Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

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.

Minneapolis Motorcyclist Killed When He Strikes a Pothole

March 19, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week, in a tragic accident in Minneapolis, a motorcyclist died when his motorcycle hit a pothole and sent him flying from his bike. According to a report by a local CBS affiliate, the accident occurred on I-394 just before 10 p.m. Apparently, at the time of the accident, the motorcyclist was traveling at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour at the time of the accident.

The size of the pothole, or “crack” as some are calling it, is in dispute. Police claim that, no matter what the size of the crack or pothole was, given the speed at which the driver was traveling, a disaster was almost certain.

The report points out that this time of year, roads are even more hazardous to drivers than normal. This can be due to a number of reasons including the freeze-thaw cycle, excess rain water that can make roads especially slippery and also wash gravel and other debris onto Maryland highways.

Motorcyclist Killed When He Was Cut Off By SUV in North Carolina

March 11, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this week in North Carolina, a motorcyclist was killed when a Chevy Trailblazer attempted to turn in front of the motorcyclist. According to a report by the local NBC affiliate, the motorcyclist was heading northeast when the SUV, heading the opposite direction, attempted to turn left in front of the biker. Attempting to avoid the collision, the motorcyclist first braked and then laid the bike down, separating himself from the machine. However, his efforts were fruitless in the end as he himself collided with the passenger side of the SUV.

Despite wearing a helmet, the motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the SUV, a 73-year-old man, was charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle and failure to yield the right of way. He was uninjured.

Drivers Must Pay Attention To Motorcyclists or Face the Consequences

Even though motorcyclists enjoy the same rights to use the roads as all other drivers, they still are fighting to be seen and respected by other drivers out there on the roads. Drivers of cars and trucks need to make extra efforts when they are driving near motorcyclists, because the consequences of even the smallest accident can end up in a fatality, as it did here.

Los Angeles County Must Pay Out $770,000 For Negligent Road Repairs

March 4, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last week, a Burbank jury found Los Angeles County liable to a motorcyclist in the amount of $773,000 for negligent road repairs causing the motorcyclist to slide out of control. According to a report by the Los Angeles Daily News, roadside crews repairing the highway left loose gravel on the road where they were working. As one motorcyclist was traveling down that section of the road, he slipped on the gravel and lost control, crashing into another motorcyclist. Both motorcyclists were taken to the hospital for their injuries.

The motorcyclist who was hit was a 71-year-old man who suffered spinal fractures as a result of the crash. Doctors testified that he was just a half inch way from being completely paralyzed.

In response, the 71-year-old man decided to sue the County of Los Angeles for negligently leaving the gravel on the road, which caused the other motorcyclist to slip out and, in turn, collide with him.

Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless Driving After Killing Motorcyclist

February 25, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Earlier this month, a Pennsylvania man entered a guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving charges stemming from a 2012 accident that left a motorcyclist dead. According to a report by the Observer Reporter, the accident occurred in April of 2012 when the man was on his way to work early in the morning. As he attempted to pass a slow-moving garbage truck in a no-passing zone, he collided with the motorcyclist head on.

The victim, a firefighter, was unable to be saved by fellow firefighters and emergency crews. At sentencing, the judge told the man “You, of course, forever changed the lives of [the victim] and his family, and also for you and your family…You have a brief snapshot of the life that was lost due to your negligence.”

Negligent Driving Can Result in Criminal and Civil Liability

In the story above, the focus is on the criminal sanctions that the driver of the truck faced when charged and convicted of the motorcyclist’s death. However, this is only half of the picture. The victim’s family may also have a claim against the truck’s driver for the wrongful death of their loved one.

Police Officer on Motorcycle Killed in Head-On Collision

February 18, 2014 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last month in Colorado, a sergeant in the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was killed when he was involved in a head-on collision with an SUV. According to a report by the local CBS affiliate in Denver, the accident occurred shortly after 10 a.m. when an SUV was attempting to pass another motorist. As the SUV crossed the double-yellow line, he collided with the sheriff’s officer.

The officer was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident; however, he sustained fatal injuries nonetheless. The driver of the SUV was wearing a seatbelt and sustained only minor injuries.

Police believe that the accident could have been prevented if more careful driving techniques had been used by the driver of the SUV. However, police do not believe that drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident. Criminal charges are pending against the driver of the SUV.