Having worked for years as a Baltimore personal injury attorney and auto accident lawyer, I have seen the result of numerous motorcycle accidents. In fact, just a look at the local news during the year and one will likely find a string of bike accident articles. Whether you live in Annapolis, the District, Frederick or Gaithersburg, MD, motorcycle collisions involving passenger cars, light trucks and commercial deliver vehicles are not uncommon during the riding season.
No biker, regardless whether he or she is a Harley, Honda, Triumph or Vespa fan, will deny that motorcycles, scooters and mopeds offer virtually no protection to their operators in the case of a traffic accident. Nevertheless, this fact has hardly discouraged the tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts to hit the road every year as temps warm up and the snow and ice melt away.
As a motorcycle accident attorney, I truly understand the lure of the open road for many individuals. But that doesn’t change the fact that a motorcycle wreck, whether caused by poor weather conditions, another driver’s error or equipment failure, can be much more severe than the average car accident under similar circumstances. Much of this is due to the relatively poor protection that a bike provides to its rider.
Now that we can perhaps see an end to the winter season, riders all around the state will be starting up their bikes in anticipation of the first beautiful spring day. With that in mind, it is perhaps wise to remember that there can be increased opportunity for serious or fatal injury as motorcycles slowly begin to be more common on our roadways.
Over the past few snowy and icy winter months, passenger car drivers have likely become used to not seeing bikes on the roads, especially when compared to the peak summer riding season. As a motorcycle owner, its good to be extra cautious when riding this spring not only in high traffic areas, but also on lesser traveled roads. Automobile drivers and trucker need some time to get used to motorcycle traffic once the warmer weather sets in.
Having represented victims of auto-cycle collisions, we would like to remind riders that motorcycle accidents can occur almost anytime, night or day. Sadly, this is due to the fact that four-wheel motorists and commercial truckers do not always spot the smaller profile of a bike and its rider until it’s too late. As many a rider has learned, it’s better to drive as if nobody can see you. Betting your life that a distracted parent driving a minivan full of screaming children will see you coming just as he decides to turn left into the mall is not a strategy we would advise.
Good luck, be safe and enjoy the coming riding season.