Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

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.

Laurel Motorcycle Accident Claims the Lives of Two Maryland Men

September 4, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month, two men were killed when the motorcycles that each of the men were riding collided in a tragic fatal accident. According to one local news source, the accident occurred on the 11500 block of Laurel-Bowie Road, near the intersection with the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, on a Sunday morning.

Evidently, one of the victims was a lieutenant with the fire department in Baltimore County. After the man had finished his shift at the department, he was on his way home when the fatal accident occurred. At some point on his way home, another motorcyclist traveling in the opposite direction crossed over the center line and collided head-on with the firefighter’s motorcycle, killing him instantly. The other driver was also pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Police are in the midst of conducting an investigation into what happened in the moments leading up to the accident. At this point, authorities believe that the other motorcyclist crossed over the center line as he was approaching a natural curve in the road and failed to properly negotiate the curve.

Harmans Motorcycle Accident Claims One Man’s Life

August 26, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, an accident in Harmans, Maryland resulted in one Hanover man losing his life when the motorcycle on which he was riding was struck by a passenger vehicle. According to one local news report, the accident took place at around four in the afternoon near the intersection of Dorsey Road and Sandalwood Court.

Evidently, the motorcyclist was driving his 2011 Harley Davidson westbound on Dorsey Road when a minivan pulling out of a driveway slammed into the motorcycle. The driver was thrown from the bike and was found on the road by emergency responders, who immediately took him to Maryland Shock Trauma in Baltimore. Despite their best efforts, the man was pronounced dead a few days later. The driver of the minivan was not injured in the accident.

The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, and police have ruled out alcohol and speed as potential causes for the fatal accident. Police do believe, however, that the accident was caused by a failure of the minivan driver to yield to the motorcyclist as the minivan pulled out of the driveway into traffic. Police are still in the middle of their investigation and are working with the prosecutor’s office to determine if criminal charges are appropriate in the wake of the fatal accident.

Hagerstown Motorcycle Accident Claims One Man’s Life

August 19, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, one man was killed when he was struck by another vehicle while riding his motorcycle in Hagerstown, Maryland. According to one local news source, the accident took place around 11:30 in the morning near 25 East North Avenue.

Evidently, the motorcyclist was traveling west on East North Avenue when a Buick pulled out of Cramer’s Alley and onto East North Avenue. As the driver of the Buick pulled out, he struck the motorcyclist. The motorcyclist was knocked from his bike and was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The driver of the Buick was not injured.

Police arrived on the scene and called accident reconstructionists to help them understand what happened in the moments leading up to the fatal motorcycle accident. The county prosecutor has decided to await the results of the official investigation before deciding if criminal charges will be filed against the driver of the Buick.

22-Year-Old Dies in Left-Turn Motorcycle Accident in Timonium

August 12, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, a 22-year-old man was killed in a fatal motorcycle accident involving one other vehicle. According to one local news report, the accident occurred in Timonium, Maryland on a Wednesday morning, around 11 a.m.Evidently, the motorcyclist was heading north on York Road. Another motorist, operating a Buick Regal, was heading south on the same road when he attempted to make a left-hand turn in front of the motorcyclist. The Buick did not have time to complete his turn, and the motorcyclist crashed into the side of the passenger vehicle.

The motorcyclist was taken to Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time after admission. The driver of the Buick, a 73-year-old woman, was taken to St. Joseph’s Medical Center and treated for minor injuries. Police are still conducting an investigation into the accident. It is not clear at this point if the driver of the Buick has been issued any citation for her role in the fatal accident.

Court Determines Causation Issue Not Properly Decided in Summary Judgment Proceeding

August 5, 2015 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month, the Supreme Court of Oklahoma decided a case brought by the passenger of a motorcycle against another driver she claims was responsible for causing a head-on collision, resulting in her sustaining serious injuries. In the case, Fargo v. Hays-Kuehn, the issue the court had to decide was whether it was appropriate for the lower court to dismiss the case against the defendant prior to submitting the case to trial.

The Accident

Evidently, the accident involved several vehicles, all of which were heading in the same direction. Vehicle 1 was stopped on a two-lane highway, waiting to make a left turn. Vehicle 2, operated by Hays-Kuehn, quickly approached Vehicle 1 from the rear and swerved around the left of that vehicle. The testimony was that Hays-Kuehn was extremely close to Vehicle 1 as he passed it. Vehicle 3, which was traveling in the same direction directly behind Vehicle 2, was unable to see in front of Hays-Kuehn’s vehicle.

Once Hays-Kuehn passed Vehicle 1 and started to get back into the proper lane of travel, Vehicle 3 saw for the first time that there was a stopped vehicle immediately in front of them. Hoping to avoid a collision with Vehicle 1, Vehicle 3 swerved into the lane of oncoming traffic, right behind Hays-Kuehn. However, the driver of Vehicle 3 did not see that the plaintiffs were quickly approaching on a motorcycle.