Maryland Accident Law Blog

A 22-year-old woman died in Washington DC on Tuesday morning while riding her bicycle to work. Alice Swanson was run over by a garbage truck on R Street NW close to Dupont Circle.

The truck belongs to KMG Hauling Inc. The driver of the truck, Marco Rosendo Flores Fuentes, reportedly did not see Swanson, who was making a left turn. No charges have been filed against him, and the Metropolitan Police Major Crash Investigation Unit is continuing to investigate the fatal bicycle-truck crash.

Swanson was a program associate at the International Research and Exchange Board. Her death is the first bicyclist fatality in Washington DC this year.

According to research found on Massbike.org’s Bicycle Crash Statistics page, common bicycle-motorist crash scenarios involve:

• The driver merging into the path of the bicyclist.
• The bicyclist merging into the motorist’s path.
• The driver trying to overtake the bicyclist.
• The driver neglecting to yield the right of way.
• The bicyclist failing to yield the right of way.

Common causes of bicycle collisions:

• Speeding
• Driver inattention
• Defective bicycle or motor vehicle
• Drunk driving
• Negligence

Our Maryland and Washington DC bicycle accident lawyers are experienced in proving when a bicycle accident is caused by a negligent motorist or another liable party. You may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries, pain and suffering, medical expenses, or the loss of your loved one.

Bicyclist killed in garbage-truck crash, Examiner.com, July 9, 2008

Bicycle Crash Statistics, Massbike.org

Related Web Resources:

Bicycle Crash Facts, Bicyclinginfo.org

General Pedestrian Statistics, Walkinginfo.org

Continue reading "Garbage Truck Runs Over Bicyclist in Washington DC" »

In a South Laurel neighborhood in Prince George County, Maryland, residents are renewing their efforts to get officials to install speed bumps after a 7-year-old bicyclist was hit by a speeding motor vehicle earlier this month. The boy sustained serious head trauma.

According to the Montgomery County, Maryland Web site, 214 people died in speeding-related accidents in 2005—accounting for 35% of all Maryland motor vehicle deaths. That same year, 85% of all speeding-related deaths in the United States occurred roads other than US highways.

Residents say that this injury incident is just one more example of why measures need to be taken to slow down speeding drivers. They want speed bumps installed close to the residential areas—especially because so many pedestrians are students going to and from school. In some areas where there is heavy student traffic, there are no sidewalks to keep kids safe.

Briarwood Civic Association President Katrina Meza says that her efforts to have speed bumps installed have been rejected by the Department of Public Works and Transportation.

A Public Works department spokesperson says that a 2004 survey found that no speed bumps are necessary even after taking into consideration the amount of pedestrian traffic, the general speed of traffic, rush hours, and the hours of student commute.

If you or someone you love was seriously hurt in a Maryland injury accident, do not hesitate to contact our personal injury law firm right away. We can prove if a driver, a property owner, your municipal or state government, a doctor, a nursing home, a product manufacturer, or anyone else was negligent and could have prevented the injury accident from happening.

Accident revives push to slow speeding cars, Laurel Leader, May 22, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Speeding Facts

Speed Bumps

Continue reading "Prince George County Residents Calling for Speed Bumps After Car Hits Child Bicyclist " »

A deadly accident in Santa Clara County, California involving a deputy that fell asleep at the wheel has left two bicyclists dead and a third with a broken leg and arm. On Tuesday, Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith cried and said that her department accepts responsibility for the tragedy.

Deputy James Council was driving his police car down Stevens Canyon Road on Sunday when he crossed a double-yellow line, striking the three cyclists. 20-year-old Christopher Knapp survived the crash with broken bones. Matt Peterson, 29, died at the accident scene. Kristy Gough, 30, was declared dead several hours later at Stanford University Medical Center.

Council says he struck the three bicyclists after falling asleep at the wheel. The California Highway Patrol reportedly did not ask Council to take a blood-alcohol test at the scene. Council’s attorney says that drugs and alcohol were not involved.

Questions have risen as to whether Council, a second generation deputy, received special treatment. His attorney has denied this also.

In 2001, Council was convicted in Los Angeles County for taking part in a speed contest. As part of his plea agreement, charges for DWI and having blood alcohol content over 0.08% were dropped. He served 24 months probation.

Sheriff’s officials in Santa Clara were aware of the conviction and plea agreement when they hired Council 18 months ago. Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Don Morrissey says that the department doesn’t disqualify potential candidates because of one mistake made in the past.

Unfortunately, getting hit by a motor vehicle is one of the risks that bicyclists face when cycling on the roads. There are steps that bicyclists can take to avoid getting hit by a car, truck, bus, or motorcycle.

However, there are accidents that occur because a driver or another party behaved negligently or carelessly. In Maryland and Washington D.C., the best way to determine and prove negligence is to ask one of our experienced bicycle crash lawyers to examine your case. In some cases, there may even be more than one liable party.

Proving negligence in your bicycle accident claim or lawsuit may be able to provide you with the financial compensation you need to cover medical costs and other expenses.

Sheriff 'sorry' for fatal collision, Mercury News, March 12, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Bicycle Crash Statistics, Massbike.org

Bicycle, Maryland Department of Highway Transportation State Highway Administration

Continue reading "Santa Clara County, CA Sheriff Says Department Accepts Responsibility for Police Car Accident That Killed Two Bicyclists " »

In the Washington D.C. area, area police agencies and transit officials have launched a major campaign focused on reducing the amount of injuries and deaths among cyclists and pedestrians. The campaign was launched on March 20, 2007 in Thomas Circle by officials from suburban Maryland, the District, and northern Virginia. Called “Street Smart Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Campaign,” the program will include heightened traffic enforcement and a public education campaign.

According to recent studies, ¼ of people killed in the Washington area every year are either pedestrians or cyclists. In 2006, these two groups made up 40% of all highway deaths in the District. Officials say that 90 pedestrians are killed in the Washington area every year, while 3000 others are injured. At least 9 pedestrians have already been killed in the area this year.

Helmets.org provides a number of statistics related to bicycle accidents and injuries:

• There are 85 million bicycle riders in the US.
• 784 bicyclists died on US roads in 2005. 92% of them died in crashes with motor vehicles (720).
• About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year. Of those, about 67,000 have head injuries, and 27,000 have injuries serious enough to be hospitalized.
• Bicycle crashes and injuries are under-reported, since the majority are not serious enough for emergency room visits.
• 1 in 8 of the cyclists with reported injuries has a brain injury.
• Two-thirds of the deaths here are from traumatic brain injury.
• A very high percentage of cyclists' brain injuries can be prevented by a helmet, estimated at anywhere from 45 to 88 per cent.
• Many years of potential life are lost because about half of the deaths are children under 15 years old.
• Direct costs of cyclists' injuries due to not using helmets are estimated at $81 million each year.
• Indirect costs of cyclists' injuries due to not using helmets are estimated at $2.3 billion each year.

Crews have added countdowns at crosswalks at Thomas Circle to make the area safer, as well as clearly marked Metro bus lanes and bicycle lanes.

Officials say the safety crackdown will take place in different areas every six weeks. The safety campaign includes the use of billboards, bus advertising, posters, hand-outs, and radio campaigns.

Although there are safety precautions that you can take as a pedestrian or a cyclist, this does not necessarily make you immune to the carelessness or negligence of others on the roadways. Injuries to a pedestrian or a cyclist can be serious—even fatal.

Continue reading "Area Police Agencies In Washington D.C. Area Kick Off Street Smart Pedestrian And Cyclist Safety Campaign" »