Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Maryland Injury Accidents: Facts on Bicycle-Automobile Crashes

October 21, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Even before people began riding their bicycles to save gas and money during this recent economic downturn, bicycling accidents were already a fact of life around Baltimor and other parts of the state. As personal injury lawyers, we at Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers have first-hand experience with individuals who have been hurt in traffic accidents involving a bike. Numerous bicycle fatalities and lesser injuries occur each year as a result of another person’s negligence.

Sad to say, many bicycle accidents and the injuries received as a result are totally preventable. This goes back to my previous statement, which points the finger at motorists whose negligent actions cause the accident in the first place. Of course, that’s not the only cause. A percentage of cycling accidents are a direct result of a defective bicycle or equipment.

Bicycle crashes and other cycling-related accidents can cause severe injury, and sometimes death. Neck and head injuries are rather common — in fact, many bicyclists suffer brain damage following a serious accident. Similarly, spinal cord injuries, nerve damage, broken limbs, and even permanent injuries are not uncommon as a result of these types of collisions. If an automobile is involved, a fatality is a frequent result.

Annapolis, MD, Car-Motorcycle Traffic Accident results in One Fatality

October 13, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

An Annapolis, Maryland, motorcyclist was killed in mid-September traffic accident when a Catonsville man driving a Saturn passenger car collided with a motorcycle on Riva Road in Anne Arundel County. As Maryland motorcycle accident attorneys working in the area of personal injury law, our staff has seen the results of crashes like this one, and sadly, the automobile no matter how small usually wins.

According to reports, the accident occurred around 5:30 on a Friday afternoon, near Aris T. Allen Blvd. Officers from the Anne Arundel County police department stated that a Saturn model being driven by 38-yeaar-old Michael Joseph McCann attempted to make a left turn out of the Bowen Farm Supply onto Riva Road.

Traffic was apparently stopped in the two southbound lanes as the Saturn driver began to turn into the southbound left-turn lane. Just then, Adam Douglas Ketels, 25, from Annapolis changed lanes into the left-turn lane and sped up, according to witnesses. Ketels’ Yamaha motorcycle slammed into the driver side door of the merging Saturn.

Motorcycle Accidents in Maryland: Avoiding Fatalities and Reducing Injuries from Car-Bike Crashes

October 5, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Although the summer is officially over, there will still be some great weather here in Baltimore and the surrounding area as we head toward the winter months. Getting that last ride in prior to parking you bike for the season may cause some riders to ignore the potential dangers inherent to motorcycle operation. As Maryland personal injury and motorcycle accident attorneys, Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers understands what drives motorcyclists, and also what can hurt them.

Motorcycle-automobile accidents are frequent in the summer months, but they also occur in the cooler months as well. In fact, as the bulk of bikes get stored after the summer, four-wheeled motorists become less aware of bikes later in the season. A car-motorcycle accident is especially tragic because a motorcyclist has little protection against the mass of a car, SUV or pickup truck.

Whereas the driver of an automobile is usually protected from an impact, a motorcyclist usually receives a direct blow from another vehicle; and a rider may also be thrown a fair distance from the crash site. As a result, many motorcycle accidents have an especially high rate of injuries, including broken bones, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and other permanent injuries. Sadly, fatalities are very common when it comes to motorcycle accidents.

Elkridge Youth Killed by Motorist while Riding Bicycle on Maryland’s Route 108

September 23, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A teenager riding his bike on Maryland Route 108 in Elkridge was struck and killed by a passing motorist. Fatal accidents involving bicycles and other two-wheelers happen frequently in the warmer months. Any time a young person loses his or her life it is a tragic event, not only for the family and friends of the victim, but for the community as well. Being a Maryland personal injury lawyer with experience in representing victims of car-bicycle accidents I’ve seen the terrible results of such events.

The recent accident that took the life of a 16-year-old boy happened near Lark Brown Road in Elkridge, MD. Young Benjamin Wortman was cycling eastbound on Route 108 just after midnight on Friday, August 28. Wortman was hit from behind by an eastbound Nissan Altima driving by Aaron Jacob Lorsong of West Friendship, MD. According to news reports, the boy was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. Wortman died from his injuries the following day.

Officers arriving at the scene of the collision noticed a strong odor of alcohol on the 26-year-old driver’s breath as well as slurred speech and a flushed face. As a result, Lorsong was given several field sobriety tests, which he performing poorly. According to police reports, upon searching his person, officers discovered two small plastic zip-lock bags containing heroin.

Maryland Motorcycle News: Three Fatal Accidents, Excessive Speed Blamed in Each

September 9, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Whether you ride a Harley, Yamaha, Honda or any one of the vast array of motorcycles out there, you know how liberating these machines can be. However, you probably also know that these vehicles can be widow-makers when operated under the wrong circumstances. The incidence of motorcycle accidents, as reported last month, is expected to increase in 2009 due to the poor economy and the increase in use of more fuel-efficient two-wheeled transportation. As a Maryland motorcycle accident lawyer, my firm handles a large number of injury and accidental death claims involving bikes.

Although many accidents are the result of another person’s negligence, sometimes speed can contribute to the severity of a crash, which is particularly dangerous for the motorcycle rider. This is the case for the following three bike accidents which occurred in and around Maryland.

Columbia, Maryland

One rider was killed and another critically injured just a few days ago when the motorcycles they were riding collided on Maryland Route 100. According to Howard County police, the accident happened in the late afternoon near Snowden River Parkway on the westbound side of Route 100.

Sadly, a 41-year-old rider, Ronal Wayne Parker Jr. of Mitchellville, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other motorcyclist, Vincent Williams, 39, of Catonsville was air-lifted by Maryland State Police Medivac to University of Maryland Shock Trauma. Reports indicate that following the collision, one of the motorcycles continued briefly and struck a guardrail, which threw the rider from the bike.

Although police are still investigating the accident, a number of causes are possible, including rider error or defective equipment, each of which could have played a part in the accident.

Springfield, Virginia

Virginia State Police reported a fatal motorcycle accident that occurred on a Saturday morning early in August. The accident happened at 3 a.m. on Interstate 495 about three-quarters of a mile north of I-95. Authorities had to shut down the southbound lanes of I-495 for about six hours until emergency crews and police completed their work at the crash scene.

Based on news reports, police received calls that two motorcycles were traveling at high rates of speed along the interstate. An eye witness apparently saw one of the motorcycle riders pass a dump truck, then moments later the second motorcycle struck the back of the dump truck. That bike was subsequently hit by a 2005 Honda Civic killing 21-year-old Christopher M. Ford of Gainesville, Virginia.

The first motorcycle operator, 23-year-old Wendell Howard, Jr. of Manassas, was charged with reckless driving and failure to have a valid motorcycle endorsement. Police did not know at the time if alcohol was a factor in the crash.

AMA Expects Washington, D.C., Motorcycle Fatality Rate to Increase in 2009

August 9, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

According to a report from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), 2008 saw a total of 38 motorcycle riders killed in the District of Columbia and other nearby jurisdictions. Most recently, Peter Horst of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) says his organization anticipates this figure will balloon in 2009.

Already this August, three motorcyclists died in less than two days as a result of multiple-vehicle traffic accidents. Although the economy has caused a decrease in the sales of motorcycles, riders who have bikes are using them more than usual in an effort to save on gas money.

For 2008, the number of U.S. traffic injuries and fatalities for every motor vehicle category dropped — all except the motorcycle accident category. Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. may have bucked the trend last year, but as our D.C. accident lawyers reported earlier in this post the total for 2009 is expected to be greater.

Fatal Bicycle Accident in Ocean City Points to Precautions Every Maryland Cyclist Must Take

July 20, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A tragic story of a bicycle rider killed in Ocean City, MD, recently came to light and it reminds us all of the inherent dangers that bike riders face when traveling on Maryland’s public roadways. The accident happened on Maryland’s Coastal Highway as a 23-year-old woman was having a relaxing summer ride. While pedaling her bike across a pedestrian crosswalk, Kristin Anne Stormer was hit and fatally injured by a truck traveling in one of the southbound lanes.

As Maryland motorcycle and bicycle accident lawyers, our firm has represented many individuals injured in car-bicycle and auto-motorcycle collisions. While the road in question has a posted speed limit of 35mph, even at that relatively low speed a small car cna cause serious injury or even kill a bicycle rider. Without knowing the specifics, it’s difficult to say if the truck driver was responsible for this woman’s sad and unfortunate death.

Summer is a great time to be out and about. But whether you’re riding a bicycle, a piloting a motorcycle or driving a car, even a relaxing trip along the coast must be done with a degree of caution. As motor vehicle operators and as bicycle riders, we all have a responsibility to follow the rules of the road. In this case, reports state that the woman may have been listening to an iPod while riding her bike. This is can be a dangerous activity for anyone operating a vehicle in traffic and it is actually illegal in Maryland.

Married Couple Severely Hurt after Their Motorcycle Crashes on Route 29 in Columbia, Maryland

June 19, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Emergency responders from Howard County recently responded to a serious motorcycle injury accident on the southbound lanes of Maryland’s Route 29 near Seneca Drive. Reportedly, a husband and wife riding two-up on a BMW R75/6 contacted a guardrail during the afternoon of June 8 near Columbia, MD. Both riders were transported to the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore for treatment of their injuries.

According to Howard County police, 55-year-old Timothy Danaher was operating the couple’s motorcycle with his wife, Diana Danaher, also 55 years old, riding on the back of the same bike. News articles state that the motorcyle somehow veered to the left causing the vehicle to strike a roadside guardrail — the reason for accident was as yet unknown. Both riders were thrown off the bike. After being admitted to the hospital, Mrs. Danaher’s condition was listed as fair, however her husband was in critical condition.

Without a doubt, motorcycle accidents can inflict some of the worst injuries for the operator and any other person riding along as well. As Maryland motorcycle accident lawyers, we have a great deal of experience in injury accident cases just like this one. Although the Howard County police department’s traffic enforcement section was still investigating the crash, from the sound of it, this accident may have happened due to a defective part or perhaps improper maintenance. Regardless of the cause, the husband’s injuries could be severe, and may include traumatic brain injury or damage to the spinal cord.

Off-duty Annapolis Police Officer Hurt on I-95 After Crashing Motorcycle into Construction Vehicle

June 11, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

An off-duty Annapolis police officer was seriously hurt when he rode his motorcycle into the rearend of a construction vehicle on Interstate 95, near Route 216 in Scaggsville, Maryland. The two-vehicle crash happened close to midnight on May 31 — the incident caused law enforcement personnel to close down the highway for about 60 minutes.

The 28-year-old rider, Edwin Caraballo of Pikesville, MD, has been working about 12 months for the Annapolis Police Department. According to Maryland State Police, Caraballo sustained multiple injuries as well as being knocked unconscious when he apparently rode his 2004 Suzuki motorcycle at a rather high rate of speed directly into the back of the truck.

Police investigators report that Caraballo was travelling on I-95 when suddenly changed lanes apparently not knowing that his newly chosen lane was being shut down for construction. The man slammed into the rear of a Chevy work truck.

When police arrived, they found Caraballo unconscious in the roadway. Howard County Fire and Rescue personnel attempted to revive him and he was subsequently flown to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he was listed in serious but stable condition. Reports indicate that the man only had knee and arm injuries, which makes him lucky because incidents like this can easily result in traumatic brain injuries or worse.

According to reports, the off-duty officer was not riding with the proper documentation for his bike or himself. State police charged him with negligent driving, driving an uninsured vehicle, and driving without current registration and a proper driver’s license for a motorcycle.

Teenage Driver Who Killed a Maryland Motorcycle Rider will Only Pay a Small Fine

June 1, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

The 19-year-old motorist who reportedly caused a deadly motorcycle accident that killed a Maryland rider was fined $115 for the accident, although accident investigators determined that the driver was otherwise not negligent in regard to this traffic fatality. The deceased rider, Harry D. Catts, of Smithsburg, Maryland, passed away due to injuries received late in April on Pennsylvania’s Route 11.

Despite the seriousness of the accident, police and the local prosecutor’s office declared that Samantha Young was not “grossly” negligent when she turned her vehicle left into the path of the oncoming motorcycle. Eye witnesses said they saw the teenager make a left turn in front of the 72-year-old rider, who then struck the side of the girl’s vehicle.

Police reported that the crash occurred after 1 p.m. on April 26 at a busy intersection near the Plainfield exit of Interstate 81. According to reports, Young told an officer at the scene that she saw the green light and made the turn, but claimed she didn’t see the motorcyclist. An accident reconstruction team reviewed the crash scene but apparently found nothing out of the ordinary. Authorities stated that there was no alcohol or cell-phone use involved, and police said that the traffic signals were found to be working properly.

As Maryland Automobile Accident Attorneys, our office has represented many families who have lost a loved one through a motorcycle or car accident. Motorcycle accidents, in particular, can result in very serious bodily injuries or even death due to complications from head trauma or spinal cord injuries.

In this case, the police determined that the driver who caused the accident was simply inexperienced and therefore not grossly negligent for the motorcycle rider’s death. Despite the local district attorney’s statement that the accident was “a mere error of judgment,” there is little solace in the fact that the young woman received only a monetary penalty.