Silver Spring Maryland Personal Injury Law Blog

Deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents are tragic. Motorcycle accidents caused by drunk drivers are seen as among the most tragic as they are considered to be avoidable. A recent motorcycle accident in Maryland that took the life of the cyclist is believed to have been caused by a drunk driver. The young woman facing charges in the crash is believed to have been under the influence of alcohol.

A 21-year-old woman was driving a GMC truck about 8:30 p.m. on a recent Friday. She pulled her truck out of a parking lot into traffic and directly in front of a north-bound motorcycle. The motorcyclist suffered catastrophic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

For example, you may be able to file a wrongful death claim if your loved one was killed in a motor vehicle accident. By doing so, you can attempt to collect many types of damages, such as:

• Lost wages: Since the person is no longer able to provide for their family, you may be able to seek damages for lost wages. But even if the person didn't have a job at the time of their death, compensation may still be available. A common example of this is a wrongful death claim of a stay-at-home parent who contributed by raising their family. These contributions are defined as pecuniary losses in a wrongful death lawsuit.
• Pain and suffering: You can seek damages for the pain and suffering your loved one endured before passing on. This is particularly important to consider in the event of a serious accident, such as one that resulted in severe burns or a traumatic brain injury.  
• Loss of companionship: When a person passes away, you no longer have them as a companion. To claim loss of companionship, also known as loss of consortium, the court will consider factors such as the person's life expectancy, their age at the time of death, the stability of the relationship and the living arrangements of the individuals.

As challenging as it may be to seek damages after the wrongful death of a loved one, it's critical to take immediate action to protect the legal rights of you and the decedent.

Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to settle with the negligent party and their insurance company out of court. If that doesn't work, you have the ability to file a wrongful death lawsuit to seek compensation.

There are damages you can receive as the survivor of a victim of a wrongful death. Knowing what they are and how to get what you deserve will put you on the right track. 

There is no question that Uber and Lyft ride-share arrangements have made it much easier for people to get where they need to go in the D.C. metro area. But these companies have also muddied the waters of liability when passengers and others get injured while using ride-share vehicles.

Uber policy states that when its drivers (who are classified as independent contractors for employment purposes) are on the clock, the company's insurance is activated for all covered accidents.

Another summer is almost over. Sadly, motor vehicle fatalities seem to increase during the summer months in Maryland as people head to vacations, family outings and other summer activities that create an increase in traffic, which increases the likelihood of being involved in an accident. Defensive driving is one means to reduce the risk but it is all too often neglected. Such may have been the case in a recent fatal accident collision between a car and a motorcycle. Motorcycle accidents can be particularly deadly and motorcycles can be hard to spot, making it necessary to be extra vigilant.

A young man was riding his motorcycle early one morning near Millersville. He was proceeding south and a car was approaching from the north. The car turned left into a gas station and collided with the southbound motorcycle.