Fatal Motorcycle Accidents

Tragic Md. 77 Motorcycle Accident Foils Marriage Proposal

July 23, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Frederick area man died in a motorcycle accident last week, as he was following his long-time girlfriend’s car while she was driving in front of him.

The crash occurred last weekend near the 5800 block of Md. 77 near Thurmont. According to reports from the Maryland State Police, the collision occurred when the 56-year-old motorcyclist lost control of his bike and skidded into oncoming traffic, where he became pinned between the motorcycle and another vehicle.

The man’s girlfriend had been driving in front of him, as the two were returning from an American Legion fundraiser he had been participating in. The woman later learned that the man had been planning to propose to her soon.

The man, who was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police believe that wet pavement could have been a factor in the crash, as it had recently rained and the pavement was damp at the time.

Baltimore Ravens Cheerleader Killed in Motorcycle Crash

July 8, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to Maryland State Police, a Baltimore Ravens cheerleader was killed as a result of a motorcycle collision that occurred on Interstate 15 over the holiday weekend.

The 27 year old man was driving to Camp Woodward in Pennsylvania on Friday morning when he collided with a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta that was turning left. According to his former employer, where he was the coach of a local cheerleading squad, the man had recently tried out for the Baltimore Ravens’ co-ed cheerleading squad, and reportedly made the team and was set to begin his first season with the NFL this coming fall.

The driver of the Volkswagen was reportedly not seriously injured. The cause of the accident and the circumstances under which it occurred remains under investigation.

Drivers of other vehicles who are unaware of or otherwise not paying attention to motorcyclists on the road are often to blame for causing motorcycle accidents. Contrary to what people may believe about motorcycle drivers, motorcyclists are typically incredibly safe drivers and usually abide by all of the relevant traffic regulations.

When motorcycle accidents are caused by the negligence of other drivers, there will often be liability associated with the actions that lead to these collisions. However, liability is not taken at face value, and must be proved through the course of a lawsuit. Handling a motorcycle accident case requires the implementation of certain strategies due to the fact that motorcycle riders are often unfairly associated with negative stereotypes which can thus harm how they are perceived by potential jurors. Opposing attorneys will often seek to perpetuate these stereotypes in order to defend their clients.

Motorcyclist Killed in Frederick County Collision

July 5, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland Police have reported that one individual has been confirmed as dead following a motorcycle accident earlier this month in Frederick County.

The accident occurred at just after nine in the morning on US-15, near Monocacy Blvd. According to police, a 2012 Volkswagon Jetta was making a left turn across the northbound lanes of Rt. 15, attempting to travel eastbound down Monocacy Blvd. The driver of the Jetta apparently did not see an approaching Suzuki GSXR motorcyclist in the northbound lanes as it began to turn.

As the Jetta was crossing the roadway, the motorcycle rider attempted to stop, but the suddenness of the braking resulted in the bike skidding out of control, causing it to crash into the side of the car.

The motorcyclist was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Jetta was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.

Maryland State Police say that an investigation into the accident remains ongoing.

Failure to Yield Results Kills Fourth Individual in Six Days in Carroll County

June 18, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to a Maryland State Police news release, a 24 year old man died earlier this month, when his motorcycle collided with a car that allegedly failed to yield to his right of way along West Watersville Road in Mount Airy.

It was reportedly around 5 p.m. in the evening when the young man was riding his motorcycle along Watersville Road near Arrowwood Circle, and another driver was turning his car to the left, when he seemingly failed to observe the motorcycle rider’s right of way. As a result, the motorcycle crashed into the side of the car, and the rider was ejected from the bike. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the car and his passenger were not injured.

This was the fourth fatal accident to occur on Carroll County roads in six days. The Maryland State Police are conducting a continuing investigation into the incident.

Motorcyclist Killed in SUV Collision in Queen Anne’s County

June 4, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to investigator reports in Queen Anne’s county, a motorcyclist was killed over the weekend by a collision involving an SUV.

Authorities believe that the driver of a Honda motorcycle was attempting to pass the SUV to his left, as the SUV began turning left from McGinnis Road onto Burchard Sawmill Road, early Saturday evening.

The motorcycle hit the rear tire of the SUV, and the rider was subsequently thrown from the bike. Officials reported that he later died at the hospital. The SUV’s driver was reportedly not injured.

Police further reported that the motorcyclist was driving on a suspended license, and had not registered his motorcycle.

I 70 Motorcycle Accident Kills Young West Virginia Couple

May 15, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, a tragic motorcycle accident resulted in the deaths of a young couple that was engaged to be married.

The 19 year old young woman was a passenger on the motorcycle that her fiance, a former military servicemember, was driving.

The accident occurred at around 12:40 p.m. on Interstate 70 in the Indian Springs area. According to Maryland State Police, somewhere around 20 motorcycles were riding in a group, when suddenly one man on a Harley slowed down, and was struck by another man (the male victim’s father) from behind. His motorcycle then struck the motorcycle being driven by his son.

The young woman, who was riding as a passenger, died at the scene. The young man and his father were transported to the Shock Trauma center for serious injuries. According to officials, the young man later died.

Fatal Motorcycle Crash on Route 301 Kills Two Motorcyclists

May 6, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to police and reports, two motorcyclists were killed earlier this month in an accident involving a minivan.

According to Maryland State Police, the accident which occurred near the intersection of Route 301 and Short Cut Road, involved two motorcycles and a minivan. Reportedly, the motorcyclists were travelling at a fast speed in a group of six motorcycles. When a minivan pulled into their path, two of the bikers hit the van so hard that it allegedly flipped three times, resulting in the instantaneous death of the two riders.

This was the third serious motorcycle crash in the D.C. area within recent weeks, and was also the second motorcycle accident to result in a fatality. The other two accidents both occurred on Interstate 95.

The circumstances surrounding the crash remain unclear, for example why the minivan pulled into the group of motorcycles. Perhaps the driver was unaware of the exact location of the motorcycles.

Maryland Motorcyclist Dies in Fatal Auto-Bike Crash on MD Route 3 in Gambrills

March 16, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As the first nice days of spring crop here and there it is an almost inevitable conclusion that we will start to see more and more motorcyclists, bicycle riders, and fair-weather runners and joggers take to the streets and sidewalks in towns and cities all around the state. From Columbia and Bowie to Annapolis and Washington, D.C., the longer days and milder temperatures makes everyone feel like making a fresh start. Unfortunately, with the added volume of two-wheeled vehicles, there are bound to be some mishaps as well.

Here in the Baltimore area, we’re used to seeing motorcycles plying the streets from time to time whenever the weather takes a turn for the better. It’s always tempting for bikers to get their machines out on the roadways as earlier as possible, if only to make the most of the riding season to come. But accidents between cars, trucks and cycles are also prone to increase at this time of the year. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, we know the value of taking extra precautions when heading out fo the first time on a motorbike.

Not only must a biker flex his riding muscles after a long winter’s nap, so to speak, but following the prolonged absence of any significant volume of two-wheeled vehicle, drivers of passenger cars and commercial trucks need time to collectively adjust to the change in the roadway landscape. Reminding oneself that a bike could be hidden behind a large approaching vehicle when waiting to make a left-hand turn, for instance, can not only save the cost of a traffic accident, but it could also save a life.

Rockville Biker Dies in Hospital After Motorcycle Crash along Great Seneca Highway in Montgomery County

March 8, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

So many things can go wrong when traveling down the highway in a motor vehicle that it sometimes amazes us more people are not involved in passenger car and commercial trucking accidents more often in this country. Actually, to say this does not acknowledge that there have been huge strides in automotive safety over the past several decades, to the extent that we forget how hazardous it used to be for our parents and grandparents when they were in their youth.

We say that things can go wrong when driving a car or truck on the road these days, but these are relatively stable vehicles when compared to motorcycles. And although bikes have gained in the area of safety due to the improvements in braking technology and other traffic safety enhancements, the fact still remains that motorcycles are about as raw a driving experience as one can get nowadays, having changed very little from even fifty years ago. As Baltimore personal injury attorneys, we also know that riders simply don’t enjoy the cocooning quality of today’s sedans, SUVs and even light trucks.

So when something does go wrong on the road, with either the vehicle itself or the outside conditions affecting that car or truck, the driver and passengers have a large amount of designed-in safety features that hopefully will protect them, or at the very least, reduce the extent of their injuries should a collision occur. Not so with motorcycles and their riders and passengers.

Van Hits Motorcycle from Behind at Washington County Intersection; Rider Injured, Passenger Dies from Injuries

February 28, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

We fully understand how a segment of the motoring public is draw inexorably to the pastime of motorcycle riding. For one thing, it is an exciting sport with many rewards such as a feeling of freedom, a connection with nature and the outdoors far beyond that which we as automobile drivers can ever truly experience, and it is an economical way to travel. If it wasn’t for the fact that cold or inclement weather limits most people’s enjoyment of bikes in general, there might be even more individuals taking up the pastime.

Of course, along with its many big pluses, motorcycling does present a number of risks, most importantly to the rider himself. By being exposed almost completely to all of the dangers on our roadways, bikers assume a great deal of risk, not the least of which are those ever-present roadway hazards or possible traffic collisions.

While a passenger car accident may surely produce a few injuries at the very least, being killed in a low- or medium-speed automobile crash is not as great a threat as being killed in a traffic accident while riding a cycle. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my colleagues have seen too many individuals severely hurt, permanently disabled or killed outright to believe that motorcycling is not an inherently dangerous activity. Certainly it is not a pastime for those who aren’t totally committed to the sport, body and soul.