Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

In Massachusetts, a Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus hit a pedestrian who was attempting to cross the street a few weeks ago. Police report that the bus accident victim was transported to the hospital with minor injuries. The accident occurred just after 7am at the intersection of Main and Liberty Street in Springfield.

According to witnesses, the man was struck by the eastbound bus when he crossed the street against a green light. The names of the victim and the bus driver have not been released to the media.

While fortunately this bus accident resulted in minor injuries to the pedestrian, other motor vehicle accidents can result in more serious injuries such as broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and sometimes even death.

Sources: PVTA bus strikes pedestrian in Springfield, WGGB.com, November 20, 2009

Pedestrian, struck by bus in downtown Springfield, taken to hospital, MassLive.com, November 20, 2009

Continue reading " Bus Injures Pedestrian in Springfield " »

An auto accident in the Sumner Tunnel this past weekend killed a 34-year-old woman from Roslindale, Massachusetts and seriously injured two Roslindale men, who were thrown from the vehicle. The car accident occurred just before 1:30am on Sunday morning.

The woman was still inside the car when state troopers arrived at the scene of the motor vehicle accident. She was pronounced dead at Massachusetts General Hospital. Both of the injured men are 25 years old and were ejected from the car after it hit the median. They were listed in serious condition at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Medical Center as of Monday.

Authorities are still investigating the fatal car accident and have not yet determined the cause.

Source: Roslindale woman dies in Sumner Tunnel accident; two men thrown from vehicle, WickedLocal.com, November 23, 2009

Continue reading " Boston Car Crash Kills One, Seriously Injures Two Others " »

A two vehicle crash on Interstate 95 early Saturday morning seriously four people. The car accident victims were all in their teens and twenties, according to police. Three of the injured were treated and released from a hospital in Rhode Island on Saturday evening. The fourth, a 24-year-old male from Tiverton, Rhode Island, was listed in critical condition as of Sunday night.

Police say one of the cars went airborne roughly 20 feet in the air before landing in the woods nearby. One person was thrown from the vehicle and another had to be extricated by firefighters using chainsaws to cut trees around it. Both vehicles were totaled, and state police closed two lanes of traffic for several hours.

Police have charged the two drivers with racing, speeding, reckless operation, and failure to stay within marked lanes in connection with the 2am auto collision.

Sources: I-95 crash leads to charges, The Sun Chronicle, November 21, 2009

Four hurt in I-95 crash, The Sun Chronicle, November 21, 2009

Continue reading " Two Car Crash in Attleboro Injures Four People " »

A bill filed by Senator Robert L. Hedlund of Weymouth would make interlock safety devices mandatory for those convicted of drunk driving in Massachusetts. Currently, Melanie’s Law requires the devices for repeat drunk drivers.

The device works like an in-car breathalyzer test so that the driver must blow into a tube to analyze the driver’s blood alcohol content. The car will not start if the reading is .02 percent or higher.

Jill O’Bryan, a 25-year-old from Rockland, was injured by a repeat drunk driver in 2005 and has had more than two dozen surgeries as a result of injuries she sustained during the car accident. O’Bryan will attend an event in support of bill.

Hingham police will also demonstrate the interlock safety device and promote their 7th annual Designated Driver Program.

Source: Hingham police show anti-drunk driving unit, Boston Globe, November 19, 2009

Continue reading " Bill Would Require Massachusetts Drunk Drivers to Use Interlock Safety Device " »

A Boston pedestrian was killed on Friday afternoon near his home in the Back Bay. Police say the 84-year-old man stepped out into traffic to cross the street when he was hit by a 22-year-old bicyclist from Randolph.

The bicyclist was traveling northbound on Massachusetts Avenue when he collided with the pedestrian, who fell to the ground and hit his head. The pedestrian died later that night at Boston Medical Center.

According to a Boston police spokesman, the bicyclist stayed at the scene of the pedestrian accident and will probably not be charged because the pedestrian had stepped into traffic. There was no crosswalk.

Pedestrian, 84, dies after being hit by bicyclist, Boston Globe, November 16, 2009

Continue reading " Pedestrian Accident Kills Boston Man " »

Earlier this year, a report released by the Massachusetts Highway Department revealed that intersections in Boston, Brockon, Stoughton, Quincy, Braintree, and Abington are among the most dangerous in the state. The report was based on data compiled by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles and covered motor vehicle accidents that occurred at intersections between 2005 and 2007.

State officials hope the information will help them plan construction projects and improve safety of Massachusetts roads. Some of the possible measures include widening certain roadways, adding turning lanes or additional traffic lights, or timing traffic signals differently.

While state officials say the report contains some inconsisencies due to communities reporting car crashes differently, the report gives them an overview of where accidents are occurring to help improve traffic safety.

Sources: Accidents waiting to happen, Boston Globe, November 15, 2009

Report: 2007 TOP CRASH LOCATIONS REPORT, Massachusetts Highway Department

Continue reading " Massachusetts Highway Department Releases List of State's Most Dangerous Intersections " »

Critics say that using cameras to fine drivers who run red lights is an attempt to raise revenue, rather than improve safety, but the Boston Globe and other media outlets report that Governor Deval Patrick is pushing to make Massachusetts the 25th state to adopt such a measure. Many mayors and police chiefs have been wanting the cameras for years.

If passed, the state law would allow cities and towns to fine drivers up to $100 if their traffic violation is caught on camera. The fine would not subject the owners of the vehicle to insurance surcharges and would require signs warning drivers that their cars and license plates are being photographed. Such signs have been shown in some studies to actually cause more rear-end car crashes, perhaps because motorists slam on the brakes when they notice the signs.

However, federal studies show that the cameras do lower the number of right-angle auto collisions in the middle of intersections, which can be even more hazardous than rear-end collisions. The Federal Highway Administration says the cameras should be used for safety purposes, not as a way to generate more revenue.

Source: Patrick pushes for cameras to catch red-light violators, Boston Globe, November 13, 2009

Continue reading " Massachusetts Governor Supports Traffic Cameras, Despite Criticism " »

According to stats from the United States Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than half of the passenger vehicle occupants who died in Massachusetts motor vehicle accidents last year were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident. That rate was nine percent higher than the national average.

In response to these sobering statistics, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) has teamed up with State Police and other local law enforcement agencies to launch a special statewide Click It or Ticket campaign. Starting on November 12, the special crackdown is designed to lower the number of fatal car accidents and increase the use of seat belts.

Throughout the month of November, Massachusetts drivers who are pulled over for traffic violations will also be subject to fines if they or their passengers fail to wear a seatbelt.

Source: Dedham Police Department launches special statewide Click It or Ticket Enforcement effort, Dedham Transcript, November 9, 2009

Continue reading " Massachusetts Rolls Out Statewide Click It Or Ticket Crackdown " »

Several Massachusetts car accidents earlier this year have highlighted the controversial issue of whether senior citizens should be subject to extra scrutiny when renewing their driver's licenses. While AARP has sponsored a driver safety refresher course for the past thirty years, Massachusetts seniors are not enrolling in the course at the same rate as their counterparts in other New England states. Between January 1 and September 30, less than a thousand senior citizens opted to take the refresher class. According to AARP Massachusetts, enrollment in Massachusetts was 11,000 less than in Connecticut.

One explanation for this discrepancy is that insurance companies in Connecticut, Maine, and Rhode Island offer discounts to drivers who complete the course, while Massachusetts does not.

Taught by AARP volunteers, the four-hour refresher course covers basics like hearing, vision, and flexibility changes in older drivers, driving alongside bigger vehicles, and driving or braking in inclement weather. Participants receive a 121-page driver's manual with visual aids, instructions, and quizzes. Lawmakers on Beacon Hill are considering a bill that would require Massachusetts drivers over the age of 75 to retake road and visions tests every five years.

Source: Course puts elder drivers on road to safer driving, Boston Herald, November 8, 2009

Continue reading " Fewer Massachusetts Seniors Enrolling in AARP Driver Safety Course Than Other States " »

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has come under scrutiny regarding several recent subway accidents. However, one near accident last Friday night had a happy ending thanks to the quick reactions of an MBTA inspector and an Orange Line operator. Both employees received a standing ovation during an MBTA meeting earlier this week.

The incident occurred at North Station when a passenger who reportedly had been drinking for several hours fell off the platform Friday evening. Passengers flailed their arms and the inspector quickly radioed the subway operator to warn her to stop. After applying the emergency brake, the heavy subway car stopped just inches from away from the woman. The unidentified woman was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital as a precaution.

A bystander who pulled the woman from the subway tracks after the near-accident says she wrote the MBTA and the Boston Globe that night to ensure that the train inspector and operator received recognition for their role in averting the subway accident.

Source: MBTA workers honored for roles in averting subway accident, Boston Globe, November 10, 2009

Continue reading " MBTA Recognizes Workers Who Helped Prevent Subway Accident " »

Officials in Belmont, Massachusetts are investigating an MBTA commuter rail accident that killed an 18-year-old woman on Thursday afternoon. The train accident occurred around 12:52pm when the teen crossed the train tracks for unknown reasons and apparently didn't see or hear the oncoming train. Police believe the MBTA accident victim was a student at the nearby Belmont High School.

According to Deputy Chief of the MBTA Transit Police, the train stopped a "short distance" after impact. Investigators are still determining the train's speed, but the deputy chief said that commuter trains in that section of the track can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Some students reportedly crawl through a hole in the fence and cross the commuter rail tracks a short cut, but a note on Belmont High School's website cautions that anyone found on the tracks is subject to arrest on charges of trespassing.

The name of the victim has not been released pending notification of her family. The fatal train accident is being investigated by the transit police and the Middlesex District Attorney's office.

Sources: Probe Continues Into Girl's Train Death, TheBostonChannel.com, November 6, 2009

Belmont teen struck and killed by MBTA commuter rail train, WickedLocal.com, November 5, 2009

Continue reading " MBTA Commuter Train Hits and Kills Belmont Student " »

A driver injured in a two-car crash in Milford, Massachusetts died last week after suffering extensive internal injuries. Police had initially believed that the 55-year-old man would recover from the September 12 auto accident, which occurred when the man's 2002 Dodge was hit by an 1998 Kia SUV. The SUV hit the driver's side of the Dodge after failing to stop at the stop sign on the Fruit Street Extension.

Police discovered that the driver was not licensed. They cited her for driving without a license and failure to stop at a stop sign. The owner of the SUV was also cited for allowing an improper person to drive a car without a valid driver's license.

Because of the driver's death, the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council's crash reconstruction team will conduct a scientific analysis. Officers will also review the autopsy review and make recommendations for any charges.

Driver from September crash dies; police to review circumstances, Milford Daily News, October 27, 2009

Continue reading " Police Reviewing Milford Car Crash After Drive Dies " »

On Monday evening, a freshman at the University of Massachusetts was injured after being hit by a vehicle and landing on the vehicle's hood. The 18-year-old student was crossing Commonwealth Avenue around 6:22pm when she was hit by a southbound vehicle driven by an 18-year-old New Bedford woman.

The injured pedestrian was transported in an Amherst Fire Department ambulance to Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. A spokeswoman for the hospital said she has already been released from the hospital.

Charges have not been filed in the pedestrian accident, which remains under investigation. Commonwealth Avenue has been the site of several previous pedestrian accidents, including a 1999 incident where a student killed crossing the street. In light of these accidents, officials from University of Massachusetts and Amherst police are working together to raise awareness about safety in crosswalks.

UMass student injured when struck by vehicle in risky campus crosswalk, GazetteNet.com, November 4, 2009

Continue reading " Amherst Pedestrian Accident Injures UMass Student " »

In February, an 82-year-old Dorchester woman was killed in an MBTA escalator accident when her hair and scarf got caught in the escalator. Although the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority suggested that the woman died of cardiac arrest, a suit filed in Suffolk Superior Court states that a medical examiner found that the woman actually died of strangulation. The occurred at the Orange Line's State Street stop near escalator accidentCity Hall.

Some passerby tried to free the woman but she was pronounced dead at Massachusetts General Hospital after struggling against the machinery. According to the suit, the MBTA had a watchman booth at the State Street stop, but it was unmanned at the time of the accident. The emergency button failed to stop the escalators, and the emergency call box used by bystanders to call for help reportedly did not work.

A spokesperson for the MBTA says the agency has not yet seen the lawsuit and that a state inspector did not find anything wrong with the escalator.

Escalator is cited in death at T station, Boston Globe, November 3, 2009

Continue reading " Family of Woman Who Died in MBTA Escalator Accident Files Suit " »

Drivers may soon have a new navigational system that is even more advanced than GPS. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has teamed up with Volkswagen to create AIDA (Affective Intelligent Driving Agent), a robot device will be mounted on the dashboard and will synthesize information to help motorists avoid running out of gas, navigate around traffic jams, and plan their travel routes.

AIDA will not control the car, but it will be able to suggest alternate routes when there is a traffic jam or remind you to fill up on gas when your tank is running glow. It will also reportedly help "achieve more energy efficient and safer behavior." AIDA analyses the driver's patterns and keeps track of favorite routes and destinations like home or work.

A release date for AIDA has yet to be announced. At least one other car company is working on developing a similar product.

Volkswagen, MIT Develop In-Car Robot, US News & World Reports, November 2, 2009

AIDA: It's more than an opera, Los Angeles Times, October 29, 2009

Continue reading " Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Volkswagen Developing In-Car Robot " »