Motorcycle Injury Accidents

Questionable Police Chase Results in Several Serious Injuries

December 4, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Baltimore, a police chase of a scooter resulted in one officer being seriously injured after the cruiser he was riding in crashed. According to a report by one local news source, the chase started when the officers noticed that the scooter was “unregistered and without the proper safety equipment in contrary to the law.”

It all began when the police approached a group of people standing around their dirt bikes and scooters. One of the men in the group took off as police approached. After noticing the scooter was not in compliance with the law, the officers attempted to stop its driver. However, rather than pull over immediately, the driver led police on a brief chase.

Police lost track of the driver for a few moments, and when another unit caught up with the scooter, the chase continued. After a few minutes, the officers on the scene were instructed to call off the chase by their sergeant, but they continued to follow the scooter.

Motorcyclist Seriously Injured in New Jersey Accident

November 19, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month in Vineland, New Jersey, a female motorcyclist was seriously injured when she was forced into another lane by a nearby motorist and then hit by an oncoming car. According to a report by one local news source, the accident occurred around three in the afternoon.

Evidently, the motorcyclist was on a two-lane road riding next to a pick-up truck when the truck driver forced the motorcyclist out of her lane. As the motorcyclist moved to avoid what would have been a certain collision, she was hit by another truck traveling in the opposite direction.

The motorcyclist was pinned underneath the truck, and passing motorists got out of their car to lend what help they could. In the end, the motorcyclist was freed from underneath the truck and taken to the hospital. Police are still investigating the cause of the accident, and charges have not yet been filed against any of the parties.

Two Riders Seriously Injured After Being Rear-Ended By SUV

August 28, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month in Darlington, a motorcyclist and his passenger were both flown to Maryland Shock Trauma Center after they were rear-ended while waiting to make a left-turn. According to a report by the Baltimore Sun, the accident occurred around 3 p.m. on the 3800 block of Conowingo Rd.

Evidently, the couple were in the southbound lane of Route 1 waiting to make a turn onto Arena Road when they were hit from behind by a black SUV that was heading south on Conowingo Road.

Both the driver and his passenger were ejected from the motorcycle upon impact. They sustained serious injuries and were immediately flown to the hospital. Their condition is not known at the moment.

Three Injured in Anne Arundel Motorcycle Accident

August 7, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in Anne Arundel County, three people were injured in a motorcycle accident involving a Toyota Avalon and a Harley Davidson motorcycle. According to a report by WUSA 9, the accident occurred just after two in the afternoon at the intersection of Davidsonville Road and Governor Bridge Road.

Evidently, the motorcyclist was heading south on Davidsonville Road when the driver of the Toyota pulled out in front of him. The driver was waiting at a flashing red signal to turn left onto Davidsonville Road. However, since the driver pulled out right in front of the motorcycle, the motorcyclist had no time to stop and collided with the Toyota.

The motorcyclist was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Both the driver and the passenger of the Toyota were also taken to the hospital. However, they were admitted with only minor injuries.

Woman Sentenced in Intoxicated Driving Accident that Resulted in Double Amputation

April 23, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week, a woman was sentenced to 16 to 29 months in jail for causing an accident that required the accident victim get both of his legs amputated. According to a report by a local ABC affiliate, the woman and the man were neighbors and lived only a few houses away. One morning around 10 a.m., the man was attaching his kayak to the back of his truck when the woman can speeding down the residential street at 45 miles per hour. She was also driving on the wrong side of the road.

The woman struck the man, who was pinned between her hood and the rear bumper of his truck for nearly an hour before emergency crews could extricate him from the wreckage. The man’s wife, who was present for most of the horrific accident, recalls fearing that her husband was going to die in front of her. Although he did survive, he sustained such injuries that both of his legs needed to be amputated.

The driver of the car was intoxicated at the time of the accident with a blood alcohol content of .10. In addition to alcohol, the woman was also under the influence of cocaine. The accident victim and his wife lead a charge to seek the highest penalty available for the driver of the car. However, in the end, she received a sentence of 16 to 29 months; a sentence that may be reduced with good behavior.

Motorcyclist Killed When He Was Cut Off By SUV in North Carolina

March 11, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in North Carolina, a motorcyclist was killed when a Chevy Trailblazer attempted to turn in front of the motorcyclist. According to a report by the local NBC affiliate, the motorcyclist was heading northeast when the SUV, heading the opposite direction, attempted to turn left in front of the biker. Attempting to avoid the collision, the motorcyclist first braked and then laid the bike down, separating himself from the machine. However, his efforts were fruitless in the end as he himself collided with the passenger side of the SUV.

Despite wearing a helmet, the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the SUV, a 73-year-old man, was charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and failure to yield the right of way. He was uninjured.

Drivers Must Pay Attention To Motorcyclists or Face the Consequences

Even though motorcyclists enjoy the same rights to use the roads as all other drivers, they still are fighting to be seen and respected by other drivers out there on the roads. Drivers of cars and trucks need to make extra efforts when they are driving near motorcyclists, because the consequences of even the smallest accident can end up in a fatality, as it did here.

Los Angeles County Must Pay Out $770,000 For Negligent Road Repairs

March 4, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last week, a Burbank jury found Los Angeles County liable to a motorcyclist in the amount of $773,000 for negligent road repairs causing the motorcyclist to slide out of control. According to a report by the Los Angeles Daily News, roadside crews repairing the highway left loose gravel on the road where they were working. As one motorcyclist was traveling down that section of the road, he slipped on the gravel and lost control, crashing into another motorcyclist. Both motorcyclists were taken to the hospital for their injuries.

The motorcyclist who was hit was a 71-year-old man who suffered spinal fractures as a result of the crash. Doctors testified that he was just a half inch way from being completely paralyzed.

In response, the 71-year-old man decided to sue the County of Los Angeles for negligently leaving the gravel on the road, which caused the other motorcyclist to slip out and, in turn, collide with him.

SUV and Motorcycle Collide in Texas, Injuring Four

January 20, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In what the news reports are calling a “late night accident,” a Kawasaki motorcycle collided with a Chevrolet Tahoe earlier this week in Texas. According to a report by the local CBS affiliate, the accident occurred shortly after 10:30 p.m. when the Kawasaki ran into the back of the Tahoe. Both people on the motorcycle were taken to a local hospital with life threatening injuries. The driver of the motorcycle was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. The two in the Tahoe suffered only minor injuries and were not taken to the hospital.

At this early point, police believe that speed and/or alcohol may have been involved in the accident.

Drinking and Driving Kills, Especially on Motorcycles

It’s not news to anyone that drinking and driving is extremely dangerous. Each year across the country thousands of motorists die from drunk-driving related accidents. While the numbers of motorcyclists injured are only a fraction of that number, the likelihood of an accident being fatal is much higher when one of the vehicles involved is a motorcycle. For this reason, if you are a motorcyclist, a drunk driver is like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

Yacht Club Manager Dies in Florida Motorcycle Accident

January 6, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s only a few days into the new year and there have already been a number of motorcycle accident deaths across the county. One such accident occurred earlier this week in Florida, killing the well-loved manager of the Venice Yacht Club. According to a report by the Herald Tribune, the motorcyclist was driving south on U.S. 41 when a Lincoln Town and Country pulled out in front of him. Left with little to no time to react, the motorcyclist collided with the driver’s side of the Lincoln.

Emergency medical responders took the man to a nearby hospital, where he died from the injuries he sustained from the crash. He was wearing a helmet. The man left behind his wife of 22 years, as well as three daughters and four grandchildren.

Negligence Cases in Maryland

Each state has slightly different laws when it comes to motorcycle accidents as well as determining who is liable for them. Generally speaking, the applicable law is called “negligence,” and allows for the victims of other negligent drivers to recover damages caused by the other driver’s negligence. In order to recover from another driver, a victim must prove:

They were owed some duty of care by the defendant;
The defendant violated that duty of care;
The defendant’s violation of the duty caused the victim’s injuries; and
The victim suffered some kind of compensable damages.

Punitive Damages in Motorcycle Accident Cases

December 26, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A federal district court recently decided on a motion for punitive damages in a motorcycle accident case, which raises several contemporary concerns, such as what type of proof is necessary to prove that punitive damages are applicable, and whether violating texting bans are sufficient proof of heightened negligent behavior.

In the case, Bostic v. Mader, Dist. Court, WD N.C. (2013), the two plaintiffs were riding motorcycles, when the driver of a passenger vehicle collided into one of the motorcyclists, throwing her from her bike, and causing her serious injury, and as a result substantial medical expenses.

The driver of the sport utility vehicle made a statement to law enforcement officials following the collision, stating that she had tried to stop the vehicle, but that the brakes did not function properly.