Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

We recently discussed National Child Passenger Safety Week on our Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog. This week-long campaign raised awareness among parents about the importance of properly buckling in children during every car ride.

Now, to supplement that campaign, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is teaming up with Chuggington traffic safety program to help educate children ages 2 to 7 about safe traveling habits. Chuggington is an animated video series that teaches young ones about important safety tips they can practice to avoid child injury in Massachusetts. The educational program offers a child-safety pledge, activities and tips for parents that can be downloaded from a website.

"Educating children at an early age about the importance of wearing bicycle helmets, looking both ways when crossing the street and buckling up leads to a lifetime of good traffic safety habits," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

As we've recently discussed, car accidents are the number one cause of death for children under the age of 15. In 2009, this age group experienced nearly 1,500 fatalities and 170,000 injuries because of traffic-related accidents. In 2007, there were more than 260 children in this age group injured in pedestrian accidents. Another 115,000 young pedestrians were injured during this year as well.

The partnership between the NHTSA and Chuggington aims to reduce the risks of accidents for young bus riders, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. Throughout the series, Chuggington and the other characters receive badges for practicing safe traffic behavior. The series also provides your child with an opportunity to receive his or her very own Chuggington safety badge. The campaign is also pushing the "Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe!" pledge. Children are urged to agree to and sign the pledge to promise to practice safe habits at all times.

Parents are still urged to visit one of our Massachusetts child car seat inspection locations to have a certified technician take a look at their child's car seat to make sure that it's properly installed. In the U.S., it is estimated that about 70 percent of car seats are improperly installed. These seats have been proven to have the ability to save children in the event of a car accident. We just need to make sure that they're being installed properly in the event of an accident.

Check out the latest child car seat recommendations as well to make sure that you've got the right car seat for the age, weight and height of your child.

Remember, if you're busted in the state of Massachusetts with a child who isn't properly restrained in your vehicle, you could possibly face a $25 fine for the first offense. Take the extra few seconds to properly buckle your child during every car ride. It could help save his or her life.

Continue reading "Chuggington's Video Series Offers Tips to Help Prevent Child Injury in Massachusetts" »

There's a new cartoon that's going to teach your child some useful tools to remember when traveling near or in cars. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has partnered up with Chuggington, a popular animated series, in an attempt to help prevent injuries to children in Massachusetts and elsewhere.

Children under the age of 8 are the target audience for this campaign, which includes downloadable safety tips, a kid-focused safety pledge and a number of activities for parents and caregivers to practice with children.

"Educating children at an early age about the importance of wearing bicycle helmets, looking both ways when crossing the street and buckling up leads to a lifetime of good traffic safety habits," said Ray LaHood, the U.S. Transportation Secretary.

Our Boston injury lawyers understand that car accidents continue to be the number one cause of death for children. It's estimated that there are more than 1,300 deaths and roughly 180,000 injuries to children under the age of 15 in car accidents in the U.S. in 2009. There were more than 260 deaths and nearly 200,000 injuries that occurred to child pedestrians in 2007 while playing around or in vehicles. For this reason, the new campaign will cover safety tips for bicyclists, school bus riders, pedestrians and child car seats.

Throughout the new series, the characters will be learning important lessons in each episode that will help children to understand the dangers associated with each of these modes of travel. Through each episode, characters will earn rewards, or badges, for practicing safe behavior. The creators will be pushing the "The 'Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe!' pledge to these children, which is meant to teach your child to do exactly as it says. The show aims to get children excited about learning safety rules.

This campaign was launched just in time for National Child Passenger Safety Week, which is used to urge parents to review the rules and recommendations regarding their child and their child's car seat. During this time, parents can visit one of the many child seat inspection locations in Massachusetts to have their child's seat examined and installed by a certified technician. The inspections are most oftentimes free of charge and they can teach you the proper techniques to install a child seat. You are urged to call and make an appointment before visiting any location.

According to national statistics, about three-fourths of all child car seats in the U.S. are installed incorrectly. We recently told you about different ways to ensure that your child is safely buckled during every car ride and the Massachusetts child restraint laws on our Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog.

Parents are urged to continue to discuss safety tips with young children in an effort to help prevent any serious injury. It is important to equip your child with the knowledge and skills to be able to travel safely.

Continue reading "Animated Series to Help Prevent Traffic-Related Child Injury in Massachusetts and Elsewhere" »

The State of Massachusetts is celebrating National Child Passenger Safety Week through this Saturday, Sept. 24. According to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security's Highway Safety Division (EOPSS/HSD), child passenger safety is a top priority of our highway officials. These departments continuously work with one another and with local municipalities and local organizations to help promote proper child passenger seat usage and installation. Throughout this awareness week, parents and caregivers have been urged to join the festivities, spread the word and check out one of our state's Child Passenger Safety checkup events. These child-seat checkups have been taking place throughout the commonwealth, and will help to ensure that adults are properly buckling in their little ones to protect their safety in the event of a car accident in Massachusetts.

"As a mother of four children, I know how important it is to correctly select, install and use child safety seats," said Sheila Burgess, director of the Highway Safety Division for the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, according to a news release. "This checkup and the others taking place across the state represent our commitment to ensuring parents and caregivers are safely buckling up children as well as themselves on every drive."

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that more than 75 percent of child safety seats are installed into vehicles improperly by an adult. Parents are urged to stop by one of the Child Safety Seat checkup locations just to make sure you're properly strapping in your child. At these inspection stations, nationally certified child-passenger safety officials will be available to inspect your techniques and help you to improve your child's safety. Improperly buckling in a young passenger can result in serious injuries.

According to Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Law:

-As of July 2008, all children that ride in a motor vehicle must be seated in a federally approved child seat.

-Children are required to be properly fastened and secured in a child seat until they are at least 8 years old or taller than 57 inches.

-A booster seat/seat belt combination must be worn by all children who have outgrown the height and weight requirements for a child seat. This usually happens when a child weighs at least 40 pounds, has reached the age of 8 or is taller than 57 inches.

-Children 13 and older are required to wear a seat belt.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were more than 1,300 children under the age of 15 killed in traffic accidents in 2009. Nearly 180,000 young passengers were injured in these incidents. Many of these fatalities and injuries could have been prevented if parents had taken the time to properly restrain children in a vehicle during every car ride.

Continue reading "Child Passenger Safety Week Gears Up to Prevent Child Injury in Massachusetts" »

A recent car accident on the Massachusetts Turnpike took the lives of two and injured three. Massachusetts state police report that a 6-year-old was fatally injured when a van, driven by a 25-year-old female, smashed into a box truck and was thrown into the breakdown lane of the Turnpike.

It then hit the guardrail, passed over three lanes of traffic, hit the center guardrail, flipped over and came to a rest on its roof in the center of the highway. A 6-year-old passenger was thrown from the van during the collision, according to The Republican. The driver and two 4-year-old girls were transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

The driver of the truck was not injured in the accident. The westbound lanes of the Turnpike were closed for the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section to conduct an investigation and for cleanup. Investigators are focusing on whether or not the 6-year-old was properly belted during the accident. Traffic was rerouted in Auburn at exit 10. Traffic was backed up for about 10 miles as a result of the accident.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that traffic can be hectic at times on the Turnpike. In addition to safe driving habits, making sure that all passengers are properly restrained is one of the most important steps someone can take to ensure occupant safety. To help ensure the safety of child passengers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released a new set of recommendations for buckling up your little ones.

Child passenger restraint recommendations:

-Children should remain in each child seat until they meet the manufacturer's height and weight limits.

-Keep children in rear-facing car seats as long as possible. These seats help to support a child's head, neck and spine in the event of an accident.

-Read instruction manuals to learn how to properly install the car seat by using either the seat belt or the LATCH system.

-All passengers under the age of 13 should ride in the back seat.

-Never place a child that is using a rear-facing car seat in front of an active air bag.

-Children should be seated in booster seats until they're at least 13-years-old or are at least 4-foot-6.

"Selecting the right seat for your child can be a challenge for many parents. NHTSA's new revised guidelines will help consumers pick the appropriate seat for their child," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland.

Another important factor we would like to point out in the accident is the fact that is rolled and came to a rest on its roof. Although safe driving advocates have done much research on the likelihood of rollover accidents on a number of cars, there are tips you can follow if your vehicle is one of ones that is more susceptible to these types of accidents.

Tips to avoid a rollover accident:

-Steer clear of conditions that could cause you to lose control of your vehicle, including drowsy driving, intoxicated driving and speeding.

-Be extra careful on rural roads.

-Try not to panic. The NHTSA says, "If your vehicle should go off the roadway, gradually reduce the vehicle speed and then ease the vehicle back on to the roadway when it is safe to do so."

-Keep an eye on your tires. Make sure that they're properly inflated and not worn.

-Be cautious when loading you vehicle. The more weight your vehicle is carrying, the less stable it becomes.

Continue reading "Minivan Traffic Accident on Mass Turnpike Kills 2" »

With all the new advancements in motor-vehicle technology, cars are safer than ever. But some of the original safety devices will most likely keep you safe in a Boston car accident.

Seat belts and child safety seats are still some of the most effective lifesavers and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently released a report illustrating the importance of properly buckling up all vehicle occupants.

"While we're looking for the next big breakthrough in vehicle safety, we should keep in mind that many existing strategies at the driver and passenger level still can yield gains," says Adrian Lund, Institute president.

Our Massachusetts car accident attorneys understand that nearly 100 people die on our roadways every single day. Many of these fatalities can be prevented if drivers take just a few seconds to buckle up. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), preliminary estimates conclude that nearly 33,000 people were killed because of motor vehicle accidents in the United States in 2009.

Massachusetts seat belt law states that all vehicle occupants 12-years-old and older must wear a seat belt except:

• Vehicle occupants that have proof from a physician that a medical condition or a disability makes wearing a seat belt impossible or dangerous.


• Occupants of vehicles that were made before July of 1966.


• Drivers of tractors, buses, taxis and of trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 18,000 pounds or more.


• On-duty postal workers.


• Police and fire vehicle drivers.


• Emergency vehicle passengers.

Seat belts reportedly saved the lives of nearly 13,000 people in 2009. According to the NHTSA, more than 3,600 additional people could have been saved if everyone were wearing a seat belt during a motor-vehicle accident.

The study also stresses the importance of properly-used child safety seats in the event of a traffic crash. While there has previously been some confusion as to which child should use which child seat, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released new recommendations to help clear the confusion.

This most recent information states that parents and guardians should keep their child in each type of child restraints, including forward-facing, rear-facing and child booster seats for as long as the child fits with the height and weight requirements suggested by the manufacturer.

"Safety is our highest priority," said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "The 'best' car seat is the one that fits your child, fits your vehicle and one you will use every time your child is in the car."

Child safety seat recommendations:

-Children under the age of 1: always ride in a rear-facing car seat.

-Children ages 1- to 3-years-old: Keep children in rear-facing seats for as long as possible. Once your child has outgrown the manufacturer's height and weight recommendations for the car seat, you can move your child to a forward-facing car seat with a harness.

-Children ages 4- to 7-years-old: Keep your child in a forward-facing child car seat with a harness until they have exceeded the weight and height limit for the seat. Once they've outgrown these limits, it's time to move them to a booster seat.

-Children ages 8- to 12-years-old: Keep your child in a car booster seat until they are big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. They should typically graduate to an adult seat and seat belt once they've reached 4 feet, 9 inches. Make sure that the seat belt fits snugly across the upper thighs and not on the stomach. Also make sure that the shoulder portion of the belt lies snug across the shoulder and chest. The belt should not cross over the child's neck or face. Your child is always safer to ride in the back seat.

While your new car may be equipped with cameras, top-of-the-line airbag systems, override steering systems and vehicle detection systems, some of the most effective ways to prevent injury in the event of a collision is a good-old seat belt.

Continue reading "Simple Ways to Prevent Injury in a Boston Car Accident" »

An 18-year-old driver was pronounced dead at the scene of a teen car accident in Massachusetts.

The driver was heading southbound on U.S. Route 1 when he drove his SUV over the rumble strip at a ramp from Massachusetts Route 128 just before 1:00 a.m. The Massachusetts State Police Department is investigating the fatal accident, according to Boston 5.

When his car traveled over the rumble strip, it flipped over. It was determined by authorities that the teen was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the accident. A section of Route 1 was closed for about two hours while investigators collected accident information. There were no other vehicles involved in the accident.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that newly licensed teen drivers on our roadways pose serious and fatal threats to all motorists. Many don't do it deliberately, but do it simply because they lack driving experience and knowledge. The most current data that was recently released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) truly illustrates the dangers these young drivers face on our roadways.

According to the NHTSA, motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of death for those who are 15- to 20-years old. In 2009 alone, more than 5,000 15- to 20-year-old drivers were involved in fatal traffic accidents. These accidents took the lives of nearly 2,500 teen drivers that year. This means that more than 10 percent of all drivers that were involved in fatal accidents in 2009 were those between 15- and 20-years-old.

Drivers of this age group made up nearly 15 percent of drivers involved in police-reported traffic accidents. There were approximately 1,337,000 police-reported accidents that involved a teen driver during that year. Teens are also more likely to die on a motorcycle than other age groups as well. In 2009, more than 500 teen motorcyclists lost their lives in traffic accidents. Another 5,000 suffered injuries because of these incidents.

Don't think that because teens aren't legally allowed to drink that they're not going to. In 2009, 33 percent of drivers in this young age group that were killed in traffic accidents were reported to be under the influence of alcohol. Nearly 30 percent of them had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit. Massachusetts witnessed nearly 50 teen deaths on our roadways in 2009 alone.

Parents are encouraged to enforce the following safety tips to help keep their teens safe behind the wheel:

• Ride along with your teen. Provide them with positive criticism. You may be the most influential person on your teen's driving habits.
• Set rules. Make sure they limit their number of passengers. Passengers serve as a dangerous distraction to all drivers.
• Require they put down the cell phone behind the wheel.
• Consider a curfew.
• Talk to your teen about the dangers of drinking and driving.
• Ask your teen to check in when they get to their destination and too let you know when they're leaving.
• Set a good example. Follow all the driving rules you set forth for them while they're riding along with you.
• Create a parent-teen driving contract to solidify these rules.

Continue reading "Single-Car Accident in Massachusetts Kills Teen Driver" »

Massachusetts is a state that offers new teen drivers a three-stage licensing process in an attempt to keep our young drivers safe and out of car accidents in Boston and elsewhere throughout Massachusetts. Our state has picked up on this system because it has proven to help teens become better drivers by allowing them to gradually gain exposure to driving situations through an increased amount of supervised driving, learner's permits and junior operator's licenses.

All of this information, and more, is available to you through a custom website designed by AAA's Keys2Drive: The AAA Guide to Teen Driver Safety. This is a newly launched website that allows residents in any of the 50 states to select their state to view personalized information about their teen drivers.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys would like parents to know that the most important thing they can do to increase the safety of their teen driver is to get involved in their learning process. It is important that you coach your teen, allow them plenty of supervised driving time and talk with them about the dangers and consequences of poor driving habits. Being involved in your teen's learning process will help you to keep an eye on their progress and ultimately decide when they're ready to get their license and jump behind the wheel.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 2,500 teen drivers killed during motor-vehicle accidents in 2009 alone. Another 196,000 teen drivers suffered injuries during these accidents. Throughout that entire year, more than 5,000 15- to 20-year-old drivers were involved in motor-vehicle accidents that resulted in a motorist death. In Massachusetts, there were nearly 200 teen drivers killed in these accidents in 2009.

Parents are, in large-part, responsible for teaching their teen driver's safe driving habits. Parent involvement should be used to try to better prepare our teens and to try to reduce the number of these fatal accidents.

According to the customized AAA website for Massachusetts, parents should try the following to help teach their young driver:

• Provide your child with at least 100 hours of supervised driving before you allow them to hit the road solo. It is recommended that you complete the hours during all times of the day.
• Allow your teen to drive in a number of conditions. Allowing them to drive through different weather conditions and through varying road conditions will help them to gain experience and should better prepare them for almost anything driving has to throw at them.
• Shower them with positive feedback, when deserved. It is important to remain calm and talk positive through them. Yelling at them will only frustrate them behind the wheel and negatively affect their driving abilities.
• Set good examples. When your teen is a passenger in your vehicle, make sure you're practicing what you preach; don't speed, put down your phone, abide by traffic laws, wear your seat belt, the list goes on and on.

As motor-vehicle accidents continue to be the number one killer of teens, more than cancer, homicide and suicide combined, parents are urged to get involved and stay involved. With the proper education and experience, we can help decrease the risks of these deadly accidents for our teen drivers.

It is also recommended that you create a parent-teen driving agreement between you and your teen to help the two of you agree upon some ground rules for driving.

Continue reading "AAA Offers Teen Driving Info in Massachusetts to Reduce Number of Teen Car Accidents in Boston" »

The summer is here and that means school's letting out soon and student drivers will be hitting the road in full force. The summer also kick off the start of the 100 deadliest days of the year for teen drivers, according to Mother's Against Drunk Driving.

Nine out of the ten top deadliest days for young drivers occur between the months of May and August. In 2009, our nation's roadways witnessed roughly 3,000 teen drivers die in in teen car accidents in Boston and elsewhere. Another 350,000 went to emergency departments with injuries suffered from these accidents.

Let's put it this way, this is a statistic that says that your child is most likely to die in a motor vehicle accident during this summer. Our Boston car accident attorneys have seen these tragedies occur all too often. For this reason it is important that we send out our young drivers with all the tools they need to help keep them safe on our roadways during these summer months and throughout the year.

In 2009, Massachusetts witnessed nearly 50 teen deaths from motor vehicle accidents that involved a driver aged 15 to 19, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Mother's Against Drunk Driving offers parents these safety tips to help keep their teens safe on our roadways this summer:

-Make sure that your teen knows and understands the effects and consequences of drinking and driving.

-Insist that your teen wear their seat belt whenever a vehicle is in motion. Minimal seat belt use is one of the leading causes for driver and passenger injury and death.

-Be sure to curb their distracted driving habits. Establish rules that prohibit the use of cell phones, texting or any other dangerous activities behind the wheel.

-Limit the amount of time that your teen can operate a motor vehicle during the evening hours.

-Set a limit to the number of passengers that your teen can drive with at any given time.

"Car crashes are the number one killer of Texas teens," said Allstate Agent Michael Walker. "Summer is almost here and when school is out, more teens will be hitting the highways across the state. This data should spur parents and community leaders to take action and teach our teen drivers that speeding, distractions and carelessness can be costly."

A recent study, conducted by the Allstate Foundation concluded that roughly 90 percent of teen drivers consider their parents as the biggest influence on their own driving habits. For this reason, we continue to urge that you speak with your teen about the importance of good driving habits and the consequences of poor choices behind the wheel. Parents are also urged to negotiate a parent-teen driving agreement with your young driver in an attempt to set with some ground rules that you and your teen driver can agree on.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), teen accidents are four times more likely to occur than accidents in any other age group.

Teens made up 10 percent of the U.S. driving population in 2008 and made up 11 percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths. They accounted for nearly 15 percent of passenger vehicle occupant deaths among all ages, nearly 10 percent of all pedestrian deaths and approximately 5 percent of motorcyclist deaths

Join the Mother's Against Drunk Driving facebook page for more tips and advice about keeping your young driver safe on our roadways during their summer break.

Continue reading "100 Deadliest Days for Teen Car Accidents in Boston" »

When children are involved in a car accident in Boston and elsewhere in the United States, many receive brain CT scans to determine if they've suffered any brain damage. In most cases, traumatic brain injury (TBI) never occurs. Now there's new research illustrating that a physician can determine whether the child has a serious problem after observing a child with head injuries for a certain period of time. This allows them to help treat the young patient without resorting to using a CT scan.

Our Boston car accident lawyers would err on the side of caution when it comes to diagnosing a head injury. However, eliminating needless CT scans will also help to eliminate some unnecessary and unwanted radiation exposure.

Children's Hospital Boston and the University of California-Davis held the study as the results were later released by the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. They study combined data from 25 different emergency departments, and looked at roughly 40,000 children who suffered minor blunt head trauma. Researchers discovered that more than 5,400 of the young patents, or nearly 15 percent, were checked out before making decisions regarding CT use. As the severity of the head trauma varied, so did the observation time.

Researchers found more than 5,400 pediatric patients, or nearly 15 percent, of those studied, were observed before making a decision about CT use. Observation times varied, as did the severity of head trauma. In the study, children who were observed had a lower rate of receiving CT scans than those who were not observed.

"There are actually three groups of patients that come into an emergency room with pediatric head trauma," says Dr. Lise Nigrovic of Children's Hospital Boston who co-led the study. "The first is the child that really has no symptoms and it's obvious to the doctors that the child is fine. The second is the child that has all the major symptoms, vomiting, headaches, unconsciousness, perhaps bleeding. That child is obviously a candidate for a CT scan. It's the children in the middle risk groups - those who don't appear totally normal, but whose injury isn't obviously severe - for whom observation can really help."

Some may want to recommend a CT scan just as an extra precautionary measure, but researchers warn that CT scans to the head can add even more risks for children. A child's growing brain tissue is much more sensitive to ionizing radiation than an adult's brain is. As children typically have a longer life expectancy, their lifetime risk of developing a radiation-induced tumor is greater than an adult's as well.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children under the age of 4, those between the ages of 15 and 19, and adults over the age of 65 are most likely to sustain a TBI. Nearly half a million emergency department visits for TBI's are made by children under the age of 14 each year.

In the United States, TBI proves to be a serious and oftentimes fatal injury as it is a contributing factor to roughly a third of all injury-related deaths. Over all, more than 50,000 die, roughly 275,000 are hospitalized, and more than 1 million TBI patients are treated and released from an emergency department. Among all age groups, motor vehicle accidents and other traffic-related incidents were the second leading cause of TBI and caused in the largest percentage of TBI-related deaths.

Continue reading "Children Involved in Car Accidents in Boston and elsewhere May Not Need CT Scans" »

A 25-year-old Melrose man crashed into a car that was pulled over in the breakdown lane on Route 1 earlier this month, seriously injuring a 6-yer-old boy, according to Boston.com.

Local officials say the driver was driving while impaired and that marijuana was involved in the Boston car accident.

Boston personal injury lawyers understand the potential consequences that driving under the influence can have on motorists. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 4,000 of the drivers who were involved in car accidents and were tested for drug use reported positive results last year. NHTSA reports also indicate that driving while under the influence of drugs is on the rise.

"Every driver on the road has a personal responsibility to operate his or her vehicle with full and uncompromised attention on the driving task," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland at the time. "Today's report provides a warning signal that too many Americans are driving after having taken drugs, not realizing the potential for putting themselves and others on the highway at risk."

According to the Essex District Attorney's office, the 25-year-old driver pleaded not guilty to motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of drugs; operating negligently; OUI drugs, second offense; speeding; and marijuana possession with intent to distribute.

When the driver was asked if he had consumed any alcohol, he stated, "No, but I might have weed on me," according to a police report.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project, police officials hope to one day institute some sort of system to determine impairment on the roadside for marijuana and other prescription drugs since blood tests and urine tests are regulated, time consuming and expensive. Officers are anticipating technology for saliva tests, which are not currently regulated by national standards.

Officials report finding two pipes with fresh marijuana reside inside the 25-year-old's vehicle and three bags of marijuana near the scene.

Continue reading "Driving Under the Influence of Drugs Injures 6-year-old in Boston Car Accident" »

Teen drivers may not fully understand the severity of their actions behind the wheel and the importance of road safety rules. This is the last of a four-part blog covering the dangers of teen driving and Boston car accidents. Recently on our Boston Car Accidents Lawyers Blog we discussed the risk of drunk driving and distracted driving among Boston teenagers. As teens look forward to spring break, prom, graduation, and summer break, they will be hitting the road in large numbers.

Boston car accident lawyers can tell you that speeding is one of the main factors contributing to Massachusetts traffic accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 31 percent of fatal accidents were caused by speeding -- claiming the lives of nearly 12,000 motorists last year.

Men between the ages of 15 and 20 were most likely to be involved in speeding accidents. In 2008, a total of 363 motorists were killed in Massachusetts car accidents.

The U.S. Department of Transportation sets speed limits to not only ensure the safety of our roads, but to maximize the efficiency of traffic flow as well.

Here, The NHTSA provides a brochure to help teens understand the rules of the roads and speed limits. It is important to remember that if our teens do not understand the dangers and consequences speeding may have on them and others on the road, they are less likely to obey speed laws and adjust their driving behavior to weather and traffic conditions.

If you'd like to help spread the message to your teens and others, you are encouraged to join the "Speed Shatter Life" campaign organized by the NHTSA.

Continue reading "Teens exceed speed limits causing increased risk in Boston car accidents " »

We began discussing the dangers of teen driving habits by previously addressing the issues of distracted driving and Massachusetts teens on our Boston Car Accident Lawyers Blog. As the third part of a four-part blog we are now going to address the effects of teens and drunk driving and the risk of Boston car accidents.

Boston car accident attorneys are well aware of the severity of teen crashes and the corresponding involvement of alcohol. In 2008, one in three drivers under the age of 21 who were killed in a car accident involved an intoxicated driver. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), of all drinking and driving incidents involving teens, 1 in 5 involved fatal crashes.

In a recent study conducted by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), 60 percent of drivers surveyed admitted to operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol at some point in time.

In 2008, nearly 14,000 people were killed in alcohol-related car accidents. Massachusetts drunk driving accidents are the leading cause of fatal Boston car accidents. The NHTSA reports that of the 417 fatal accidents in Massachusetts, alcohol was involved in nearly 200 of them. Those two hundred alcohol-related fatalities make up a staggering 42 percent of all road fatalities.

Of the total amount of fatal car accidents among teen drivers, 30 percent of those drivers did not have a valid driver license or had previous license suspensions or revocations.

The NHTSA reports that one person dies from an alcohol related driving fatality every 48 minutes, tallying nearly 11,000 lives taken by irresponsible and drunk driving.

Continue reading "Boston car accidents caused by drunk teen drivers" »

Recently on our Boston Car Accidents Lawyers Blog we discussed the severity and dangers of careless teen driving. We will now look at the impact that teens and distracting driving have on the safety of everyone on the road.

According to The Boston Globe, 63 percent of teens admit to using their cell phones while driving, a proven factor in increasing the risk of Boston car accidents.

In 2009, nearly 6,000 people in Massachusetts and surrounding areas were killed as a result of distracted driving. Massachusetts has been in a six-year debate regarding our distracted driving laws. Twenty-eight states have put laws in effect banning texting while driving. Massachusetts' law went into effect on Sept. 30.

Distracted driving is not only defined as texting while driving. It also includes fiddling with a GPS, applying makeup, driving with multiple passengers, listening to loud music, and eating behind the wheel.

"Clearly, distracted driving is a problem," says Russ Rader, spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. "What is not clear is how best to address it,"

Tips to avoid distracted driving:

- Drink with a lid on your cup to avoid spillage.

- Park to eat or go inside.

- Keep safe driving as the top priority.

- Be well rested when driving.

- Don't store items on your lap or in between your legs.

- Silence/put away all electronic devices when in route.

- Use proper restraints for pets.

A two-page brochure by the U.S. Department of Transportation is available for you to download at www.distraction.gov.

"Behind the statistics are real families who have been devastated by these tragedies," says U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Continue reading "Distracted teen drivers at increased risk of Boston car accidents" »

As the school year winds down in Massachusetts, students will be at increased risk of Boston car accidents. This is the first entry of a four-blog series covering the impact of distracted driving, drunk driving, and speeding among teen drivers.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that car accidents are the leading cause of death among teens between the ages of 15 and 20. With prom, spring break, graduation, and the summer drawing near, our Boston personal injury lawyers remind parents that teen drivers are at increased risk of car accidents and injuries caused by distracted driving, drunk driving, speeding, seat belt violations, and cell phone use while driving. These activities pose a threat to young drivers as well as other motorists on the road.

The NHTSA also reports that, mile for mile, teens are involved in three times more Boston car accidents than all other drivers. Massachusetts car accidents involving young drivers killed 68 motorists in 2008, according to government statistics.

Lay out rules to keep your teen safe from a Massachusetts car accident:

- Set a passenger limit.

- Remind teens to always buckle up.

- No cell phone while driving.

- Absolutely no alcohol.

- Obey all speed limit restrictions.

- Develop a curfew.

- Spell our repercussions for broken rules.

Here you can find a Massachusetts parent-teen safe driving contract, courtesy of Distraction.gov.

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Dorel Juvenile Group is recalling almost 800,000 child safety seats according to a recent announcement by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Our Boston personal injury lawyers aggressively protect consumers who have been wrongfully injured by a faulty product. In this situation, we remind parents to check their car seats for a possible recall for a defective harness that could leave them more susceptible to a serious or fatal injury in the event of an accident.

The NHTSA began the formal investigation of Dorel Juvenile Group (DJG) back in May of 2010. Further investigation has indicated that the child safety seats need recalled because the harness locking and release button is defective. The button does not always return to its locked position, which can allow the harness adjustment strap to move undesirably through the adjuster. A child moving around in the seat can suffer severe injury during a motor vehicle crash with a loose harness.

DJG concluded the defective products were manufactured from the first of May 2008 through the last day of April 2009. Restraint systems sold with a "Center Front Adjuster" are causing the problem. The harness can be found on infant, convertible, and booster child restraint seats mass-produced during this time period. Consumers may have purchased this product as a part of a travel system or stand-alone set.

Consumers are being instructed by DJG to obtain a remedy kit which will fix the malfunction in the locking and release button. Instructions on how to apply the lubricant in the kit are provided along with a repair label that should be placed on the seat once the repair is done. Consumers who purchased the seat can continue to use but should make sure the harness is secure and the lock-release button locks into the correct position.

Safercar.gov is an excellent resource for parents who want to stay informed on child passenger safety. It is recommended that all children 12 and under sit in rear seats. The following are 4 steps to consider as your child grows and can change seat positions in your vehicle:

-Infants should be kept in rear-facing child safety seats at minimum up to 1 year old and at least 20 pounds.

-Toddlers ages 1-4 (20-40 lbs.) can be moved to a forward-facing child safety seat which is secured in the back seat of the vehicle.

-Children ages 4 to 8 should ride in booster seats contained in the back seat of the vehicle.

-At age 8 and older children can use the vehicle seat belt located in the back seat of the car. It is extremely important that the belt works properly before having your child graduate to this method. Proper fitting is considered when the lap belt lays across their upper thighs and the shoulder belt lays across their chest.

For a complete list of models being recalled by Dorel Juvenile Group visit www.safercar.org. And always read the instructions that come with your child-safety seat.

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