MBTA Accidents

January 15, 2018

Boston Car Accidents Involving Collisions with MBTA Vehicles

Crashes involving public transportation vehicles are sometimes the fault of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). When a crash involves the MBTA (or the “T” as it often called in Boston), or one of its agents or employees, special issues may arise not present in claims against private or even corporate-owned vehicles.

Sovereign Immunity and the Public Agency Requirement in Boston T Accidents

If a plaintiff is injured in a car accident caused by a corporation or private citizen, there is generally no limit on liability or the amounts that can be obtained in a jury verdict so long as the sum awarded is deemed to be reasonable in light of the facts of the case. If the jury award is not reasonable, defendant may ask for something known as a remittitur, pleaded through a motion to alter or amend judgement, as contained in Rule 59 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP).

Conversely, when the defendant is a public agency, as defined in Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L.), there is typically a cap on the amount of damages a plaintiff can recover. It’s a maximum of $100,000 to any single injured person. This is due to what is known as the doctrine or law of sovereign immunity. Continue reading

July 20, 2017

Truck-Train Accidents in Greater Boston Area

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

When we think of an auto accident, we normally think of one car hitting another car or truck, or perhaps a collision involving multiple vehicles. While this certainly accounts for most of the car accidents we see in the greater Boston area, there are other types of accidents.

According to a recent news article from CBS Local Boston, a man was killed when the pickup truck which he was he was driving was hit by a commuter rail train operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA or “T”). The driver of the truck was 78 years old at the time of this death. Continue reading

January 26, 2017

Massachusetts Train Accident Blamed on Gridlock

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Early on a Friday morning, bystanders witnessed a catastrophic crash between an eastbound commuter rail train and a local family in a car in Belmont. The gates had come down and the red lights were flashing, but the car was still trapped on the train tracks, according to the Boston Globe.

This serious car accident involving a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail train occurred in Belmont, a suburb of Boston situated in Middlesex County. The car was driven by a woman, who was transporting three boys, ages 6, 10 and 11. Continue reading

November 29, 2016

A Look at Serious Accident from Boston’s Past

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

While there are many news articles about car crashes between privately-owned vehicles and vehicles owned by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), or the “T” as it is commonly called, there has been a renewed interest in a serious accident involving a street car that occurred in Boston 100 years ago. This accident resulted in 46 deaths and is considered as the city’s largest catastrophe to be forgotten by time.

As discussed in a recent news article from Bostinno, on November 6, 1916, a Boston trolley car was filled with commuters during evening rush hour. This was Election Day, and the contest that year was between Woodrow Wilson, who obviously won the election, and Justice Charles Evans Hughes of the United States Supreme Court. The polls had just closed prior to the streetcar crash. Continue reading