Maryland Injury Attorney Blog
According to the Annapolis, Maryland police, two bicyclists were hospitalized last Friday for injuries suffered in an Anne Arundel County bicycle-car accident. The accident took place when a motorist parked on Main Street in Annapolis opened his car door into the path of the oncoming cyclists. One injured cyclist was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center and the other to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.
The accident occurred on Bike to Work Day, a national and regional event to promote bicycling as an alternative means of transportation. The event attracted more than 1,000 riders in Baltimore. An experienced Maryland car accident lawyer helps families of a bicyclist injured or killed in a traffic accident determine if they have a legitimate claim against the operator of a motor vehicle.
Maryland Bicycle Traffic Accident Statistics and Helmet Laws
As we’ve discussed in the past, when motorcycle accidents occur on Maryland’s highways and roadways, the operator is often at a huge disadvantage when a car, SUV, or truck accident occurs. Bicycle riders are at a disadvantage for many of the same reasons that put motorcyclists at risk: it takes them longer to brake and stop, they are more exposed to weather conditions and obstacles in the roadway, and when they are involved in a traffic accident, they are physically vulnerable to catastrophic injuries.
In 2007, 698 bicyclists died due to injuries suffered in accidents on our nation’s roadways, accounting for 2 percent of all traffic fatalities. Of the 614 Maryland traffic deaths that occurred that year, 7 were pedacyclists. (Source: NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts 2007 Data: Bicyclists and Other Cyclists.)
The Maryland Bicycle Helmet Law “requires all bicyclists under the age of 16 to wear a bicycle safety helmet when riding on public property.” Certain counties in Maryland have their own laws. For example, in Montgomery County, the law applies to riders under 18, and in Sykesville, Maryland, bicyclists of all ages must wear a safety helmet.
2 bicyclists hospitalized after accident in Annapolis
BaltimoreSun.com May 15, 2009
Bike to Work Day attracts record number of riders
BaltimoreSun.com May 15, 2009
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