Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Friday morning car accident in Kingston kept four Silver Lake Regional High School students from making it to class, according to the Boston Globe. The four were involved in the accident as they were making their way to school that Friday morning. They were still listed in critical condition on Monday morning.

“We’re hoping for a speedy recovery for them. They’re all good kids. Each in their own way has excelled. They’re popular kids,” said Silver Lake Regional Superintendent John Tuffy.

Our Massachusetts car accident lawyers understand that high school students and teenage drivers around the state face some seriously high risks for car accidents. We oftentimes talk about these risks with parents and offer tips to help keep these young drivers safe on our roadways. Parental involvement in these young drivers’ habits behind the wheel is one of the best ways to help them to stay out of a potentially fatal car accident.

The accident happened as the four of the students were heading to school on Friday as they slammed head on into a school bus just after 7:00 a.m. The collision happened just about two blocks from the school on the very day of their junior prom.

The four students were transported to local hospitals after the accident, including South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center.

Police officers with the city are still looking into the cause of the accident, said a dispatcher for the city’s fire department, Vicki Goldberg.

Counselors at the school were available for students to talk with. Seeing these kind of accidents happen among friends and family members can be difficult for these students. Faculty and staff members are prepared to help them to cope.

Parents are urged to share the following tips from MassDOT with the teen drivers in their family:

-Before turning on the car, make sure that all mirrors are properly adjusted.

-Always wear a seat belt.

-Be sure that the seat is in the proper position and is comfortable.

-Always use your turn signals.

-Look in all mirrors and over your shoulder before moving in traffic.

-Keep two hands on the wheel.

-Always be aware of your surroundings.

-Stop behind crosswalks.

-Brake gently. There’s no need to brake abruptly and cause unnecessary jarring.

-Take turns at slow speeds.

-Be aware of who has the right-of-way, especially at intersections.

-Avoid backing out of parking spots when possible.

-Never talk on the phone or text message while driving.

-Avoid eating and drinking while driving.

-Be careful when playing with the music while driving.

-Pull over if you have any other business or attend to while driving. Behind the wheel is not a place to multitask.

-Never tailgate.

-Practice defensive driving habits.

-Be on the lookout for roadway dangers.
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Both prom and summer break are quickly approaching and students across the state can hardly wait.

That means that teens throughout Massachusetts will be hitting our roadways in full force in search of some fun away from class. To help to reduce their risks of car accidents in Boston and elsewhere, the Ford Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) program is coordinating a number of programs to spread the word about safety on our roadways, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA).

“This a time of year when many teens request, and parents provide, expanded driving privileges,” said Jim Graham, manager, Ford Driving Skills for Life.

Our Boston accident attorneys understand that safety takes a back seat with a lot of these students, especially in the face of end-of-the-year events. They oftentimes think of nothing more than getting where they’re going and forget about the dangers along the way. As a matter of fact, car accidents are the number one cause of death for teens aged 15- to 20-years-old across the country. GHSA even recently pointed out an increase in the number of fatal accidents among this age group during the second half of 2011. This recent increase provides us with a glimpse of what we can expect in the upcoming year and the increased risks these teen drivers can expect to face.

Teenage drivers are roughly three times more likely to get into a fatal car accident than any other age group of drivers. About 3,000 teens die every year because of these kinds of accidents. Teens under the age of 20 also have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal accidents nationwide.

For that reason, Ford Driving Skills for Life will be providing more than 1,000 teenage drivers with some advanced safe-driving skills. Some of the nation’s top professional drivers will be teaching these young drivers these skills through a number of free, hands-on modules. These modules will be covering hazard recognition, vehicle handling, space/speed management and driver distractions.

Throughout the month of April, Ford’s program will be awarding $100,000 in grants to GHSA members across the country to conduct their own events to incorporate these safe-driving skills.

Teenage drivers need to remember that driving is a privilege and it’s not a right. We need to make sure we set specific limitations on these young drivers to help keep them safe during this time of the year, when they’re most likely to get into a fatal car accident. Parents are urged to create a parent-teen driving contract to help lay out these rules and the consequences for breaking them.

Barbara Harsha, the executive director of GHSA, says that parents are some of the most influential people when it comes to the driving habits of teens on roadways nationwide. Consider enacting household rules that limit a young driver’s nighttime hours, number of passengers, speed limits and distractions.
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The more experience a driver has, the safer they are behind the wheel — sometimes.

There’s a certain age we’re all going to reach someday when experience isn’t going to work on our side anymore. There comes a time when age is going to bring about physical frailty and cognitive issues that are going to increase our risks for a car accident in Boston. Elderly drivers and these risks have been a topic of debate for some time now. Officials are still looking for effective ways to help keep these elderly drivers out of potentially fatal car accidents.

Right now, driver’s licenses for elderly drivers only get restricted after there have been a number of traffic incidents. Sometimes these restrictions can come too late.

Our Boston injury attorneys understand that some safe driving advocates are considering graduated driver’s licensing (GDL) programs for senior drivers, much like the GDL programs that are currently in place for novice drivers. Many believe that these programs can help to cut accidents risks. Effective GDL programs can reduce the number of road accidents involving teen drivers by nearly 20 percent, according to Medical Press.

“With this approach, a full driver’s license defaults automatically to a restricted license that allows seniors to continue to drive only under relatively favorable roadway conditions,” said Drs. Donald Redelmeier, University of Toronto.

Many believe that seniors should have to face certain restrictions behind the wheel depending on medical exams. Programs like this should be able to help eliminate the need for confusing and difficult medical suspension talks.

The truth of the matter is that many older baby boomers will be turning 65-years-old this year and we will be faced with the largest-ever generation of senior citizens to have driver’s license.

According to a recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety of more than 2,000 adults, including more than 510 over the age of 65, about 50 percent said that they were concerned with losing their ability to drive as they age.

With a suggestive editorial from the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers believe that there should be some sort of program in place to help judge the abilities of senior drivers. Licensing should rely on a driver’s abilities, age or benchmarks. Exceptions should only be made to those who are in good health and have been checked off by their doctor.

“The idea here is to preserve licensing during regular daylight hours so that the person can still do their grocery shopping and visit the hardware store and see their grandchildren,” says Redelmeier.

According to the Medical Affairs Branch of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, officials do not put an age limit on drivers in the state. Drivers in Massachusetts can renew their driver’s license for a 5- year period both online and in person. You are required to renew the license in person at least once every 10 years. During this time, drivers are usually required to take a knowledge test and a vision test.
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In a recent auto accident in Ashburnham between a motorcycle and a moose, two were killed — man and moose. According to Sentinel and Enterprise, the weekend accident happened on Route 119 when a 38-year-old biker accidentally drove into a moose that was crossing the road. The male driver was killed and his 40-year-old wife, who was a passenger on his motorcycle, was severely injured in the collision.

Officials estimate that the moose weighed about 700 pounds. Ashburnham police Sgt. Chris Conrad reports that the two motorcyclists were thrown from the bike in the accident. Reports also indicate that the moose was crossing the road, in front of the bikers, about a mile from the New Hampshire border when it all happened. The moose was also killed in the accident, according to State police spokesman David Procopio. A local towing company removed the animal from the accident scene. Conrad concludes that the incident appeared to have been unavoidable.

“The moose weighed between 600 and 800 pounds. Unfortunately, it’s just one of those things that was unpreventable. We had a moose hit two days earlier. It’s fairly common up there,” said Conrad.

Our Massachusetts car accident lawyers understand that there are some wild dangers that we need to cautious of, as drivers, on our roadways. Moose and other wild animals typically are not as big a danger as other motorists on the road, but they do contribute to the risks. Drivers are urged to be cautious when driving and to keep an eye out for crossing animals. You may think your odds of hitting a crossing animal are relatively low, but remember it only takes once. Avoid that once and be safe and alert behind the wheel.

Police are encouraging drivers to be cautious in areas where animals, especially large animals like deer and moose, are known to cross roadways.

Every year, there are more than 500,000 deer-auto accidents that wind up killing about 100 people and injuring thousands more. While deer are commonly the victims of the animal family in animal-related car accidents, motorists can still be involved in accidents with a number of other animals. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), these kinds of accidents run about $2,000 per claim. The recent explosion in the deer and moose population has led to a dramatic increase in these kinds of accidents. Back in the 80s, there were about 10 million deer recorded in the U.S. Today, there have been more than 25 million recorded. Auto accidents with animals account for nearly 5 percent of all accidents in the U.S.

Tips to Help You Avoid A Car Accident with An Animal:

-Be on the lookout for warning signs. If you see signs in the area that warn of crossing animals, you should take extra care behind the wheel. Stay extra alert in these areas.

-Be sure to drive at a safe speed. Never speed when you expect moose or deer to be nearby. Slowing down will help you to better react to an animal should you see one near or on the roadway.

-Be extra cautious near sunrise and sunset. This is when the animals come out.

-Use your high beams.

-Stay in the center lane or near the center of a two-lane roadway. Stay away from the edge of the road.

-Always expect the unexpected.

-Honk your horn if you see a deer.

-Try not to swerve. Brake firmly if you see a deer. You could collide into another vehicle instead of the deer if you swerve without knowing your surroundings.

-If you know you’re going to hit a deer, take your foot off the brake right before hitting it. This will cause the front of your vehicle to lift slightly and this will help to stop the animal from traveling into your windshield upon collision.

-If you’re going to crash with a moose, lean toward the door pillar to avoid being crushed by the impact of the collision.
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A recent car accident in Allston, at the intersection of Commonwealth and Harvard avenues, landed the driver of a sedan some serious citations from local officers. Accident reports indicate that the driver of the sedan failed to yield to a turning motorcycle at the intersection — he slammed into the rider and left him with life-threatening injuries, according to the Boston Globe.

After the collision, the motorcyclist was transported to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, according to a Boston Police spokeswoman. The driver of the sedan was transported to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. Boston Police’s motor vehicle accident reconstruction experts are currently investigating the accident.

Our Massachusetts motorcycle accident lawyers often discuss the risks that motorcyclists face on our roadways. What we feel needs to be discussed now is the dangers that motorists of all kinds face at intersections.

We pass though plenty of intersections every day and neglect to recognize the dangers associated with these areas. As a matter of fact, close to half of the more than 5,810,000 traffic accidents that happened in 2008 were intersection-related accidents, according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the National Automotive Sampling System-General Estimates System (NASS-GES). This means that there were nearly 2,200,000 intersection-related crashes during that year. There’s really nothing to blame these kinds of accident on aside from poor driving behaviors. As a matter of fact, less than 5 percent of these accidents were attributed to vehicle- or environment-attributed causes.

Some of the top reasons for accidents at intersections include:

-Driving too fast for conditions/aggressive driving.

-Driver-performance error.

-Inadequate surveillance.

-False assumption of other’s actions.

-Obstructed views.

-External distraction.

-Illegal maneuvers.

-Internal distractions.

-Misjudgments of gap or other’s speed.

There are a few things that drivers can do to help reduce their risks of an intersection-related accident. These tips are simple, easy to use and should be a part of all drivers’ everyday driving habits.

First, drivers are asked to stay in their lane. Be sure you’re in the correct lane you need to be in before you hit the intersection. Keep an eye on the signs at an intersection. Be on the lookout for signs indicating road work, crossing pedestrians or other restrictions.

Also, you should keep an eye out for vehicles changing lanes abruptly or stopping quickly. Sideswipe accidents and rear-end accidents are all too common accidents near intersections.

You’re urged to give other vehicles adequate room and to never tailgate. You need all of the reaction time you can get in these areas. Look in all directions before making turns. Know who has the right-of-way and know who’s driving around you.

Alertness may be one of your best defenses against an intersection-related accident. Lastly, we urge drivers to curb all of the distractions when passing through these areas. Turn down your radio, hang up the phone and pause the conversations with passengers. These areas need your full and undivided attention. The safety of you and nearby travelers relies on it.
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This week may seem like it’s a little longer than usual. Many residents are feeling this way because of the recent change to daylight saving time. As we recently turned our clocks ahead an hour, we’ll be experiencing increased risks for drowsy driving accidents in Braintree and elsewhere throughout the state. According to The Washington Post, drivers are asked to be extra careful on our roadways, especially during early morning commutes, and to make sure they’re well-rested before jumping behind the wheel.

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that about one out of every six fatal car accidents is caused by a drowsy driver.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that drowsy driving car accidents are preventable, but not in the ways you may think. Many drivers think that some caffeine, an open window and some loud music is a sure way to cure drowsy driving. There’s nothing further from the truth. These “solutions” may offer temporary relief, if any, and still leave drivers just as vulnerable to microsleeps, which are little bursts of sleep behind the wheel. Most drivers don’t even notice these microsleeps — until it’s too late.

A study from the National Sleep Foundation concluded that roughly 60 percent of drivers (or nearly 170 million people) admit that they’ve driven a vehicle while experiencing side effects of drowsiness at least once in the last year. Over a third of these drivers (or nearly 15 million people) admitted that they were so drowsy that they actually fell asleep behind the wheel. Of those people, 15 percent of them said that they’ve done this in the last month. About 4 percent of these drivers (more than 10 million people) admitted that they got into an accident or experienced a near-accident at least once because they dozed off behind the wheel.

Signs that you’re too sleepy behind the wheel:

-Having a tough time keeping your eyes open.

-Having a tough time focusing.

-Having trouble remembering the last few miles that you drove.

-Accidentally driving passed your exits.

-Overlooking traffic signs and signals.

-Yawning a whole lot!

-Drifting in and out of lanes.

-Unknowingly tailgating.

-Having feelings of restlessness or irritability.

To help reduce the risks of a drowsy driving accident, before heading out you should:

-Make sure you get enough sleep the night before. Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep.

-Make sure that you schedule appropriate breaks throughout your journey. Plan to take a break every 100 miles you travel or at least every two hours.

-Bring a friend. Having a passenger is an excellent way to avoid drowsy driving. You can switch driving responsibilities if you start to feel sleepy behind the wheel.

-You shouldn’t take any sedating medications or drink any alcohol before hitting the road. Ask your doctor if any of your medications will affect your ability to drive.
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There’s a Stachetastic app that lets you to customize mustaches for yourself. There’s a Ginger Booth app to let you see what you’d look like as a red head. And there’s even a Sleep Talk Recorder app to record yourself in your sleep, just in case you sleep talk.

While some may find these apps to be a silly, entertaining or even magical, there are apps that may actually help to make life easier and less stressful. Some might even be able to help to reduce the risks of car accidents in Boston and elsewhere, like the new SeeClickFix app. This is an app that helps motorists to report potholes to local officials.

Here’s how it works. When a driver observes a pothole, they take a picture of it and send it to city hall, according to CNN. Some don’t have much faith in this app though, saying that drivers are lazy and probably won’t take the time to take that picture and send it off. Boston’s got a better idea on how to get this information to the appropriate officials.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that government officials are required to ensure that roadways are safe for travel. Dangerous roadways can lead to dangerous car accidents, and someone’s got to be held accountable for that. It’s not the driver’s fault in many cases. Unsafe and poorly maintained roadways are dangerous and can result in death if they’re not properly addressed by city officials. Many feel that reports from drivers can help to keep roadways safe.

That’s the idea behind the new “Street Bump” app, an Andriod app that’s currently piloted by the City of Boston. This new app is expected to be released in the summer and it will help the digital sensors in smartphones to do the detecting. The phone’s accelerometer will be able to locate these potholes when you’re driving, and when it does, the app pairs up the data about bumps you encounter with a GPS coordinate. This information is then sent on to a citywide database.

Nigel Jacob, a member of the mayor’s office of New Urban Mechanics, is hoping that Boston and other cities will soon grab hold to these kinds of apps and help to keep track of road conditions so that officials can prioritize which roadways need the work first. It will help to notify the cities regarding which areas and which potholes are the worst.

Jacobs says that technologies like this can not only save motorists from accidents, but they can help to save the city a little cash, too.

The app was created and tested back in 2011. The only problem with it was that the system wasn’t able to differentiate between a pothole, a speed bump, a railroad track and another kind of road bump. Since then, the city launched a worldwide challenge in partnership with InnoCentive. Within the challenge was a $25,000 prize for whoever could come up with an app that could differentiate between various road bumps.

Three winners were named in this challenge and now the city is working with all three of them to implement their algorithmic solutions.

Car accidents can be caused by a number of factors. According to SmartMotorist.com, these top causes are equipment failure, roadway design, poor roadway maintenance and driver behavior.
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