Losing a son or daughter in a senseless traffic accident can be a painful and devastating event for any family. Having such a tragic event take place on a holiday or special family occasion can forever color that day for friends and relatives for years to come, if not for a lifetime.
Mothers and fathers who lose a child to an accident, regardless of their age, can be so overwhelmed with grief that day-to-day activities are nearly impossible. As Baltimore motorcycle accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys, our hearts go out to the families of these victims.
With that said, we understand the draw and excitement that the open road holds for some individuals who ride motorcycles. Whether you ride a cruiser, hog or sport bike, there are few other joys in life than the freedom that a cycle provides. Regardless of whether you live in the dense urban areas of Annapolis, Rockville or the District, or if you enjoy a more rural existence, any motorcyclist worth his or her salt understands the dangers of this sport.
As pastimes go, riding a Harley, Yamaha or Susuki is up there with other rather risky hobbies. But good riders know that balancing pleasure with danger is a basic requirement. Unfortunately, accidents do happen, even to the best motorcycle riders. And when they do, the results can be serious.
One catastrophic accident can send a person to the hospital for weeks or months. Head trauma is usually one of the most common injuries, even for those who wear a helmet, which can lead to paralysis, cognitive problems and even death.
Being Maryland injury attorneys, I and my colleagues have seen how head and brain injuries sustained due to a bad traffic collision can continue to affect a victim medically and financially sometimes for his or her entire life. The trouble is, injuries to the brain and spinal column are much more complex and difficult to correct than are lacerations, bruises and even injuries to other internal organs like the liver, lungs and heart.
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.
Not long ago in Havre de Grace, a biker died on Mother’s Day following a multiple-vehicle traffic accident on an eastbound stretch of Pulaski Highway — near the 1800 block. According to police reports, Hauson Woodard of Aberdeen, MD, sustained what news reports described as life-threatening injuries when his motorcycle collided with another passenger vehicle sometime around 5pm that Sunday.
Woodward was tended to by emergency responders and then taken by medevac helicopter to Shock Trauma where he apparently died from his injuries. Occupants in the car were taken to Bayview Medical Center, according reports, but no details were given regarding their conditions.
Motorcycle Season Brings Hopes for Safe Driving, Patch.com, May 11, 2011
Man Flown Out After Pulaski Highway Bike Accident, Patch.com, May 8, 2011