Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

An off-duty police offer collided with a Boston fire truck, causing a serious Boston car accident. The Boston Fire Department fire truck was on the way to an accident that had been reported. The big red trick had its lights and siren activated before and during the crash, reports Boston.com. The force from the accident caused the truck to swing around in the intersection, knocking over a traffic light.

Our Boston car accident lawyers urge you to be extra cautious around emergency response vehicles such as police cars, fire trucks and ambulances.

The accident happened around 3:40p.m. when the off-duty cop and the fire truck collided at the intersection of Harvard and Morton streets, according to Steve MacDonald, a spokesman for the fire department. Several lanes were closed as traffic was sent through a detour during rush hour.

The off-duty police offer, on his way to work in his SUV, was hospitalized with serious leg injuries, while the fire truck driver was transported and treated for minor injuries, according to the Boston Herald. It has still not been determined who was at fault. Police are still investigating.

So what do you do when you’re involved in an accident with a government vehicle? These vehicles can include city maintenance vehicles, U.S. Postal Service trucks, police cruisers, fire trucks or ambulances. Typically you would file an injury claim against the other driver, but when it’s a government vehicle you may want to file against the government entity that owns the vehicle. It is important to contact an experienced attorney if you’ve been involved in a motor vehicle accident with a government automobile, as often times it will be your word against theirs. It is vital to get proper representation when up against these highly influential agencies.

Emergency response vehicles are the most technologically crammed vehicles on the road, housing sophisticated radios, dashboard computers, cell phones and navigation systems. Hundreds of thousands of drivers – police officers and paramedics – are required to use them, while weaving through traffic, many times at fast speeds, all while the sirens are blaring. As such, they are the most distracted drivers on the road.

As we recently discussed in our Boston Car Accident Lawyer blog, there have been at least a dozen government vehicle accidents in the past 15 months resulting in serious injury in Massachusetts. The noted causes for the accidents have been speeding, impaired driving and erratic driving.

It is important to remember that police officers and other emergency responder vehicles have a lot going on in their cab. And they typically have the right of way. But that does not automatically absolve them of responsibility when a serious or fatal accident occurs.

“You and I, well we just shouldn’t use our cellphones and we could probably get away without using our GPS devices just fine. We could just drive,” said Andrew Kun, an associate professor at the University of New Hampshire. “Basically, officers have to use the electronic equipment in the car as part of their jobs … while they’re driving.”
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April officially marks National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. It began last year as FocusDriven wished to take a stand against cell phone use and other hand-held device use while operating a motor vehicle. Since the start of this program, the safe driving advocates of the National Safety Council have joined the cause to help decrease the risks of distracted driving car accidents in Boston and elsewhere in the United States.

Boston car accident attorneys urge residents to join the fight against distracted driving — we encourage all drivers to put their full attention on the roads and in-car distractions at all costs to help keep motorists on our roadways safe.


FocusDriven provides these statistics to illustrate just how dangerous distracted driving has become:

-The growing popularity of cell phones has only increased the risks of distracted driving accidents. In 1995, cell phone subscriptions covered a mere 11 percent of the United States population. In 2010, that number grew to 93 percent.

-At any given time, nearly 10 percent of drivers are actively talking on cell phones.

-Using a cell phone behind the wheel makes you four times more likely to be involved in an automobile accident.

-In a recent AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety survey, 70 percent of respondents reportedly admitted to talking on a cell phone while driving in the last month, yet more than half of them acknowledged that the behavior poses a threat to their personal safety.

It is estimated that nearly 20 percent of all reported car accidents that resulted in injury were caused by distracted driving. In 2009, there were nearly 5,500 fatalities and more than 448,000 injuries reportedly influenced by a distracted driver. More specifically, nearly 1,000 of the fatal accidents reported the use of a cell phone as the distraction.

Those under 20 currently have the greatest proportion of distracted drivers, as 16 percent of them involved in fatal car accidents reported distracted driving as the cause. It is not uncommon for a distracted driver to be involved in unsafe conditions on our roadways as driving while distracted gives you the same reaction time as a legally drunk driver, having a blood alcohol content level of more than .08.

The NSC finds National Distracted Driving Awareness Month to be the perfect opportunity for employers to create or enhance cell phone policies in the workplace in order to protect workers. The NSC provides resources for employers looking to enhance on the job safety, including a free Cell Phone Policy Kit.
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A new crop of teens will be hitting the road soon with their very own driver’s license, but what are you doing to keep them safe? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that, per mile driven, teens drivers ages 16 and 19 the most at risk for Boston car accidents and car accidents elsewhere in the United States.

Our Boston personal injury lawyers understand how scary it can be to send our teen drivers out on the road to fend for themselves. That’s why it is important to send them out there with the proper tools to help them stay safe: safe driving habits and a safe vehicle.

While your teen might have a fast, sporty, fun car, in mind, you probably prefer something that is more economical and safe. Compromise is important here. Parents should sit down with their teen and discuss realistic options. Perhaps a mutual agreement can be reached. The Dover Post recommends discussing what each party wants in a car and then discussing which options are available — this may be the most effective way to find a car that meets both parties requirements. Teens may even be surprised at their parent’s ability to pick out a sweet ride.

Allstate recommends that parents stand strong against car dealers when negotiating on a chosen vehicle. Don’t get intimidate and don’t hesitate to request a lower price. Negotiating sticker prices has become more and more wide spread in recent years.

It is also recommended that parents deal with the highest-ranking person at the dealership. Salesmen on the lower end collect commission on sales and are more likely to try and talk you into buying a car you may not want. Upper managers really can’t lose money in sales unless they practically give you the car. They’re more likely to be upfront with the details.

Here are some of the most important things to look for when purchasing a car for your teen driver:

-Keep an eye on the tires, especially if you’re purchasing a used car for your young driver. Keep the car equipped with tires that provide the best traction. It is important to talk with your teen about how the car will handle in various driving conditions as well.

-Keep an eye on the type of airbags in each car. Make sure you know which ones provide the most safety and which ones are available in the car you may purchase.

-Stability control may be key in keeping your teen safe. The system isn’t perfect, but it could help your teen driver manage through a situation they may not have seen coming.

-Check all your options. Do your research before heading out to the dealership. Check out reviews and safety ratings. The NHTSA is a good place to start for general car safety information. Encourage your teen to help with the process. Allow them to feel as if they’re picking out the car on their own. This research will help educate your child about vehicle safety, too!
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Gas is expected to hit $5 a gallon this week. Well, okay, April Fools. But $3.50 a gallon is no bargain.

The average price for a gallon of gas currently sits at about $3.56, according to PriceLock. Massachusetts gas prices average a little lower at $3.48. DriveOn offers tips to help drivers save on gas consumption, when in all actuality these tips may be better for preventing Boston car accidents.

Boston personal injury lawyers encourage you to exercise cautious driving habits not only to keep you from spending all your hard earned money on fuel, but to help keep the streets of Massachusetts a little bit safer.

“I think as the prices climb, there’s a lot of interest in finding every single way to save,” said Mary Maguire, the Massachusetts spokeswoman for AAA Southern New England.

There are numerous ways drivers can regulate their fuel usage. Try following these money saving tips:

-Turn your car off whenever you can. Don’t leave it running while you’re waiting for your kids to get out of school. Don’t sit in the parking lot blabbing on your phone, Don’t leave the car running when you dash back into the house for whatever you forgot.

-Check the air pressure in your tires. While many of today’s cars come standard with warning lights that alert you when your tire pressure is running low, it’s just as important to get out and check manually if you’re driving an older car. Make sure to use a gauge. Don’t eyeball it.

-You don’t have to warm up your car anymore. Where that used to be the rule, modern cars don’t need it. Now all you need to do is drive slowly at first and allow a little time for the oil to warm and circulate properly.

-Stay off the gas pedal. Full throttle drinks of a ton of fuel — and fast!

-Try carpooling. Ride with friends or coworkers whenever possible. Not only are you cutting the risk of an accident in half, you’re cutting your gas consumption in half as well.

Wondering which gas stations are offering the cheapest fuel prices? Here’s a list of daily gas prices in Boston.
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