Articles Posted in Pedestrian Accidents

We have a lot of pedestrians throughout the state of Massachusetts. Many residents choose to walk to both work and school as well as to public transportation spots to get to where they’ve got to go.

There are also a number of NeighborWalk community walking groups. Recently, Mayor Thomas M. Menino teamed up with these NeighborWalk community groups at the local Franklin Park Zoo to show his support for the success of this program. This initiative provides people who live in the area with an opportunity to get out there and to get active, according to the City of Boston.

Unfortunately, we’ve got some high accident rates involving pedestrians in the area, too. Not only are these kinds of events held to help to get residents healthier, but they’re also used to raise awareness about our pedestrian travelers throughout the state. All too often, walkers are overlooked by motorists. Residents, visitors and other travelers need to be more cautious of one another as we work to help keep our city safe for everyone.

Our Boston pedestrian accident lawyers understand that this is the 10th year that the NeighborWalk program has been going on. It’s all a part of Boston Moves for Health. To help to celebrate this milestone in the program, the senior vice president and the executive director of the Boston Red Sox Foundation made an announcement that he would be donating $10,000 to the program to not only show his support for it and for healthy residents, but to also help to fund some of its events through the fall season.

“These walking groups really embody the spirit of Boston Moves for Health,” Mayor Menino said.

Menino adds that he would like to continue to urge everyone in the area to grab their friends and their family members to get active and to get moving. Our city offers some great parks for getting out there and getting active. Menino says that this program helps to get Boston to be a healthier city.

NeighborWalk helps to provide funds for not-for-profit, community-based organizations that work to encourage residents to get out there and get walking. Many of these organizations help to provide accessible routes for pedestrians and lead walks every week during the summer season.

This year, there were nearly 30 walk groups within the Boston area that were able to round up nearly 400 participants. Boston Moves for Health has been able to log more than 7,000 miles just this spring.

Walking is good for you because it helps to prevent:

-High cholesterol.

-Poor muscle and joint health.

-Depression.

-High blood pressure.

-Cancer.

-Colon cancer.

-Depression.

-Breast Cancer.

-Coronary heart disease.

-Type 2 diabetes.
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After a recent pedestrian accident in Brockton, a high school student was left with a bleeding liver and a plethora of other serious injuries. After much worry and many procedures, he’s looking like he’s going to make it.

The accident happened when the 16-year-student from Brockton High was crossing the street right in front of his school and was hit by an unlicensed driver. According to local police officers, the student was in the crosswalk when the accident happened. According to Police Lt. Paul Bonanca, the unlicensed driver of the van involved in the accident was cited by local officers for driving without a license, but no other charges regarding the accident have been revealed.

By the time the victim’s father got to the hospital, doctors had already cut him open. He was split from his chest to his waist as surgeons prepared to staunch the bleeding that could have killed him, according to Enterprise News. His liver was bleeding and doctors had to get it under control if they had any hopes on saving his life.

Our Boston pedestrian accident lawyers understand that these kinds of accidents, involving motor vehicles and pedestrians, happen all the time, especially in busy Massachusetts’ towns like Stockton and Boston. Pedestrians throughout the state are being struck by drivers who fail to acknowledge their presence. The father of this Brockton High student now knows that reality all too well.

“The doctor told me, ‘I can’t give you any guarantees until the (bleeding) stops, and we won’t know that until tomorrow,'” said the dad.

Sitting by his son’s bedside, the father witnesses all kinds of nurses and doctors frantically making frantic attempts to treat the young man. At one point a nurse grabbed the patients hand and screamed, “There’s no pulse!”

That night lasted forever, recalled the father.

Days later, the father got some good news. With odds against him, his son was moved from the intensive care unit and was moved over to a regular hospital room.

Although he’s in a regular hospital room now, his body is far from normal. In the accident, he was thrown about 30 feet and the impact ended up injuring his liver (causing internal bleeding), bruising his lungs and breaking his upper arm. Because of his internal bleeding, medical professionals with the Boston Medical Center’s intensive care unit had to slice him open from his neck to his waist. They’ve left the incision open so that they could go back in 24 hours and check on the bleeding again.

Thankfully, the bleeding was under control when doctors rechecked.

“It was the first good news,” said the student’s father. “I felt great. At that (point), I was confident about his recovery.”

Now, the student has to meet with a physical therapist each and every morning to regain full control of his body. Unbelievably, he’s able to walk but has much difficulty completely ordinary, everyday tasks. He remains in the hospital. Doctors don’t know when he will be able to return home as that relies on a full recovery which is a long way off.
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It was a bad weekend for car accidents in Massachusetts. There was a rollover car accident that killed a man in Danvers and another that injured a number of others in Revere. According to state police officers, speed was a contributing factor in the single-car accident in Danvers that killed a 30-year-old man from Peabody. The accident happened just before 7:30 p.m., when he slammed into a guardrail on Route 128. After hitting the guard rail, he swerved across two lanes of traffic, hit a jersey barrier, sped down the ramp in Route 35, striking two more barriers and flipping the car over onto its roof. The man was wearing his seat belt, but was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The passenger of that vehicle was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious injuries. Officers are still investigating to determine whether alcohol played a role in this accident.

Just a few hours later, four motorists were involved in a two-car accident in Revere. The accident resulted in serious injuries to those involved. The accident happened just before 12 a.m. on Revere Street and American Legion.

That’s not all. There were a number of additional accidents that occurred over the weekend, including a collision in Hyde Park that took the life of a 24-year-old. Four others were injured in this accident.

Motorists weren’t the only ones hurt in accidents over the weekend. There are also three pedestrians injured after being hit by a car. A mom and her two children were struck by a passing vehicle in Winthrop as they made their way to a dialysis appointment. The pedestrians and the driver of that vehicle were all taken to Emerson Hospital. The two children were later transported to Children’s Hospital in Boston.

Officers believe that the 76-year-old driver may have mistaken the gas pedal for the brake pedal. The investigation is ongoing.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) hears about thousands of car accidents that occur every year in the state. To help to get drivers on board to safer roadways, they’ve provided drivers with some safety tips to help to prevent traffic accidents.

Safe Driving Tips:

-Always be cautious of the traffic around you, including motor vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, etc.

-Remember that turns are meant to be taken at reduced speeds.

-Always use your turn signals to alert other travelers of your intended maneuvers.

-Never eat or drink while driving.

-Remember to check intersecting streets for oncoming traffic before passing through.

-Maintain a safe following distance. Reducing the space between you and other travelers reduces the time that you have to react to potential dangers.

-Don’t forget about your blind spots. Check over your shoulder to see what’s going on in these areas.

-Yield to the right-of-way when necessary.

-Always wear your seat belt to help protect against injury and death in the event of an accident.
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A 45-year-old man is in critical condition following a Boston car accident in which he was struck by an unlicensed driver late last month.

According to the AAA Foundation on this very issue. The organization first began looking at the problem back in 2000, when they found that nearly 14 percent of all drivers involved in fatal crashes did not have a valid driver’s license. That means those drivers either never had a license, or their privileges had been suspended, revoked, cancelled or denied.

Now, in 2011, that figure has not changed. We still have the same number of unlicensed drivers wreaking havoc on our roadways. It currently breaks down to about one out of every eight drivers you pass on your daily commute.

Crashes involving unlicensed drivers have accounted for more than 21,000 deaths in the U.S., just between 2007 and 2009.

The statistics may seem somewhat overwhelming, but consider that each and every one of those victims is someone’s mother, father, sister, brother, child or friend.

What’s even more troubling is that of those unlicensed drivers involved in fatal crashes, nearly half had been consuming alcohol at the time of the accident.

And those same unlicensed drivers, when they caused a crash, were more than three times as likely as properly licensed drivers to flee the scene.

In most cases, younger drivers – those between the ages of 21 and 34 – were the most likely to have suspended or revoked licenses. In fact, just like the case mentioned above, more than half of unlicensed drivers involved in fatal crashes were in this younger age group.

In the Framingham car accident case, the victim is being treated at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He’s expected to undergo a CAT scan, and even if he survives – which doctors say he might – he could be facing years of intensive therapy and medical bills – likely with the added frustration of lost wages.

As he and his family look to a long road to recovery, investigators are still determining whether they will file additional charges against the driver.
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We posted on our Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog last December that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had plans to pass a final rule that all vehicles would be required to be equipped with backup cameras by 2014.

We make note of this because our Boston car accident attorneys want to remind parents, babysitters, caretakers and motorists to keep a watchful eye for children and elders as this time of year is particularly dangerous for back-over accidents in Newton, Cambridge, Waltham and throughout Massachusetts. Driveways filled with vehicles at family gatherings and shoppers backing out of jam-packed parking lots can make it difficult to see little ones or elders located behind the vehicle. These two age groups don’t react as quickly to a moving vehicle which puts them at considerable risk of getting run over when they are in a vehicle’s blind spot.

Almost a year later, the proposed back-over regulations have hit the news again. According to a recent article in Bloomberg Businessweek, the NHTSA expected to issue a regulation by year-end but they are getting some backlash from the automobile industry. Those opposed feel it is just another attempt to over-regulate by the federal government.

The NHTSA reports that each year approximately 300 people die and another 18,000 are injured in back-over accidents nationwide. The installation of cameras or video in vehicles up to 10,000 pounds could potentially cut the number in half. One woman tells her personal story when last April she was headed out to run errands. She started to back the car out of the garage and felt a bump. She gets out of the car and horrifically discovers that she just ran over her 19-month-old son who had inadvertently escaped from the house without her knowing.

The massive national debate essentially comes down to money and putting a price tag on lives saved. The government has estimated that it will cost automakers roughly $2.7 billion annually to have cameras placed in the 16 million cars being manufactured each year. This averages out to roughly $18.5 million per life saved. Can they honestly put a price tag on the value of a life when safety should be their only priority?

According to an auto-market research company, back-up cameras have been included as a standard feature in 45 percent of 2012 passenger cars. One overlooked problem is that different model cars have different areas that aren’t visible to the driver in the car. A driver’s height also plays a role in determining a blind spot. For example, cars that sit low to the ground like a coupe can have a blind spot as low as four feet compared to a bigger SUV, which can be 20 feet or more. So, the ‘one-size-fits-all’ “Band-Aid” fix doesn’t work when it comes to preventing back-over accidents with a rear-view camera used universally in all vehicle makes and models.

One thing we can do is use extra caution, especially when backing out of garages, driveways and parking lots this time of year. KidsAndCars.org offers these tips to keep children from being injured or killed in a back-over accident:

-Become an expert at using your rear-view mirrors. Always adjust them to your visual vantage point each time you get in the vehicle.

-Be aware that blind zones vary with different vehicles. Families with multiple vehicles should determine blind spots for each driver in each vehicle.

-Remove all toys from the driveway and instruct your children that the driveway or garage is not a play area.

-Hold your child’s hand as you walk through a parking lot.

-If you see a driver’s reverse lights on, stop and stay clear as they back out of the driveway or parking space.

-Never assume a driver going in reverse sees you.
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According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation‘s (MassDOT) Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), local and state inspectors handed out more than 100 citations in nearly 200 towns and cities recently to those who passed school buses as they were dropping off or picking up students.

The citations were handed out during a recent undercover program that aimed at targeting these irresponsible drivers to help reduce the risks of school bus-related pedestrian accidents in Massachusetts. This was the 7th year that the Registry practiced the “Operation Yellow Blitz” program, used to raise awareness about this dangerous driving behavior and the risks our young school bus riders face while getting on and off a school bus every day.

“We want to get the word out that drivers on both sides of the road need to stop when school buses pick up or drop off children,” said Registrar Rachel Kaprielian.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that all traffic is required to stop when a school bus is stopped for a pickup or drop off. Unfortunately, many drivers fail to do so and place our young school-aged children at a serious risk for an accident. Kaprielian reports that this is a huge concern for the RMV. The Registry has been able to recruit the participation for more than 150 cities and towns in the last 7 years. In 2007, there were only 30 areas participating in Operation Yellow Blitz.

Kaprielian says that officers and officials witnessed five vehicles pass a school bus at once at one particular stop. All vehicles were pulled over. A few of these drivers said that they were unaware that they had to stop for a school bus. The truth is that all drivers have a responsibility to know when they’re traveling near a school bus and to stop their vehicle when a bus’ red lights are activated.

According to MassDOT, drivers can be fined nearly $300 the first time they’re busted and $1,000 and a temporary license revocation for a second violation.

The Operation Yellow Blitz program is a yearly enforcement program that is used to target bus stops and passing traffic along roadways and at intersections. Although this program only comes around once a year, bus drivers are always on the lookout for disobedient drivers every day. Bus drivers will write down your vehicle information and you license plate number and report it to the RMV if they observe you passing their stopped school bus. If you’re a repeat violator, you could potentially face an administrative hearing that could possible result in your license being suspended.

Last year, MassDOT wrote more than 2,150 warning letters. This year, more than 1,600 warning letters have been issued so far.

Roughly 5,000 students are injured every year in school bus-related accidents. A large number of these accidents happen as students exit or board the school bus. One main reason for this is because a school bus offers large blind spots, not only to bus drivers but to passing motorists as well.

Many young bus riders don’t understand this danger and are unable to foresee potential dangers around a bus. About half of all school-aged pedestrians who were killed in bus-related accidents were between the ages of 5- and 7-years-old.

Drivers are asked to be cautious when driving near school buses. As buses drop off children for winter break, motorists are asked to be cautious for young pedestrians all around the state and not just near bus stops.
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We recently gained an hour with the switch to Daylight Saving Time, but we also gained some risks for car accidents in Boston. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car accidents killed more than 4,000 people and injured another 59,000 in 2009. About a quarter of these fatalities occurred between 4. and 8 p.m. Nearly 15 percent of these fatalities happened between 4 and 8 a.m. That’s why the NHTSA is asking drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists to be more cautious because of the recent time change and how we have more hours of darkness.

Our Massachusetts pedestrian accident lawyers understand that nighttime driving is a bit more dangerous than driving when it’s light out. When you drive in the evening, your visibility is negatively affected. Typically, drivers have a more difficult time judging distance when it’s dark. The human eye needs light to see and this is why nighttime driving is one of the top causes for car accidents on our roadways. It is estimated that about 90 percent of driver decisions are made on what they’re able to see. Pedestrians are overpowered by vehicle headlights and street lamps and can be easily overlooked on our roadways in the evening.

The NHTSA offers nighttime safe-driving tips to help avoid an accident as the sun sets sooner.

Motorist safety tips:

-When it’s dark out, slow down! During the evening hours, you need more time to see traffic hazards and pedestrians.

-Remember that pedestrians can be wearing headphones, hats or earmuffs, so he or she may not be able to hear your vehicle approaching.

-It is important to make sure your defrosters work, that your windshield wiper fluid is full and your windshield wipers are working correctly.

-Always keep your vehicle’s mirrors, windows and windshield clean to help increase visibility.

Pedestrian safety tips:

-It’s a good idea to carry a flashlight with you to help motorists see you.

-If you’re not carrying a flashlight, you should attach reflective materials, like fluorescent tape, to your clothing. This reflective tape will reflect a car’s headlight beams and help a driver to see you.

-You should never depend on a traffic signal. Sometimes a driver can be distracted or may simply disregard instruction from the device. With the night falling earlier in the day, drivers may also have a hard time adjusting to the changes, which can also affect their reaction to these traffic signals.

-Never jaywalk or cross the street from between two parked cars. You want your presence to be known by drivers. Be visible and cross at crosswalks or street corners.

-Whenever a sidewalk is around, use it! This walkway keeps you separated from traffic. If there’s no sidewalk, walk facing oncoming traffic.

Accidents are more likely to happen during the evening hours so we all just have to be a little more cautious and alert.
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