Articles Posted in Car Accidents

As we approach the end of the year and the holiday season, we’ll unfortunately see more fatal car accidents in Massachusetts if we’re not careful. Every year, the number of car accidents significantly increases around the holiday season. This is a time when more drivers hit the roadway to visit friends and family. More traffic often equates to more dangerous roadways.

Our Boston car accident attorneys would like to tell you about a few recent car accidents that killed four people and injured six. This should serve as a reminder to drive safely and drive defensively not only during the holiday season, but year round.

According to the Boston Herald, there were five unrelated car accidents over a two-day period in Rehoboth, Fall River, Revere and Boston.

The first accident not only left a Dedham man with drunk-driving charges, but also took the life of a woman from Dorchester. The accident caused the 26-year-old woman’s car to go off the road, hit a tree and flip over on Brookline Avenue. The alleged drunk-driving man and his 26-year-old female passenger were injured. According to Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley’s office, the male driver is facing several charges.

A second accident took the life of a 51-year-old man from Revere. He was hit by an Explorer driven by a 45-year-old man from Lynn at about 11 p.m. Officers report that the driver of the Explorer was not drunk or speeding at the time of the accident.

In another incident, a 23-year-old man was injured and taken to Boston Medical Center after he sideswiped another vehicle. The accident reportedly happened as he was speeding on Route 93 in Dorchester at about 5 a.m. After hitting the other vehicle, his car slammed into a barrier and then flipped.

Then, in a second early morning episode, a 35-year-old passenger was killed after he jumped out of a moving car while it was on a ramp to Route 6 in Fall River.

In the last car accident of that two-day period, a 51-year-old man from Bellingham was killed in a two-vehicle accident in Rehoboth on Route 195. The accident happened when the man’s van was hit by another vehicle. Upon impact, he lost control of the van, spun out of control and struck a tree. The vehicle that hit the 51-year-old’s car flipped. The driver of that car and his passenger were both injured, as was the passenger of the van.

We’re just breaking into the holiday season and the roadways are expected to get much worse. Drivers are asked to be cautious and compassionate on our roadways to help prevent any future injuries or fatalities. With the end of the year we oftentimes find our roadways in some risky conditions. With the winter season approaching as well, motorists are asked to remain calm and alert on our roadways. Drivers are urged to leave for their destinations a few minutes early to avoid speeding. With everyone’s cooperation we can all help to keep our roadways safe throughout the rest of the year.
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Car accidents in Massachusetts happen all too often, but we typically see a significant increase during weekends. One recent weekend evening produced five accidents that killed four and injured six, according to Boston.com.

According to authorities, a 38-year-old man from Dedham is facing OUI charges and negligent operation of a motor vehicle after he lost control of his vehicle, hit a tree, flipped his car over in the Riverway at Brookline Avenue and killed the 26-year-old female passenger from Dorchester. The accident was so gruesome that authorities reportedly “had to extricate her remains from the wreckage,” according to a statement that was released by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that everyone likes to let loose and relax over the weekend. Unfortunately, for many residents this means getting out and hitting the town. We typically see more frequent fatal accidents on our roadways during weekends than during the weekdays. Motorists are urged to be cautious when driving on our congested roadways during the weekend, but especially during these work-free nights.

A second accident happened when a 35-year-old man from Somerset decided to jump out of a moving car in Fall River on Route 79. Police have yet to determine why the man exited the vehicle. The man was located, transported to the hospital and later pronounced dead. Officers are still investigating to determine whether or not alcohol or drugs was involved.

A third accident happened in Revere when a 51-year-old was hit by an SUV. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office reports that the driver of the SUV remained at the scene and charges have not been filed. The pedestrian was transported to Whidden Memorial Hospital and then over to Massachusetts General Hospital. He was later pronounced dead.

The fourth accident happened in Rehoboth when an accident took place on Route 195 near Exit 2. One man was killed and three were injured. State Police report that upon collision, the SUV involved flipped numerous times. The passenger vehicle was spun into a tree. Officers are still investigating that accident.

The last accident happened around 5:00 a.m. in Dorchester when a passenger vehicle flipped on Route 93. The 23-year-old driver was speeding, according to reports, when he slammed into another vehicle, collided with a Jersey barrier and flipped.

The young driver was transported to Boston Medical Center.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 350 traffic-related deaths in 2009 in Massachusetts. More than 30 percent of these fatalities were caused by a drunk driver. Nearly 200 of these fatalities from 2009 were experienced by occupants of a passenger vehicle, followed by motorcyclists.

As we approach the end of the year and holiday season, we have Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s to look forward to. Unfortunately, these holidays bring a significant increase in the number of accidents that our state sees. Motorists are asked to travel with a plan and to travel safely to help prevent a potentially fatal accident before we ring in the New Year.
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Of the three accidents that happened in Eastern Massachusetts, in one morning, a single-car accident in Raynham took the life of an 80-year old woman from Weymouth, according to the Boston Globe. The accident happened as she was heading South on Route 24 near Exit 13 just before 6 a.m.

The woman was thrown from the vehicle and was taken to Morton Hospital in Taunton where she was later pronounced dead. Officers are still investigating the cause of the accident, according to Trooper Thomas Murphy.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that traffic is expected to pick up throughout the rest of the year. With the holiday season approaching, more and more motorists are expected to hit the road. Another accident that morning left a vehicle in flames. This accident happened when a van and a sedan collided just outside of a restaurant parking lot. Both drivers, a 58-year-old and a 21-year-old man were seriously injured.

The van driver was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital and the driver of the sedan was taken to Salem Hospital.

The third accident that morning ended up blocking the northbound lanes on Interstate 93. The three-car accident happened in Medford near Exit 34. There were five people in these three cars, all who were taken to local hospital. That accident is also still being investigated.

Road trips may be the backdrop of some of our fondest memories and chances are there may be one planned for you in the near future. Residents and visitors typically gear up for a long car trip around the holiday season to visit friends and family, or to simply get away from them both. Before heading out though, there are a few things you should consider to make your trip a bit safer.

Have your vehicle checked out to make sure that all of the maintenance is up to date. Make sure you take a look at the tires and the battery, and that the oil has been changed.

Have a plan. Although heading out without a destination may be exciting, it can also be dangerous. Be sure to have a route planned. Determine your route so you’ll be less likely to get lost and less likely to be distracted with GPS systems and with road maps. It’s also a good idea to check the Internet to see if there are any roadblocks or any construction zones throughout your trip so that you can plan accordingly.

Not knowing things like this can increase your risks for an accident because a majority of accidents are caused by distracted and unprepared drivers.

You’re urged to carry a cell phone with you to use in case of emergencies, but only then. Talking on a cell phone while you’re driving greatly increases your risks for an accident. Everyone in the car should be buckled up, too! Seat belts are some of the best protection against injury and death in the event of an accident.

As more and more Americans hit our roadways in search of the perfect vacation spot, remember to sit back and enjoy the ride, but to do so safely and responsibly!
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Our state was one of the lucky ones to receive a $20,000 Ford DSFL grant to educate young drivers on ways to help reduce their risks of a teen car accident in Massachusetts. This grant will be used to conduct driving courses, driving simulations and other learning programs for newly-licensed drivers. New York, Maine and Missouri were the other states to receive the grant, according to Governors Highway Safety Association.

These grants offer states another way to supplement funding for events during National Teen Driver Safety Week, which has been held during the third week of October since 2007.

As traffic crashes continue to be the number one cause of death for our teens, our Boston car accident attorneys ask that parents use this time to sit down and talk with their young drivers and discuss the importance of safe-driving habits. In 2009 there were approximately 730,000 drivers age 15 to 18 involved in police-reported accidents throughout the country.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety recently finished a study to find out exactly why these young drivers are at such high risks for accidents. According to the study’s findings, roughly 70 percent of teen-involved accidents were caused by three main causes: driver inattention, failure to yield and speeding. As a matter of fact, teen drivers are more likely to get into an accident during their first 30 days of unrestricted driving than during any other time behind the wheel.

The study used footage obtained from cameras that were installed in the vehicles of newly-licensed drivers in North Carolina. Most of the accidents that were recorded happened while making a left-hand turn. Data concluded that teen drivers reduced their risks of an accident as they gained more experience behind the wheel. For this reason, parents are urged to continue riding along with their young driver long after they receive an unrestricted license to help ensure they’re making smart choices behind the wheel.

“We know that young drivers’ crash rates decrease quickly as they gain experience,” said Peter Kissinger, the President and CEO of the AAA Foundation President.

Researchers concluded that while teens drove with a parent or guardian with a learner’s permit, they were oftentimes taken on drives along familiar roads on routine trips while driving conditions were fair. These conditions do nothing to help teach your teen about the real-life dangers they’ll face on our roadways without the help of a licensed driver.

Parents are urged to take children out driving in a variety of conditions. Consider taking them out in the rain, in the snow, in busy traffic, on highways, through residential areas, during the daytime and during the nighttime. You want to get them acclimated to driving in as many conditions as you can.

Parents are also urged to talk to teen drivers about the important of obeying traffic lights, distracted driving and the affect of passengers as they were the most commonly-recorded dangers recorded in the AAA study.
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Car accidents in Westwood are nothing new, especially if you’re talking about the ones we see on East Street.

Our Massachusetts car accidents attorneys know just how common traffic accidents are along the East Street Rotary. If it isn’t the traffic-related fender benders, then it’s the Commuter Rail Bridge that crosses over that street over by Morrison Field. That bridge has been a burden to unfamiliar drivers for years now, according to the Westwood Patch.

Unfortunately, the Commuter Rail Bridge isn’t tall enough and plenty of trucks have gotten stuck or have been damaged from passing through. These types of accidents typically happen more with residents and unfamiliar motorists who rent commercial trucks for moving and such instead of happening to professional truckers.

The height isn’t the only concern that motorists have with that bridge either. Have you seen how narrow it is? Oftentimes motorists have no other choice but to sideswipe the wall in an attempt to avoid hitting another motorist.

The speed limit near the bridge has recently been changed to 25 mph to help reduce the number of accidents in the area.

“If people actually dropped down to 25, it makes it that much harder to hit the curb or the bridge,” said Westwood Police Sgt. and Public Safety Officer Paul Sicard.

Weather conditions have not been cited as a major factor in really any of the recent accidents in this area.

Accidents recorded near the Commuter Rail Bridge:

-1986: More than 10 accidents.
-1987: 7 accidents -1988: Nearly 15 accidents.
-1992: 4 accidents. Two of these accidents happened when a vehicle hit the wall of the curb. The third one happened when a vehicle rear-ended another one and the fourth accident happened when a large truck hit the bridge.
-2008: 5 accidents. Four of these accidents occurred when a truck hit the bridge.
-2009: 5 accidents. In two of these accidents a truck struck the bridge.
-2010: 6 accidents. Three of these accidents happened when large trucks struck the bridge. Two happened when vehicles hit the curb.
-So far this year, there have been 4 accidents.

Even though accidents are such a common occurrence in this spot, it’s been quite some time since the dangers in the area have been discuss among officials. A few years back, the railroad briefly discussed constructing a new bridge, but that plan was delayed because resident were worried that if the bridge was raised then more trucks would use the roadway as a cut through.

If the city were to decide that they would like to bridge to be raised and widened then they would have to toss the idea to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), which owns the bridge.

Regardless of who owns the bridge, both the MBTA and the city have an obligation to provide safe roadways to motorists. Roadways are required to be kept in decent condition and hazards are to be eliminated. Transportation officials are also required to provide travelers with working street signals and visible street signs. If you believe that any of these conditions contributed to your traffic accident, it is critical for you to contact an experienced attorney.
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The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is hosting this year’s National Senior Driver Expo Tour and it’s heading to Boston on the 29th and 30th of October. This national tour has already stopped in dozens of cities throughout the country and will be making its way down the east coast this fall, according to The Auto Channel. The Expo aims to raise awareness about the increased risks that many of our elderly drivers face that can result in car accidents in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that elderly drivers may not even be aware that they’re facing any great dangers on our roadways. For this reason it is very important for us to keep an eye on our elderly loved ones. With age comes deteriorating senses, including a loss in vision, sight and hearing. A loss in any of these senses can put our loved ones at extreme risks for a potentially fatal traffic accident.

The Senior Driver Expos are a key step in AAA’s comprehensive plan to help our aging population to stay mobile and safe well into their golden years.

“Exhibits will feature products that can help assess and improve driving skills and reduce driving risks,” said Jake Nelson, AAA director of traffic safety research and analysis.

This Expo is just like a community health-fair. This event offers hands-on opportunities for residents to try out some easy-to-use tools that can help keep elderly drivers safer behind the wheel. Many of these tools are even free!

Boston’s AAA Senior Driver Expos information:

Date: October 29th and 30th Title: New England Boomers and Seniors Expo Location: Seaport World Trade Center Host: AAA Southern New England
During this senior expo, the following resources will be on display for elderly drivers to try out:

-AAASeniors.com: This is a senior-oriented website that offers drivers with advice, tips, programs, science-based tools and other activities that will help them determine the issues that are hindering their driving abilities. The site also provides these individuals with ways to navigate through their physical obstacles.

-AAA Roadwise Review This is a computerized screening process that will help elderly residents to measure their ability to navigate our roadways. This test is based on functional abilities that have been scientifically linked to motor-vehicle accident risks and elderly drivers.

-CarFit: =This is a program that is used to make sure that a senior citizen’s vehicle fits their needs. Oftentimes vehicles can be adjusted to make sure they fit the driver to obtain the maximum safety.

-Smart Features for Mature Drivers: This is a guide that will be provided to attendees of the expo that helps elderly residents to properly identify features in their vehicle that can help them to deal with visual, physical and mental changes more effectively.

Oftentimes elderly drivers may be putting around town increasing risks of car accidents for everyone as they may not be able to recognize their inability to effectively navigate the roadway anymore. It is important that we keep an eye on our older loved ones to help to keep them and others on our roadways safe. This may be a tough topic for your elderly ones to discuss so remember to approach the subject with care, compassion and concern.
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Newly licensed drivers may think they know all the rules of the road, but do they know how to properly maintain a car? Owning a vehicle is a lot of responsibility, and teen drivers may be virtually clueless when it comes to keeping up with safety checks and car maintenance. What these young drivers may also be unaware of is the effect of vehicle maintenance on their risks of being involved in a car accident in Massachusetts.

With proper car care, there are a number of dangerous scenarios that can be avoided, including brake failure and blown out tires. Both of these scenarios are extremely dangerous and can cause serious injury, but they are also preventable.

Our Boston teen car accident attorneys understand how important it is to perform frequent checkups to your vehicle. Parents are urged not only to discuss with teen drivers the importance of this safety precaution but also to help them to perform a few car safety checks. Build them up to where they can start performing these checks on their own. These lifelong habits will help to greatly reduce their risks of an accident on our roadways.

A recent survey from AutoMD concluded the following about teen drivers:

-More than 95 percent of parents said that if there was information online that could help their teen to repair a vehicle, they would encourage their teen driver to use it.

-Nearly 70 percent of teens rate their knowledge of car maintenance as “somewhat or completely clueless,” or “average.”

-More than 60 percent of teens believe that it’s extremely important for young drivers to be educated about the major and important parts of a car.

-Roughly 80 percent of parents believe that teens will turn to parents to learn about vehicle repair and maintenance. Only 6 percent said that their teen would probably learn car repair and maintenance information from a driver’s education course.

According to the National Organizations for Youth Safety, there are a few simple ways that you can get your child to take interest in car maintenance. The organization has provided this back-to-school car care checklist to help them to get started on the right path to keeping a properly maintained vehicle.

Parents should talk with their teen driver about the following:

-The importance of reviewing the vehicle’s owner’s manual to learn what the lights and gauges mean.

-The importance of keeping an eye on fluid levels under the hood. Parents should also teach their teen driver how to check the battery.

-How to listen for abnormal noises coming from underneath the hood. Know when to have the car checked out by a professional mechanic.

-How often and how to check the tire pressure. Urge them to check the tires each month. Be sure that your child keeps a jack and a lug wrench in the trunk just in case there’s ever a flat tire.

-Keep garbage out of the car so that nothing will interfere with the accelerator or brake pedals.

Parents are urged to keep safe driving habits and vehicle maintenance checks as frequent topics of conversation at home. Get out there are help get your kid started on maintaining a safe vehicle!
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October 3rd through the 7th has been dubbed “Drive Safely Work Week (DSWW) 2011.” This year’s campaign theme is “Focus 360°: Getting there safely is everyone’s business.” The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) has joined forces with the U.S. Department of Transportation to help reduce the risks of work-related car accidents in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, work-related car accidents are the number one cause of on-the-job work fatalities. In 2010, Massachusetts experienced nearly 100 work-related car accident fatalities. These accidents took more lives than those involved in violent acts, assaults, falls, fires, explosions or any other type of work-related accidents.

This campaign involves all employees whose job involves traveling. This applies to cyclists, drivers and passengers across the country. There are things that each of us can do to prevent one of these accidents. Our Boston car accident attorneys ask that everyone do their part to set a good example for others. All too often, we understand and recognize the importance of safe driving habits but fail to actively practice them.

Employers are urged to complete one of the following:

-Create a cell phone policy for your workplace. Stick to this plan and be sure to enforce it among workers.

-If you already have a cell phone policy kit established at your company, you’re urged to review the risks and consequences associated with distracted driving-related accidents. Consider sharing tips and creating activities to help enforce the current policy.

-For those who don’t want to create or enact a policy, you’re still urged to discuss the facts about distracted driving with your workers.

According to statistics from last year’s campaign, approximately 5,000 organizations participated in the week-long event. Nearly 90 percent of these organizations currently have some kind of cell phone policy kit within their companies.

“Employers have the potential to reach up to one-half of the nation’s population, and their support in our fight to stop distracted driving is crucial,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Distracted driving facts, provided by NETS:

-There are three types of distractions; visual, manual and cognitive.

-Distracted driving takes a driver’s physical and mental attention from the most important task at hand — driving.

-There were nearly 5,500 people killed due to distracted driving-related car accidents on U.S. roadways in 2009. Another 448,000 people were injured in these kinds of accidents.

-Researchers estimate that about a fourth of all traffic accidents are caused by a cell phone-using driver.

-Texting drivers take their eyes off the road roughly 400 percent more than drivers who do not text at the wheel.

-Drivers who use a cell phone behind the wheel reduce their amount of brain activity by nearly 40 percent.

-The more texts that are sent in the U.S., the more fatal car accidents we see. For every one million texts that are sent, we see a 75 percent increase in fatal distraction-related car accidents.

Listed below is each distracting behavior and your crash risk increase:

-Texting/23 times
-Reaching for a moving object/9 times
-Dialing a cell phone/6 times
-Driving drowsy/4 times
-Looking at an external object/3.7 times
-Reading/3.4 times
-Talking on a cell phone/4 times
-Applying makeup/3 times Continue reading

As we recently reported on our Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, Distractology 101 is an interactive distracted-driving simulator that is making its way around Massachusetts to help teach drivers about the dangers and consequences of distracted driving. According to the Peabody Patch, the simulator is still going strong as its next stop is to teach motorists about the dangers of these types of car accidents in Peabody.

Our Boston car accident attorneys would like to tell you about yet another campaign that is used to raise awareness about this dangerous and deadly driving habit, “Heads-Up Driving Week.” This week-long campaign, organized by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, takes place from October 2nd to the 8th. This is the third year in a row for the campaign as it continues to tackle distracted driving.

During this noteworthy campaign, the Foundation urges drivers to take a week-long pledge to put away all distractions while navigating our roadways. Curbing driver distractions can help to save lives and to provide a safer roadway for all of us. Every day in the U.S. there are roughly 8,000 motor-vehicle accidents caused by distracted drivers.

Distracted driving facts:

-In the last 25 years, there were approximately one million people killed in traffic accidents on U.S. roadways. In 2010 alone there were nearly 34,000 people killed on our roadways. The high number of traffic accident fatalities is believed to be directly related to the increase in distraction-related technology advances.

-Drivers spend about half of their time behind the wheel engaging in dangerous distractions.

-Diversions can include talking on a cell phone, text messaging, putting on makeup, smoking, eating and looking at traffic accidents.

-Using a cell phone while driving increases a driver’s risk for an accident that results in injury by nearly four times.

-Passengers have been reported as the most common form of distraction causing an accident.

According to AAA’s Traffic Safety Culture Index, more than 90 percent of drivers believe that phone calls and text messaging by drivers is a dangerous and unacceptable habit. Nearly 90 percent of surveyed individuals support laws to regulate or ban the dangerous behavior. Still, about a third of drivers participate in the dangerous behavior. This commonly is referred to as the “do as I say, not as I do” behavior. Drivers are aware of the dangers, but fail to make the change. They expect the abilities of other drivers to affect their safety more than the abilities they possess. Most drivers believe that can handle both driving and a distraction at the same time with little or no consequence.

We would like to invite you, your family members and your other loved ones to participate in the week-long “Heads-Up Driving Week” pledge. AAA has even provided you 10 simple ways to minimize driver distractions. The first step in making our roadways safer is to make the change in our own driving behaviors.

“Distracted driving accidents are often some of the most dangerous and yet they are entirely preventable,” said Phil Richard of Phil Richard Insurance.
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A former Harvard Law School Professor, 82-year-old Detlev F. Vagts, previously entered a guilty plea for motor-vehicle homicide after a fatal scooter and car accident in Massachusetts. He has since been sentenced to six months of house arrest and three years of probation, according to The Harvard Crimson.

Our Boston car accident attorneys remember this accident from last summer. Vagts hit and killed a 54-year-old Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart teacher who was riding a scooter. Vagts was reportedly driving in the wrong lane and hit the woman at the corner of Warn Street and Grant Avenue. He reportedly drove approximately 450 feet before be turned around to return to the scene of the accident. The woman and her scooter were located more than 80 feet from the scene of the accident.

Vagts and his wife reportedly were running late for a dentist appointment, and they also confessed to being lost.

Newton District Court Judge Dyanne J. Klein, who meted out the sentencing, also ordered Vagts to stay in his home and wear a GPS monitoring bracelet. The judge has granted him permission to leave the house for medical appointments only. He has had his driving privilege revoked in addition to the mandatory 15-year license revocation associated with vehicular homicide. Under the circumstances of this accident, the man could have faced nearly three years in jail.

“This defendant has now admitted and accepted responsibility for his role in the death of Marcia Kearney,” said Middlesex District Attorney Gerard T. Leone.

Vagts has also been sentenced to pay restitution to the woman’s family for storage fees, as well as to write a letter of apology.

These types of accidents, ones that involve senior-citizen drivers, oftentimes bring up questions and concerns regarding these individuals’ ability to safely navigate our roadways in a motor vehicle. Unfortunately, many of these elderly drivers are unable to recognize when their driving skills have diminished, and that they’ve likely become a hazard on Boston roads. Loved ones of these individuals are oftentimes hesitant to bring up this problem with an elderly family member in fear of offending anyone.

Here are some signs to help identify whether an elderly driver is at a significant risk for a car accident:

-Getting lost in areas that were at one time familiar.

-Dents and scratches appearing on the vehicle with no memory of how they got there.

-Failing to abide by speed limits.

-Frequent occurrences of near-hit accidents.

-Overwhelming sensation from road signs, signals and traffic.

If you feel that an elderly family member or other loved one may be experiencing any of the signs listed above, you’re urged to talk to them about their safety on our roadways. Bringing it to their attention may be the only way to help keep them from a serious accident. Remember, giving up the ability to drive has nothing to do with their independence and they can still leave a healthy and exciting, but safe, life!
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