Boston Injury Lawyer Blog

A 2009 poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation reports that in the last year, up to 1.9 million US motorists have either been in a motor vehicle accident or were nearly in an auto collision because they were drowsy while driving. 105 million motorists admitted that they’ve driven while sleepy in the last year, while 54 million drivers say they drowsy drive at least once a month.

What many of these drivers don’t understand is that drowsy driving is extremely dangerous. It one of the most common causes of traffic crashes. The National Transportation Safety Board says that 250,000 US drivers a day fall asleep while operating a vehicle. This causes 60,000 serious injuries and 8,000 deaths a year.

Boston car crashes, truck accidents, bus collisions, and pedestrian accidents are not the only kinds of traffic collisions caused by drowsy driving. The NTSB recently announced that drowsy driving was the likely cause of the deadly MBTA train crash in Newton last year involving two green line trains. The safety board says train operator Terese Edmonds may have fallen asleep at the wheel. She may have been suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.

Excessive sleepiness can impair a motorist, resulting in slower reaction times, distracted driving, decreased cognitive performance, various mood swings, and slowed reflexes. These side effects can prove tragic on the road, where a motorist may have a hard time driving in a straight line, fail to notice exit signs, miss traffic signs, and not realize that he or she is tailgating the vehicle ahead.

While it is tragic that so many people are injured in motor vehicle crashes caused by drowsy drivers, the good news is that drowsy driving accidents are preventable.

The National Sleep Foundation has declared November 2-8 Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. The intention is to make more motorists aware about the dangers associated with drowsy driving and falling asleep at the wheel.

1.9 Million Drivers Have Fatigue-Related Car Crashes or Near Misses Each Year, Reuters, November 2, 2009

Drowsy-driving tragedies preventable, Boston.com, August 3, 2009

Related Web Resources:
National Sleep Foundation

Drowsy and Distracted Driving, NHTSA

Continue reading "Boston Injury Accidents Caused by Drowsy Driving Are Preventable" »

A Marshfield man died on Wednesday morning when he was injured in a Massachusetts bicycle accident near Green Harbor Marina. The collision happened around 10:30 am when a woman driving a sedan hit him. The bicyclist, who was in his late 60’s, was not wearing a helmet.

According to Marshfield police, the bicyclist sustained massive head injuries. Cliff Woodward, a retired firefighter who worked at a nearby shop, said that the bicyclist was on the road and bleeding from the mouth and head. Police are investigating the Marshfield bicycle crash.

Bicycle Accidents
If you were injured in a Boston bicycle accident, a Cambridge bicycle crash, or a bicycle collision in another Massachusetts city, you may be entitled to receive personal injury compensation from a negligent driver or another responsible party.

Bicycle collisions can lead to serious injuries for a bicyclist, who, at the most, will likely only have a helmet and protective clothing to cushion the impact of colliding with a truck, a bus, a motorcycle, or a car.

Common Causes of Boston Bicycle Accidents:

• Driver error or negligence
• Bicyclist error
• Drunk driving
• Poorly designed roads

Earlier this month, a 10-year-old Worcester bicyclist died when he was injured in a traffic crash involving a pickup truck. Police say the truck driver unsuccessfully tried to avoid the boy, who was coming down a driveway.

The boy, Jovannie Melendez, was bleeding heavily when emergency responders arrived at the accident scene to perform CPR.

On August 1, a 21-year-old bicyclist sustained life-threatening injuries in a Jamaica Plain traffic accident. The driver was turning onto Lamartine Street late at night when he says he felt and heard something hit the passenger side of his vehicle. He says he got out of the vehicle and saw there was an unconscious bicyclist on the ground.

With more people riding bicycles on Massachusetts roads in an attempt to be more environmentally conscious and/or save money, it is important that riders and drivers remember that they share the roads with one another.

Marshfield bicyclist killed in accident, Boston.com, August 19, 2009

10-Year-Old Killed Riding Bicycle Identified, The Boston Channel, August 2, 2009

Bicyclist injured in Jamaica Plain accident, Boston.com, August 1, 2009

Continue reading "Marshfield Man Dies in Massachusetts Bicycle Accident" »

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reporting a 16% drop in the number of Massachusetts traffic deaths between 2007 and 2008. 363 people died in traffic accidents throughout the state last year. 434 people died in 2007.

Worcester County and Middlesex County tied for first place as the counties with the most traffic fatalities—56 deaths each. The state of Massachusetts also saw a decline in the number of drunk driving-related deaths by 20% from 155 fatalities in 2007 to 124 deaths in 2008.

More 2008 Massachusetts Traffic Facts:
227 vehicle occupant deaths
422 drivers that died
At least 61 of the drivers were younger than 21
At least 120 of these victims were not properly restrained at the time of their deaths
42 motorcycle deaths—a drop from the 62 Massachusetts motorcycle rider fatalities in 2007
75 pedestrian deaths

Nationally, the US Department of Transportation reported a 9.7% decline in traffic deaths between 2007 and 2008. 37,261 people died in US traffic accidents last year, with substantial drops in nearly every major category, including light truck occupant fatalities and passenger car occupant deaths.

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood also noted that the country had implemented major steps to improve road and vehicle safety, increase seat belt use, and decrease the number of drunk driving accidents.

More 2008 US Traffic Statistics:
2,346,000 injuries
11,773 alcohol impaired-related fatalities
5,811,000 traffic accidents
677 large truck deaths
5,290 motorcycle fatalities
4.378 pedestrian deaths
716 pedalcyclist fatalities
23,000 large truck injuries
96,000 motorcycle injuries
69,000 pedestrian injuries
52,000 pedalcyclist injuries

While the overall decline in traffic deaths is of positive note, there are still too many people getting hurt or dying in Massachusetts traffic crashes. In many instances, an injured person’s own motor vehicle or medical insurance is not enough to cover all recovery costs, medical expenses, and lost wages.

Mass. traffic deaths drop 16 percent in 2008, Boston.com, July 3, 2009

Overall Traffic Fatalities Reach Record Low in 2008, NHTSA

Related Web Resources:
View State-by-State 2008 Data, NHTSA

2008 Traffic Safety Annual Assessment- Highlights (PDF)

Continue reading "Massachusetts Traffic Deaths Drop 16% to 363 Fatalities in 2008" »

New information in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine offers convincing evidence that the combined use of seat belts and air bags is the best protection that auto accident victims can have from sustaining spine fractures. The findings are based on an examination of over 20,000 motor vehicle crash victims who were treated in Wisconsin hospitals between 1994 and 2002.

According to the study:
• The number one cause of spinal cord injuries is motor vehicle accidents.
• Becoming involved in an auto crash in a vehicle equipped with air bags and while using a seat belt lowered the chances of an accident victim sustaining a spine fracture.
• Just 14% of the drivers and front seat passengers who were victims of motor vehicle crashes had the protection of both a seat belt and an air bag.
• 38% of the accident victims were not using seat belts.
• Out of the 2,530 victims with spine fractures who were part of the study, 64 of them died in hospitals.
• Kinds of spine fractures: 1,067 of them were cervical fractures, 1,034 were lumbosacral fractures, and 565 were thoracic fractures.
• Auto accident victims that were using an air bag and not a seat belt had a greater chance of sustaining a severe thoracic spine fracture.

Evidence from the study was based on information about air bag and seat belt usage combined with spine fracture incidences. Some 20,276 auto accident victims were part of the study. All of the individuals had be either front seat passengers or drivers, 16 years of age or older. They also had to not have been thrown from the vehicle during the crash, and complete ICD-9CM data had to be provided.

One of the authors of the study, Marjorie C. Wang, MD, MPH from the Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, says that federal and state governments should dedicate more resources toward making sure that motor vehicle occupants use air bags and seat belts together.

Spinal Fractures
A spinal fracture is when at least one vertebrae in the back or neck breaks. While many spine fracture cases are not serious enough to warrant surgery, more serious spinal fractures can result in spinal cord injuries, paralysis, severe pain, and death. Failing to treat existing fractures can lead to progressed deformity and the ability to live a healthy, normal life.

Research: Air Bags/Seat Belts Important in Preventing Spine Fractures, Huliq News, January 26, 2009

Spinal Fractures, Spine Universe.com

Related Web Resources:

Journal of Neurology: Spine

Spinal Cord Injuries, Medline Plus

Continue reading "Seat Belts and Air Bags Together Are Key to Preventing Spine Fractures During Motor Vehicle Accidents" »

In Massachusetts last month, at about 12:30am on, 13-year-old Earman Machado was riding his bicycle next to a friend, who was walking on the shoulder of the road that runs parallel to Route 24, when he was plowed down by a car. The driver of the motor vehicle did not stop at the accident scene.

Instead, Craig P. Bigos, the driver of the car, turned himself in to New Bedford police the next day. He claims he did not intend to hit-and-run and was not aware that he had struck anyone. Bigos said he had been text messaging on his cell phone when his car swerved off the road and hit what he thought was a mailbox. It wasn’t until the following day when he noticed the accident site that he realized that he might have struck someone.

Machado died from serious head trauma caused by the injury accident.

If you are a bicyclist who was seriously injured in an accident involving a negligent car driver, bus driver, motorcyclist, or truck driver, you should contact a Massachusetts bicycle accident lawyer immediately.

Bicycle accidents can lead to serious injuries, such as broken bones, road burns, severed limbs, major internal injuries, spinal cord injuries, head injuries, neck injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and death.

The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute says that:

• 85 million people ride bicycles in the US.
• Of the 773 bicycle fatalities that occurred in 2006, 92% of them involved motor vehicle collisions.
• 50% of the victims were children younger than 15 years of age.
• 2/3 of the deaths were due to fatal traumatic brain injuries.
• Some 540,000 bicyclists are sent to hospitals for treatment following motor vehicle crashes.
• Approximately 67,000 injured bicyclists are treated for head injuries each year.

A good Massachusetts bicycle accident lawyer will know how to properly investigate the accident scene and any evidence that will prove that another party’s negligence was responsible for your injury accident. If your loved one is a bicyclist who died after being struck by a motor vehicle, you are entitled to receive wrongful death compensation.

Fatal hit-run driver was texting, Boston.com, December 29, 2007

Helmet-Related Statistics, Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute

Related Web Resources:

Massachusetts Laws Pertaining to Bicyclists, The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition

Massachusetts Bicycle Helmet Law

Continue reading "13-Year-Old Massachusetts Bicyclist Dies After Being Struck by Driver Who Was Text Messaging" »

Boston is reportedly one of the most dangerous cities for bicyclists in Massachusetts. Many bike paths are poorly maintained, clotted with leaves and gravel, worn out, and only extend for up to 150 yards or less.

Northeastern University Professor of Civil Engineering Peter Furth says that the local government does not take bike lanes seriously. Last month, however, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino appointed former Olympic cyclist Nicole Freedman as the city’s bike czar. The appointment is part of his efforts to turn Boston into a more bicycle-friendly city. An online map system and 250 new bike racks throughout Boston are included among the first phase of improvements he plans to make.

Bike Czar Freedman says she will lead efforts to review the streets and bike lanes. She also cited enforcement and education as key factors in making sure that the city’s biking facilities are of use to bicycle riders.

Mayor Menino promised stricter fines against motor vehicle drivers that block bike lanes. He also said he would create a series of bike lanes on a number of roads, including Commonwealth Avenue, the Fenway, Massachusetts Avenue, and the Back Bay. The mayor is considering installing bike storage areas, showers, and an automated bike rental system that would allow anyone with a credit card to rent a bike.

Boston is usually listed in Bicycling magazine as one of the least bike friendly cities.

Last April, a bicyclist was killed near Northeastern University on Huntington Avenue in a traffic accident involving two motor vehicles. Studies show that many bicyclists are injured on Boston roads every year—some of these accidents result in deaths. In 2005, 5 cyclists died in traffic accidents; 711 others were injured.

Cambridge, considered a bicycle-friendly area, has a bike lane on Massachusetts Avenue that runs through Central Square but does meet civil engineering standards that are designed to allow cars and bikes to share the roads safely. Because the bike lane stretches out just 12.5 feet from the curb—six inches short of what the ideal extension should be—bicycle riders tend to get too close to parked cars. If a passenger or driver opens a car door and hits the cyclist, the rider could get pushed into oncoming traffic. A bicyclist died in such an accident in 2002.

Menino mounting bid to make city a bicyclist's dream, Boston.com, September 20, 2007

Boston's not the hub of biking safely, Bostonnow.com, September 21, 2007

Related Web Resources:

Bicycle Crash Statistics, Massbike.org

Get your ride on (bike paths), Boston.com, September 20, 2007

Continue reading "Poor Bike Lanes in Boston Increase Injury Risks for Bicyclists " »