Memorial Day has come and gone and summer has officially arrived in Maryland. We are all itching to get out of doors and take advantage of the season. Naturally, our sidewalks and public areas are teeming with people of all ages and abilities out there walking, running, playing and biking, whether using training wheels, three-wheeled bikes, regular bicycles or racers. Also out and about are more wheelchairs and strollers as well as users of walkers and canes.
This increase in human activity means that Maryland motorists must take care to drive reasonably for the surroundings and conditions and to comply with traffic laws. More people are around. Seniors and those with disabilities may be slower and children may unexpectedly dart out.
Avoid negligent motoring
Maryland drivers must take care to drive reasonably to keep pedestrians and bikers safe. Should the driver of a car or truck drive negligently, recklessly or in violation or traffic or criminal laws, should he or she strike a person walking or running or using a bicycle, the driver would be liable for resulting injury, pain and suffering, property damage and wage loss.
Last week, we published a post about motorcycle accidents and how a personal injury attorney can help an injured victim or the surviving loved ones of someone who dies in such a crash.
In that blog, we talked about how a lawyer will investigate the scenario of a motorcycle accident by using experts in civil engineering and accident reconstruction. The same factors are important in a collision involving a person or bicycle.
Careful estimate of comprehensive damages
Injuries tend to be so severe in an accident between the human body and a heavy, metal vehicle that medical evidence is also particularly important to establish the extent of an injury, including the current and future need for medical treatment, wage replacement, rehabilitation, therapy, home or car modifications, medical equipment and more. In serious cases, long-term residential care may also be involved. The trauma of a pedestrian accident may also cause mental or emotional harm for which compensation for treatment would be appropriate.
Seek the assistance of an attorney as early as possible after such an accident, who will negotiate with involved insurance companies and other parties and file a lawsuit should fair settlement not be possible.
