Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Maryland Bicycle Injury Update: Baltimore and D.C. Rank 29th and 32nd Nationwide in Fatal Traffic Accidents

July 22, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Baltimore has become a very popular city with cycling enthusiasts. However, with that popularity comes increasing number of cyclists on city streets, sharing lanes with passenger cars, motor-powered two-wheelers, large SUVs and commercial trucks of all types. Whether you’re an optimist or not, recent data may have bicycle riders grinning ear-to-ear while at the same time looking over their collective shoulders more than ever.

According to Transportation for America (TOA), the pedestrian and bicycle safety organization, over 76,000 Americans have been killed in the past 15 years simply crossing the roads in their very own communities.

As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my colleagues offer legal services to individuals hurt in bicycle and automobile-related accidents. Many of these accidents are caused, sadly, by the negligence of motorists or because of commercial trucking accidents. As injury attorneys, all of us have sensed the pain and seen the suffering that can follow a cycling accident resulting from a car or truck crash. It goes without saying that the medical costs associated with treatment and rehabilitation from such accidents can become quite expensive.

The TOA’s report on pedestrian injuries and fatalities nationwide ranked metropolitan areas in terms of accident frequency for persons on foot as well as on bicycles. The shocking part of the study for this office was the authors’ description of the total deaths across the nation as being equivalent to a commercial airliner crashing with a full passenger load once a month.

Transportation for America points out that nearly 4,000 children under 16 years have been killed so far in the 2000s. Based on the TOA’s numbers, the study stated that children, the elderly and infirm individuals, and ethnic minorities are over-represented when it comes to total death count.

The study also pointed out that while many pedestrian deaths (which in this case includes not only persons on foot but also bicycle riders) are typically termed “accidents,” suggesting an error either on the part of the motor vehicle operator or the person on foot or on his or her bike. However, the TOA stresses that a large percentage of supposed accidents occurred along roadways that were, as they term it, “dangerous by design.” This is to say, that maybe the blame should be aimed at poor roadway and sidewalk design, rather than at the drivers, pedestrians and cyclists who use those walkways and streets.

Maryland Man Dies after Car Pulls Out in Front of Motorcycle in Frederick County

July 15, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As a personal injury attorney, my job is to represent victims of accidents precipitated by the negligent actions of other individuals. Motorcycle riders may be one of the most common groups of motorists injured on the road, especially during the spring and summer months.

Unfortunately, traffic accidents involving bikes, such as Harley-Davidsons, Suzukis, Triumphs and Hondas, are usually severe and cause extensive bodily injury to the riders. More often than not, a crash with a passenger car or commercial truck can result in death. Helmets make a big difference, but in this life there are no guarantees.

The tragic part of the story is that many injuries and fatal crashes experienced by the motorcycling community could be avoided if other motorists took the added effort to check for two-wheelers sharing the road. As a Maryland motorcycle accident lawyer, I’ve seen enough horrendous accident scenes to last a lifetime. But I never tire of offering help to victims and their families following these kinds of terrible and sometimes life-altering collisions.

Maryland Motorcycle Rider Killed in Fatal Calvert County Traffic Accident with SUV

July 8, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Having assisted numerous motorcycle riders following life-threatening bike-automobile accidents, I have seen the carnage that can be inflicted on a motorcyclist during a serious crash. It goes without saying that bikers and other riders of two-wheel motor vehicles have less protection against a severe traffic wreck than people in four-wheeled vehicles, and zero when compared to semi truck drivers in their big rigs. But most motorcycle riders know this and understand the risks.

Some highway collisions cannot be survived. At the very least, massive head and back injuries are common, even at low speeds, which can lead to permanent paralysis and a lifetime of medical care. Rehabilitation following such accidents can help, but is also expensive and can crush a family’s savings in a very short time. If the victim was the major income earner for the family the effects of a debilitating bike wreck are only magnified.

Not long ago a young rider from Broomes Island was killed when a pickup truck apparently pulled into the road directly in front of the man’s motorcycle. According to reports, the accident occurred just after 6pm along Broomes Island Road near Island Creek Lane in Calvert County.

Berlin Motorist Pleads Guilty to Hit-and Run Death of Maryland Bicycle Rider on Route 50

June 30, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Bicycle accidents, both fatal and non-life-threatening, have become more frequent as the warmer weather has drawn more and more cyclists out onto public roadways. Sharing the road is great in theory, but it takes the active participation of all parties. When motor vehicles and pedal-powered two-wheelers tangle it’s almost always the bicycle rider who gets hurt, or worse, killed. As Maryland bicycle accident attorneys, my staff has experience in the area of bicycle and pedestrian injury accidents.

Particularly in cities as vibrant as Baltimore, MD, bike riding is both a healthy way to exercise and a eco-friendly and low-cost method of transportation. Danger does exist and every bicyclist knows that the smallest mistake can result in serious injury or even death. Car, bus, taxi and delivery truck drivers also need to be especially vigilant during the summer months for cyclists traveling in urban traffic situations.

Not long ago an all-too-familiar and sadly reminiscent scene played out in a Worchester County courtroom. The hearing involved a 35-yearold Berlin motorist pleading guilty to manslaughter in the case of a June 2009 hit-and-run incident. According to news reports, Daniel Matthew Bren was driving along a Route 50 bridge when his vehicle struck two bicyclists in the roadway. The driver then left the scene of the accident, which left one cyclist dead and a second injured following that bicycle-automobile collision.

Suzuki and Yamaha Riders Die in Separate Maryland Motorcycle Accidents on Same Day

June 23, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Few can deny that motorcycles have their appeal. On one hand they offer a feeling of freedom. On the other hand, they certainly can be dangerous. This is why some motorcycle owners describe riding a bike as an exercise in risk management. One of the biggest risks for bikers here in Maryland — regardless of whether they own a Honda, Kawasaki or Harley Davidson — is the potential for severe injury or even death as a result of a traffic accident.

As a Baltimore motorcycle accident lawyer, I’ve met many motorcyclists and they all share an undying passion for riding, for the open road. Each person deals with the inherent risks in his or her own way. Sadly, however, all bikers face some formidable dangers in the guise of passenger cars, family minivans and commercial trucks. From being side-swiped by a distracted driver to catching a thrown tread off a poorly maintained semi tractor-trailer, the prospect of receiving cuts, bruises, broken bones and road rash looks downright sunny next to the dead-end alternative a fatal high-speed crash with another, larger motor vehicle.

Not long ago, two riders died in separate accidents on the same Friday evening here in Maryland. One could say it was a fluke, but with the number of motorcycle enthusiasts on the road these days, a more cynical person would suggest it was simply inevitable. In each of these cases — one in Joppa, MD, and the other in Hanover — the accidents involved questionable riding behavior on the part of each rider. Both motorcycle accidents involved a collision with an automobile.

Biker and Wife Thrown Off Cycle with Serious Injuries in Calvert, MD, Motorcycle Accident

June 16, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Cycle accidents were on the rise earlier this spring as many bikers and other motorcycle enthusiasts hit the interstates and rural roads at the first sign of warm weather. Calvert County experienced the third of southern Maryland’s serious motorcycle crashes late on a Saturday evening in April when a husband and wife where injured in a single-bike wreck.

The accident took place on Bowie Shop road, near Lowery Road in Huntington, MD. According to reports, the couple had been traveling westbound through Calvert County just before midnight when for some reason their 2007 Harley Davidson entered the westbound shoulder of the roadway. According to police at the scene, 43-year-old Flint Duffey was piloting the vehicle with his wife, Tracy, seated on the back. (It was unknown at the time whether or not the accident was cuased by rider error or defective vehicle equipment.)

The husband apparently steered to the left and applied brakes in order to avoid leaving the pavement; however he lost control of the motorcycle, which apparently laid over and slid on its side across the roadway. Both riders were reportedly ejected from the motorcycle, which came to rest following a collision with the eastbound guardrail.

Maryland Bicycle Injury News: Science Writer Killed by National Guard Truck in Washington, D.C.

June 9, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Washington, D.C., cyclist and well-known reporter for Science Magazine was struck and tragically killed by a five-ton National Guard transport vehicle being used to block a D.C. intersection for an approaching motorcade. The accident happened not far from the site of a Nuclear Security Summit being held in the Capital. The victim, 68-year-old Constance Holden of Northwest Washington, was pronounced dead at the scene. She reportedly was heading home from her office at the end of the work day.

Living and working in the Baltimore area, I and the other Maryland injury lawyers at our office know that bicycles make up a percentage of vehicular traffic in Maryland, Virginia and the District. As tragic as this bicycle accident was, it’s not the only one and sadly will not be the last.

Bicycle and motorcycle crashes, whether caused by the driver of a passenger vehicle or commercial truck, can be serious at best; fatal at worst. Like the one reported here, the odds of a rider being killed by a large motor vehicle are quite high. For those who survive such encounters, bodily injuries can range from cuts and bruises to broken bones and traumatic head or spine injury. Hospital costs for such extensive injuries can run in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Avid Maryland Bicyclist Dies, Second Cyclist Seriously Injured in Butler County Car Collision

May 31, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Being a lifelong participant in any outdoor sport or activity would seem to prepare a person for the various and specific dangers involved. While this may be the case in general, when it comes to bicycle riding, safety must be paramount in a rider’s mind when negotiating public roadways with other automobile and commercial truck traffic.

As Maryland injury attorneys, I and my colleagues understand how even the simplest error in judgment can mean the difference between life and death on a city street or a country road. Such was apparently the sad case in a bicycle-auto crash not long ago that claimed the life of a father and husband.

According to news reports, the victim of the accident was a 43-year-old bicycling devotee from Owings Mills, MD. Lawrence Bensky was apparently an intrepid cyclist who would think nothing of riding his bike from Bel Air to Ocean City. Regardless of the difficulties, family and friends reportedly said nothing could slow this rider down.

Baltimore Motorcycle Rider Safety News: Maryland Bill may Result in Fewer Helmets Being Worn

May 23, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Summer is fast upon us. Motorcycle riders have already been flooding the city streets and roadways across Maryland. But as any good rider knows, motorcycle-automobile accidents can be unforgiving on bikers and their passengers. Many motorcycle and car accidents become very tragic because a motorcyclist has little protection against the mass of a car, SUV or pickup truck.

Where a driver of a car or truck is relatively protected in the case of a crash, a motorcyclist and his or her passenger can receive the direct impact from another vehicle. Motorcycle occupants can also be thrown far from the scene of a bike wreck. As a result, motorcycle accidents have rather high injury rates that include broken bones and lacerations, neck and spine injuries, traumatic head injuries, and other permanent and non-permanent injuries.

Wearing a helmet is one of the best choices a motorcyclist can make to improve his chances of surviving a bad motorcycle crash. The proper helmets can reduce the incidence of fatal head injuries by a large percentage. The use of various protective outerwear and good footwear can also mean the difference between minor and serious injury, or even death.

Maryland Motorcycle Injury News: Two Riders Hurt in Separate Anne Arundel County Traffic Accidents

May 13, 2010 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Where there’s one there is usually another, or so the saying goes. As more than one motorcycle rider has commented, seeing one deer or other large animal by the side of the road means at least another may be close by. This kind of thinking has saved many a biker from a serious motorcycle crash due to wildlife in the roadway. Of course, safety should always be the primary concern of any rider who takes his riding seriously.

Even so, traffic accidents like car-bike crashes can and do happen. For owners of Yamahas, Ducatis, Harley-Davidsons and Buells, avoiding a traffic accident is a full-time job when operating a motorcycle on public roads. Heavy traffic and rush hour congestion only increases the risk to bikers of every kind.

Not too long ago, a couple unrelated traffic accidents sent two riders to the hospital on the same day. Based on news reports at the time, one of the motorcyclists was involved in a single-vehicle crash in Pasadena, while the other hit a large sport utility vehicle in Glen Burnie.