September brought a mix of sobering crash headlines and meaningful developments that affect how injury claims are investigated, valued, and resolved. Below, we explain what changed, what investigators and insurers will be looking at this fall, and how these updates can strengthen a car accident or wrongful death case in Massachusetts.
What’s new in Massachusetts right now
Serious crashes kept the spotlight on crosswalk and lane-departure liability. High-profile collisions this month included child-pedestrian injuries and head-on impacts on suburban and coastal roads. For injured pedestrians and occupants, the legal lens quickly turns to duty and breach, examining rules such as marked crosswalks, lane-keeping obligations, speed in context, phone use, and line of sight at intersections. In practical terms, this means that scene evidence matters more than ever; video from nearby homes or businesses, roadway paint condition, skid marks, event data recorder (EDR) downloads, and cell phone metadata can be decisive.