By: Allan M. Siegel
A motorcycle rider was killed early this morning following a tragic crash
with a bus at the intersection of Rockville Pike and South Drive in Bethesda,
Maryland. According to authorities, the crash took place shortly after
6:00 a.m. and involved a Ride On bus from Montgomery County Transit.
A spokesperson from the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service said
the motorcyclist was initially evaluated at the scene for traumatic injuries
and was later transported to the hospital, where he passed from his injuries.
Following the crash, traffic was closed on both sides of Rockville Pike
(MD 355), which serves as an access point to the Metro station, NIH, and
Naval Support Activity Bethesda. Authorities reopened all lanes of traffic
after concluding an investigation into the crash shortly after 10:30 a.m.
Although the cause of the crash is still under investigation, the tragedy
should send reminders to all motorists about the need to safely share
our roads and highways, especially with motorcyclists who are smaller
and more difficult to see than other vehicle traffic and for drivers of
larger automobiles.
As a firm that has represented many victims of traffic accidents, we have
seen just how tragic both motorcycle accidents and bus accidents can be.
We are also familiar with the extreme risks motorcyclists face on the
road - as well the risks we all face when near negligent motorists. In
the past several months, our team has spent a considerable amount of time
working on two large cases in which our clients - a motorcyclist and a
pedestrian - suffered severe injuries.
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In August, Partners Joseph Cammarata and Allan M. Siegel secured a
$4.8 million settlement for a motorcycle rider who was injured in a collision with a minivan in
Frederick County, Maryland. Our client suffered numerous serious injuries
after colliding with a trailer being towed by the minivan and being thrown
72 feet onto a nearby driveway. In that case, we were successful in proving
that the minivan driver’s inattention caused the crash.
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In September, Partner Joseph Cammarata won a
$4.5 million verdict on behalf of a pedestrian who was seriously injured by a transit bus while
crossing a crosswalk in Alexandria, Virginia. During trial, Partner Cammarata
was able to establish the bus driver’s inattention and unsafe speeds
- as well as the fact that Alexandria Transit Company negligently retained
the driver despite her poor safety record and prior preventable accidents.
We are hopeful that authorities will look closely into all possible factors
when investigating the underlying cause, as it may help prevent similar
tragedies from occurring in the future. However, as we know from our two
recent cases, it often requires the attention and determination of skilled
lawyers to expose the true cause of a collision, and to secure justice
for the victims and families involved.
If you have questions about your rights following a
motorcycle accident,
bus accident, or any other type of vehicle collision, our team is available to help.
We represent clients throughout the DC Metro area.