Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Maryland Bicycle Injury News: Family Settles Wrongful Death Suit following Fatal Baltimore Cycling Accident

December 24, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The family of cycling accident victim, John R. Yates, has settled out of court their lawsuit against a commercial truck owner and the driver of the vehicle that was involved in the bicycle-truck crash. According to news reports, the defendants in the case recently agreed to pay an undisclosed amount rather than take their chances in court. The reportedly $5 million wrongful death lawsuit alleged negligence on the part of the owner of the tank truck as well as the driver of the vehicle that allegedly ran over and killed Yates on a Baltimore street earlier this year.

As Maryland auto accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers, I and my staff understand the anger and sadness that accompanies the loss of a loved one killed in a senseless traffic collision. Bicycle and motorcycle riders in particular are most at risk on city streets and rural roads due to the size and weight disparity between their relatively small and lesser protected two-wheelers and other motor vehicles.

Any crash between a bike and a passenger car, 18-wheeler or commercial delivery truck can result in serious and sometimes fatal results. Head, neck and spinal injuries are always a potential risk in such collisions. In the case of Mr. Yates, the 67-year-old bicycle enthusiast died from the injuries he sustained when the truck allegedly turned into him on August 4 this year.

Maryland Traffic Injury News: U.S. Senate Candidate Killed in Bicycle-Car Accident in D.C.

December 15, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Anyone who says that traffic accidents only happen to other people would do well to reconsider that statement. Even if you don’t drive a car, SUV, minivan or commercial truck, as a pedestrian or bicyclist you too could end up being caught in a potentially fatal traffic accident. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my staff are well versed in the law and we understand the possible causes of severe or deadly automobile, trucking or pedestrian collisions.

A sad story that illustrates my point involves a young up and coming political candidate who met an untimely end following a car crash on the streets of Largo, MD. According to news articles, 30-year-old Natasha Pettigrew, Maryland Green Party candidate for the United States Senate, was on her bicycle training for a triathlon when she was struck by a sport utility vehicle around 5:30am on a Sunday morning.

The accident, according to Maryland State Police, happened on Route 202 at the intersection of Campus Way when the cyclist was hit by a passing SUV. Police said the SUV’s driver, 40-year-old Christy R. Littleford, called from her home about an hour after the crash stating that she thought she may have hit a deer but realized it wasn’t an animal after she arrived home and saw Pettigrew’s bicycle trapped underneath her vehicle.

Maryland Motorcycle Accident Report: Rider Dies following Hit-and-Run Traffic Collision in Baltimore

December 6, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s a tragedy when anyone is killed in a senseless Maryland traffic accident, but to lose a loved one as a result of a fatal hit-and-run crash, that is a double blow to a family that is already reeling from the loss. As a Maryland automobile injury lawyer, I have represented victims of car, bike and commercial trucking accidents over the years. One thing that never seems to change is the sadness of families of people killed in by negligent drivers.

When a motorist is found to have operated his or her vehicle in a negligent manner that results a catastrophic traffic accident, that person should be held liable for the injury or wrongful death of the victim or victims. In some cases, the state will want its pound of flesh too, meaning the defendant could also wind up spending time in jail. Whatever the circumstances, it doesn’t change the fact that careless or reckless acts committed by another individual, whether a passenger car driver or professional truck driver, can have long lasting effects on the victim and his or her family.

A little while back, a man was killed in a hit-and-run accident here in Baltimore. At the time of the news report, police were still looking for the suspect, who was reportedly driving a black Mercedes-Benz at the time of the crash. These kinds of accidents can be hard to solve, but the fact that the driver fled the scene may indicate the potential for negligence on his or her part.

Maryland Motorcycle Injury News: Deer Blamed for Fatal Multi-vehicle Accident that Killed Glen Burnie Biker

November 30, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

While winter may be here to stay for some time, it’s important to remember that motorcycle accidents can and do happen at the most unlikely times and for sometimes unexpected reasons. As a Baltimore auto accident attorney and motorcycle injury lawyer, I’ve seen enough news articles and police accident reports to know that bikers are at high risk for injury and death when traveling on our public roads.

Especially during the off-season for riders, fewer passenger car and commercial truck drivers are looking for motorcycles in the colder months. Riders already know they are relatively invisible and therefore more apt to be hit by another, larger motor vehicle. The results, of course, can be tragic.

It wasn’t long that a motorcyclist from Anne Arundel County died in a multi-car accident on Solley Road when a deer apparently bolted out into the street. According to police, the accident happened late on a Saturday night when 34-year-old John Fabian III and a passenger where riding on the man’s ‘96 Honda Shadow near Nabbs Creek Road.

Maryland Bicycle Accident News: Boy Dies Days after Being Hit by Motorist While Riding His Bike in West Baltimore

November 23, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Bicycle accidents, like other traffic collisions involving pedestrians and motorcycle riders, can result in severe injury to the cyclist. It makes little difference whether a bike rider is hit by a passenger car or a commercial delivery vehicle, the harm is immediate and sometimes long lasting. Scrapes and bruises are the least of it, with broken bones, internal injury and head trauma being some of the more common and severe injuries.

As a Maryland personal injury lawyer representing individuals hurt in bicycle accidents in Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington, D.C., and all across the state, I know that more than half of the cyclists all around the nation are minors. And it’s hard to imagine that statistics show more than 10,000 children are injured while cycling every year in the U.S. A third of those involve traumatic brain injury and sometimes death.

When a child is injured on his or her bicycle, parents can wonder whether or not they should have let their son or daughter ride at all. Sadly, many preventable bicycle accidents involve a motorist who was careless or simply negligent. As motor vehicle operators, not paying attention or making an error in judgment can lead to someone else’s injury or death.

Baltimore Motorcycle Accident News: Bikers Must Stay Focused to Avoid Serious or Deadly Crashes

November 14, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As the motorcycle season winds down here in Maryland, now is not the time to take your mind off the road and all those cars, minivans and large commercial trucks out there. As any rider who wants to avoid a traffic accident knows, bikes are nearly invisible to many motorists mainly because of their small profile and their even fewer numbers when compared to the thousands of four-wheeled motor vehicles on the roadways.

As a Baltimore motorcycle accident lawyer and Washington, D.C., injury attorney, I understand how easily a carefree ride can turn bad, usually with a collision between a bike and a much larger and more imposing passenger vehicle. Make no mistake, many bike riders involved in an automobile or commercial truck accident suffer life altering injuries, if they are even lucky enough to survive in the first place.

And it is a sad fact that a certain percentage of motorcycle riders are killed in traffic accidents. It is with this reminder that we say, please ride defensively and live to see another day. On that note, there was a story of a seasoned biker who was killed earlier in the year as a result of not being easily seen.

Maryland Bicycle Accident Update: Bike Rider Seriously Injured on Capital Crescent Trail Cycling Path

November 7, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

For people who live and work in the city, when we think of bike accidents we naturally envision a traffic collision between a delivery truck or city bus and a bicycle rider. But it is important to remember that motor vehicles aren’t the only cause of cyclist injuries. As illustrated in a summer time cycling accident, bicyclists can be hurt far from the hustle and bustle of our urban centers.

As a Maryland injury attorney and auto accident lawyer, I have seen what can happen when a car or truck strikes a relatively unprotected bike rider. But I and my colleagues also know that other factors can lead to a serious cycling accident. According to a news article a while back, a Maryland man was hurt on the Capital Crescent Trail in Bethesda, MD, when he was thrown from his bike face first to the pavement after a two-bike crash.

Based on police reports, 50-year-old Jay Roberts called the entire incident a “freak accident,” yet it points up the dangers inherent in any sport that involves relatively high speeds and a modicum of risk. The accident happened during a morning ride when Roberts was on his way to meet a friend. From out of nowhere, according to the avid cyclist, another bike came at him hitting his bicycle head-on.

Maryland Bicycle Accident News: 14-Year-Old Boy Critically Injured in Car-Bike Crash

October 31, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

There’s a sadness that accompanies any traffic accident in which a child is injured or killed. In the first place, many automobile accidents could be prevented. In the second place, youngsters are so innocent that we as parents want to shield them from any pain or suffering. A passenger car or commercial trucking accident is a violent assault on that innocence.

As Baltimore personal injury lawyers, I and my legal team understand the difficult emotional time that a family may experience after their child is hurt in a traffic collision. We all cringe when we see kids on bikes mixing with motor vehicles, but the result of an actual crash is always a shock.

According to a news article, a young boy from Queen Anne’s County was struck by a car while he was cycling in Stevensville on a Sunday night. Based on police reports, the accident happened around 9pm on Thompson Creek Road, just in front of a Food Lion supermarket.

Maryland Motorcycle News: Traffic Accident, Crime Victims Meet in Baltimore, Share Stories of Grief

October 21, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Nothing can bring back a loved one who has been killed in a senseless automobile accident, or taken by a bullet from a criminal’s gun. As a Maryland personal injury attorney, I’ve seen first-hand the torment that victim’s families experience in the wake of an untimely death. Whether caused by the negligence of a passenger car driver, the operator of an 18-wheeler, or a seasoned criminal, the anger and pain seems to never quite go away.

For the victims of fatal motorcycle accidents, their families are always left wondering what if. What if he didn’t go for a ride that afternoon? What if he stayed the night instead of heading home after dark? What if it was someone else behind the wheel of the car who hit him? None of these questions can be answered to anyone’s satisfaction. But still the second-guessing continues.

Not long ago eight victims of violent crime and motor vehicle accidents met in Baltimore to share their stories of grief and frustration with each other and cities officials. According to one report, the group included residents of Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Harford, Cecil and Howard counties. Families and victims alike told their stories in front of a panel at Long Reach High School. It was the second of several such regional meetings being held statewide.

Baltimore Motorcycle Accident News: A Safety Reminder to Maryland Bicycle Riders and Motorcyclists

October 14, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

I’ve spoken here before of the danger that is posed to bike riders every day in our city streets and rural country roads. Maryland provides cycling enthusiasts with a wonderful venue for sport and recreation, but when it comes to cycling on public roads, riders everywhere must be vigilant. As a Baltimore personal injury attorney, I have read the stories of bicyclists who have been hurt, permanently injured or who have died senselessly at the hands of thoughtless or inattentive motorists.

But another danger exists, one which many riders may already know, but which nobody ever expects until it happens to them. I’m speaking of the real threat posed by those who steal manhole covers in Baltimore, such as Annapolis, Frederick and the District. Though it may be portrayed comically in old movies, there is nothing funny about having your bike’s front wheel fall into a two-foot wide hole at 20mph or more.

According to the news, scrap metal thieves have targeted these heavy cast-iron discs even though the value on a per piece basis only about 10 dollars. Although manhole covers weigh in excess of 100 pounds, people strapped for cash are still willing to try and lift them. But the void left behind could be extremely dangerous for bicycle riders and motorcyclists alike.