Maryland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Maryland Teenager Hospitalized after being Injured in Bicycle-Car Traffic Accident

November 18, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s sad to say, but most bicycle accidents are completely preventable. As a Maryland personal injury lawyer, I know how out-matched a bicycle is next to larger and more massive passenger cars. A collision between the two almost never goes well for the cyclist. Head and back injuries, broken bones and minor scratches and bruises are all results of car-bike crashes. Fatalities are often very common in car-bicycle crashes.

Recently, a Maryland youngster was very lucky not to have been killed when he was struck by a car on Twin Rivers Road in Columbia, MD. The accident happened around 6pm on October 12. According to news reports, a Ford Focus driven by a 61-year-old Columbia woman was traveling westbound along Twin Rivers Road when it approached two cyclists riding along the right-hand side of the road.

According to police, as the car was about to pass the two bikes, 14-year-old Sergial Brown allegedly made an abrupt left turn directly in front of the vehicle. The boy was struck by the car, but was thankfully not killed. Emergency crews arrived at the scene and treated the teenager, then he was transported by Maryland State Police helicopter to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was reportedly listed in good condition.

Maryland Motorcycle Rider Killed in Head-on Crash with Automobile in Carroll County, MD

November 9, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Motorcycle riding season is drawing to a close for the most part, but accidents are still quite common. As Maryland personal injury lawyers, Lebowitz & Mzhen Personal Injury Lawyers provide aggressive representation to motorcycle accident victims and their families. We understand the pain that relatives experience at the loss of a loved one. Sadly, fatal bike crashes are not uncommon in Baltimore, D.C. or any of the cites and towns throughout our state.

Toward the end of October, a Carroll County resident died when his motorcycle hit an oncoming passenger car head-on at a high rate of speed in Westminster. In such cases, the survivability of the rider is quite low. According to news reports, Cpl. Mario DeVivio was heading northbound on Route 97 in an unmarked police patrol vehicle when a motorcycle pulled out in front of him.

Edward Nicholas Dill was riding a 2004 Yamaha when Officer DeVivio signaled him to pull over. Instead, the 28-year-old allegedly fled, accelerating away from the police car and disappeared from the view.

Maryland Cyclist Killed by Motorist in Hollywood, MD, Car-bike Accident

October 29, 2009 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

It’s a tragedy when anyone dies, but fatal traffic accidents can usually be avoided. In the case of car-bicycle collisions, the bicycle rider is always the loser. As a Baltimore motorcycle and bicycle accident attorney, I have represented numerous victims of senseless auto, bike and motorcycle accidents over the years. The human toll is always severe in these cases. Sadly, a recent news article details yet another fatal Maryland bicycle-car accident.

According to a news article, Maryland State Police identified the body of a bicycle rider as that of 47-year-old Curtis Andrew Leymeister who was killed on the morning of October 5 while commuting on his bike. The accident occurred on Clarks Landing Road not far from the victim’s home.

The Hollywood resident was struck from behind by a Honda Accord driven by another local resident, 20-year-old Kathy May Lee. According to police, Leymeister was riding his bike west in the westbound lane of the roadway, near the intersection of Scotch Neck Road. Investigators said that the rider was in the travel portion of the roadway, centered in the westbound lane. And although he was going the right way, police reminded that he should have been on the paved shoulder.

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.