Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

One of the nation's most prominent highway safety organizations contends the government has gotten sidetracked by safety issues like texting and driving.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the highway safety arm of the insurance industry, claims the government is waging a high-profile campaign against test messaging and runaway Toyotas while doing too little to force automakers to adapt better safety features. Our Boston personal injury lawyers and wrongful death attorneys have reported extensively on the government's effort to combat texting and cell phone use while driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 6,000 motorists are killed and more than 500,000 are injured each year in accidents caused by distracted driving, including driver cell phone use.

The IIHS reports about 100 motorists are killed each day in traffic accidents nationwide.

"You'd think from the media coverage, congressional hearings, and the U.S. Department of Transportation's focus in recent months that separating drivers from their phones would all but solve the public-health problem of crash deaths and injuries," IIHS President Adrian Lund wrote in the agency's August status report. "It won't."

As the Wall Street Journal points out, car accidents are the number one cause of accidental death in the United States. Naturally, the U.S. Department of Transportation takes issue with the notion that it has been sidetracked.

"Safety is the Department of Transportation's number one priority, which is why we are aggressively and urgently tackling a number of risks to drivers' safety," the DOT said in a statement. "We are going to continue taking drunk drivers off the road, getting people to put down their phones and other distractions, making sure cars and trucks are safe to drive, and doing whatever else is necessary to keep Americans safe behind the wheel."

While that might be true, the uproar over Toyota consumed the agency earlier this summer. And it has yet to release comprehensive accident statistics for 2009, which are typically released sometime in midsummer each year.

Continue reading "Government accused of smoke in mirrors with over focus on distracted driving car accidents" »

The U.S. Department of Transportation will be joining law enforcement efforts in all 50 states to crack down on drunk driving and other driving infractions through the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

Our Boston accident attorneys continue to report on the dangers of drunk driving accidents. Alcohol was involved in 151 fatal Massachusetts car accidents in 2008 -- accounting for 42 percent of the state's 363 traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest" is a nationwide campaign that began Aug. 20 and runs through Labor Day weekend. Law enforcement efforts in all 50 states will be augmented by a $13 million television and radio campaign.

"Drunk driving is deadly, it's against the law, and unfortunately, it's still a problem," said Secretary Ray LaHood. "With the help of law enforcement around the country, we are going to continue doing all that we can to stop drunk driving and the needless tragedies that result from this reckless behavior."

A new study released in time for the holiday found that about 8 percent of all drivers -- or 17 million motorists -- have driving drunk at least once in the past year. One in 5 motorists have driven within two hours of drinking alcohol at some point in the past year. Yet 80 percent of Americans identify drunk driving as a "major threat" to the safety of their family.

"Our message is loud and clear. If you drive drunk you will be arrested and prosecuted. There will be no exceptions and no excuses," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. "And if you're below the age of 21, there is zero tolerance for any alcohol in your system whatsoever. That's why we're out there with law enforcement, tackling this major safety issue head on."

The study found that young male drivers are at the highest risk. Of male drivers age 16 to 24, a full one-fourth had either driven drunk or had been a passenger in a car driven by someone who had too much to drink at some point during the past 12 months.

Continue reading "Law enforcement to target drunk driving in effort to reduce Massachusetts car accidents over Labor Day weekend" »

A Lynn, Massachusetts drunk driving accident is being blamed for seriously injuring a man riding a moped early Saturday morning, the Item reported.

The accident happened about 1:30 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of North Street and Liberty Hill Avenue, according to Salem police.

As Labor Day approaches, it is a good time to remind friends and family members about the dangers of drinking and driving. Somewhere in the United States, a motorist is killed in a drunk driving accident every 45 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nationwide, about one-third of all fatal accidents involve alcohol, leading to 11,773 deaths in 2008.

And this was the second serious Massachusetts scooter accident in as many days. We reported on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog that an emergency room doctor was killed in a scooter accident in Boston on Friday.

In this case, the 35-year-old rider was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious injuries. The 25-year-old driver of the Passat allegedly failed several field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest on a second offense of driving under the influence of alcohol. She also faces a felony charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol with serious bodily injury.

Police say she tested .17, over twice the legal limit. Her driver's license was seized and destroyed by police. The moped suffered heavy front end damage and the rider was ejected as a result of the accident.

Continue reading "Lynn car accident blamed on drunk driver; moped rider seriously injured " »

The rush is on to enlist the help of celebrities to preach the dangers of texting and driving as safety advocates seek to reduce the risk of distracted driving car accidents in Boston and across the country, the Boston Globe reported.

As our Boston injury lawyers reported earlier this summer, Massachusetts is one of several states to approve a ban of texting while driving. Of the 30 states that have such bans, 11 of them have enacted laws this year, according to the Governor's Highway Safety Association. Now, safety advocates are increasingly enlisting the help of celebrities to keep the momentum going.

Celebrities who have taken up the cause include Oprah and her "No Phone Zone" pledge, "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks, Incredible Hulk Lou Ferrigno, "Today" host Meredith Vieira, snowboarding champion Shaun White and 88-year-old actress Betty White.

Young celebrities in particular have taken the cause to heart as studies show that teen drivers are at the highest risk of a distracted driving accident caused by cell phone use or text messaging while behind the wheel. This week, the Jonas Brothers, a band especially popular with preteens, wore "TXTING KLLS" thumb rings.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 6,000 people are killed each year and 500,000 are injured in car accidents caused by distracted driving.

Massachusetts' new law takes effect on Sept. 30.

Continue reading "Celebrities join forces to reduce risk of distracted driving car accidents in Massachusetts and throughout the country" »

Safety advocates hope new mandatory training for underage riders will help reduce the risk of serious and fatal Massachusetts motorcycle accidents involving teenagers.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed the new law requiring riders ages 16 to 18 to take the course before applying for a junior license.

Dubbed "Ryan's Bill," the measure is named for a Brockton teen who was killed in an accident, according to the Milford Daily News. It had the support of safety and riding advocates, including the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association.

The association reports that about 1 in 4 fatal motorcycle accidents involve riders under the age of 21 and more than half of all fatal crashes involve riders with no formal rider safety training.

Before the new law, young riders needed only to pass a vision test and a written examination. The motorcycle association said the safety courses will be available in more than a dozen locations across the state.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 5,290 riders were killed in accidents nationwide in 2008 and more than 96,000 were injured. Motorcycle accidents in Massachusetts killed 41 riders that year.

The law is named for Ryan Orcutt, who was 16 years old when he died in a motorcycle accident.

Continue reading "Rider safety courses aimed at reducing serious and fatal Massachusetts motorcycle accidents" »

A Boston motorcycle accident injured a police officer Saturday morning, the Globe reported.

A Honda Civic collided with the Boston police motorcycle near the Thomas P. O'Neill Tunnel, shortly after 8:30 a.m., according to Massachusetts State Police.

The officer was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries.

Motorcycle riders will be out in large numbers through the upcoming Labor Day weekend and the remainder of the summer riding season. Also this weekend, the Massachusetts Motorcyclists Survivor's Fund hosted Nelson's Ride, an 11th Annual Event in memory of a 37-year-old Essex rider who was killed in a motorcycle accident after a teenage driver pulled out in front of his bike.

The memorial ride began in Gloucester and went through Manchester, Beverly, Wenham, Hamilton, Ipswich and Essex.

The accident resulted in 2004 Nelly's Bill, which is a law aimed at motorcycle awareness programs in high school drivers education courses. The program reminds drivers to "Check Twice."

That is advice we should all follow as riding season enters the final frenzied months of fall.

Continue reading "Accident involving police officer a reminder for motorists to help reduce risk of Boston motorcycle accidents this fall" »

A Lexington, Massachusetts car accident has claimed the life of a 33-year-old Gardner woman, the Boston Globe reported.

Massachusetts State Police say the victim was driving a subcompact car on Route 2 eastbound in Lexington when she veered into the westbound lanes, crashing into three other vehicles.

She was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, just after 2 p.m. Authorities are investigating what caused the accident. Route 2 was closed for about three hours.

ABC5 reports that four other people were injured; two of the drivers were seriously hurt.

The number of Massachusetts traffic accidents has declined in recent years, from 149,860 in 2006 to 136,384 in 2008, according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety.

Along with the reduction in accidents has come a reduction in fatalities, from 429 in 2006 to 363 in 2008. Still, more than 3,700 motorists were seriously injured in Massachusetts traffic crashes in 2008, the last year for which statistics are available.

About half of the fatality victims -177- were the drivers of passenger cars.

Continue reading "Lexington car accident claims life of driver -- drivers account for half of Massachusetts traffic fatalities" »

A Stoughton car accident claimed the life of a Fall River woman and critically injured her passenger, after their pickup truck rolled over a Route 24 guardrail on Friday morning.

The Enterprise News reported that the vehicle ended up on the wrong side of the highway.

The 51-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Her 54-year-old passenger was transported to Boston Medical Center with serious injuries. Both drivers were wearing seat belts and neither was ejected.

Police believe the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel of her 1995 Toyota T100 while northbound on Route 24. The vehicle veered off the right side of the road shortly after 2 a.m. The driver apparently overcorrected, crossed all three lanes and slammed into the median guardrail. The truck then rolled over the guardrail and landed on the other side of the highway.

DrowsyDriving.org reports that 100,000 crashes a year are the direct result of driver fatigue. An estimated 1,550 motorists are killed and 71,000 are injured each year in accidents caused by drowsy drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Those at highest risk include:

-Adults between the ages of 18-29 are the most at-risk age group.

-Men are twice as likely as women to fall asleep while driving.

-Adults with children in the home are more likely to drive drowsy.

-Shift workers are at increased risk.

-Sleep deprivation puts a driver at twice the risk of an accident, when compared to drivers who get at least 8 hours of sleep per night.

Continue reading "Drowsy driving could be responsible for fatal Massachusetts car accident" »

State police have identified the seven areas where motorists are most at-risk for being victimized by crime or involvement in a Massachusetts car accident and are hoping increased patrols and other measures will help reduce the risk.

The Boston Herald reports that common dangers in these hot spots include drunken driving, speeding and motorcycle drag racing and that such behaviors threaten public safety and the lives of other motorists on the road.

"This summer is a pretty bad summer for traffic-related issues," said Maj. Edward Amodeo, commander of Troop A, which covers north of Boston to New Hampshire and west to Interstate 495 and portions of Interstate 93, Route 128 and Route 1. "There's a high volume of traffic. People are out enjoying the summer. As a result we are having more interactions, more issues, more crashes, higher citations than last year."

In June, the Massachusetts Highway Patrol moved 37 additional troopers into areas with the highest crash and arrest rates.

While overall traffic fatalities have fallen to 145 from 184 during the same period a year ago, fatal crashes are up in several areas of the state. Hotspots include Springfield, north of Boston and south of Boston.

Troop H, which covers Boston to the Rhode Island border, has seen an increase in crashes this summer. As has Troop B in Springfield and Troop A, where the busy Medford barrack has covered 2,118 crashes.

Continue reading "Massachusetts traffic accidents on the rise in and around Boston even as statewide figures continue to decline" »

While Boston car accidents remain a significant threat to motorists, a new study suggests that drivers may actually be at increased risk of an accident while traveling in more rural areas of Massachusetts.

The USA Today reports that safety advocates are concerned that a false sense of security by rural drivers, combined with the lack of emphasis on rural driving safety, could be contributing to the safety risks.

The Center for Excellence in Rural Safety at the University of Minnesota reports that 57 percent of all highway deaths occur in rural areas, despite the fact that only 23 percent of the American population lives outside urban areas.

The center reports that 84 percent of study respondents feel safe on rural interstates, compared to 79 percent on rural highways and 69 percent on urban freeways. Safety advocates are concerned that those who feel safer are more likely to engage in dangerous behavior, including drunk driving and distracted driving.

"People seem to feel more comfortable on those roads, even though the facts show that it's more dangerous," says Lee Munnich, director of the center. "They feel more relaxed and, as a result, they are engaging in behavior that is riskier."

Only speeders reported feeling safer on large urban highways, by a factor of 47 percent to 33 percent.

Rural motorists are at significantly greater risk for being involved in a fatal singe-vehicle accident, usually as a result of the driver crashing into a tree, utility pole or other stationary object.

The study appears to reveal an overconfidence people feel in their own abilities and an underestimation of the risks. "The more people perceive they have control, the less they perceive a situation as being risky," said Peter Kissinger, president and CEO of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

The study was funded by the Federal Highway Administration and could raise awareness about the need to focus on traffic safety in more rural areas.

"The transportation community has tended to underemphasize rural road safety," Kissinger said. "There's a long history of underinvestment in rural road safety in this country."

Continue reading "Boston car accidents a common danger - but rural motorists may be at increased risk of Massachusetts traffic crashes" »

The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced the second-annual distracted driving summit will be held on Sept. 21 in Washington, D.C., as authorities continue to push cell phone and text messaging bans as a way to combat car accidents in Massachusetts and serious and fatal traffic accidents nationwide.

As we reported earlier this summer on our Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, Massachusetts is finally moving to ban text messaging by all drivers and to prevent young drivers from using cell phones while behind the wheel.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is pushing for all states to enact such measures. The federal government estimates that 6,000 motorists are killed and more than 500,000 are injured each year in accidents caused by distracted driving.

"Working together, we can put an end to the thousands of needless deaths and injuries caused by distracted driving each year," said Secretary LaHood. "By getting the best minds together, I believe we can figure out how to get people to put down their phones and pay attention to the road."

Following the inaugural summit last year, President Obama issued an Executive Order banning text messaging by all 4 million federal employees. The order applies to any employee operating a government vehicle.

The government credits the first summit with raising awareness about the dangers of cell phone use and text messaging while drivers. Thirty states currently ban text messaging while driving -- 11 of those measures have been enacted so far in 2010.

Continue reading "Distracted driving summit to combat car accidents in Massachusetts, traffic accidents nationwide" »

The Massachusetts Highway Patrol has announced an enforcement blitz will be rolled out in an effort to reduce the number of serious and fatal Massachusetts car accidents through the remainder of summer. The blitz will be conducted each Friday and Saturday night and will search for drunk drivers and other traffic violators.

Dubbed Operation Lightning, the effort will include 20 extra troopers on the roads each Friday and Saturday night. During the last two weekends, the operation has resulted in the arrest of 24 motorists on drunk driving charges, as well as 15 other arrests. The extra patrols also issued 263 citations.

In addition to the increased enforcement, the patrol is also launching a "Click it or Ticket" campaign, which will use federal funding through the National Highway Transportation Administration to pay for an additional 460 four-hour patrol shifts through July 31. In August, a "Drunk Driving -- Over the Limit -- Under Arrest" grant will be used to provide a similar increase in patrols and enforcement.

The patrol also announced plans to run two or three sobriety checkpoints each weekend through the remainder of the year. Last weekend, checkpoints in Quincy and Auburn netted 12 drunk driver arrests. A previous weekend resulted in 16 OUI arrests in Haverhill and Springfield.

Troopers will also be looking for speeders, aggressive drivers and distracted drivers.

So far this year, the patrol reports 145 fatal accidents on Massachusetts roads -- fewer than the 184 deaths recorded during the same period last year.

Continue reading "Troopers pulling out all the stops to crack down on violators and reduce risks of Massachusetts car accidents" »

A Boston dump truck accident left motorists plenty frustrated this morning as a landscaper's truck flipped on the highway south of downtown, causing long delays, the Globe reported.

The accident scattered dirt across the road at about 6:30 a.m. on the southbound side of I-93 near the Dorchester Yacht Club. The crash slowed traffic clear through the city and north to Montvale Avenue.

Fortunately, there were no reports of serious injuries as a result of the crash. However, dump trucks pose the threat of serious or fatal injuries in the event of an accident with other motorists. While smaller than a semi, a dump truck may be just as heavy. And the shifting weight of earth or debris in a dump truck can make steering difficult. Additionally, a truck may make numerous trips to and from a dump site each day and may react differently depending on the weight of its current load. A loaded dump truck may also require a significant length of time to come to a stop.

Twenty people were killed Massachusetts trucking accidents in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Nationwide, one in every nine traffic fatalities involves a collision with a large truck. In 2008, an astounding 380,000 semis and large trucks were involved in accidents. A total of 4,229 people were killed and more than 90,000 were injured.

A Boston injury lawyer should always be consulted when a motorist is injured or killed in an accident with a large commercial truck. Out-of-state trucking companies and insurance companies can complicate trucking accident cases. And whether or not a truck and its driver were in compliance with numerous state and federal trucking regulations can have a major impact on a trucking accident case.

Continue reading "Boston dump truck accident snarls traffic; Massachusetts trucking accidents a serious threat to motorist safety" »

The state has passed a law banning text messaging while behind the wheel in an effort to reduce the risk of serious or fatal Massachusetts car accidents. But it is just part of a national patchwork of distracted driving laws motorists will have to navigate while on summer vacation.

As our Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog reported earlier this month, state leaders have reached agreement on a new law that will ban texting while driving. After six-years of debate, the law will also ban drivers under the age of 18 from using a cell phone while driving and will require drivers over the age of 75 to have their vision tested in person when renewing their driver's license.

The Governor's Highway Safety Association reports that eight states prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cell phones -- California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington.

Thirty states ban text messaging while driving.

And a number of cities, including Chicago, ban the use of hand-held cell phones in a state where they are otherwise legal for use by drivers outside the city limits. As MSNBC reported motorists are responsible for knowing and obeying the laws, wherever they are traveling.

What's a traveling motorist to do this summer? Fines range from $20 to $150 and can put a real ding in your vacation budget. In some states, a motorist may only be cited if they are texting or using a phone while committing a separate traffic infraction. In other states, merely using a phone is enough to be pulled over and cited.

While AAA discourages the use of cell phones while driving, the organization offers a list of the laws in each state on its website.

"Drivers are still responsible for knowing the cell phone laws that apply to each state," said AAA spokesperson Nancy White.

Our Boston injury lawyers urge you to leave the map searching, texting, talking and GPS devices and other distractions to a passenger. The best way to ensure safe travel this summer is for the driver to do nothing but concentrate on the road.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that more than 6,000 motorists are killed each year in distracted driving accidents, primarily as a result of using cell phones while driving. Another 600,000 are injured.

Continue reading "Massachusetts motorists responsible for understanding distracted driving laws wherever they travel this summer" »

Yet another Massachusetts State Trooper has been injured in a Boston car accident after being struck by an alleged drunk driver during a traffic stop, the Examiner reported.

Our Boston injury lawyers are not sure what it's going to take to keep our rescue workers and road construction workers from being seriously injured or killed in Massachusetts work accidents. But putting some real teeth into the state's "Move Over" law would be a good place to start. The state just enacted its current law, which provides for a fine of up to $100 for vehicles that fail to move over or slow down for stopped emergency vehicles with activated lights.

In comparison, Illinois' Move Over Law comes with a fine of up to $10,000 and a two year license suspension -- the first 90 days is a mandatory suspension for a property damage accident.

In this most recent incident, an alleged drunk driving struck the trooper's car early Saturday morning while the trooper was conducting a traffic stop in the breakdown lane of Route 25 in Taunton.

The Trooper had pulled over a Chrysler Sebring for a driving violation when the Volkswagen Jetta slammed into his cruiser. The trooper was trapped in the car as a result of the accident. The 24-year-old driver of the Jetta was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and failure to move over for an emergency vehicle.

Last month, Sgt. Douglas Weddleton was killed by an alleged drunk driver in Mansfield, while conducting a traffic stop on another accused drunk driver.

A third incident involved a trooper who was struck and injured by a motorist in Peabody while he was outside his vehicle conducting a traffic stop. A fourth trooper was injured after being hit while conducting a traffic stop in Cambridge.

The incidents have the Boston Examiner suggesting authorities begin raising awareness by conducting enforcement efforts that would stage a mock traffic stop at the side of the road while additional troopers stopped motorists not complying with the state's Move Over law.

Continue reading "Weekend Massachusetts car accident injures fourth trooper this month" »