Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog
The list of risks for Maryland motorcyclists is a long one, but not unexpected. Call it a sport, pastime or way of life, motorcycling — as any seasoned rider knows — is a balance of risk and reward. Living to ride another day requires a level head and an understanding of the constant dangers that confront a biker and his mount.
As Baltimore motorcycle accident attorneys and Maryland personal injury lawyers, I and my staff have the skills to represent victims of car and truck accidents. Because cyclists, like pedestrians, have next to no protection in the event of a traffic collision, the extent and severity or injury sustained by a rider can be many times that of a passenger car occupant.
Closed-head injuries are one of the more significant threats to biking accident victims. The moniker given to motorcycles by some in the healthcare industry — namely, “donor-cycle — is certainly well earned. However, the right to own, ride and enjoy a motorcycle makes this fact moot, as most people who take up the hobby live long and productive lives.
Like any traffic accident, motorcycle wrecks can range from minor to fatal. When one does occur, the police and insurance companies investigate to determine fault, if any. Many times, the cause of the serious crash may be found to be negligence on the part of another motorist, which doesn’t change the fact that the victim’s injuries may linger for months or years to come. From time to time, a motorcycle rider may lose control of his or her machine and crash alone.
Not long ago, a biker from Cecil County was killed when he apparently lost control of his ride while traveling along a stretch of Carrs Mill Road in Harford County. According to news reports, the 29-year-old man from Rising Sun, MD, was heading north on Carrs Mill just before 11am when for some reason he lost control of his bike while in the middle of a downhill curve in the roadway.
The Harford County Sheriff’s Office reported that Adam Wyatt’s ‘05 Kawasaki went out of control and threw the man into the southbound lane of the roadway. Immediately following the bike wreck, the victim’s body was struck by a passing vehicle heading south on Carrs Mill.
Arriving at the scene of the crash, emergency rescue crews from the Fallston Volunteer Fire Company found that Wyatt was apparently dead at the scene having suffered from what paramedics referred to as “multi-system trauma.” The sheriff’s department stated that there did not appear to be any signs of alcohol use, and that the rider was wearing his helmet at the time of the accident.
At the time of the news report, this wreck was the sixth fatal bike crash in Harford County for 2011 and the 21st traffic death, based on county police records. A statement issued by the Harford County officials explained that this particular portion of Carrs Mill has been witness to a number of recent traffic collisions and that, while the county was still in the process of effecting safety improvements, drivers should be aware of possibly poor road conditions and drive with care through the area.
Motorcyclist killed in crash on Carrs Mill Road in Fallston, BaltimoreSun.com, November 29, 2011