Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Wife Files Suit Against Husband after Motorcycle Accident

November 19, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, a Maine court heard a case brought by a woman that arose out of a motorcycle accident in which her husband was found to be at fault. In the case, Wood v. Wood, the court had to decide whether interim payments made by Husband to Wife counted towards the final verdict amount. Ultimately, the court determined that it needed further clarification as to whether the payments were based on Husband’s liability to Wife, or whether the payments were made to Wife based on her own coverage under the very same policy.

The confusion in this case arose because both Husband and Wife were on the same insurance policy. After the accident, but before the trial had concluded, the insurance company had paid roughly $5,000 to Wife. After the trial, Wife received a verdict in the amount of $50,000. The insurance company then sought credit for the $5,000 it paid prior to the court’s ruling.

Wife’s position was that the $5,000 was not a medical liability payment but was a payment made to her as an insured party who was involved in an accident. The insurance company, through Husband, claimed that credit was deserved because Husband was ultimately determined to be at fault, and thus the payment was a liability payment that should be credited towards the total.

Maryland Man Dies in Fatal Middletown Motorcycle Accident

November 12, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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.

Bicyclist Struck by Drunk Driver Emphasizes Driver Education to Avoid Future Accidents

November 5, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month in Dallas, Texas, a 26-year-old bicyclist was seriously injured after she was struck and knocked off her bicycle by a drunk driver. According to one local news source, the bicyclist spoke to reporters after the accident, telling them that the key to avoiding accidents like the one that seriously injured her is driver education.

Evidently, the bicyclist had stopped at an intersection and was waiting for traffic to clear before crossing. However, once she started to cross the intersection, a vehicle approached. The vehicle entered the intersection and didn’t slow down until it hit her, knocking her off her bike and seriously injuring her. Thankfully, the woman was wearing a helmet. However, she still suffered serious injuries, including a concussion and neck injuries. She is expected to make a full recovery over the next several weeks.

The driver who struck the bicyclist was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and intoxication assault.

Motorcyclist Dies in Multi-Vehicle Chain-Reaction Accident

October 27, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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.

Motorcyclist Killed After Losing Control and Being Hit by Passing Car

October 19, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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.

New Study Shows Helmets Do More Than Reduce the Chance of Getting Injured, They Reduce the Severity

October 14, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, researchers from the University of Arizona at Tucson released a study they conducted regarding helmet use and its effects on bicycle injuries. As the reader may expect, helmets do prevent injury if they are worn by a rider involved in an accident. However, this study looked a bit deeper.

The idea of the study was to determine if wearing a helmet somehow helped those who did suffer a traumatic brain injury. In other words, it is well known that a helmet can reduce the chance of getting severely injured in a bicycle accident, but of those who are severely injured, did the group of those who were wearing helmets fare any better than those who were not?

The Study

The study looked at 6,267 bicycle accidents that resulted in a traumatic brain injury. Of those, roughly 25% of the riders were wearing their helmets. The results of the study indicated that of those who were involved in a bicycle accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury, those wearing a helmet at the time were 58% less likely to sustain a “serious” brain injury, and 59% less likely to die as a result of their brain injury.

Former Episcopal Bishop in Baltimore Pleads Guilty to Automotive Manslaughter and Other Related Charges

October 7, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, the former Episcopal bishop who was charged in the December 27 fatal hit-and-run accident that claimed the life of a father of two young children pleaded guilty to several offenses in relation to the accident. According to one local news source, the woman pleaded guilty to automotive manslaughter and several other related charges in return for a maximum sentence of incarceration that could not exceed 20 years. By agreement with the prosecution, the woman will likely serve just 10 years in jail, with the remaining sentence suspended.

Back in December of last year, the woman was driving on Roland Avenue when she drifted into the bike lane as she was texting on her phone. She struck a bicyclist, sending him flying off onto the side of the road. Initially, the woman circled back to the scene but then left and did not return until she was advised to by a friend. As it turns out, she was found to have been operating the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Her blood alcohol content was over three times the legal limit.

The family of the accident victim was present in court for the woman’s plea but declined to comment on what had just occurred. One family member did tell reporters later that the family would “advocate the maximum penalty allowed under law.”

Frustrated Driver Assaults Bicyclist After Davidsonville Collision

September 25, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, the driver of an SUV got out of his car and intentionally assaulted a bicyclist after the two had been involved in a collision. According to one local news report, the man also picked up one of the bike’s tires and threw it into the woods before leaving the scene of the accident.

Evidently, the bicyclist was in front of the SUV, and both were heading south on St. George Barber Road. As the cyclist saw the SUV approach, he waved for the vehicle to pass him. However, the SUV failed to pass immediately, and the two vehicles approached a natural curve in the road. As he approached the curve, the bicyclist got in the middle of his lane of traffic in order to allow oncoming traffic to see him, and also to prevent the SUV from passing around a blind corner.

However, it was at this time that the SUV attempted to pass the cyclist on the left, and the two collided. Witnesses told reporters that the driver of the SUV then got out of his vehicle and assaulted the bicyclist before leaving the scene. Once emergency responders arrived at the scene, the bicyclist was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for a broken leg, arm, and rib. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Former Navy Seal Killed in Bethesda Bicycle Accident

September 18, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, a former Navy Seal was killed when he was struck while he was riding a bicycle in Bethesda, Maryland. According to one local news source, the accident occurred in the area of the 6000 block of Massachusetts Avenue at around 6:15 in the morning.Evidently, the man was riding his bike eastbound on Massachusetts Avenue when he was struck by a Chevy Malibu. The Malibu was also heading eastbound on Massachusetts Avenue. At the time of the accident, the bicyclist was riding on the shoulder and wearing his helmet. However, he was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Malibu was not injured in the accident.

Police are in the midst of an investigation into what caused the fatal bicycle accident. They did tell reporters that the man remained on the scene after the accident. At the time of the article’s publication, there have been no charges filed against the driver of the Malibu. However, that could change as the investigation continues.

Two Dead, Two Injured in Three-Vehicle Calvert County Motorcycle Accident

September 11, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

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.