Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

An SUV rollover accident in Massachusetts on Route 495 left one man with serious injuries recently, according to Boston 5. Troopers received a number reports from a several witnesses that said that a second vehicle may have cut off the victim's car and caused the accident.

The driver of the flipped car was ejected during the rollover and was later taken to Jordan Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver of the second vehicle involved in the accident was later arrested and is being charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, according to state troopers. The southbound lanes of Route 495 were closed and traffic was detoured over to Route 138.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that some vehicles may be deemed safer than others through a number of studies. In the past, drivers of sport utility vehicles were scrutinized because of the vehicles' frequent rollover incidents. The main cause used to be because they were so top heavy. Now, these larger vehicles provide more safety feature for occupants, making them least likely to die in a accident, according to the latest death rates from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

"The change is due largely to the widespread availability of electronic stability control (ESC), which helps prevent rollovers. With the propensity to roll over reduced, SUVs are on balance safer than cars because their bigger size and weight provide greater protection in a crash," reports the IIHS.

The makers of these vehicles also have an influence on your safety in the event of an accident. Currently, South Korean automakers like Hyundai and Kia and German car makers such as Volkswagen are topping insurance industry's yearly list of the safest new vehicles. These vehicles are chosen for their ability to protect an occupant during a front, side and rear crash test. For an automobile to qualify for the award, the insurance industry group requires that vehicle to have anti-rollover electronic stability control and receive top scores in their roof-strength test.

According to statistics, American cars ranked beneath foreign cars when researchers studied death rates. Out of Detroit's Big Three, the statistics rank Chrysler Group as the clear winner, followed by Ford Motor Co., then General Motors Co:

-Chrysler ranked number one for the safest in the U.S. market with four vehicles: Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler two- and four- door and Dodge Dakota. Each of these vehicles placed in the top 25 for having the lowest rates of driver deaths and had no vehicles in the bottom 25.

-Ford had one vehicle, the Edge, in the top 25 lowest rates of driver deaths. Unfortunately, Ford had two Ranger pickup models that placed in the bottom 25.

-GM had six vehicles in the bottom 25, including Chevrolet Aveo, Cobalt, Malibu Classic, Colorado and Buick Lucerne and LaCrosse. GM had no vehicles that placed in the top 25.

The study concluded that non-American automakers took 20 out of the 25 spots for lowest death rates.They also took 17 out of 25 spots for having the highest death rates, according to Mlive.com.

This is another reason why not only the type of vehicle you choose can potentially save your life in an accident, but the maker of the vehicle you choose can contribute to your safety as well. Do your research on what type of vehicle to buy, but also practice safe driving habits to reduce accidents on our streets and highways.

Continue reading "Foreign Cars Proven to Better Protect You in a Boston Car Accident" »

The Times Herald-Record recently reported on a tractor trailer rolling over with a load of more than 45,000 pounds of oranges. The truck driver told law enforcement that as he was rounding a curve heading into an exit when he felt his load shift, causing the truck to leave the roadway onto the shoulder where it overturned. There were no reported injuries and clean-up crews spent many hours offloading the trailer.

Our Boston truck accident lawyers find this story interesting in light of two bills in Congress involving semi truck weights.

The Coalition for Transportation Productivity is strongly in favor of SETA (Safe and Efficient Transportation Act), a bill that would give states the option to increase truck weight limits from 80,000 pounds to 97,000 pounds for six-axle vehicles. The group says requiring a sixth axle would maintain braking capacity and weight distribution, and minimize road wear. It also mentions the increase in user fees could be used for bridge repair. They also think that with fewer trucks on the roads, motorists would be safer.

The Teamsters and safety advocates are fiercely opposed to SETA and support SHIPA (Safe Highways and Infrastructure Preservation Act). This bill proposes that it would leave the current weight limits in place. They argue that the heavier trucks would accelerate road wear and tear, and that our bridges wouldn't be able to handle the loads. They counter that longer and heavier trucks would be much harder to stop and require a lengthy distance to come to a complete halt on our overcrowded roadways. Currently, an 80,000- pound truck traveling at 55 mph takes 400 feet to stop on perfect road conditions.

Earlier this month the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) held a two day forum in Washington D.C. that focused on truck and bus safety. One idea that is being considered to decrease driver fatigue is to limit driving hours to 10 a day. The current limit is 11 hours in a 14-hour work day, and truckers can drive 70 hours every eight days.

Continue reading "Oversized Loads a Common Cause of Trucking Accidents in Boston" »

"We must remain vigilant in addressing roadway safety issues where the greatest impact can be made, such as distracted and teen driving. As miles traveled start to rise again from recession lows, we want to ensure the continuance of this downward trend," says Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council.

Boston car accidents and accidents elsewhere in 2010 are down 3 percent from the previous year. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), nearly 35,000 fatalities occurred in 2010. Experts credit the recession as a main factor for the decreased number of car accidents.

Boston personal injury lawyers encourage you to practice safe driving habits regardless of the recent statistics. Although fatalities in Boston resulting from car accidents continue to decrease, we must continue to do our part to keep our roads safe. According to NSC, Massachusetts suffered 330 car accident fatalities in 2010.

NSC points fingers at a number of variables that contribute to the decrease in fatalities. They start be crediting law enforcement -- including laws and regulations regarding child passengers, distracted driving, teen driving and seat belt usage. Many say the reduction in motor vehicle accidents is largely credited to new state driving laws, such as hand-held phone and texting bans and seat belt laws.

Motor vehicles not only cause devastating injury and fatalities to vehicle occupants, they also present a large amount of cost in medical expenses, employer costs, property damage, lost wages and productivity, and administrative expenses. In 2010, the estimate cost for car accident injuries, fatalities and property damages was nearly $227 billion, also a 3 present decrease from 2009.

The Massachusetts Department of Motor Vehicles would like to offer you a few resources:

-Massachusetts Driver's Handbook

-Massachusetts State Police

-DMV customer service and RMV locations.

We ask that all residents and visitors continue to practice safe driving habits on Massachusetts roads in hopes of decreasing fatality rates even more.

Continue reading "Rates of Boston Car Accidents Decrease - Residents Still Asked to Stay on Alert" »

A Fisher College campus police officer rescued a woman from an overturned Toyota SUV following a Boston car accident, the Herald reported.

The woman was trapped in the overturned vehicle in the Back Bay when the 63-year-old college police sergeant lowered himself through the passenger door to provide comfort and aid. The two-car accident happened at the intersection of Claredon Street and Commonwealth Avenue about 7:15 a.m. Thursday. The officer had just gone off duty after working the overnight shift when he ran to assist the victims of the crash.

The officer was able to start the car, which assisted firefighters with prying open a sunroof to free the woman. The woman and another victim were taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital for treatment.

Sport Utility Vehicles are at high risk for rolling over in the event of an accident, which can lead to crushed roofs and serious and fatal injuries to motorists. A Boston injury lawyer should be consulted when an SUV is involved in a rollover accident in Massachusetts.

PBS reports more than 70,000 SUV rollover accident occur each year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that rollover accidents have a higher fatality rate than any other type of crash.

More than 10,000 people a year are killed in rollover crashes, accounting for one-third of all traffic fatalities.

Continue reading "SUV rollover accident injures two in Boston" »