Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

While winter storms can be a hazard, many drivers do not consider the very real danger of summer storms. A drizzle can make the roads slick and a thunderstorm, tornado, or downpour can severe reduce visibility and create dangerous conditions for drivers. Summer storms can create a number of hazards for drivers, passengers and other motorists, so it is important to use caution during the summer rainy season.

While you may know that tornadoes and hurricanes can cause injury, you may not realize the significant number of injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents. The Federal Highway Administration reports that over 7,000 Americans are killed every year in weather related accidents. “Weather related” crashes are defined as accidents that occur during storms and other dangerous weather conditions, including rain, sleet, snow, tornadoes, or heavy fog. Our Boston car accident attorneys are dedicated to helping victims uncover the true cause of an accident and recover compensation for their injuries.

Summer weather conditions can reduce visibility and create a slick pavement. A car may hydroplane or a driver can lose control causing the car to careen off the side of the road or into oncoming traffic. Reducing the number of weather related accidents requires raising awareness among motorists. Safety officials and lawmakers are taking additional steps this summer to promote highway safety and to reduce the number of weather related car accidents.

In addition to driver awareness, automobile manufacturers and other private enterprises are developing new “storm technology” to help quickly locate storms and inform all drivers on the road. Cars that communicate with one another can identify dangerous driving areas and then communicate that information to other drivers 10, 20, or even trailing by 100 miles. Advanced warnings can ensure that drivers are on the lookout and aware of dangerous conditions ahead. New technologies would be able to warn other drivers about snow, thunderstorms, fog, tornados, and white-outs.

Slick roads and low visibility can be very dangerous to drivers, passengers and other motorists. When extra precaution is not taken during a storm, negligent or reckless drivers can be putting other motorists at risk. Adverse driving conditions require that all drivers pay attention and keep their eyes on the road. Texting and other driver distractions can increase the risk of stormy conditions. When you are distracted you may not have the reaction time necessary to react to slowed traffic or other dangerous conditions. If you have a teen driver hitting the road for the first time this summer, they should be aware of the dangers of adverse weather, especially when combined with distracted driving.

This summer, whether you are heading to work, taking the kids to the beach, or getting on the freeway for an extended summer vacation out of town, remember to take extra precaution under stormy conditions. To prevent an accident under adverse weather conditions you should keep your headlights on. When visibility is impacted by the storm, consider pulling over until the storm is over.
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As a consumer, you know that there are many ways to evaluate products before you decide to make a purchase. One of the largest purchases made by the average consumer is a car, truck or SUV. While you may have considered consumer reports, automobile magazines, and other industry standards, remember that evaluating the safety of a vehicle can be more complicated than simply comparing reports.

Whether you are buying your first vehicle, upgrading for a new family member, or you simply want a newer model, there are a number of critical factors to consider when buying a new car. In addition to comfort, style, and advanced technology, your priority is going to be the safety of the vehicle. Government reports, insurance records, crash-test scores and independent research are all ways to gauge vehicle safety; however, recent evidence suggests that these reports will not paint a fully accurate picture.

Every year, motor vehicle accidents cause serious injury and accidental death. Our Boston car accident attorneys are experienced in the investigation of these accidents and are committed to helping victims and their families recover full compensation for their losses. We also know that preventing accidents is the best way to prevent catastrophic injuries and fatalities.

To test vehicle safety, automobile manufacturers may try to recreate various accident scenarios. Unfortunately, statistics are rarely able to encompass the wide range of accidents that may occur on the road. Vehicles could strike a pole, be struck from the side, rear-ended by a semi-truck or be involved in a multi-vehicle collision. As most drivers already know, an accident with a vehicle that is twice the size or weight can significant increase the chance of serious injury.

According to a recent report, the vehicle you choose to buy can largely impact how well you and your passengers fare in a collision. In addition to analyzing safety features, you should also consider the size of a vehicle and the style of vehicle you are looking to buy. The odds of fatality are 7.6 times greater for car drivers than for drivers of SUV’s in an SUV-car collision. While it is common knowledge that larger vehicles do cause greater damage to smaller cause, the study highlights the very significant difference a vehicle size can make when involved in an accident.

Government reports, insurance industry records, and other crash-test data may consider safety features including anti-lock brakes, airbags, or design. Newer safety features may be high-tech, allowing cars to communicate with other vehicles on the road. Some analysis will also consider the demographics of drivers and their passengers, including whether the vehicle is safe for children or older drivers.

Head-on crash collision was analyzed in the FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) which is maintained by the federal government. Analysis of this data proved that the type of car (SUV or car) was more important than the safety features offered by individual vehicles. When purchasing your next vehicle, consider the type of vehicle, not just the crash-test ratings. Vehicle scores can be helpful, but remember that the size of a vehicle may be more important than the safety ratings.
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For decades, parents have been advising their teenagers not to drink and drive. Parents of today’s teenagers may not realize that the greatest risk to teenage drivers is not alcohol, but texting. According to reports, there are more teenage deaths caused by texting and driving than by alcohol. The numbers indicate that there were over 3,000 teen deaths associated with texting while driving where there were only 2,700 deaths caused by drunk driving.

Researchers have suggested that the discrepancy may be because teenagers have access to their cell phones 24/7 while they do not always have access to alcohol. The sheer number of times a teen may get behind the wheel with a cell phone outnumbers the number of times a teen may be exposed to drinking and driving. Our Boston car accident lawyers are experienced in the investigation of teen accidents caused by texting and driving.

While teenagers may not be drinking and partying all week, they are likely using their cell phones on a regular basis. Many teens are so dependent on their cell phones that they have been called addicted. They want to check their phone every minute or 30 seconds to respond to a text or update a Facebook status. Both texting and Internet surfing can pose a significant risk to teen drivers, passengers, and other motorists, pedestrians, or cyclists sharing the road.

Teens admit that when their cell phones are “on” it can be difficult to ignore the notifications. Despite clear evidence of the dangers of texting, over 50% of teenagers admit to texting while driving. If you have a teen driver, you should advise them to turn their phones “off,” put them in the glove compartment, or even the trunk, if they are behind the wheel. Cutting off cell phone use may be the best way to avoid the temptation to text and drive.

Teen accidents caused by texting while driving can be devastating. A new promotional series sponsored by the US Department of Transportation and the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration features the stories of families who have lost their sons and daughters to tragic texting while driving accidents. Compared to other age groups and demographis, teens are most vulnerable to the risks of distracted driving and texting while driving.

Any accident that appears to be caused by negligence should be investigated as soon as possible to determine who was at fault. If an accident is the result of texting while driving a driver could be held civilly or criminally responsible for any injuries or deaths. Accident reconstructionists, police reports, and witness statements are all critical to determine how an accident occurred and who was at fault. Individuals and related entities may be targeted in a civil lawsuit to collect full compensation after an accident.

As a driver or parent of a teen, remember that the risks of texting and driving are high. Drivers who use cell phones while behind the wheel are 4 times more likely to be involved in an accident. Remember that it takes an average of 4.6 seconds to send or receive a text. During that time, the average vehicle traveling at 55 mph can travel a full football field. The risks are not worth it: this is enough time and distance to cause a fatal accident.
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When a car is recalled, it may seem like common sense that everyone would stop driving that vehicle. Unfortunately, sometimes people don’t have a choice because they are given a recalled car without being told of the risk. How does this happen? The drivers rent a car and are given a rental vehicle that has been recalled.

Unfortunately, this problem is far more common than anyone would imagine. Rental car companies can and do rent cars that have been recalled and this significantly increases the chances of a deadly accident occurring. Our Boston car accident lawyers know that there is currently a law being debated in the Senate that would prohibit rental car companies from renting out recalled vehicles. However, there is no guarantee that this law will pass and consumers could continue to be in danger from rental vehicles if it doesn’t.

Rental Car Accidents a Real Risk Due to Recalled Vehicles

According to AOL Autos, safety advocates and lawmakers are facing off against auto industry representatives in a heated debate about whether to pass a law banning rental car companies from renting out recalled vehicles.

Safety advocates believe that it is just common sense that a rental car company should not rent out a vehicle that has been recalled. The president of Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, for example, indicated that she believed many people would be surprised to find out that it is not already the law that a rental car company cannot rent out a recalled car.

Car recalls, of course, occur in cars when there is a serious problem that creates a danger to drivers or other motorists. The fact that rental car companies could rent out vehicles with these problems has very real consequences. In fact, the proposed law to ban rental car companies from renting out recalled vehicles is named after two victims of an accident that occurred in a recalled rental.

The accident victims were young sisters from California who died in a car accident in 2004. The rental car they were driving had a leak that could result in a fire starting in the compartment of the engine. The rental car company was notified of the defect in the car and of the recall a month before the girls rented the vehicle. Unfortunately, the young sisters got into an accident and died as a result of a fire that broke out. The law, named in their memory, is now called the Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safety Rental Car Act of 2013.

If the law is passed, rental car companies would be required to park recalled cars as soon as they receive notice of a recall. Most major rental car companies are on board with the law and support its passage. However, it is auto industry representatives who have a problem with this requirement and the reason is that it can take several months from the time when a recall notice is sent out until the vehicle is actually fixed.

Drivers of private vehicles are normally able to continue to drive their cars during this intermittent period until the vehicles are able to be fixed. The law would take this option away from rental car companies and the companies could be forced to ground large portions of their fleets, which would impose a big burden on small rental car companies.

While this may be a concern, the fact is that renting out a recalled car can be very dangerous if the vehicle puts people at risk. Something needs to change in order to provide better protection to consumers and to ensure no further lives are lost in preventable accidents.
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The risks of texting and driving are widely known; however, new evidence suggests that texting while driving laws are not necessarily being enforced. According to reports, only about one citation is issued per day. Some suggest that enforcement of texting while driving laws may be difficult because it is hard to catch drivers in the act.

In every state, motorists, passengers, as well as pedestrians and bikers can be severely injured or lose their lives to distracted drivers. Victims and their families have advocated for harsher penalties for violators, including criminal convictions and sentences. Our Boston car accident lawyers are committed to helping stop distracted drivers to prevent injury and fatality among our nation’s motorists.

Many states have enacted texting while driving bans. While legislators may believe that the laws are an effective way to fight texting while driving, law enforcement officers may not aggressively take action against drivers. According to a recent USA Today survey, drivers are not likely to get ticketed in most states. Some states average fewer than one texting while driving citation per day.

Police officers also agree that texting while driving laws are difficult to enforce. Many people just hold their phones below the window of their vehicle. Despite efforts to become more savvy when pulling drivers over, officers may need to adjust tactics to catch drivers in the act.

Every city, county, and state officer has the ability to give a citation when a driver breaks the law. In some states, local officers write more tickets for violators, while in other states, citations are more often distributed by state police. Currently, the Foundation for Traffic Safety is conducting a study to determine how many citations are actually issued. While it is difficult to assess, it is even more difficult to determine why there is not more enforcement of these laws. Some states don’t track texting while driving violations at all.

Even though most drivers know the dangers of texting while driving, many will still violate the law. According to recent studies, while 81% of drivers found texting while driving to be a serious threat, 35% of those surveyed had opened and read a text while 27% of those surveyed had typed and sent a text from their cell phone while behind the wheel.

Distracted driving has been found to be a greater risk to drivers than drinking and driving. Drivers who continue to text and drive face an accident rate 23 times that of drivers who are not distracted. While distracted driving could be attributed to other factors such as children, pets, or changing the radio station, the majority of these accidents are caused by cellphones and texting. The low numbers of those receiving citations may mean that drivers are not actually deterred by texting and driving laws.

To reduce the number of drivers who text when behind the wheel, safety advocates have also suggested additional penalties–through insurance companies. A recent survey found that 72.9% of drivers polled agreed that drivers who are caught texting should pay higher insurance rates.
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