Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Shorter Days, Colder Weather Signals Close of Bike Season; Die-hard Bikers Must Still Stay Sharp

October 29, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Few but the die-hard riders out there will be plying the roadways after this week, what with the colder, nastier weather being ushered in by the likes of Hurricane Sandy. But there are still those dyed-in-the-wool bikers who will try to ride in almost any weather that nature throws at us. For those individuals, as well as the other drivers who encounter them on the road this fall and early winter, we are compelled to offer some warnings about fair-weather versus rough-weather riding.

At the end of this week, we will also be switching over to daylight savings time, which means that it will be darker toward the evening hours as the days shorten as well. Not that all traffic accidents happen at night or in poor weather, but these conditions can certainly contribute to a bad motorcycle, car or trucking-related wreck, depending on the circumstances. As Maryland personal injury attorneys, we know that cold can affect a person’s cognitive abilities to the point that they may not be functioning at their best.

For bikers and other individuals who are exposed to cold and damp weather conditions, it’s conceivable that a traffic threat or other potential accident condition may not be as readily noticed by a rider who is fighting off a severe chill induced by traveling in mid-40-degree ambient temperatures at 50-60mph for a time. The effective wind chill at those speeds can really take a toll on even a well-bundled motorcyclist. The main point we want to convey is that no matter one’s level of experience, take extra precautions when riding during this time of the year.

Man Killed on Motorcycle in High-Speed Bike Accident in Saint Mary’s County, MD

October 26, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Just like any machine, Motorcycles can suffer from mechanical problems. But unlike many machines, motorcycles are capable of propelling a rider from 0 to 60mph in a matter of seconds. With the ability to travel at highway speeds and above, a motorcycle is one machine that needs to be in tip-top condition. That’s “perfect” condition from the factory, as well as years later. Especially if one rides a sport bike, but even for those who simply cruise around town, there should be no margin for error when it comes to the design, maintenance and use of a powerful Harley, Honda, Ducati or Yamaha.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, I and my legal staff have seen enough victims of automobile, motorcycle and commercial trucking wrecks to know that people can suffer greatly if safety is placed on the back burner. The old adage, “Safety First” is not just a quaint slogan for old timers to toss around when someone gets seriously hurt. Safety First should be a way of life, especially for individuals who live and work in risky circumstances. Bikers should consider themselves as part of this group.

When we talk of safety, at least in this instance today, we talk about the safe design and maintenance of motor vehicles. While it may seem a little over dramatic to say that we stake our lives on the safety aspects of our family sedan or municipal bus, it is true that the safe operation of these vehicles does go a long way to keeping us all alive. If the brakes on a passenger sedan fail while approaching a red light at a busy intersection, this is an instance where some or all of the people in that car could be placed in jeopardy.

Motorcycle Accident Update: Riders Beware the Deadly Results of Colliding with Maryland Wildlife

October 18, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Motorcycle riders have a tough job. Not only must they pilot a powerful, two-wheeled machine around traffic, over varying road surfaces and through poor weather, they must also be prepared for the unexpected. For most bikers, this often comes in the form of distracted parents in minivans filled to the gunwales with screaming kids, teenage drivers with one eye on their smartphone screen and the other on their friends, or the random drunken driver who rolls through a stop sign at just the wrong moment.

With all the dangers on the road conspiring to kill or seriously injure Maryland motorcyclists, it’s amazing riders don’t die simply from fright. Of course, we’re being sarcastic, but the fact remains that many riders, even experienced bikers, are hurt every month in traffic accidents in places like Bowie, the Disctrict, Gaithersburg and Annapolis. As Baltimore personal injury lawyers, we have spoken to riders who have sustained terrible injuries resulting from roadway collisions caused by negligent or thoughtless motorists.

Being hit by a passenger car, or worse, colliding with a commercial delivery truck is something that every motorcycle rider must prepare himself for. It may never happen, but if the situation arises, being ready for the unexpected could help to save that riders life. And while passenger car drivers may have the same worries about being involved in a bad trucking-related traffic wreck or having a drunk driver make a left-hand turn directly in front of one’s vehicle, keep in mind that bikers also have to watch out for things that a four-wheel driver hardly considers a danger.

Baltimore Traffic Injury News: Maryland Biker Dies after Crash with Calvert County Sheriff’s Vehicle

October 9, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Over the last few years, what with the shift in many individual’s employment circumstances and financial condition, many people have traded their four-wheeled transportation for the two-wheeled variety. For dyed-in-the-wool enthusiasts, the motorcycle is a passport to freedom on the open road. Yet that freedom does come at a cost. The opportunity for severe injuries is ever-present when riding a bike, as opposed to driving an automobile.

Since one doesn’t need to be in love with riding to own a motorcycle, many people who choose the own a scooter or small-displacement bike may not have the same deep-seated desire to be one with the road. For those individuals, people who may ride mainly to save gas money or avoid the cost of expensive auto loan payments, the innate safety mindset of the typical lifetime biker may not have fully developed. It is these individuals who can sometimes be caught off guard by an emergency traffic situation. What’s worse, riding a lower-powered motor vehicle means the bike will have less get-up-and-go to get a rider out of a tight spot.

As Baltimore personal injury attorneys, I and my colleagues know that motorcycle accidents happen on a fairly regular basis. And while they may be routine, the injuries sustained by riders involved in a serious motorcycle-automobile accident can be anything but routine. Head and back injuries are common, as are broken bones and spinal cord damage. These accidents can happen spontaneously and without any warning in rural areas as well as urban areas like Rockville, Gaithersburg and Washington, D.C.

Texting While Driving Case Settled; Appeal Pending on Texter’s Role in Double Injury Traffic Accident

September 30, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

First off, we will remind everyone that teenager drivers are disproportionately represented in traffic accident statistics all across the United States. In fact, as a group, teenagers are the most likely to die in a roadway collision than any other segment of the driving population. That said, it should be remembered that while teens are very often killed in a traffic accident, their actions also can cause injuries and deaths to others as well.

As Maryland automobile accident lawyers, we want to say that this is not an indictment of young drivers, but it is an illustration of how youth and inexperience can conspire to cause serious accidents that injure not only the young motorist, but also others in his or her path. Granted, everyone needs time to learn, and learning to drive in a vacuum is not a viable solution. This is why Maryland’s tiered licensing system, like that of other states, is designed to save the lives of the learners as well as those of the public at large.

In Washington, D.C., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that roadway wrecks kill about eight teens (ages 16 to 19) every single day. That’s a sobering number to anyone who has a young driver in the household and it also explains why parent’s typically see their auto insurance premiums jump once a teenager gets his license and starts driving the family car. Further to the CDC’s information, that agency also found that more than 800,000 teenagers are injured in car accidents every year. That’s more than one youngster hurt every minute across the nation; every hour, every day, week in and week out.

Baltimore, MD, Motorcycle Rider Injured in Traffic Accident at Conowingo Dam in Harford County

September 23, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

There’s a lot to be said, from the standpoint of freedom and the visceral feel of speed and the open road, about the attraction of motorcycling to a great many people. But make no mistake; there are drawbacks to the sport as a pastime and even as a way to commute. Riding a bike may indeed be a liberating experience, but as many enthusiasts know first-hand, the enjoyment of riding a fast two-wheeler along a rural country road can easily be shattered by one mistake… by the rider himself, or another motorist.

As Maryland personal injury attorneys, my firm has represented its share of riders who have been injured either seriously or sufficiently to cause financial problems associated with extended hospital stays and long-term rehab. While it’s easy to wax poetic about the liberating qualities of the open road and invigorating feeling wind in one’s hair, the reality of a traffic accident, especially to those bikers who have experienced the pain and heartache of a bad bike wreck, will usually sober up the most enamored individuals.

Still, as motorcycle, auto and trucking accident lawyers, we fully empathize with those who have been injured in a roadway collision through no fault of their own. Yes, motorcycles can be dangerous. Certainly, riders who know the score are always vigilant and watchful for potential dangers on the road. But so long as bikes are legal and there are individual who want to ride them, the law is there to help them when a bad crash caused by another negligent driver puts someone in the hospital with serious injuries.

Study: While Overall Motor Vehicle Collisions Have Dropped, Motorcycle Accidents Continue Apace

September 16, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

There’s no argument that riding a motorcycle places a person in one of the highest risk group among the motoring public, not only due to the frequency of accidents involving bikes, but also the greater likelihood of being injured or killed when compared to similar accidents involving passenger car drivers. This may sound harsh, but motorcycle riders as a group have never been ones to follow the crowd, which explains why this intrepid bunch, despite the ever-present dangers, continues to enjoy their chosen sport.

As a mode of transportation, bikes don’t offer the same level of comfort that even the most basic automobile has. Weather, noise, physical proximity of much larger vehicles all contribute to the array of physical inputs with which a motorcycle rider must deal on a daily basis. It’s no surprise that most riders are, if not immune, certainly inured against the constant onslaught of sensory inputs and perceived dangers. To put it mildly, most motorcycle riders are hardy folks with a passion for their machines.

Getting back to the issue at hand, though, it would seem that bikers have not been enjoying the positive effects of the apparent reduction in traffic accidents over the past year or so. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, we are aware of the reasons for most accidents and even though two-wheeled motor vehicles share only a few similarities with their four-wheeled counterparts, one could only hope that any positive effects from a safer traffic environment would be passed on to the motorcycling community as well.

Do Bicycle Helmets Make Riders Feel Invincible? There Are Many Other Dangers Out There

September 8, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As most any parent will tell you, keeping their kids safe is one of their top-most priorities, especially these days with all of the dangers and unknowns that surround us on a daily basis. Being hit by a car while riding one’s bike has always been a concern, for parents as well as anyone who rides a bike regularly in or near traffic. With the number of bicycle-related traffic accidents in cities like Gaithersburg, Bowie and Washington, D.C., it not strange that many cyclists would be overly cautious whenever they go out on the street.

Being personal injury lawyers here in Maryland, we truly understand the value of protective and other safety equipment for bicycle riders, and motorcyclists alike. Protective clothing, helmets and lights are all important factors affecting survival for any bicycle rider or motorcyclist involved in a traffic collision. But sometimes we wonder whether the use of a helmet gives riders a false sense of security, dare we say invulnerability. Whatever the situation, a cyclist should never let down his or her guard simply because they are wearing a helmet. It’s important to remember that other parts of one’s body are also exposed to injury, not just one’s brain.

Of course, closed-head trauma (aka traumatic brain injury) is a major cause of death and paralysis among bicycle and motorcycle riders. This is not in dispute. It’s just that other kinds of injuries can be just as deadly. Applying defensive riding techniques is essential to avoiding a devastating roadway accident while on a bike of any kind. We are bringing this up because of an article we came across recently, reminding us that biking accidents are much more commonplace than one would expect, and often very deadly.

Two Maryland Riders Killed in Separate, Single-Vehicle Motorcycle Wrecks; Excessive Speed Blamed in Each

August 31, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

As Baltimore motorcycle and automobile accident attorneys, I and my colleagues are familiar with the dangers that bikers face every time they hit the road here in Maryland, as well as in the District of Columbia. Whether one rides out of necessity, such as to save money, or if motorcycling is just an enjoyable pastime, the potential for bodily injury and even death are much higher for riders of two-wheel vehicles then for the rest of the motor public.

By its very nature, a motorcycle offers much less protection than a car, SUV or minivan. So, when a bike rider tangles with a slightly larger and much more massive passenger vehicle the results can be catastrophic. Moreover, pitting oneself as a motorcyclist against a commercial delivery truck or over-the-road semi tractor-trailer rig is far from a wise choice. With just a fraction of the mass and next to no protection from personal injury, a biker has little chance of avoiding severe or debilitating injuries should he or she collide with, or be hit by a larger motor vehicle on the highway or even in town.

Knowing the dangers is, of course, just the first step toward a long and successful career of defensive riding with few if any bad accidents. As many a motorcyclist will attest, being ready for the unexpected is one of the hallmarks of a good rider. Not that any of us can predict the future, however the safest motorcycle riders know innately the kinds of traffic or riding situations that can spell potential trouble for them.

Carroll County Man Injured after His Motorcycle is Hit from Behind by a Cadillac

August 26, 2012 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

With so many people choosing alternative modes of transportation — meaning something other than owning and driving a personal car or SUV — one’s it is obvious that there has been a relative explosion of two-wheeled conveyances plying Maryland’s roadways over the past several years. Bicycle and motorcycle use has been on the rise here in the Baltimore area, as well as in other cities such as Rockville, Bowie and the District. The point is that with the growing use of smaller, less expensive transportation comes a potential increase in injuries and deaths due to traffic-related collisions.

As a Maryland personal injury law firm, we are well aware of the risks that individuals take when traveling by bike or cycle. And we are in no way being judgmental when we remind people that the opportunity for serious injury or even permanent disability can be significant when riding a motorcycle in highly dense urban areas or in heavy traffic on the highway. Still, we know enough about the motorcycling community to understand that accepting certain risks associated with the sport are just part of the overall experience of riding a Harley, Kawasaki, Triumph or Ducati.

Whether one rides for sport or necessity, every biker understands the potential downside to being caught up in a traffic accident with a passenger car, city bus, commercial delivery truck or a large semi tractor-trailer. The rule that most cyclists follow is to never assume that the other drivers see you. Assuming that one is invisible has probably saved more lives than not.