. The article goes on to explain that he experimented with cocaine and amphetamines, yet never used them habitually. However, when he was 26 years old he was involved in a low-speed motorcycle accident. The crash reportedly left him briefly unconscious for about an hour.

Once he regained consciousness, there didn’t seem to be any obvious problems save for a broken arm. But over the next few years, the man began to exhibit more risky behavior, which involved an increased use of drugs and speeding on his motorcycle. At 29, while working for a construction company, the man reportedly fell three stories and sustained a much more severe TBI.

Maryland Motorcycle Accident News: Scooter Use on College Campuses Could Lead to More Collisions

January 26, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Following a car-scooter crash that injured Maryland football player Pete DeSouza on the University of Maryland campus, some people are asking whether the increase in scooter use on college campuses could lead to an increase in injury accidents among university students. As Baltimore motorcycle accident lawyers, we would also ask if the savings in time getting from one side of school to other is worth the added risk to life and limb.

According to news reports, DeSouza suffered severe injuries as a result of a traffic accident last fall caused when a passenger car turned directly in front of the 310-pound offensive lineman’s scooter. Based on reports, DeSouza was headed back from study hall on the evening of October when the crash occurred, resulting in the man receiving two broken legs, which required numerous surgeries that will likely lay him up for six months or more.

It appears that DeSouza could have suffered other, more severe injuries to his head or brain had the backpack he was wearing not protected his head from direct impact with the pavement after he was thrown from the scooter that evening. Following the accident, the University Senate began debate on whether or not scooter riders be required to wear helmets when traveling on campus — right now, helmets are not required for those who rider scooters on public roads.

Baltimore Personal Injury News: Thoughts on Motorcycle Safety and Traffic Accidents in the Off Season

January 21, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Looking forward, and at this point we’d say rather far forward, to spring and the new riding season, motorcyclists will at some point be getting back on the road. When that time comes, there will likely be some more intrepid riders heading out early. Whether you ride a Yamaha, Harley, Honda or Suzuki, when the next clear and warm riding day arrives bikes will start to make their appearance all across the state.

As a Maryland personal injury lawyer and motorcycle accident attorney, I know that as the snows melt and the roads dry out, motorists will start to encounter bikes on the street again. There is a danger during those early weeks, however, for riders and their passengers. It’s a good guess that passenger car and commercial truck drivers will need to acclimate to motorcycles being out on the roadways.

Especially for those die-hard bikers who venture out early in the season, it’s good to be aware that four-wheelers aren’t expecting these smaller and faster bikes being in traffic again. Use caution during those early weeks, when riders are fewer in number. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether or not motorcycle-car accidents may increase as riders begin to hit the road, due in part because car, minivan, SUV and semi drivers have become less conscious of motorcycles during a long and nasty winter season.

Frederick County Bicycle Safety News: Bike Sharing Programs May Mean More Bikes on the Road

January 8, 2011 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

While the weather may not allow for pleasant afternoon bike rides just yet, it’s always good to consider the safety aspect of bicycling as we all dream of the coming spring thaw. Getting back into the swing of bicycle — and even motorcycle riding — will improve the chance of a safer and more enjoyable springtime, when it finally arrives.

As a Maryland personal injury lawyer, I know that Baltimore has provided a wellspring of bicycling culture and cycling enthusiasts. While it’s likely true that motorists in this part of the state have become more attuned to the presence of bike riders, it’s never a mistake to remind people about the dangers of cycling as it related to traffic safety.

Wearing a helmet and having a working headlight on one’s bicycle are important safety points to remember anytime a cyclist ventures onto city streets or rural country roads. Passenger car drivers and 18-wheel truckers should also be aware of the large percentage of two-wheelers that appear on the roads as the weather warms up.

As a rider, one must always be on guard and actively aware of the dangers. Even the most seemingly minor kind of bike-truck or bicycle-car accident can send a cyclist to the hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries, not the least of which are traumatic brain injury and internal injuries.

According to news articles, more bicycles are expected on Maryland roads thanks to bicycle sharing programs like that at Hood College in Frederick, MD. Called the Campus Safety Bike Program, which allows students to borrow bicycles free of charge, the school has added bike-sharing as one of many continuing efforts to be environmentally friendly.

The program, which has been in the planning stages for a while now, purchased two men’s and two women’s bikes, as well as various necessary accessories including chains, locks and lights (and optional helmets). The program provides students the opportunity to borrow one of the four cycles for up to four hours. Any student with a Hood College ID can borrow a bike at the school’s switchboard office in the Whitaker Campus Center. All bikes must be returned by 8pm.

If the program is a success with those first four bikes, the program is expected to additional cycles next semester to meet the hoped-for demand. As part of the initiative, the Hood is adding more bike racks around the campus to handle the growing number of privately-owned bicycles that students are apparently bringing to school each year.