Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Fatal Motorcycle Crash on Md. 550

August 26, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A motorcyclist was reportedly driving north of Thurmont over the weekend, when he apparently lost control of his motorcycle, throwing both him and his female passenger from the bike.

At nearly 12:30 in the afternoon, the motorcycle was heading south on Md. 550, north of Kelbaugh Road in Sabillasville, Md., when the driver suddenly lost control on a curve in the road, throwing both riders off of the bike.

Maryland State Police reported that the man was pronounced dead on the scene. According to a news release from state police, the woman was transported to a local medical center for treatment of her injuries. The investigation remains ongoing.

Tragic Car-Motorcycle Accident in Queen Anne’s County

August 19, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Baltimore woman was killed earlier this month in Queen Anne’s County when a car struck the motorcycle she was riding.

State police reported that the collision occurred just before 9 p.m. on Route 18 in Kent Narrows, west of the intersection of Kent Narrows Way South. A Nissan Versa reportedly crossed the yellow center line in the road and struck the motorcycle head-on. Both the car and motorcycle caught fire after the collision.

Maryland State Police said that the driver of the Nissan was transported to a hospital in Queen Anne’s County for treatment. The driver and passenger of the motorcycle were both flown to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center for treatment. The passenger was listed as being in critical condition, while the driver of the motorcycle died a few hours later. The accident remains under investigation by state police.

Multiple Motorcycle Injury on Route 18 in Grasonville

August 14, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland State Police are in the process of investigating a multiple vehicle crash that happened earlier this month following a large party involving a number of motorcycle clubs.

The accident occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Route 18 at Slippery Hill Road in Grasonville.

Police said that one 54 year old man was riding eastbound on Route 18 when a saddle bag on his motorcycle came loose. The man then reportedly stopped in the roadway to fix the malfunction, which caused an issue for several other nearby motorcycle riders. It remains unclear whether additional riders or motorists were involved in the collision.

Speed Possibly to Blame in Death of Motorcyclist on U.S. 1

August 7, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to police, a man was killed in Lanham last month, when his motorcycle collided with a truck in Howard County.

The accident occurred when the motorcyclist was traveling on his motorcycle northbound on U.S. 1 in Elkridge when he collided with a truck that was turning left from southbound U.S. 1 onto Kit Kat Road.

The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the truck was not injured. Police say the truck is owned by Georgetown Paper Stock.

Police stated that a preliminary investigation indicated that the speed of the motorcycle may have been a contributing factor to the crash.

This accident is one of many in Maryland in recent weeks that involves a driver attempting to make a left hand turn. Accidents occur often at intersections and other traffic crossings merely because there is a higher potential for two or more vehicles to make contact, and also because of issues with judging distance and right of way.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, per mile traveled on the road, motorcyclists are about 35 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a traffic crash.

Motorcyclist Remains Hospitalized Following Rising Sun Accident

July 26, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Cecil County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman said in a statement that a Havre de Grace man remains hospitalized almost a week after he was involved in a collision with another motorcyclist in Rising Sun earlier this month.

According to authorities, both men were riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles together on Connelly Road near Ragan Road, headed south toward Route 1, when the accident occurred. It has since been determined that the pair was attempting to pass another vehicle and then come back together. However, the critically injured man lost control of his motorcycle while attempting to return into the lane. This caused him to travel onto the shoulder, and then crash into the other motorcycle.

The 56 year old man was flown in critical condition to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. The other motorcyclist was transported to a different hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The other motorcyclist’s current condition was not readily available at the time of the update.

The section where the men were travelling is reportedly a no-passing zone.

Investigators are trying to determine if speed was a factor in the crash. Alcohol was not believed to be involved.

Tragic Md. 77 Motorcycle Accident Foils Marriage Proposal

July 23, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A Frederick area man died in a motorcycle accident last week, as he was following his long-time girlfriend’s car while she was driving in front of him.

The crash occurred last weekend near the 5800 block of Md. 77 near Thurmont. According to reports from the Maryland State Police, the collision occurred when the 56-year-old motorcyclist lost control of his bike and skidded into oncoming traffic, where he became pinned between the motorcycle and another vehicle.

The man’s girlfriend had been driving in front of him, as the two were returning from an American Legion fundraiser he had been participating in. The woman later learned that the man had been planning to propose to her soon.

The man, who was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police believe that wet pavement could have been a factor in the crash, as it had recently rained and the pavement was damp at the time.

Baltimore Ravens Cheerleader Killed in Motorcycle Crash

July 8, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to Maryland State Police, a Baltimore Ravens cheerleader was killed as a result of a motorcycle collision that occurred on Interstate 15 over the holiday weekend.

The 27 year old man was driving to Camp Woodward in Pennsylvania on Friday morning when he collided with a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta that was turning left. According to his former employer, where he was the coach of a local cheerleading squad, the man had recently tried out for the Baltimore Ravens’ co-ed cheerleading squad, and reportedly made the team and was set to begin his first season with the NFL this coming fall.

The driver of the Volkswagen was reportedly not seriously injured. The cause of the accident and the circumstances under which it occurred remains under investigation.

Drivers of other vehicles who are unaware of or otherwise not paying attention to motorcyclists on the road are often to blame for causing motorcycle accidents. Contrary to what people may believe about motorcycle drivers, motorcyclists are typically incredibly safe drivers and usually abide by all of the relevant traffic regulations.

When motorcycle accidents are caused by the negligence of other drivers, there will often be liability associated with the actions that lead to these collisions. However, liability is not taken at face value, and must be proved through the course of a lawsuit. Handling a motorcycle accident case requires the implementation of certain strategies due to the fact that motorcycle riders are often unfairly associated with negative stereotypes which can thus harm how they are perceived by potential jurors. Opposing attorneys will often seek to perpetuate these stereotypes in order to defend their clients.

Motorcyclist Killed in Frederick County Collision

July 5, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland Police have reported that one individual has been confirmed as dead following a motorcycle accident earlier this month in Frederick County.

The accident occurred at just after nine in the morning on US-15, near Monocacy Blvd. According to police, a 2012 Volkswagon Jetta was making a left turn across the northbound lanes of Rt. 15, attempting to travel eastbound down Monocacy Blvd. The driver of the Jetta apparently did not see an approaching Suzuki GSXR motorcyclist in the northbound lanes as it began to turn.

As the Jetta was crossing the roadway, the motorcycle rider attempted to stop, but the suddenness of the braking resulted in the bike skidding out of control, causing it to crash into the side of the car.

The motorcyclist was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Jetta was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.

Maryland State Police say that an investigation into the accident remains ongoing.

Deer Causes Death of Motor Scooter Rider in Harford County

June 25, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last week, an Aberdeen man died as a result of a tragic motor scooter accident, just north of Bel Air.

According to a Maryland State Police accident report, the 68 year old man was riding northbound on the Bel Air Bypass on his 2007 Vespa Piaggio scooter midday Friday, when a deer suddenly ran out in front of him. This caused him to lose control, overturning the scooter and causing him to collide with the median curb.

State police stated that due to serious injuries, the man was flown to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he was later pronounced dead.

This was reportedly the third major accident involving a deer within Harford County over the past eight months. In November 2012, a man died after the body of a deer came through the windshield of a dump truck that he was driving. The deer had initially been hit by a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. In March, a motorcyclist was seriously injured when he collided with a deer, as well.

In this case, authorities believe that the fact that the deer was crossing the road during the daytime may have caught the driver off guard. Authorities remind drivers to be extra vigilant when traveling in areas with marked deer-crossing signs, and reduce speed when necessary to ensure safety.

Failure to Yield Results Kills Fourth Individual in Six Days in Carroll County

June 18, 2013 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to a Maryland State Police news release, a 24 year old man died earlier this month, when his motorcycle collided with a car that allegedly failed to yield to his right of way along West Watersville Road in Mount Airy.

It was reportedly around 5 p.m. in the evening when the young man was riding his motorcycle along Watersville Road near Arrowwood Circle, and another driver was turning his car to the left, when he seemingly failed to observe the motorcycle rider’s right of way. As a result, the motorcycle crashed into the side of the car, and the rider was ejected from the bike. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the car and his passenger were not injured.

This was the fourth fatal accident to occur on Carroll County roads in six days. The Maryland State Police are conducting a continuing investigation into the incident.