Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

In Swansea, Massachusetts on Tuesday, a 15-year-old high school student was seriously injured after colliding with a car and being hit by a bus.

Police say the teen bicyclist was wearing headphones and carrying an iPod as he traveled east on Hinsdale Avenue. He then biked into the intersection and a collided with a car, hitting the windshield and falling onto the street, where he was hit by a school bus. The school bus was bringing children home after school and reportedly ran over one of the bicyclist's legs.

He was listed in serious condition earlier today. The Massachusetts State Police and Swansea police are still investigating the bike accident.

Source: Teen bicyclist in serious condition after Swansea accident, Providence Journal, March 10, 2010

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On Monday afternoon, a tour bus accident in Florida killed two people and injured several others. The tour group is based out of Boston and three Massachusetts residents are believed to be among the bus crash victims, although authorities have not released the names of those killed.

All but one of the people on the bus were transported to local hospitals. The passengers ranged in age from 66 to 87.

A Florida Highway Patrol crash report states that an 81-year-old woman in a Mercury Sable failed to yield right of the bus and the vehicles crashed into each other. The bus apparently rolled over twice before it landed on its side. The driver of the Sable was not injured. As of last night, no charges had been filed in conjunction with the roadway accident.

Source: Names Of Dead In Fla. Bus Crash Still Unknown, TheBostonChannel.com, February 23, 2010

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Earlier this week a crash involving a car and a school bus in Falmouth, Massachusetts injured the driver of the car. The motor vehicle accident occurred around 3:15pm on Monday.

The school bus was carrying about 12 students at the time of the accident, and fortunately neither the bus driver nor any of the passengers were injured. The driver of the car was taken to Falmouth Hospital and treated for minor injuries.

Here in Massachusetts, it's a no-fault state and motorists who get into a car crash are covered by their own Personal Injury Protection insurance, but sometimes those medical costs can exceed policy limits.

Source: One Injured in Falmouth School Bus Crash, ABC6.com, February 8, 2010

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Here in Massachusetts and around the country, safety advocates have been calling for a ban on text messaging while driving, which has been proven to increase the likelihood of an auto crash. On Tuesday, the Transportation Department unveiled its new rule that bans interstate commercial truck and bus drivers from text messaging while driving. Those who violate the rule will be subject to civil or criminal fines up to $2,750.

According to the National Safety Council, text messaging and other cell phone-related activities cause more 1.6 million traffic accidents every year.

The department is working on new rules that cut down on the use of dashboard-mounted computers that some drivers use to communicate with dispatchers. While some companies discourage drivers from using such computers, many truckers still use the devices regularly. The department is also working on regulations that would govern when truckers are permitted to use cell phones for conversation.

Sources: DOT bans texting by bus and commercial truck drivers, USA Today, January 26, 2010
Rule Bans Texting for Truckers and Bus Drivers, New York Times, January 26, 2010

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A bus crash last week near Boston's Copley Place injured a 54-year-old pedestrian. According to a press release issued by the Suffolk district attorney's office, the MBTA bus accident occurred just after midnight near the intersection of Ring Road and Huntington Avenue.

The Route 9 bus was headed west on Huntington Avenue and did not have any passengers at the time of the bus crash. As of Friday, the pedestrian was still in the intensive care unit at Boston Medical Center.

The bus driver will be tested for drug or alcohol impairment in accordance with the MBTA's standard policy, but investigators say he did not show any signs of impairment following the collision.

Source: Pedestrian critical after MBTA bus collision in Back Bay, Boston Globe, December 11, 2009

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Earlier this week, a bus crash injured Weezer frontman River Cuomo and his assistant as they were traveling to a concert scheduled for Monday night at Boston's Agganis Arena. The tour bus reportedly hit a patch of ice and crashed into a ditch. According to one news source, Cuomo sustained injuries including three cracked ribs and some "painful internal damage."

Emergency response crews had to use the Jaws of Life to rescue him from the wreckage, but a friend of the band said he is now resting as comfortably as could be expected. Cuomo's assistant Sarah Kim fractured two ribs and a lower vertebrae. His wife and daughter, who were also traveling on the tour bus, were not injured.

In response to the bus accident, Weezer has canceled the rest of its December tour dates, including the Monday night concert in Boston. However, the band hopes to reschedule once Cuomo recovers, and Agganis Arena is advising ticket holders to keep tickets until a new date is announced.

Sources: Weezer Tour Canceled In Wake of Bus Crash, Boston Globe, December 7, 2009

Rivers Cuomo Injured In Bus Accident; Rest Of Weezer Tour Canceled, RTTNews.com, December 7, 2009

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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

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Last week, police and registry inspectors caught at least 76 Massachusetts drivers for allegedly failing to stop for school buses picking up or dropping off student passengers. The annual event has been called "Operation Yellow Blitz" and is aimed at reminding those drivers that they must stop when a bus's flashing red light goes on.

The Registry of Motor Vehicles fields thousands of complaints from police, school bus drivers, and parents about drivers who fail to stop for a school bus, creating a safety issue on the road. First-time offenders face a $250 citation. Those who receive a second violation within two years face a $1,000 fine and a six-month driver's license suspension.

Last year, 60 Massachusetts communities set up surveillance teams for Operation Yellow Blitz, resulting in citations for 69 drivers.

Registry sting nabs alleged stop-light violators, Boston Herald, October 21, 2009

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Last Monday, an accident in Holbrook involving an MBTA bus and another car was captured on one of the bus' cameras, helping transit police determine who was at fault for the bus accident.

Last week, the MBTA released the video, which shows the driver of a Chevy Malibu slumping over before crossing the median line and hitting the MBTA bus head-on. The footage helped police determine that the bus driver was not at fault for the motor vehicle accident. They cited the other driver for failure to stay within marked lanes.

Police say that surveillance video footage has also helped them in other instances, like when a crime is committed on an MBTA bus or nearby or when suspects ride the MBTA after committing a crime. Roughly 350 buses out of the MBTA's 1,100-bus fleet are outfitted with eight cameras each. Some subway cars and stations also have video cameras.

Holbrook crash demonstrates value of cameras on T buses, Boston Globe, October 15, 2009

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On Tuesday afternoon, a dump truck hit a school bus head on. The truck driver reportedly told police his brakes had given out, so he attempted to swerve around a line of stooped cars and slammed into the bus, which was stopped to let students unload. Several students cut their lips or suffered bumps and bruises in the bus accident. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.

Asphalt in the truck bed went flying onto the bus and onto the road. The owner of a nearby auto repair shop pried open the driver's door for fear that the truck would catch fire. He said the driver was semi-conscious and the brakes were to the floor. The truck driver was transported to Caritas Norwood Hospital with cuts on his face.

Wrentham police are still investigating the head-on collision and will determine whether to issue a ticket to the truck driver.

Dump truck slams into school bus; several hurt, NECN.com. September 15, 2009

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Last month, Massachusetts' highest court upheld a $4.4 million award to the family of a man who died in a bus accident involving a large security gate arm that hit a bus transporting spectators between a golf tournament and Foxboro's Gillette Stadium.

The tragic bus crash occurred in 2003 and killed a 64-year-old Yarmouth man. Five more people injured in the bus accident.

Although the judge violated a mandate not to allow jurors to discuss the case among themselves before deliberation, the state Supreme Judicial Court upheld the original ruling, saying the judge's error did not prejudice the companies being sued.

Court upholds $4.4M award in Gillette Stadium bus accident, Sun Chronicle, July 16, 2009

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Last week, the driver of a Dufour Inc.bus reportedly suffered a heart attack, causing the bus to veer out of its lane and into a gully.

The bus was headed northbound on Route 8 around 12:40am when the bus crash occurred. It was carrying 15 passengers, who were members of MCLA's Leadership Academy on their way home from Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts.

The bus driver, age 69, was later pronounced dead at Berkshire Medical Center. Five of the passengers were taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries. Four of the five bus accident victims were released from the hospital following treatment, and status of the fifth passenger is unknown.

The motor vehicle accident is being investigated by the Pittsfield Police Department.

Bus Driver Stricken at Wheel; Five Injured in Crash, iBerkshires.com, July 29, 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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In Becket, Massachusetts, five people were injured yesterday morning after a bus accident on the Massachusetts Turnpike. The Yankee Trails bus was carrying 29 passengers, including members of the Albany River Rats hockey team. According to the Times Union newspaper, at least four of the five people injured were affiliated with the hockey team.

The bus crash occurred just before 3:30am, when the westbound bus crashed into a guard rail and flipped over. Team members were driving back to Albany after a game in Lowell, Massachusetts. Snowy road conditions may have been a factor, according to Massachusetts state police.

The injured passengers were transported to Pittsfield’s Berkshire Medical Center by ambulance. Though none of the injuries are considered life-threatening, the injuries were serious and Friday’s hockey game was cancelled. As a precaution, the other passengers were taken to Berkshire Medical Center by bus.

Five hurt in American Hockey League team bus crash on Massachusetts Turnpike in Becket, MassLive.com, February 19, 2009

AHL team's bus crash in Massachusetts hospitalizes 5, LA Times Blog, February 19, 2009

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On Sunday, two buses collided on Interstate 95 on their way to Boston. Police say thirty passengers were sent to the hospital, and seven people were treated for minor injuries as a result of the bus accident.

The first bus, owned by Wellesley-based Ivy Tours Inc, was carrying 67 passengers when it slowed for traffic and was hit by the bus behind it. The bus collision occurred around 2:20pm between exits 42 and 43 on the northbound side of the highway in Connecticut. According to an accident reports, the driver of the second bus was cited for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart from a commercial vehicle.

Those passengers not requiring medical attention were taken to a nearby school, where they wait for replacement transportation to Boston.

Boston-bound buses crash in Conn., Boston Globe, February 16, 2009

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In Grafton, Massachusetts, authorities are looking into the bus crash that injured five people earlier in January. Passengers were treated for minor injuries at UMass Medical Center in Worcester, according to a state police spokesman.

After the traffic accident, the bus company sent another bus to pick up the passengers who were stuck on the Massachusetts turnpike and take them back to the Boston. The original bus was en route to Mohegan Sun Casino.

Authorities still do not know what caused the bus to veer off the Grafton highway, and messages from the Boston Globe to the bus company, Sunshine Travel Services, were not returned. At the same time, all but two commuter rail lines were experiencing weather-related delays, according to the MBTA.

Inquiry launched into Pike bus crash, Boston Globe, January 20, 2009

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Late Sunday night, a Morning Star coach bus carrying 31 passenger crashed into a ravine on the westbound side of the Massachusetts Turnpike in Grafton. Emergency crews remained on the scene of the bus accident early Monday morning.

Police told the Boston Channel that five passengers were transported to UMass Medical Center in Worcester to be treated for back and neck injuries.

The bus was traveling to Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut when the bus accident occurred just after 11pm Sunday evening. Though the cause of the bus accident has not been confirmed, snowy conditions may have been a factor in the accident.

Bus Skids, Crashes Down Ravine, The Boston Channel, January 19, 2009

Bus crashes in Grafton, Boston Globe, January 19, 2009

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