Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog
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.
In many single-vehicle motorcycle accidents, the motorcyclist is not necessarily at fault for the accident, even though no other vehicles were involved in the accident. For example, consider the case described above. The motorcyclist was only involved in a collision after he attempted to avoid another vehicle. That vehicle may have been negligent in stopping or slowing in the middle of the highway. If that was the case, the family of the motorcyclist may be able to look to the other driver for compensation for their loss through a Maryland wrongful death lawsuit.
Another potential theory of liability in the above case is that the vehicle parked on the side of the highway was done so negligently. While there is no evidence yet to support this position, it may be that the vehicle on the side of the road was not pulled over far enough to allow for safe travel. Again, if this was the case, that vehicle’s owner could potentially be held liable.
Naming Parties in Single-Vehicle Accidents
As you can see from the brief discussion above, naming parties to a lawsuit is more complex than simply looking at what other cars were damaged in the accident. In many cases arising out of single-vehicle accidents, the party who is ultimately determined to be liable was not even on the scene when the accident occurred. To learn more about single-vehicle motorcycle accidents, and how you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries, call a dedicated Maryland personal injury attorney.
Have You Been Injured in a Maryland Single-Vehicle Motorcycle Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been involved in a single-vehicle motorcycle accident in Maryland that you believe was caused by the negligence of another party, you may be entitled to monetary damages. To learn more, call one of the dedicated Maryland motorcycle accident attorneys at the law firm of Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers at 410-6554-3600 to set up a free consultation.
More Blog Posts:
Episcopal Bishop Asked to Resign After Involvement in Fatal Bicycle Accident, Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog, published February 26, 2015.
Head-On Collision between Two Motorcyclists Kills One, Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog, published January 28, 2015.