Articles Posted in Car Accidents

Police officers are tasked with the difficult job of keeping the public safe. In doing so, there are sometimes calculated risks that must be made. A prime example of this is in the decision whether to initiate pursuit of a suspect, or decline to give chase, given the danger such action might pose to the innocent public.

While many police agencies – Boston included – have clear directives for pursuit of a suspect, mistakes are still made. Here, the police department expressly forbids chases unless the occupants are known for being wanted in the commission of a violent or life-threatening felony or are operating the vehicle in a manner that poses a threat of public harm if not stopped immediately.

Unfortunately, our Boston car accident lawyers know protocol isn’t always followed, and sometimes it results in serious or fatal crashes.
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City-dwellers in Boston tend not to be overly-concerned with the possibility of encountering a farm animal on the morning commute. However, travel a few miles outside of Boston, and you may find the possibility far likelier.

Massachusetts is home to some 7,700 farms, each about 67 acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, with dairy products ranking third among the state’s top agriculture commodities. There are also dozens of acclaimed horse farms throughout the state. If any of these animals escape their enclosure and cause a road hazard that results in a collision, the owner of that animal can be held liable.

Our Boston car accident lawyers are familiar with Mass. General Law Ch. 49, Section 29, which holds that a person injured by any horse, mule, donkey, cattle, sheep, goat or pig – including in a car accident – may seek to recover damages from the owner of the animal.
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In the event of an accident, law enforcement officials will perform an investigation to determine the cause and to identify responsible parties. When a collision involves public transportation, this investigation process is also critical to determine fault and to prevent future accidents and injuries. After an MBTA bus crash earlier this month, the driver of the bus has been cited for speeding, operating to endanger, obstruction of justice, and impeding operation. According to reports, the traffic citations are related to the driver’s use of a cellphone while behind the wheel.

Whether talking on the phone, texting, or surfing the Internet, driving while using a phone can be extremely dangerous. Our Boston car accident attorneys are experienced in representing victims of car, truck, and bus accidents caused by negligent and inattentive motorists. We understand the deep impact of injuries and will help victims and their families recover for pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, long-term care, and other associated losses.
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Motor vehicle collisions have an $871 billion economic and societal impact in the United States. According to a recent study published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the economic costs of motor vehicle crashes amount to almost $900 for every single person who is living in the United States.

The losses caused by motor vehicle accidents should not cause innocent victims to face financial consequences on top of the emotional and physical pain. Those responsible for causing accidents should compensate victims. An experienced Boston car accident lawyer should be consulted for information on how to pursue a claim for losses and damages.
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No person injured in a Boston car accident should have to suffer further injury fighting with the insurance company to receive what is rightly due. Unfortunately, it happens a lot.

Many times, hiring an experienced auto accident lawyer is enough to prompt the insurer to simply pay what is owed. However, there are some cases in which insurers will continue to fight, in certain instances even knowing that doing so results in an unfair and unnecessary delay or denial of a rightful claim. When this happens, it’s called acting in bad faith, and it’s not only unethical, it’s illegal. Accident victims in Massachusetts who have endured such a scenario have the right to pursue a bad faith insurance claim, in addition to seeking compensation for the original damages.

In the recent case of Lockwood v. Geico General Insurance Company, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that a bad faith insurance claim, dismissed by a lower court, should be allowed to proceed, as there was a genuine question of material fact as to whether the insurer had a reasonable basis to delay the claim.
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The driver of an MBTA bus who was involved in a collision in May claimed that the accident occurred because of a sneezing fit. According to Boston Magazine, the bus slammed into a guard rail, leaving its front wheels hanging off an overpass above the Massachusetts Turnpike. The driver claimed that her allergies caused her to sneeze with such excessive force that it caused her to lose control of the bus and hit the guardrail. She also indicated that her eyes were closed at the time of the collision.

Unfortunately, the driver’s story about sneezing may be untrue in this particular case because surveillance cameras on the vehicle show that she had an item in her left hand that looked like a cellular phone. An investigation is still being conducted to determine if holding the phone contributed to the crash.
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Car insurance companies are notorious for finding loopholes in policy language with which to deny coverage.

One that Boston car accident injury lawyers have seen with greater frequency is the denial of coverage to non-married, cohabiting spouses, even when they are technically on the same plan. Coverage in these cases can be a minefield, as evidenced in the recent case of Bell v. Progressive Direct Insurance.

This was a case that recently made its way all the way to the South Carolina Supreme Court for review. Ultimately the court sided with the insurance company, illustrating why policy language must be read very carefully. Many policies grant coverage to “household members,” but the definition of that may in fact be quite narrow.
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Our Boston car accident lawyers recently provided tips for safe travel over the Memorial Holiday. Driving carefully is especially important because there will be more motorists on the road, which leads to an increased risk of accidents. For those who are heading out to visit friends or enjoy a vacation weekend, the news that travel will be heavy this year raises an important question: just how dangerous is Memorial Day and how big of an increased risk of collisions is there?

The National Safety Council (NSC) recently took a close look at just how much of an impact Memorial Day has on traffic deaths and injuries. Memorial Day was defined as beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and ending at 11:59 p.m. on Monday. The holiday always spans 3.25 days.
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Memorial Day is always a time when many people hit the road to celebrate the start of the summer season and the end of the school year. Travel is expected to be especially heavy this year, with more people on the road than in 2013.

With more drivers out for the holiday weekend, there is an increased risk of collisions. Motorists need to remember best practices for safe driving over the Memorial Day weekend in order to reduce the chances of a motor vehicle accident occurring. If a collision does happen, a Boston car accident attorney should be consulted to provide assistance with a legal claim for damages.
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Wrong-way accidents are being studied as one of the most common causes of highway fatalities. In a recent Boston case, 7 vehicles were involved in a fatal wrong-way collision on I-495. According to CBS Local, the driver who was at fault for the seven car collision on Interstate 495 was killed and identified the day after the collision. The case illustrates the significant risk posed by wrong-way motorists and points to the need for additional study and preventative measures.

Though not all accidents are preventable, studying the underlying cause of collisions can help to prevent them in the future. In cases involving wrong-way collisions, the cause may involve improper signage, the use of alcohol, or other unforeseeable issues that may guide the driver the wrong-way on an exit or on-ramp. Our Boston car accident attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights of accident victims and to staying abreast of safety issues throughout Massachusetts. We are committed to raising awareness and accident investigation to prevent future injuries and fatalities.
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