Maryland Accident Law Blog

ABATE of Maryland Members Pay Tribute To Biker Who Died In Recent Motorcycle Accident

September 14, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Last Thursday, hundreds of Maryland motorcycle riders paid tribute to fellow cyclist Marty Schultz who died in a motorcycle accident on August 30.

Schultz was the director A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments (ABATE) of Maryland, the largest organization in the state that advocates motorcyclists’ rights. ABATE of Maryland believes that motorcyclists have the right to decide whether or not to wear a helmet.

Schultz was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. His fellow ABATE of Maryland members say failure to yield the right of way by the other driver was what caused his death.

Maryland Police Motorcycle Escort Is Buried With Honor 8 Months After Being Hit By A Van

September 13, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Officer Robert T. Krauss, the Maryland Transportation Authority Police motorcycle officer who was injured when he was hit by a van in Baltimore while escorting a funeral possession on December 21, 2005, was given a hero’s burial last week after he passed away on September 1.

Krauss had been undergoing one of several surgeries for his injuries when he died at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Rodney Austin, the driver of the van that hit Krauss, has already been convicted for driving under the influence and was sentenced to time in prison. More charges may be pending now that Krauss is dead.

On the Loyola University Health System website, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

White Oak Middle School Students Are Treated For Injuries After Being Hit By A Van In Silver Spring, Maryland

September 12, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A few of the 10 school children who were injured after being hit by a white Ford van while waiting for their school bus at a bus stop in front of Forest Park Apartments on Piney Branch Road in Silver Spring are still being treated for their injuries.

Montgomery County police say the accident took place on the morning of Friday, September 1, when Sebastian Vasquez, the driver of the van, lost control of his vehicle and hit a curb, a fire hydrant, and the middle school students.

The students were taken to Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park and Children’s Hospital in Washington D.C. Police are still investigating the cause of the accident, and it is not known whether Vasquez will be charged with committing any crime.

9-Year-Old Pennsylvania Boy Files Personal Injury Lawsuit After Sustaining Head Injury In July Bus Accident That Took Place In Aberdeen, Maryland

September 7, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A 9-year-old boy and his mother have filed personal injury lawsuits against the Yellowbird Bus Company and the Cowan Truck Company after the school bus he was riding in collided with a tractor-trailer on I-95 in Aberdeen, Maryland on July 5. The bus had been returning from a field trip to the Baltimore Aquarium.

Manny Basco, who suffered a concussion, is one of just dozens of Kensington, Pennsylvania students attending the Norris Square Day Camp who were injured in the crash. At least 21 other people have filed lawsuits against the bus and truck companies.

According to Basco’s mother, Ruth, the boy is now too traumatized to ride a bus again.

In Maryland, Divers Recover Body Of Man Who Died In Boating Accident During September 3 Ragin’ On The River Powerboat Race

September 6, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

In Maryland yesterday, diving teams recovered the body of a man who had been killed while participating in a boat race on September 3.

Maryland Natural Resources Police say Paul Henry Sohn had been racing his boat the Jumpin’ Jack Flash in the yearly Ragin’ On the River Powerboat Race on Sunday, when the boat split in half after bouncing off another boat’s wake and launching into the air. His body, recovered at the bottom of the Susquehanna River, was still strapped to the boat. Sohn’s son, 15-year-old Timothy John Sohn, who had also been on the boat at the time of the accident, was able to escape uninjured.

Volunteer dive teams from Hartford, Cecil, and Baltimore counties joined DNR dive teams and emergency crews from the powerboat association to look for Sohn.

Maryland State Police Target Drunk Drivers To Promote Safety On Roads

September 1, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland State Police are cracking down on drunk drivers on the road. The effort is part of a nationwide initiative that will increase the number of blanket patrols and sobriety checkpoints.

The National Highway Safety Administration is also spearheading an $11 million national ad campaign called “Drunk Driving. Over The Limit. Under Arrest” that will air on radio and television.

The NHTSA says:

In Maryland, Charles County Sheriff Says Death Toll On Local Roads Hits 27 For 2006

August 29, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

This month, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office announced that—as of August 8—the death toll on Charles County Roads had risen to 27 people. The accident toll was reported at 24 traffic crashes, with 12 of them DUI-related. Speeding, failure to wear a seatbelt, and other driving-related errors were cited as other reasons for the traffic accidents and fatalities.

The Sheriff’s office said that-this year-they have (so far) issued:

· 4,282 speeding citations.

Calvert County Motorcyclist Killed and Three People Injured by SUV on Maryland Route 4

August 28, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A 42-year-old Calvert County woman was killed on August 18 after the motorcycle she was riding on Lothian Road was hit from behind by an SUV. Anne Fordham Smith was ejected from her 2004 Harley-Davidson Dyna Low Rider by a 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Vicki Denise Hanbury. Smith sustained multiple injuries and pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Hanbury’s Trailblazer also struck a 1990 Toyota 4Runner being driven by 20-year-old Lothian resident Amber Renee Leyland. Leyland’s SUV rolled onto its roof, and she and her 4-month old infant passenger were treated for minor injuries and later released at Calvert Memorial Hospital. Hanbury was taken to the same hospital and treated for injuries also.

The US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says there were 42,815 motorcycle-related fatalities in 2002.

Westminster Bicyclist Dies After Being Struck By A Car Near Windsor, Maryland

August 24, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

A 38-year-old female bicyclist was pronounced dead after a Saturn car hit the bicycle she was riding on Clear Ridge Road on August 17. Jennifer Michele Clayton died of her injuries at Baltimore’s Maryland Shock Trauma Center later that night.

The surviving loved ones of a cyclist who has been killed in vehicle-related accident may be able to file a personal injury/wrongful death lawsuit for their loss. A personal injury attorney can assist you in determining whether you are eligible to make a claim.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, here are some common situations that often lead to vehicle-related bicycle accidents. The crash types were determined by evaluating more than 3,000 bicycle-motor vehicle accidents that took place in Maryland, California, Florida, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Utah.

Berlin, Maryland Mother And Daughter Killed After Ford Truck Hits Their Car On Holly Grove Road In Baltimore

August 23, 2006 | Lebowitz & Mzhen

Maryland State Police have been investigating a fatal car accident that took the lives of Christine Marie Bruno, 44, and her 14-year-old daughter Kristen on August 17.

Bruno was pulling out onto Holly Grove Road from the Glen Ridge development when she neglected to yield to traffic on Route 50 and was hit by a Ford truck being driven by Dagsboro resident Howard L. Lynch III, 35.

Bruno was killed on impact. Her daughter, Kristen, was flown to Peninsula Regional Medical Center where she was pronounced dead. Another juvenile, a 13-year-old girl, who had been sitting in the front passenger seat of Bruno’s car, was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital and treated for critical injuries. She is expected to recover fully.