Articles Posted in Fatal Motorcycle Accidents

After someone is fatally injured in a motorcycle accident, the family of the deceased is often left not just emotionally distraught but also in a bad financial place. This is especially the case if there were exorbitant medical bills, or if the deceased was an income earner. A wrongful death lawsuit is a way for the aggrieved family members of a deceased accident victim to recover financially for their loss.

Wrongful death lawsuits must be brought by the proper party in order for the court to hear the case. In Maryland, the law prefers that a “primary beneficiary” bring the lawsuit. A primary beneficiary is defined as a spouse, parent, or child. However, in some cases, even a person in one of these three categories will not be eligible. For example, a parent will not be permitted to bring a wrongful death action based on the death of their child if they were criminally involved in the child’s death.

If there is no primary beneficiary available to bring the lawsuit, a secondary beneficiary can file a case. A secondary beneficiary is a person who is related to the deceased by blood or marriage and who was “substantially dependent” on the deceased. In some cases, there is substantial litigation as to whether a party qualifies as a secondary beneficiary. Once a party has proven to the court that they are a proper party, they must then prove that the defendant’s negligent, reckless, or intentional act caused the death of their loved one. This too can be complex, depending on the circumstances giving rise to the accident.

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Earlier this month in Cocoa, Florida, one woman was killed and another man seriously injured when they were involved in a serious motorcycle accident. According to one local Florida news report, the accident occurred in the morning hours of Monday, November 17.

Evidently, the male was operating the motorcycle with the female on the back. As the couple attempted to make a legal left-hand turn, another driver pulled into their path. The motorcyclist was unable to avoid the collision and struck the side of the other driver’s vehicle. Both the driver and the passenger were ejected from the motorcycle. Neither of the two on the motorcycle were wearing their helmets at the time of the collision.

The man was taken to the hospital and admitted in critical condition. Sadly, his passenger, a 64-year-old Florida resident, died shortly after the accident from the injuries she sustained. Police do not believe that alcohol was a factor, but the Highway Patrol is conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of the fatal motorcycle accident.

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Earlier this month near Middletown, a motorcyclist died when he was involved in a two-vehicle accident near the intersection of Summit Bridge Road and Old Schoolhouse Road. According to one local news source that covered the incident, the accident took place at around 1:20 in the afternoon.

Evidently, the motorcyclist was heading southbound on Summit Bridge Road, and an Acura was heading northbound on the same road, when the Acura attempted to make a left-hand turn in front of the motorcyclist. However, the driver of the Acura misjudged the amount of time he had to complete the turn and struck the motorcycle before he completed the turn. The impact from the collision caused the motorcyclist to be thrown from the bike.

The motorcyclist, who was wearing his helmet, was pronounced dead on the scene by emergency crews. The driver of the Acura stopped his car about 150 feet from the intersection and remained on the scene throughout the police investigation. He was not injured in the accident.

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Earlier this month in Putnam County, New York, one man was killed when he was involved in a six-car pile-up on the interstate. According to one local news source, the accident occurred in the early morning hours of October 14 on Interstate 684.

Evidently, the motorcyclist was traveling on the highway when several cars in front of him were involved in an accident. The motorcyclist, without time to react, slammed into one of the cars in front of him that had slowed because of the approaching accident. Once the rider was knocked off his motorcycle, a van not far behind the motorcyclist collided with the motorcycle and the rider. The rider was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The medical examiner listed the man’s death as an accident. Police are in the midst of an investigation to determine who was at fault in the original accident that caused the chain-reaction accident. While no one has been charged yet, that could change as the investigation wraps up.

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Earlier this month in West Virginia, one man was killed after he was involved in a motorcycle accident with one other vehicle. According to one local West Virginia news source, the accident took place on a Monday afternoon on U.S. Route 460, near Oakvale.

Evidently, the motorcyclist was heading westbound on Route 460 when he lost control of the motorcycle. As the motorcyclist was attempting to regain control of the bike, the driver of a dark-colored passenger car struck him, sending the man off the bike and onto the pavement. The driver of that vehicle fled the scene and is yet to be located by authorities.

Police are conducting an investigation into the fatal motorcycle accident and are not sure if the unknown vehicle was at all responsible for the initial accident or whether that was a complete loss of control on the motorcyclist’s part. Either way, the driver who fled the scene could face criminal charges for leaving the scene of the accident. Police also noted that uneven pavement could have contributed to the cause of the accident.

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Earlier this month, one man and one woman lost their lives when the motorcycle they were riding was struck by another vehicle attempting to make a left turn in front of the motorcycle. According to one local news source, the accident took place at the intersection of Maryland Route 4 and Rousby Hall Road and involved one Harley Davidson motorcycle and two cars.

Evidently, the motorcyclists were heading north on Maryland Route 4, approaching the intersection with Rousby Hall Road. As the two approached the intersection, a Jeep coming from the opposite direction attempted to make a left hand turn onto Rousby Hall Road in front of the motorcycle. However, the driver of the Jeep misjudged the speed at which the motorcycle was traveling and struck the motorcycle, causing both riders to be ejected.

After that initial collision, the motorcycle continued westward until it struck a Mercedes that was stopped, also waiting to make a turn onto Rousby Hall Road. The motorcycle and Mercedes then both caught fire.

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Earlier last month, two men were killed when the motorcycles that each of the men were riding collided in a tragic fatal accident. According to one local news source, the accident occurred on the 11500 block of Laurel-Bowie Road, near the intersection with the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, on a Sunday morning.

Evidently, one of the victims was a lieutenant with the fire department in Baltimore County. After the man had finished his shift at the department, he was on his way home when the fatal accident occurred. At some point on his way home, another motorcyclist traveling in the opposite direction crossed over the center line and collided head-on with the firefighter’s motorcycle, killing him instantly. The other driver was also pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Police are in the midst of conducting an investigation into what happened in the moments leading up to the accident. At this point, authorities believe that the other motorcyclist crossed over the center line as he was approaching a natural curve in the road and failed to properly negotiate the curve.

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Earlier this month, one man was killed when he was struck by another vehicle while riding his motorcycle in Hagerstown, Maryland. According to one local news source, the accident took place around 11:30 in the morning near 25 East North Avenue.

Evidently, the motorcyclist was traveling west on East North Avenue when a Buick pulled out of Cramer’s Alley and onto East North Avenue. As the driver of the Buick pulled out, he struck the motorcyclist. The motorcyclist was knocked from his bike and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver of the Buick was not injured.

Police arrived on the scene and called accident reconstructionists to help them understand what happened in the moments leading up to the fatal motorcycle accident. The county prosecutor has decided to await the results of the official investigation before deciding if criminal charges will be filed against the driver of the Buick.

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Earlier this month, a 22-year-old man was killed in a fatal motorcycle accident involving one other vehicle. According to one local news report, the accident occurred in Timonium, Maryland on a Wednesday morning, around 11 a.m.Evidently, the motorcyclist was heading north on York Road. Another motorist, operating a Buick Regal, was heading south on the same road when he attempted to make a left-hand turn in front of the motorcyclist. The Buick did not have time to complete his turn, and the motorcyclist crashed into the side of the passenger vehicle.

The motorcyclist was taken to Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time after admission. The driver of the Buick, a 73-year-old woman, was taken to St. Joseph’s Medical Center and treated for minor injuries. Police are still conducting an investigation into the accident. It is not clear at this point if the driver of the Buick has been issued any citation for her role in the fatal accident.

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Earlier this month in Gaithersburg, one man was killed when he was struck by a car and knocked off his motorcycle in what ended up being a fatal U-turn accident. According to one local news source, the accident occurred at the intersection of Frederick Road and Christopher Avenue, just before eight o’clock in the evening.

Evidently, the motorcyclist was heading southbound on Frederick Road when the accident occurred. As the motorcyclist approached the intersection of Christopher Avenue, a black Acura began to make a U-turn in front of the motorcyclist, cutting him off. The 35-year-old motorcyclist was taken to a nearby hospital for the treatment of his injuries. However, he tragically passed away a short time after admission. The driver of the Acura and his two passengers were not injured.

The accident remains under investigation by police. Charges against the driver of the Acura may be filed upon the completion of the investigation.

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