Articles Posted in Car Accidents

When an accident involves more than one vehicle, this can greatly complicate matters.  In some cases, it means there was one victim and more than one at-fault defendant.  While this may mean there is more insurance coverage, and the victim can therefore receive a full and appropriate financial recovery, it can also mean that the insurance companies will blame each other’s customers and try to deny liability.

Eventually, the insurance companies will typically work something out that avoids them fighting for indemnification in court, but it sometimes comes to that.  On the other hand, we have accidents with multiple victims and not enough money to go around. This can create a more challenging case, as each insurance policy has a per-claim maximum that the customer has purchased, and this is the most the insurance company will pay. Continue reading

Many jurisdictions have what are known as no-chase policies for police.  As the name implies, this means that police are not allowed to pursue a suspect via the high-speed car chase. The reason for this is because high-speed chases can result in serious personal injury and property damage to any number of innocent bystanders and may not even result in the apprehension of a suspect.

As it turns out, a radio or cell phone signal can travel a lot faster than a car, so it is better to just radio to units ahead who can set up a road block, or that can deploy tire damage strips to disable the fleeing vehicle. The police can also deploy an air unit to tag the suspect’s vehicle using a forward looking infrared radar (FLIR) system, and that will make it very difficult for the car to escape, because it combines the heat signature of the vehicle and the radar signature of the vehicle. Continue reading

One of the more common injuries suffered in a Boston car accident involves damage to the neck or spine.  A neck injury can range from mild discomfort to permanent paralysis or even death.   One thing to keep in mind is that even in a seemingly minor car accident, a neck injury is possible, and this can result in a permanent pain and suffering, including headaches and other types of physical discomfort.

One of the more common types of injury involves damage to the soft tissue.  A soft tissue injury (STI) can occur anywhere in the body, but the neck is a major site for the trauma in a car accident lawsuit. A soft tissue injury can include a strain or contusion to the soft tissue and often results in considerable pain and suffering.  It will often be of necessity to have a neurological examination to rule out any more serious injuries and for victim to undergo physical therapy until the pain subsides. Continue reading

Each year, as millions of Americans celebrate Memorial Day with backyard cookouts and family get-togethers to mark the unofficial start to summer, there is another period we enter known as the “100 Deadliest Days for Teen Driving.”

As discussed in a recent news article from CBS Baltimore, during the roughly 100 days between Memorial Day in May and Labor Day in early September, thousands of traffic fatalities occur each year, and many of these deadly car accidents involve teen drivers.   As we have discussed in previous years, this has been the case for quite some time.  For example, in 2013, more than 371,000 people were injured and around 3,000 people were killed in car accidents during this period alone. Continue reading

According to a recent report by The New York Times, car accidents are still a leading cause of child deaths nationwide. Many of those killed were not wearing seat belts. In children under the age of 15, the top cause of death is from unintentional injuries, and the clear majority of these injuries are caused by car accidents.

Looking at the actual numbers, one study showed that between 2010 and 2015, 2,885 children were killed in car accidents.  That is an incredible number.  This number does not include those who were killed as pedestrians, on motorcycles, bicycles, or those riding in the back of a pickup truck.  Basically, we are only talking about kids who were in a normal passenger vehicle. Continue reading

Aggressive driving is a serious problem in Boston, which was deemed last year to have the “worst drivers” in the U.S. – largely attributed to the arguably deserved reputation for being rude, argumentative and on the offensive.

But we certainly aren’t the only ones affected by this issue.

NFL cornerback Adam “Packman” Jones recently found himself in hot water – again – following an alleged road rage incident.

According to a recent news story from TMZ, he was involved in a car accident and then went on an expletive-filled tirade against the other driver. Jones was driving his Rolls-Royce at the time of the accident.  He said another car ran straight into him.  He then continued to curse, saying that his anger management classes must be working because while he may have screamed at the other driver, in the past had he not taken anger management classes, he would have smacked the other driver.  He then continued to make additional similar statements with more expletives interjected. Continue reading

A Boston car accident can leave you reeling, unsure of your next move.

A recent news feature by CBS 12 News discussed what you should do following a serious car accident.  While it is likely that you may have already been in a serious Boston car accident if you are reading this blog, it is important to understand that these tips are general advice, but you may still have a valid case even if you did not follow any of them.

The first thing you should do is to check on the condition of everyone in your vehicle.  If you can safely exit the vehicle, you should do so.  It is not safe to remain in the vehicle if it is still in the way of traffic.  However, if someone in your vehicle has a serious injury, it is best not to move them until paramedics arrive, as you could do more damage trying to move a person with certain injuries.  There are, of course, circumstances that could override this general advice, such as if the vehicle is on fire, so you must use your best judgment. Continue reading

Distracted driving is increasingly becoming one of the biggest problems on the road and the cause of many serious car accidents, including fatal car accidents.  Per a recent study by Zendrive,  Massachusetts drivers are among the most distracted.

One thing to keep in mind is that it is hard to quantify distracted driving accidents the way you can with drunk driving accidents.  When an officer approaches a driver at a drunk driving crash, it is usually readily apparent that the person was at the very least drinking alcoholic beverages. This is because alcoholic beverages often give off a strong odor that we think of as the smell of alcohol.   The reason we say think of as alcohol is because, as courts have noted, alcohol (ethanol) is a colorless and odorless liquid, but it is the flavors of alcohol (scotch, gin, beer for example) that actually emit the odor we often call alcohol. Continue reading