It’s sad to say, but most bicycle accidents are completely preventable. As a Maryland personal injury lawyer, I know how out-matched a bicycle is next to larger and more massive passenger cars. A collision between the two almost never goes well for the cyclist. Head and back injuries, broken bones and minor scratches and bruises are all results of car-bike crashes. Fatalities are often very common in car-bicycle crashes.
Recently, a Maryland youngster was very lucky not to have been killed when he was struck by a car on Twin Rivers Road in Columbia, MD. The accident happened around 6pm on October 12. According to news reports, a Ford Focus driven by a 61-year-old Columbia woman was traveling westbound along Twin Rivers Road when it approached two cyclists riding along the right-hand side of the road.
According to police, as the car was about to pass the two bikes, 14-year-old Sergial Brown allegedly made an abrupt left turn directly in front of the vehicle. The boy was struck by the car, but was thankfully not killed. Emergency crews arrived at the scene and treated the teenager, then he was transported by Maryland State Police helicopter to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was reportedly listed in good condition.
The driver, whom police identified as Sandra Leland of the 5600 block of Harpers Farm Road, was not injured, according to police. At the time of the news story, an investigation was ongoing, but police did not anticipate charging the woman with any violations.
In this case, the boy was lucky, but he may have sustained some serious injuries that might only become evident years from now. When it comes to car-bicycle accidents, many times the financial costs can be significant. Injuries can be so severe that reconstructive surgery or lengthy and expensive medical treatment is needed for a full recovery.
This is why it is extremely important for anyone who is injured in any kind of accident involving a bicycle to retain a qualified personal injury attorney who is well versed in handling these types of injury accidents.
Cyclist, 14, hospitalized after crash with car, BaltimoreSun.com, October 14, 2009