Maryland motorcycle accidents create unexpected financial burdens

The birth of a new child is a happy occasion. Sleep-deprived parents stumble around for the first few months in a haze of exhaustion and bliss as they welcome their new child into their home. In the wake of adjusting to life with a newborn, motorcycle accidents can wreak even more havoc. One Maryland mother is now trying to adjust to life as a single mom after a fatal accident took the life of her young husband.

The 30-year-old man was killed in a fatal motorcycle accident approximately one week after the birth of his son. Reports indicate that the young father fed his new son before putting him down for a nap and leaving for a motorcycle ride. Unfortunately, he never returned home from that ride.

Police say that a 66-year-old female driver of a sedan pulled into the path of the motorcycle. While she and her passenger suffered only minor injuries, the motorcyclist suffered serious injuries to his heart. He died four days later. His liver, his only organ that was not damaged in the accident, was donated.

In addition to her physical recovery from the birth of her son, the man’s wife is now left to cope with the financial burdens of a single parent household as she also grapples emotionally with the loss of her husband. While community members are rallying around the family by fundraising for them, the toll of medical bills and funeral expenses, in addition to the loss of income, can quickly become astronomical. Many people facing similar ramifications from motorcycle accidents have chosen to seek financial relief in a civil court. Those who have successfully argued their cases are often awarded monetary damages as allowed under Maryland law.

Source: capitalgazette.com, “Fundraiser established for widow and children of Anne Arundel County motorcyclist killed in crash”, Tim Prudente, Aug. 8, 2014