Articles Posted in Car Accidents

While daylight savings time signals the beginning of spring and longer hours in the evening, reports indicate that setting clocks forward can increase the risk of traffic accidents. Research shows that the sudden reduction in sleep can make humans more prone to health risks and accidents. This spring, be wary of the impact of how lost sleep can impact driving ability and remember that other drivers on the road may be suffering from lack of sleep as well.

The loss of sleep is widely known to reduce driver response time and abilities when on the road. Driver fatigue has been linked to thousands of catastrophic and deadly accidents. Our Boston car accidents attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights of victims and in reducing the number of accidents on the road. We are also committed to raising awareness to improve driver safety and prevent car-related injuries and fatalities.
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Motorists who cause fatal collisions because they drive recklessly frequently face criminal charges for their actions. Unfortunately, by the time these drivers are punished for their dangerous choices behind the wheel, a death has already occurred. While police can arrest someone for reckless or drunk driving even in cases where no accident has happened, these types of arrests and prosecutions are far less common.

Harvard law professor and noted constitutional and criminal attorney Alan Dershowitz recently wrote on Op-Ed for the New York Daily News suggesting that cracking down on all dangerous drivers would be one of the best ways to stop fatalities caused by motor vehicle accidents. Dershowitz argues that police are generally not interested in responding to reports of reckless driving unless a collision has occurred. As a result, most people get away with reckless driving and laws preventing it aren’t really very effective at saving lives or making the roads safer.
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For many people, the most important job of law enforcement is to prevent violent crimes. Some people believe that police should spend their time investigating murders rather than issuing tickets for drivers who go too fast or who run a stop sign.

The reality, however, is that police could perhaps save many more lives if the focus was on preventing traffic violence. Some cities are already recognizing the benefits of a focus on traffic crimes and undergoing a paradigm shift. Boston could benefit from doing the same.
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Insurance is big business in the United States, with companies making $30 billion in profits a year. While you might believe that you are investing in your long-term security, it is just as likely that your insurance company is plotting against you. Whether you are filing a car insurance claim, health care insurance claim, or against a homeowners’ insurance policy, remember that insurance carriers have a business designed to avoid payouts, even on legitimate claims. This can be especially frustrating if you have been in an accident with an uninsured motorist — as you may face another uphill battle with your own insurance company.

To achieve the best results with your car insurance claim, it is important to have a clear understanding of your rights. Our car accidents attorneys in Quincy understand the frustrations faced by our clients. In most cases, compensation is not only expected, but it is necessary. Whether you are looking to cover medical costs or recover compensation for a totaled vehicle, you need to be aware of your rights. The following is a summary of an analysis provided by a consumer rights group dedicated to keeping consumers aware of common tricks used by insurance companies to avoid paying out claims.
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Since 2004, serious injuries to pedestrians wearing headphones have more than tripled. Pedestrians who choose to wear headphones are unable to hear cars, bicycles and even trains approaching them. Without these important auditory signals, pedestrians are in serious danger of being run over and injured or killed.

Massachusetts Law indicates that wearing headphones while driving a car is illegal, but there are no specific rules preventing bicycle riders or walkers from wearing headphones while they travel. As a result, many people fail to recognize just how dangerous this behavior is and they continue to walk or ride around distracted even as the death toll mounts.
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Google’s recent lobbying efforts aim to stop proposed restrictions on driving while wearing Google Glass. Google Glass is a tiny computer screen that is mounted within a pair of eyeglasses and that keeps people connected at all times.

With 660,000 drivers at any given daylight moment already using cell phones behind the wheel, it seems fairly clear that the last thing that we need is more people plugged in to electronic devices while driving. Eight states that recognize the serious danger that Google glass could present have thus begun to move forward to ban the use of the devices by drivers. Yet, Reuters reports that Google Inc. has hired lobbyists in at least three different states to try to defeat the restrictions.
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Both the National Safety Council (NSC) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) release data on the estimated number of motor vehicle collisions that occur each year. While the NHTSA data for 2013 won’t be tabulated and published for months, the NSC has already released some estimates of the number of collisions and traffic deaths last year.

At first glance, data from NSC seems positive. The preliminary information shows a three percent decline in traffic deaths in 2013 as compared to 2012. However, a closer look at the numbers and the factors that led to the reduction in fatalities show that the roads may not really be getting all that much safer. Thousands still died in accidents last year, and the reduction in deaths likely has nothing to do with the fact that people drove any more carefully.

Those who lost loved ones in collisions or individuals who are victims of accidents should understand their legal rights and take action after the crash. A Boston injury attorney can help those who have been harmed by a traffic accident.
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Prom season is one of the most dangerous times on the road. As many as three accidents out of every five during prom weekends involve a driver who is impaired by alcohol, and the death toll rises for teens during the prom period from March through June. Drunk drivers out on prom night aren’t the only ones who can be devastated by accidents. Boston.com recently told the stories of multiple families affected by fatal collisions and accidents causing serious injuries during prom season. One woman, for example, lost her mother and sustained injuries that cost her more than $400,000 to treat.

These stories are designed to discourage teens from drinking, as are efforts by school officials to discourage drunk driving and instead participate in safe activities after the big dance. Unfortunately, despite the awareness of drunk driving dangers, studies have demonstrated that around 70 percent of high school students think their peers are probably going to drive drunk on prom night. Parents need to do their part to try to prevent this unsafe behavior before a bad decision on prom night destroys countless lives. Victims of collisions also need to understand their rights and should contact a Boston car accident lawyer.
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The U.S. insurance industry has average profits exceeding $30 billion annually. This money comes from people who pay premiums to transfer the risk of loss and to buy protection from financial harm.

When you buy car insurance, you don’t do it to boost the insurer’s bottom line- you do it because you expect the insurer is going to treat you fairly and take care of your losses if you get into a collision. Unfortunately, the American Association for Justice has recently published an in-depth report revealing some of the underhanded and dishonest tactics that insurers use to try to get out of paying you the money you deserve when you make a claim.

The report confirms yet again that you cannot trust an insurer to look out for your interests. When you are hurt in an accident, you need to talk to an experienced Boston injury lawyer who can help you to make a motor vehicle collision claim and get full and fair compensation you deserve.
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As we age, it’s normal for our driving abilities to change. By reducing risk factors and incorporating safe driving practices, many of us can continue driving safely long into our senior years. It even more important to focus on these risks factors and bettering our driving during the dangerous winter driving season. With snowy and icy roadways, our risks for accidents increase, especially for elderly drivers.

As a group, seniors age 80 and older have the highest rate of fatal crashes per mile driven — even higher than for teens — according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IHS). About 5,500 adult drivers age 65 and older die each year in vehicle crashes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s double the number of teens killed annually in vehicle crashes.

Our Cambridge accident lawyers note it’s important for seniors to take honest stock of their own driving abilities. As we age, we see significant changes in our bodies. Over time your joints may get stiff and your muscles weaken. It can be harder to move your head to look back, quickly turn the steering wheel, or safely hit the brakes. When involved in an accident, elderly bodies react much differently than younger ones. And elderly people are more susceptible than younger people to medical complications following motor vehicle crash injuries.
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