Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Over the weekend, a 16-year-old from Quincy, Massachusetts died in a rollover car crash in the southbound lane of Interstate 89 in Hopkinton. A press release from the State Police states that the auto accident occurred around 2:19pm on Saturday afternoon. Police arrived at the accident and found a Jeep on its side on the media. They believe that the Jeep veered off the roadway and rolled over several times before it landed on its side.

The driver, Michael Richardson, 48, of Quincy, Massachusetts, and the front passenger, Angenetta Cairo, 35, also of Quincy, were both wearing seatbelts and did not sustain any injuries. Anthoney Wilkerson, 16, was riding in the backseat but was not wearing his seatbelt. Members of the Hopkinton Rescue Squad tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead by the state Medical Examiner’s Office.

Driver impairment does not appear to be a cause of the car accident, and according to the press release, fatigue or “inattention/distraction” may have contributed.

Crash claims Mass. teen, UnionLeader.com, March 22, 2009

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Last July, a state auditor’s office discovered that in 2005 and 2006 as many as 9,000 drivers had valid driver’s licenses for two to four years after a judge ordered their licenses suspended. The glitch in the Registry of Motor Vehicle’s system meant that some repeat drunk drivers may have used valid licenses for years after they were supposed to be permanently revoked. Until recently, the case dispositions were handled by ground mail, which may have delayed license suspensions.

An internal review revealed that 988 Massachusetts drivers who were convicted of vehicular homicide or DUI between 2003 and 2008 did not have their licenses suspended. The Registry was also missing records for nearly two thousand criminal case dispositions. According to a spokesperson for the Registry, many of the drivers already had their licenses suspended for other offenses.

This week, registry and court officials announced that 58 of Massachusetts’s 62 district courts can electronically transfer driving-related convictions to the RMV at the end of each day to avoid delays or miscommunications.

Registry computer glitch kept suspended drivers on the road, WickedLocal.com, March 23, 2009

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Last week, Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner Nonnie S. Burnes announced that the state will retain the board that allows drivers to appeal auto insurance surcharges. According to the legislators who sponsored the bills, there was support for retaining the board in both the Senate and the House.

When a driver is involved with a motor vehicle accident, their insurance company assesses a surcharge on the driver’s premiums if the company determines that the driver was at fault in the accident. Surcharges can be as high as half the premium, adding hundreds of dollars to the driver’s auto insurance costs.

Consumer advocates argued that insurance companies were not likely to give motorists a fair hearing, since they have a financial incentive to charging the driver a surcharge and collecting additional revenue by deeming the driver at fault. The appeal’s board charges $50 to apply for a hearing and takes approximately six months to hear a case. Each year, about half the cases are determined in favor of drivers.

“The Board of Appeals is an important safeguard to ensure that consumers are protected against decisions by insurance companies that can result in significantly higher premiums,” said Deirdre Cummings, legislative director of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group.

State to keep car insurance appeal board, Boston Globe, March 19, 2009

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In February, a state trooper responding to a motor vehicle accident was seriously injured by a car that spun out of control and hit him. State police have experienced several instances where troopers sustained injuries due to a motor vehicle moving at excessive speeds.

They are hoping that a new law, “Slow Down, Move Over,” which goes into effect on Sunday will reduce the number of fatalities and injuries in among emergency medical personnel, highway workers, police officers, and other responding to an a car accident, traffic violation, or emergency.

State legislature passed the “Slow Down, Move Over” law on December 22, and the new legislation requires drivers to slow down as they pass an emergency situation and to leave the lane closet to the auto accident if possible. There is no specified speed limit, but drivers up to a $100 fine for failing to comply.

Rhode Island already enacted similar legislation last July and 42 other states have a “Move Over Law” in place.

Law makes drivers move over, slow down for roadside emergencies, Boston Globe, March 18, 2009

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On Monday afternoon, a truck accident on Route 128 in Lexington snarled traffic for several miles. The accident occurred just before 5:30pm when a tractor trailer carrying construction equipment hit an overpass.

The truck was traveling down the southbound lane of the highway near the exit to Route 4 and 225, so police had to close the southbound lanes following the tractor trailer accident. They later opened two lanes so that traffic could continue.

According to the state police, the construction equipment came off the truck when it hit the Grove Street bridge. Although three other vehicles hit the equipment on the roadway, no injuries were reported. The accident caused damage to the overpass, but officials expect it to remain open.

MA highway snarled by truck accident, Boston Globe, March 16, 2009

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According to a 2001 study conducted by AAA, drivers over age 65 are 25 percent more likely to get into a car accident than middle-aged drivers. Those over 85 are 50 percent more likely to get into a car crash during a left-hand turn. A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that drivers 75 and older are second only to teenagers in terms of fatalities per 100 miles driven.

These statistics are the reason why Senator Brian A. Joyce is pushing for stricter standards for seniors who retain a driver’s license.

An editorial printed in the Milford Daily News points out that a majority of states already have laws that require older drivers to take more vision and road tests. Some states also require mandatory vision tests when drivers go to renew. In Massachusetts, drivers’ vision is tested once every ten years.

Although it may seem arbitrary to single out drivers over a certain age, the bill could potentially reduce the number of car accidents in Massachusetts.

Editorial: Eye tests for older drivers, Milford Daily News, March 16, 2009

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In Salem, a car accident injured four people on Thursday evening. Three of the car crash victims were taken to local hospitals, and the vehicles were severely damaged.

The auto accident occurred on the northbound lane of Fort Avenue around 7:30pm. The driver of a 2002 Ford Mustang GT was in the wrong lane and collided with a Honda Odyssey. Both cars caught fire as a result.

A passenger riding in the Mustang was thrown from the car and later taken to Massachusetts General Hospital by MedFlight helicopter. According to the Salem’s fire deputy chief, two other accident victims were taken by ambulance to a local hospital.

The cause of the motor vehicle accident and the names of the victims are unknown.

4 hurt in fiery crash, Salem News, March 13, 2009

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Earlier this week, a Salem resident was awakened by loud noises and bright lights on his lawn. He and his girlfriend initially thought it was a thunderstorm, but they didn’t fathom that it could be a burning car on his front lawn.

John Frost, a Marlborough Road resident, rushed outside with a fire extinguisher and watched someone crawl out of the overturned car shortly after 1am. Miraculously, there were no injuries in the car crash. However, the driver and passenger were transported to Salem Hospital as a precaution.

The driver, a 32-year-old from Peabody, was driving from Peabody toward Highland Avenue. He told police he had brake trouble coming around the curve. His car became airborne before it hit two cars in a driveway (both of which were towed) and tore the front gutter off the house.

According to Salem News, the driver will be cited for speeding, driving without a license, operating to endanger, and a marked lanes violation.

Wild crash ends with flames on resident's lawn, Salem News, March 10, 2009

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Last week, a state senate committee released a report that recommended legislation to reduce the number of drowsy drivers behind the wheel. According to some experts, there may be as many as 600 sleep-related auto accidents in Massachusetts per year, resulting in the deaths of 90 people.

The committee’s 34-page report recommends that the state require obese commercial drivers to be tested for sleep disorders and that more rest areas serve coffee. The report states that sleep-deprived drivers are just as impaired as those driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Additional recommendations from the report include adding new highway rest areas, limiting the number of hours worked by resident physicians and intern, and allowing coffee chains to give coffee coupons to new drivers and those renewing their driver’s licenses. The hope is that there measures would reduce drowsy driving and thus reduce car crashes as a result of impaired drivers.

Drowsy driving report suggests stiffer penalties, coffee, Boston Globe, March 6, 2009

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On Sunday night around 8:18pm, a 2006 Toyota Prius collided head-on with a 2003 Saturn Ion on Memorial Drive in Cambridge. According to a state police trooper, both drivers were treated for minor injuries at local hospitals.

The Boston Herald reports that the injured drivers were Cynthia Scott, 54, of Wellesley and Jonathan Buchbinder, 53, of Quincy. The scene of the accident was at 8:55pm and Memorial Drive at Magazine Street was shut down.

The cause of the car accident has not been released.

Drivers survive head-on Memorial Drive collision Sunday, Boston Herald, March 9, 2009

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On Sunday afternoon, an Amtrak train running from Boston to Albany derailed in the town of Russell, Massachusetts. Police say the train accident occurred around 3pm.

The train was carrying 109 passengers and five crew members, but fortunately no one was injured. The train’s crew kept the train upright and brought it to a complete stop. According to several passengers, crews said the freezing and un-freezing ice on the track may have caused the train to derail.

Buses arrived to transport the passengers to Albany. Police are investigating the train accident along with Amtrak.

Amtrak train derailed in Western Mass., MSNBC, March 9, 2009

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The hazards are of talking on a cell phone while driving are well documented. But two recent studies confirmed that cell phone usage also endangers those traveling on foot. Researchers suggest restricting cell phone use by both pedestrians and drivers to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities.

According to the study, cell phones initially helped reduce pedestrian deaths and traffic deaths, because accident victims were able to summon medical help quickly and improve their odds of survival. However, that effect disappeared once cell phone ownership reached a “critical mass” of 100 million.

Researchers now say that “cell phones and their usage above a critical threshold adds to motor vehicle fatalities.” They also say it has a “significant adverse effect on pedestrian safety.” The studies analysed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Department of Transportation, MADD, and the U.S. Census Bureau, among other agencies.

Cell Phone Studies: Whether You’re Talking While Walking or While Driving, Cell Phones = Increased Fatalities, Rutgers, March 4, 2009

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The bus driver involved in a bus crash last month in Becket, Massachusetts has received a $50 moving violation for “negligent operation.” In other words, driving too fast for the road conditions, which were slick with ice at the time of the accident.

The 63-year-old bus driver was transporting the River Rats hockey team home after a game in Lowell, Massachusetts. The bus hit an icy patch of road on the Massachusetts Turnpike and crashed around 2:30am. Several teammates were injured as a result of the bus accident.

The driver’s personal driver’s license record lists two motor vehicle accidents in 2006 and 2007. No charges were filed in this case.

Bus driver ticketed in Rats' accident, Times Union, March 3, 2009

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Reuters reports that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released new statistics on traffic deaths in the United States. The study listed Massachusetts as the safest state in the nation. Mississippi had the highest rate of deaths on the road with four times as many as Massachusetts.

Between 1999 and 2005, the Northeast had 9.8 motor vehicle-related deaths per 100,000 population, while the Midwest had 14.7, the South had 19.5, and the West had 14.2.

Though the report does not speculate on why these statistics vary so widely by region, CDC team points out that drivers in rural areas of the South may drive more miles and increase their risk of serious collision as a result. Another factor may be that inclement weather in the North forces drivers to be more careful on the road or forego driving altogether.

The survey also found that men were twice as likely as women to die from a motor vehicle accident. Over 213,000 men were killed on the road compared with 98,000 women.

South leads U.S. in traffic deaths, CDC finds, Reuters, February 26, 2009

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On Friday afternoon, a car accident injured the four occupants of a Toyota Corolla that had spun out of control and slammed into a large cement planter. The passengers and driver were taken by Action Ambulance to local hospitals. Two were in serious condition.

The car was traveling down Essex Street in Swampscott and passed two other car before the driver, Nicholas Linear, lost control. The 19-year-old lives in Salem. His passengers included Edgar Manan, 20, also of Salem, Bernard Coleman, 21, of Dorchester, and Jonathan Elvert, 26, of Medford.

According to Salem News, Linear and Manan have already been released from the hospital. The other two car crash victims are being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The auto accident is still under investigation by Massachusetts State Police.

4 injured in Swampscott crash, Salem News, February 28, 2009

Two seriously injured in Essex Street crash, WickedLocal.com, February 27, 2009

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