Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Prince George’s County Sees Four Fatal Motorcycle Accidents in Just Four Days

June 2, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s getting to be mid-spring, and the weather is getting nicer with each passing week. With the increase in temperatures comes an increase in the number of people getting out on the road and opening up the throttle on the motorcycle that has been in storage for the past eight months. However, tragically, with this increase in motorcycle traffic comes a corresponding increase in motorcycle accidents.

According to a report by 4 NBC Washington, last week in Prince George’s County there were four fatal motorcycle accidents claiming the lives of four riders. One of the victims was riding when a SUV made a U-turn in the middle of the road without yielding to the rider. With no other option, the rider collided with the SUV. Although he was promptly taken to the hospital, doctors were unable to save the man’s life, and he died shortly after being admitted.

There were three other fatal motorcycle accidents in Prince George’s County over Memorial Day weekend. One was caused by another failure-to-yield situation, one by a speeding car fleeing the police, and the other by rider error.

Motorcyclist Killed in Charles County Accident

May 26, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in Charles County, a fatal motorcycle accident claimed the life of one man when he struck the rear side panel of a car that was turning left in front of him. According to a report by Southern Maryland News Net, the accident occurred on Brandywine Road and Carriage Crossing Lane shortly before 8:30 in the evening on May 16th.

Evidently, a Mercedes was heading south on Brandywine Road and was attempting to make a left turn when it was struck in the side rear panel by a Honda motorcycle heading north on Brandywine Road. A third vehicle, a PT Cruiser, also became involved when it ran into some debris caused by the accident.

Emergency crews responded immediately, but the driver of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene. The other two drivers were not transported to the hospital and did not suffer any serious injuries.

Driver Kills Motorcyclist While Texting and Driving and Fined Only $500

May 19, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week, a woman who was responsible for the death of a motorcyclist pled guilty to negligent driving and was required to pay $500 for her role in the accident. Evidently, back in 2013, the woman was texting as she left the parking lot of her employer, telling her mother that she didn’t feel well. Two minutes later, she pulled out onto a busy highway and cut off a motorcyclist, causing him to run into the side of her car and fly off the bike.

The motorcyclist was killed in the accident, but according to a report by WBALTV, the driver of the car is facing only a $500 penalty. She was initially charged with six offenses: negligent manslaughter by motor vehicle, criminal negligent manslaughter, reckless driving, negligent driving, failure to yield the right of way, and text messaging while driving. The woman struck a deal with prosecutors where she plead guilty to a low-level offense in exchange for their dropping all the other charges.

The family of the victim was sorely disappointed by the especially lenient sentence handed down by the judge. However, the judge had little discretion to do anything else, since it was the prosecution who offered the woman the plea bargain. The family told reporters that they just wanted a jury to hear what happened and to let the jury decide. They didn’t care whether she was found guilty or not but just wanted the case to go to trial.

Maryland Man May Have Caused Fatal Motorcycle Accident in Pennsylvania

May 12, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in Washington Township, Pennsylvania, a man was killed when a truck turned left in front of the motorcycle he was operating. According to a report by Your4State.com, a 2008 Chevy Silverado truck turned in front of a motorcyclist traveling on Buchanan Trail East.

Evidently, the truck was turning into a restaurant parking lot when the motorcycle ran into the side of the truck. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not yet determined who was legally at fault for the accident, and an investigation is ongoing.

Left-Turn Motorcycle Accidents

One of the most common types of motorcycle accidents is a left-turn accident. Specifically, a left-turn accident occurs when a motorcyclist is traveling straight ahead and a car turns (usually left) in front of the motorcyclist. Most often, motorcyclists do not have the time or the braking capacity to come to a compete stop before slamming into the side of the car.

Fatal Motorcycle Accident on I-95 Claims One Young Man’s Life

May 5, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month, a man was killed when he lost control of his motorcycle after bumping into a Volkswagen. According to a report by WTOP, the motorcyclist was heading south on I-95 in Prince George’s County when the accident occurred. Evidently, the motorcyclist was traveling at a high rate of speed when he bumped into the Volkswagen and then lost control. Once he lost control, he fell off the bike and landed in the middle of the highway, where he was then struck by a passing tractor-trailer.

Police do not yet have any firm answers on what caused the accident, however, an in-depth investigation was conducted and a result is expected soon.

Motorcycle Accidents in Maryland: Not Always Cut and Dry

Reading the article mentioned above, it may seem easy to come to the conclusion that the motorcyclist was at fault for the accident because he was traveling at a “high rate of speed.” However, to assign blame so easily is to oversimplify the matter.

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.

Another Motorcyclist Killed By Driver Who Failed to Yield the Right of Way

April 16, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In an accident earlier this week out of Missouri, a 41-year-old man was killed when an elderly driver proceeded to make a left turn on a steady green light, cutting off a motorcyclist. According to a report by the t. Louis Post Dispatch, the accident occurred in the afternoon hours when the elderly man, driving a Mercury Sable, cut the motorcyclist off.

As the driver made the left turn in front of the motorcyclist, he struck the bike with the front of the car, sending the man flying off his motorcycle. The man, who was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, was found dead by emergency personnel when they arrived a few moments later.

Elderly Drivers Cause More Accidents

This is not meant to be disrespectful to our older population, but the statistics speak for themselves: elderly drivers tend to cause more accidents than the younger population. This is due to a number of reasons, including:

Slower reaction times;
Failing vision;
More likely to get confused while driving;
Decrease ability to physically maneuver the car and respond quickly to events;
Reactions to various medications;
Difficulty hearing traffic noise; and
Other medical conditions that may affect their driving.

Motorcyclist and His Passenger Die in Collision with Pick-Up Truck; Fault Still Undetermined

April 9, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier last month in Nevada, near Lake Tahoe, two motorcyclists died when the motorcycle was involved in a collision with a Chevy Silverado truck. According to a report by local news agency KOLO8, the accident occurred shortly after 10:30 p.m. a few weeks ago on March 22nd.

Apparently, the motorcycle was heading southbound as it entered an intersection. At the same time, the Silverado was traveling westbound. The motorcycle then collided with the pick up truck in the middle of the intersection, sending the motorcyclist and his passenger flying off the bike.

Both passengers were taken to the hospital in critical condition. Since the accident both have tragically died. The passenger was taken off life support on March 26th, and the driver of the motorcycle was taken off life support on March 30. The driver of the pick up truck was uninjured in the accident.

Man Charged with Murder After Fatal Motorcycle Accident

April 2, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in California, a man was arrested for murder for his involvement in the motorcycle accident death of another 23-year-old man. According to a report by CBS, the victim was in the armed services and had just returned from a tour in Afghanistan.

Apparently, the motorcyclist was hit by the driver, who was driving a Mini Cooper, shortly after 1 a.m. After colliding with the motorcyclist the driver did not stop and check to see if the motorcyclist needed help. Instead he fled the scene of the accident.

It was not until later that evening, after a Taco Bell employee called police reporting a belligerent customer, that police caught up with the driver of the Mini Cooper. When police attempted to pull the driver over, he led them on a short chase, before he allegedly crashed into a telephone pole as a fence. He then led officers on a foot chase, which resulted in his eventual capture.

Motorcyclist Killed at Intersection When Driver Turns without Protected Arrow

March 26, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in a tragic accident out or California, a motorcyclist lost his life when a pickup truck attempted to cross an intersection without a protected green arrow. According to a report by the local ABC affiliate, the motorcyclist was heading west as he was nearing the intersection. As he approached, the light turned green for both the motorcyclist as well as opposing traffic. A pickup truck traveling eastbound on the same road proceeded into the intersection and cut off the motorcyclist, leaving the motorcyclist little option but to run into the side of the truck.

A police officer explained the situation as follows:

This intersection is not controlled by a turn arrow, meaning that when the light turns green the person in the turn lane has to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic . . . when the light turned green, the driver of the Ford F-150 proceeded to go.

The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. A nearby business owner told reporters that the intersection is known to be dangerous. Indeed, the business owner explained that in the past three months he has personally witnessed six accidents. After this most recent accident, the business owner began to collect signatures on a petition for the city to change the way the light operates, potentially adding a protected area or a delayed green light.