Articles Posted in Car Accidents

Boston’s rich history, diverse neighborhoods, vibrant culture, and northern climate contribute to a unique driving experience. The city’s busy streets can be both exciting and challenging. Driving in Boston comes with specific hazards that drivers and pedestrians alike should be aware of.

Below are a few of Boston’s common driving hazards and how to avoid related injury or property damage. If you’ve been harmed due to another’s negligence, it is in your best interest to seek immediate legal counsel. You may be entitled to compensation for traffic-related injuries in Boston and the surrounding areas.

Pothole Predicaments

Car accidents in Massachusetts are a common occurrence, and the aftermath can be highly stressful and overwhelming. Even seemingly minor crashes can cause injuries and significant property damage. Fortunately, if you’ve been involved in a car accident due to another’s negligence, you may be able to recover compensation for any resulting damages.

One important aspect of recovering from a car accident is dealing with insurance claims. Making mistakes during this process can significantly impact your ability to receive compensation. To ensure a smooth and successful insurance claim, it’s important to avoid certain mistakes during the claims process.

Common Mistakes People Make Following an Auto Accident

Although self-driving cars are undoubtedly the wave of the future, they are not perfect just yet. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has investigated dozens of crashes involving Tesla vehicles believed to be using partially automated driving systems. Now, in a trial currently underway against Tesla in a California court, a lawyer for the plaintiff has criticized car manufacturers for selling “experimental vehicles” to consumers.

According to Reuters, the civil case stems from a 2019 accident in which a Tesla Model 3 — said to be equipped with a “beta” version of the full-self-driving package — suddenly veered off a highway at 65 miles per hour, hit a palm tree, and burst into flames. The crash killed the driver and seriously injured his two passengers, including an 8-year-old boy. The lawsuit blames Tesla’s Autopilot for the collision, and accuses Tesla of knowing the safety systems were defective when the car was sold.

Tesla Autopilot Accidents

Nearly 43,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2021, according to estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). That figure marks a 10.5% increase in deaths from 2020 and the highest number of traffic fatalities in 16 years.

Fatal motor vehicle crashes in Massachusetts were responsible for 417 of those deaths. Of the total accident fatalities in the state, around 59% were the occupants of vehicles, 18% were pedestrians, 17% were motorcyclists, and 1% were bicyclists.

While Massachusetts still has one of the lowest rates of fatal crashes per capita in the U.S., some roads in the state are more dangerous than others. In order to identify which highways are the deadliest, Stacker ranked 2020 traffic fatality data compiled by NHTSA. Ties between locations were broken by the total quantity of crashes when possible.

A new regulation proposed in May by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would require new vehicles to come equipped with automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems. These systems detect potential collisions and automatically apply the brakes to lessen the impact of a crash — or avoid it altogether. NHTSA estimates that the new regulation could prevent at least 360 deaths and 24,000 injuries annually.

This technology has been available on many automotive models for years, but it hasn’t yet been mandated. If the new regulation is adopted as proposed, it would require almost all US passenger vehicles and light trucks to have AEB systems three years after the publication of a final rule. In addition, NHTSA and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced in June that they plan to require AEB technology on heavy vehicles as well.

What Exactly is AEB Technology?

Fatal pedestrian accidents in Massachusetts spiked sharply in 2022, up 35% over the year before. According to a report from the statewide pedestrian advocacy group WalkBoston, 101 pedestrians died in traffic crashes in 2022 compared to 75 in 2021.

The rise in Massachusetts pedestrian fatalities seems to have outpaced last year’s nationwide increase. After reaching a 40-year-high in 2021, pedestrian deaths in the U.S. went up by 5% in the first half of 2022. The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reported that drivers in the U.S. hit and killed an estimated 3,434 people in the first half of the year, an average of 19 pedestrian deaths every day.

New Report on MA Pedestrian Fatalities

A new Massachusetts law designed to reduce traffic deaths gives increased protection to “vulnerable users” sharing the road with motor vehicles. Signed in January, the legislation requires drivers to stay at least four feet away from bicyclists, pedestrians, skateboarders, wheelchair users, horseback riders, and other vulnerable road users when passing them. It also requires motor vehicle operators to maintain a “reasonable and proper speed” while doing so.

The law makes additional safety changes, including mandating rear red lights for cyclists, requiring backup cameras and other protective features on large state vehicles, clarifying the process for municipalities to modify speed limits, and standardizing reporting on crashes involving vulnerable road users. The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike) says the safety bill passed after 10 years of advocating for “An Act to Reduce Traffic Fatalities.”

Massachusetts Traffic Accidents on the Rise

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) happen when a blow or jolt to the head disrupts normal brain functioning. In a single year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), TBIs were diagnosed in nearly 2.9 million emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the U.S. And how are most brain injuries sustained? After accidental falls, the second leading cause of TBI-related hospitalizations is motor vehicle crashes. In children and adolescents under the age of 18, in Massachusetts and around the country, car accidents are the leading cause of TBI-related death.

Severity of Brain Injuries Caused by Car Accidents

Brain injuries can range from mild concussions to fatal trauma. A driver may hit his head on the steering wheel, an unrestrained passenger may go through the windshield, or a bicyclist traveling on the streets of Boston may strike her head on the pavement after colliding with a car. A Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) classification system categorizes TBIs as mild, moderate, or severe based on the following criteria:

As Life Returns to Normal in Massachusetts, Car Accidents Increase

The coronavirus pandemic affected life in ways large and small, and traffic was no exception. In the early days of COVID-19, Massachusetts traffic volumes plummeted, as did crashes. When society opened back up, traffic returned in full force. As MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said in 2021, “Traffic, for all intents and purposes, is back to about 2019 levels on most roadways in Massachusetts.”

More motor vehicles on the roads generally means more crashes. And that holds true for MA car accidents in virtually every category. The worst statistic? Over 400 people died in Massachusetts crashes in 2021– the highest number of fatalities in over a decade.

Drowsy driving is an issue that impacts people across the county. In a study done by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, there are at least 100,000 crashes due to this each year, contributing to thousands of accidents, injuries, and deaths.  The term drowsy driving is used to describe when a driver operates their car when they are feeling tired or fatigued. A driver’s alertness is reduced, reaction time is slowed, and overall decision making can be compromised leading to potentially dangerous outcomes.

What is the impact of drowsy or fatigued driving?

Drowsy driving often mimics some of the same symptoms that occur for people who operate vehicles who are under the influence. When a driver is drowsy, their reaction times can be delayed, they may briefly fall asleep, and they may swerve into other lanes, medians or off the road. This can cause catastrophic injuries for the driver, their passengers, other drivers around them, and pedestrians. Knowing the signs of drowsy driving can help drivers make safe decisions for themselves and others on the road.

Contact Information