There’s a lot to be said, from the standpoint of freedom and the visceral feel of speed and the open road, about the attraction of motorcycling to a great many people. But make no mistake; there are drawbacks to the sport as a pastime and even as a way to commute. Riding a bike may indeed be a liberating experience, but as many enthusiasts know first-hand, the enjoyment of riding a fast two-wheeler along a rural country road can easily be shattered by one mistake… by the rider himself, or another motorist.
As Maryland personal injury attorneys, my firm has represented its share of riders who have been injured either seriously or sufficiently to cause financial problems associated with extended hospital stays and long-term rehab. While it’s easy to wax poetic about the liberating qualities of the open road and invigorating feeling wind in one’s hair, the reality of a traffic accident, especially to those bikers who have experienced the pain and heartache of a bad bike wreck, will usually sober up the most enamored individuals.
Still, as motorcycle, auto and trucking accident lawyers, we fully empathize with those who have been injured in a roadway collision through no fault of their own. Yes, motorcycles can be dangerous. Certainly, riders who know the score are always vigilant and watchful for potential dangers on the road. But so long as bikes are legal and there are individual who want to ride them, the law is there to help them when a bad crash caused by another negligent driver puts someone in the hospital with serious injuries.
And don’t be surprised with the extent to which the human body can suffer when a bike is hit by a car, SUV or commercial delivery truck. As one of the least crashworthy vehicles on public roads, motorcycles can hardly be expected to protect their riders or passengers in the event of a crash. Despite the use of a helmet, a closed-head injury is one of the main causes of death for bikers of all ages. These kinds of injuries can be more life-threatening than the bone fractures, deep lacerations and severe skin abrasion that are typical in road accidents involving bikes. Spinal cord damage is also up there in terms of debilitating injuries with potentially long-term consequences.
Regardless, with the continued popularity of motorcycles with a wide range of age groups, it’s a fair bet that injuries from motorcycle accidents will be with us for some time to come. Just remember, if you ride or are contemplating taking up the sport, all it takes is one careless, distracted or drunken motorists to ruin your day or your life. Motorcyclists are most often killed or severely injured when even a normally attentive driver simply fails to see an oncoming bike. The results can be tragic.
We noticed a news article that covered a bad traffic accident involving a rider a while back. It illustrated how a motorcyclist can be laid up the hospital after just a momentary mishap. According to that article, the 45-year-old rider was on his Harley on a Sunday afternoon, traveling along a stretch of southbound Rte 1 near the Conowingo Dam. Police estimated that the bike was rounding a curve in in the road when it sideswiped an oncoming vehicle around 4pm. The collision happened after the rider had cleared the dam on the Harford County side, based on police reports.
After the collision with the other vehicle, a Jeep driven by a 51-year-old out-of-state driver, the rider dropped his bike and rolled off the machine. The man’s wife, who was riding behind her husband on another motorcycle ran him over, apparently unable to avoid the man. The victim was choppered out to Christiana Hospital in Delaware for emergency medical treatment. At the time of the news report, the man was still in critical condition two days later.
Baltimore man identified as motorcyclist injured in crash at Conowingo Dam, BaltimoreSun.com, May 1, 2012