Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

With the recent change in time, Daylight Saving Time ends. We may have gained an extra hour of sleep but we also face increased risks of car accidents with early darkness.

Daylight Saving Time ended on November 4th at 2:00 a.m. With the change in time, we get earlier mornings and earlier nights — serving up some serious risks for nighttime car accidents.

According to recent studies on Daylight Saving Time, the time change has quite an impact on the number of car accidents. One specific study shows there’s a near 10 percent increase in the number of accidents on that Monday following the time change.

Our Dedham car accident lawyers are asking you to be safe out there. You might not recognize it, but it’s a lot more difficult to drive during the evening hours than it is during the day. Our eyes simply don’t see as much when it’s dark out. Unfortunately, most drivers just act like the hazards aren’t there — because they can’t see them. The truth of the matter is that you have to adjust your driving habits while navigating our roadways during the p.m. hours. The dangers are there and you need to recognize them.

While driving at night, your ability to see, perceive and judge distance is severely impaired. Your eye requires light to see. This is why nighttime driving is one of the leading causes of car accidents. According to recent studies, about 90 percent of driving decisions are made based on what a person can see. For these reasons, it’s important that you take extra precaution when driving during the evening hours.

Did you know that there’s 60 percent less traffic on our roadways at night? Still, about 40 percent of all fatal car crashes happen during this time. The man-made light along our roadways just isn’t enough.

Our youngest drivers are at some of the highest risks for accidents when driving during the evening hours. That’s why our state’s Graduated Driver’s Licensing (GDL) program restricts many young drivers from driving between 12:30 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. States that have nighttime restrictions typically have reported up to a 60 percent reduction in the number of accidents during these restricted hours.

You also face higher risks for drowsy driving car accidents during the evening hours. When it’s dark out, your body wants to sleep. If you can avoid nighttime driving altogether, you’re urged to do so. If you’ve got to drive at night, make sure you’ve got plenty of rest and that you’re wide awake. it you start to feel sleep or are having trouble seeing the roadway, pull over and take a break. There’s no point in pushing on as you could wind up quickly falling asleep at the wheel.
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The winter driving season as well as the holiday travel season is here and the risks for car accidents are up because of it. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is here to help to provide travelers with information for the New England Winter Season, according to the Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

“Since approximately 70% of winter deaths related to snow and ice occur in automobiles, now is the proper time for individuals and families to take the necessary steps to ensure their safety on the roads during the upcoming Winter Season,” said Don Boyce, MEMA Director.

Our Boston accident lawyers understand that the winter weather can present some serious challenges. Luckily, these challenges and these dangers can be reduced with a little bit of planning.

Before heading out, we’re asking all drivers to make sure they’re vehicle is equipped with a Winter Emergency Car Kit. In this kit, you should have the following:

-A flashlight.

-Extra batteries.

-Blankets.

-A tow rope.

-Jumper cables.

-Road flares or reflectors.

-Nonperishable food.

-Extra water.

-Basic tools, like a screwdriver, a wrench and some pliers.

-Road maps.

-A pocket knife.

-Extra medications.

-A first-aid kit.

-Cell phone charger.

The truth of the matter is that winter weather is a top contributor to car accidents across the nation, especially here in New England.

Winter Factors Leading to Car Crashes:

-Winter weather conditions: Freezing rain, snow, sleet, ice.

-Isolated ice patches. There are commonly the result of poorly maintained or designed roadways.

-Pot holes. These are commonly caused from snow plow trucks shoveling salt, ice and snow.

-People driving too fast for the current weather conditions.

-People who drive recklessly. Many drivers think that they can handle the weather conditions. Unfortunately, we’re all in the same boat here and have to take the proper safety precautions.

– Stay safe around snowplows and give them plenty of room to operate.

-Private roads. Oftentimes these roads are never plowed or cleared of snow and ice.

Each year, there are roughly 6,500,000 car accidents reported. Of these accidents, about a quarter of them (or more than 1,500,000) are the result of adverse weather conditions. This means that more than 7,000 people die each year in these types of crashes. Don’t become a statistic. Prep today for your winter travel to help ensure a safe arrival! Make sure you adjust your driving habits to accommodate the dangerous conditions. Slow it down and keep your eyes on the road. You want to leave a little extra room between you and other vehicles so you have more time to react to dangers. And remember to always wear your seat belt. That’s one of the best ways to stay safe should an incident occur. It could save your life!
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According to CNN, Sandy is no longer a hurricane. She’s a “post-tropical” superstorm.

Still, she packed quite the punch on the Jersey Shore and the rest of New England on Monday.

“We knew that this was going to be a very dangerous storm, and the storm has met our expectations,” said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “The worst of the weather has come, and city certainly is feeling the impacts.”

Now that the storm has come and gone, our Boston personal injury lawyers are here to help you get around safely. Some of the most dangerous driving hazards come with storms, tornadoes, floods and landslides. Here are some importance safety tips from Progressive Insurance to help to make sure that the worst is over and you’re safe out there behind the wheel.

After a Storm Driving Tips:

-Make sure that your gas tank is full.

-You always want to keep a first-aid kit and other emergency items in your vehicle, like a flashlight, spare cash, nonperishable food, extra blankets and clothes. if there’s no safe place to go, you could wind up spending the night in your vehicle.

-Make sure you travel with a cell phone.

-Be sure that everyone inside of your vehicle is wearing their seat belt. This is especially important in such dangerous driving conditions.

-Be cautious for live wires. You never want to drive over downed power lines, even if you think they’re not charged.

-Be cautious of standing water. Avoid driving through, but drive slowly and steadily when water is unavoidable. Remember that the murkiness of water can hide dangers underneath. Not only are you risking your vehicle, but you’re also risking your personal safety.

-If your vehicles does get trapped in water, get out of it and make your way to higher ground.

-After traveling through water, depress your brakes repeatedly to help to dry them out before you continue driving.

-Drive with your headlights on. Not only does this help you to see your surroundings, but it helps other motorists to see you as well.

-Remember that as little as a foot of water has the power to carry your vehicle away.

-Make sure you check weather, roadways and traffic reports before heading out. Plan out your trip strategically to avoid dangerous and congested areas.

Sandy left close to 3 million people without power in the Northeast. According to Dave Hennen, meteorologist with CNN, Sandy is probably the strongest storm that’s going to make landfall north of the Carolinas, based on pressure readings.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that there are close to 2 million car crashes that happen with deer each and every year.

These accidents cost roughly $1 billion in vehicle damage and take the lives of close to 200 people. More than 10,000 people annually are seriously injured. And these stats don’t even include accidents with other wildlife. Officials think that this number is actually much higher because people don’t always report traffic accidents involving large animals to local or state officials.

Currently, there is not even a reporting standard for these kinds of accidents.

Our Masachusetts injury attorneys are here to help you to avoid a car accident with deer as well as to help you to minimize your risk of injury or damage in the event of a crash. Please review the following safety tips and share them with your friends and family members before heading out on the road.

Driving Tips for Avoiding Accidents with Deer:

-Your best bet is to pay even more attention to the road when driving during dawn and dusk. It’s during this time that deer are most likely to be found on and along our roadways.

-Make sure that you’re extra careful during the months of October and November. It’s during these two months that your risks for one of these accidents are the highest.

-When traveling in an area that is known for its deer population, your best bet is to slow it down. The faster you travel, the less time you have to react to a deer.

-If you see a deer near the roadway, there’s bound to be more. They rarely travel alone.

-You want to make sure that you’re using you high-beam headlights when you’re driving in rural areas. This will help you to increase your vision and it will help you to increase your time to react to a deer that is hiding on the side of the road and who decides to jump in front of your car.

-Don’t rely on a car-mounted ‘deer whistle.’ These whistles don’t seem to affect deer and may result in drivers being less aware of their surroundings.

-If you definitely can’t avoid a car accident with a deer, it’s usually best to try not to swerve to avoid hitting it. You should brake and hold the wheel straight. When you try to turn the wheel to avoid hitting a deer, you can wind up causing yourself a worse accident. What can happen here is you can lose control of your car and you can spin out. This will result in a much more serious accident.

-Remain sober behind the wheel.

-Pay attention to the signs on the side of the road. Many of them will alert you of deer-crossing areas.

-Remember to always wear your seat belt. It’s the best defense against injury in the event of any kind of car accident.

-Don’t think that just because you’re at the highest risks for one of these accidents during October and November that the risks aren’t there all year round.
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Remember the fatal accident between a Milford police officer and two teenagers? In this New England car accident, the officer was allegedly traveling more than 90 miles per hour when he slammed his cruiser into the vehicle of two teens — killing them both.

According to the Boston Globe, the accident happened on Route 1 in Orange. Accident reports indicate that the teen was making a left-hand turn when their vehicle was hit by the police cruiser. The emergency lights and/or the siren of the police car were not on at the time of the accident. Logs indicate that he was coming back to Milford from a mutual aid call at that time.

The trial has started in Milford Superior Count. The officer already entered a not guilty plea to 1 count of reckless driving and 2 counts of second-degree manslaughter. Each of the manslaughter charges come with up to 10 years behind bars.

Our Boston car accident lawyers understand how serious, and confusing, accidents with government officials can be. Oftentimes, the investigators of the accident are from the same department as the officer involved in the accident. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine that these conditions can produce some seriously bias reports. For this reason, it is critical that you contact an experienced and aggressive personal injury law firm to help you protect your rights. You always want a third party involved, one who isn’t involved with one of the parties in the accident. This can help you to get a clear and balanced investigation.

When a car accident involves a government vehicle or another government employee, you’ll quickly figure out that it’s tough, but not impossible, to sue. There is a policy currently in place, known as governmental or sovereign tort immunity. What this does it is protects government organization and employees from liability for their actions in these accidents. This is even the case when these people were acting on their own terms, and are on their own time.

Because of this, state, federal and even local governments have to offer consent to be sued. This is also known as a waiver of sovereign immunity. This kind of immunity is in place the help to protect tax dollars, because that is what is handed over when these individuals and government agencies lose their cases.

Most state and local government only offer a limited number of wavers for this immunity.

But how is that fair for you?

If you’ve been involved in a car accident with one of these agencies or with one of these officials, it’s important for you to contact and experienced lawyer. This process can be awfully complex. You may only have a specific time limit to file your claims. You’re also going to want help in understanding all of the technical procedures, too. An attorney can also help to make sure that all investigations are fair and balanced, not favoring the government agency. After all, in these cases it is the government who is investigating the government. Who do you think is going to win that one?
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Recently, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) announced that the toll collection lanes marked “ALL VEHICLES” on the Tobin Bridge will now be “CASH ONLY” and “E-ZPASS ONLY” lanes. The change took place on the 21st of October at 10:00 p.m.

With this change, E-ZPASS drivers will now be able to drive through the toll unimpeded as customers who use cash will have to go through the “CASH ONLY” lanes. Close to 65 percent of drivers who pass through this toll plaza rely on their transponders to pay their toll.

“Tobin commuters will now know what to expect from the drivers in front of them. Predictability will improve safety,” said Frank DePaola, Highway Administrator with MassDOT.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that the change is also going to bring about increased operational flexibility. With the lanes that are marked as “CASH ONLY” and “E-ZPASS ONLY,” transportation officials will now be able to accommodate our congested traffic flow, deal with emergencies better and will be able to make construction zones safer. Currently the Tobin Bridge project is underway in the area — at a cost of close to S45 million.

This change in the toll plaza is part of a more than $1 million project to transition to the E-ZPASS toll collection from the FastLane collection. This transition will eventually occur throughout Massachusetts. The signs and the road markings in the area have already been replaced to help to direct drivers. This has taken place from West Stockbridge to Boston.

You might remember the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report from 2003, in which a car accident at a toll plaza landed in headlines across the nation. Headlines often mirrored phrases like, “The most dangerous place on the highway is a toll plaza.”

The truth of the matter is that we have to pay for our roadways. Motorist safety heavily relies on the funds that are available to make our streets smooth, functional and safe. Needless to say, it doesn’t look like toll booths are going anywhere any time soon. It’s important for drivers to be on their best behavior behind the wheel in these areas to help to not only fund safer roadways, but to reduce the risks of accidents in the now.

Toll Plaza Safety Tips:

-Make sure that your toll money is ready before entering the toll plaza.

-Reduce your speed to a maximum of 35 miles per hour.

-Clear your toll transaction with the toll collector before proceeding through.

-Stay alert for other drivers who might make last minute decisions in these areas.

-Be on the lookout for large vehicle. The lane for these kinds of vehicles is usually located closest to plaza buildings.

-When approaching a toll booth and meeting the toll collector, come to a complete stop.

-If you have an E-Z Pass, make sure you pass through the toll traveling at 5 miles per hour.

-Make sure you’re in the correct lane. Get into your designated lane as soon as possible. Don’t wait until the last minute.

-Once through the toll, look before changing lanes. Vehicles are merging into the same lanes in these areas.
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Officials with the Wilbraham Police are looking into a serious car accident that happened on a recent late night on Boston Road. According to ABC40, the accident happened just after 1:00 a.m. right outside of Papa Ginos.

Officers report that the driver was speeding when he crossed over the center line of the roadway and slammed right into a Dunkin’ Donuts truck. Both of the drivers involved in the accident were taken to the Baystate Medical Center. One reported serious injuries.

Officials were forced to close down Boston Road for most of the night. During this time, investigators looked into the cause of the accident. No conclusions have been drawn.

Our Wilbraham car accident lawyers understand the risks that drivers face for accidents during the evening hours. The truth of the matter is that you’re more likely to get into a car accident when it’s dark out than during any other time of the day. During this time, our bodies are genetically programmed to want to sleep and we have a difficult time not only seeing our surroundings, but also seeing and reacting to dangers.

According to DrowsyDriving.com, driving while drowsy can be just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than drinking and driving. Just like alcohol, being sleepy at the wheel can cause some seriously delayed reaction time and can drastically impair our judgment.

One of the most important things we can do to help to reduce the risks of drowsy driving car accidents is to get enough sleep. You’d be surprised by how many Americans are doing that! According to the latest polls, only about 20 percent of Americans are getting between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night. About 70 percent of Americans are getting less than that!

The problem with these kinds of accidents is that there is no sure fire way to determine if a driver was drowsy during the time of an accident. This means that many of these accidents are never reported, meaning that they’re much more common than we ever could imagine.

While there’s no test to tell if a driver was drowsy, there are clues to help us figure it out, like how many people were in the car. These accidents usually involve one vehicle and one driver. Also, skid marks, or lack thereof, are a good clue into drowsy driving car accidents. Evasive maneuvers are usually absent from the drowsy driving crash scene.

Drivers are asked to be careful when driving during the evening hours. It’s important that you’re getting enough sleep on a daily basis and that you’re stopping when your body feels tired. Some of the most common mistakes that drivers make behind the wheel is attempting to push through drowsiness. Whenever you feel sleepy behind the wheel — stop driving! Pull over, get out of your car, walk around, take a nap. Whatever you do, you don’t want to fight it!
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As we recently reported on our Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, it’s National Teen Driver Safety Week. During this time, parents are asked to step in and to talk with the young drivers in their family about the risks and the consequences of poor driving habits. These inexperienced drivers are more likely to get into a car accident than any other age group of drivers.

According to The Examiner, passengers are one of the main reasons why these young drivers have such high accident risks. A new study shows that teens engage in more dangerous driving behaviors when a young passenger is present as opposed to when there are no passengers in the car or when there is an older passenger. The recent study was conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and was released just in time for National Teen Driver Safety Week.

Our Boston car accident lawyers understand that a good chunk of fatal car accidents that occur with a teen driver involve young passengers, too. This is why many states have enacted passenger restrictions for their newly-licensed drivers.

“This much is certain: mixing teen drivers with teen passengers is simply toxic,” said John Townsend with AAA.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), teens in the state of Massachusetts are not allowed to have any passengers present in the car who are under the age of 18 during the first 6 months of their restricted driver’s licensing stage. From 12:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. and from 4:00 to 5:00 a.m., this law is only secondarily enforced, meaning that an officer has to witness a young driver breaking another law behind the wheel before they can be pulled over for breaking the passenger law. All other times, this is a primarily enforced law. In all of these cases, family members are exempt.

The AAA study also concluded that these young drivers are more likely to get into a fatal accident when driving at night. That’s covered in the state’s graduated driver’s licensing (GDL) program, too. According to the IIHS, these young drivers are not allowed to drive from 12:30 a.m. through 5:00 a.m. Again this is a law that’s only primarily enforced some of the time as well.

Because these laws are not always primarily enforced by law enforcement officers, parents are asked to step in and to create a parent-teen driving contract. What this does is it enforces specific driving rules within your own household. It’s important to lay down the consequences for breaking these household driving rules, too!

In the state of Massachusetts, the night driving restriction for permit holders under the age of 18 is not enforced if they are accompanied by a licensed parent or guardian. Not only is it a good idea to offer your teen supervised driving time during the evening hours, but you should do this in all kinds of driving situations. Supervised driving time with concrete feedback from a more experienced driver will help to teach your young driver the safe skills they need to be safe on our roadways.
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In a recent car accident on Interstate 95 near Exit 11, a Massachusetts State Trooper was injured and transported to a the Boston Medical Center. According to NECN, the officer’s cruiser collided with a pickup truck just before 4:00 a.m.

The officer was working a construction detail when the accident happened. It caused serious damage to the cruiser and emergency response teams had to extricate him from the vehicle. One person from the pickup truck was also taken to the hospital.

Officers are still investigating the accident, but think that the driver of the pickup might have fallen asleep. Officials say that he will more than likely be cited for operating to endanger and will also get a marked-lanes violation.

If you ever get into a car accident with a government vehicle, it’s important for you to contact an experienced attorney. Oftentimes, it is the party involved in the accident that will investigate, and having an attorney on your side can help ensure that your rights are protected. Our Boston car accident lawyers urge you to recruit experienced representation in these cases. Accidents at construction sites can be particularly dangerous and must be thoroughly investigated.

What might be the best way to avoid these kinds of accidents completely is to follow Massachusetts’ Move Over Law. This is the law that helps to keep our roadside workers and emergency responders safe out there. The law was enacted in March of 2009 and it requires all driver who are driving up to an emergency vehicle with activated lights on the side of the road to move over a lane and offer these individuals more space.

This is especially important when driving through work zones. When traveling through these areas, you not only have to worry about vehicles on the side of the road, but you have worry about workers, too. In 2010, there were close to 600 workers killed in work zones across the nation. All of these fatalities resulted from motor vehicle accidents.

Each and every year, there are emergency responders, law enforcement officers and roadside workers who are killed on the job because vehicles don’t allow them enough space on our roadways. As a matter of fact, there were 6 state troopers who were injured over the summer season, according to the Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. There were multiple officers killed, too. For that reason, we’re not only asking drivers to follow this life-saving law, but we’re asking you to make a personal pledge to yourself to move over when you see someone on the side of the road. It’s a lane change that could save lives.
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Car accidents are the number one cause of death for teens in the United States.

For that reason, our country recognizes National Teen Driver Safety Week (NTDSW). This year marks the 6th annual event and will be taking place from the 14th through the 20th of October. The theme of this year’s campaign is “Share, Not Scare.” according to Teen Driver Source.

Some think that we might be able to scare safe driving habits into our newly-licensed teens, but the truth of the matter is that there might be some better ways to get the message of safe and responsible driving across. Now, officials are working to motivate these young drivers by effectively communicating the benefits (not the dangers) of driving. Our Boston car accident attorneys are asking parents and guardians to give it a shot. Talk with your teen driver about how effective and beneficial safe driving habits can be!

Here are some tips to get you started:

-Keep your focus on the positive. You want to talk about the good habits, like always wearing a seat belt and how to be a good passenger. Try not to focus on what they shouldn’t be doing.

-Engage them, don’t offend them. Get your friends involved. Make sure the school is involved. You want to motivate them, not scare them. For campaign ideas, you can visit ridelikeafriend.org.

-Make them feel empowered. Teens really want to do the right thing and help to find the solution. Make sure that you’re recognizing their safe driving habits and not always pointing out their flawed ones. Don’t rebel against their friends who might not be making the best decision.

-Stay positive. This is contagious and will spread!

Here are some safe driving habits that you want to make sure that your teen, and everyone else in the family, knows:

-Keep distractions out of the driver’s seat. Cell phones increase your risks for a fatal accident, especially among teens.

-Make sure everyone is aware of the posted speed limits and the importance of following these limits.

-Always drive with care. Be a cautious and courteous driver. Keep your cool and avoid aggressive driving habits.

-Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This drastically increases your risks for a deadly accident.

-Remember that someone is killed in an alcohol-related car accident every 22 minutes.

-Always use your blinkers and make sure your maneuvers are obvious on the road. Surprises are never a good thing when driving.

-Never drive when you’re feeling sleepy and avoid driving at night. You want to drive when your body is well-rested and conditioned to be awake. Make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep every night.

-Your emotions can affect your driving. Make sure you’re calm, cool and collected before getting behind the wheel.
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