Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog
These days, just about everyone is familiar with Uber or Lyft. These ridesharing services have become a lot more popular over the past few years and are even replacing public transportation and taxis for many people. While these ridesharing apps and vehicles can make things a lot simpler in some ways, they can also make things somewhat more complicated if there is a Boston car accident.
According to a recent news article from The Boston Herald, two victims were rushed to the hospital after an Uber car crashed into a brick wall in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood. This serious Boston car accident occurred around 3 p.m. near the intersection of Grove and Myrtle streets. Fortunately, the wall was in stable enough condition for the car to be removed without it collapsing, per the orders of a building inspector who was called to the scene to assess any immediate risks of a structure collapse.A spokesperson from the Boston Fire Department who was familiar with the accident said the car came straight through the intersection at high speed and crashed into a brick extension built onto the back of a house. One witness who lives in a nearby home heard the crash and came outside. She said there were two occupants in the heavily damaged Toyota Rav 4 who who managed to free themselves from the car and were able to walk. She said she did not see any obvious signs of bodily injury as a result of the is Boston auto accident, but said they were clearly shaken up and in a state of shock. This was especially true for the female passenger in the Uber vehicle.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they assessed the victims for signs of physical trauma and then transported both of them to a hospital in downtown Boston. Police were also on the scene and asked the driver why he crashed into the brick wall. He reported to the police that he was driving his vehicle when he was sideswiped by another vehicle, and this caused him to crash into the wall. The police are still investigating the cause of this accident and said they are unsure at this time as to whether they will be issuing any citations to the Uber driver in connection with this Boston car accident. As for the victims, their condition is unknown at this time, but their injuries are not believed to be life threatening.
If you are involved in an accident and the vehicle was a common carrier (bus, truck, taxi, train, etc.), there may be a different standard of care that applies to the driver. While a normal traffic accident case in Massachusetts uses the reasonable and prudent person standard, if the driver was a professional driver operating a vehicle for hire, he or she may be held to a higher standard. However, with ridesharing apps and their vehicles, the company has been arguing that they are not responsible, and the driver is not an employee or even a professional driver. While there has been less than a complete willingness to accept this logic or argument, it has raised some concerns that make these types of cases more complex. For this reason, you should speak with an experienced Boston accident lawyer about the facts of your actual situation.
If you are injured in an accident in Massachusetts, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers for a free and confidential appointment — (617) 777-7777.
Additional Resources:
2 hurt in Uber accident on Beacon Hill, October 27, 2016, By O’Ryan Johnson, Boston Herald
More Blog Entries:
Report: Fall River Teen Killed in Car Crash on Way to Prom, June 26, 2016, Boston Car Accident Injury Lawyer Blog