Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog
Just like any machine, Motorcycles can suffer from mechanical problems. But unlike many machines, motorcycles are capable of propelling a rider from 0 to 60mph in a matter of seconds. With the ability to travel at highway speeds and above, a motorcycle is one machine that needs to be in tip-top condition. That’s “perfect” condition from the factory, as well as years later. Especially if one rides a sport bike, but even for those who simply cruise around town, there should be no margin for error when it comes to the design, maintenance and use of a powerful Harley, Honda, Ducati or Yamaha.
As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my legal staff have seen enough victims of automobile, motorcycle and commercial trucking wrecks to know that people can suffer greatly if safety is placed on the back burner. The old adage, “Safety First” is not just a quaint slogan for old timers to toss around when someone gets seriously hurt. Safety First should be a way of life, especially for individuals who live and work in risky circumstances. Bikers should consider themselves as part of this group.
When we talk of safety, at least in this instance today, we talk about the safe design and maintenance of motor vehicles. While it may seem a little over dramatic to say that we stake our lives on the safety aspects of our family sedan or municipal bus, it is true that the safe operation of these vehicles does go a long way to keeping us all alive. If the brakes on a passenger sedan fail while approaching a red light at a busy intersection, this is an instance where some or all of the people in that car could be placed in jeopardy.
Maintaining the mechanical systems of our personal vehicles is usually outside of our abilities, which is why we rely on service technicians and other mechanical experts who take care of our cars, trucks and motorcycles. If a mistake is made and the brakes, steering or other safety-critical mechanism or component fails, it can be deadly for the owner, driver and passengers of that motor vehicle. It’s a tragedy all the more when a fatal car accident or commercial truck crash is caused by a simple and preventable mechanical defect.
We mention this here because motorcycles are compact machines that go fast and stop relatively quickly. By their very nature, these vehicles leave little in the way of protection to the rider or passenger, which means that their handling and braking capabilities are about all that stand between a motorcyclist making it home for dinner and ending up in the emergency room or the local trauma center.
A while back we read a news article that described a fatal bike accident that occurred in St. Mary’s County when a Maryland man was thrown from this mount along a stretch of Maddox Rd. on Saturday afternoon. Based on police information, the 43-year-old biker was traveling at a high rate of speed around a bend in the road when the bike began to exhibit a high speed steering wobble. This condition caused the rider to lose control during which the bike reported left the roadway and sideswiped a guardrail.
The vehicle continued a little further, according to news reports, and then hit a curb. The force of that impact apparently threw the rider off the bike; he landed in a nearby wooded area. Emergency responders transported the victim to St. Mary’s Hospital, but doctors there could not help the man and he died a short time later. Police accident investigators determined that speed and operator error were likely contributing factors in the crash.
Michael Edward Daisey Dies After Motorcycle Accident In Chaptico, WUSA9.com, April 16, 2012