Boston Injury Lawyer Blog

A recent string of school bus accidents across the United States have caused parents to question the safety of the transportation vehicle normally considered the safest type of transportation for school kids.

Just this week, three people were injured, including one student on Friday near Zoarville, Ohio, when a school bus was involved in a multi-vehicle collision.

On Monday, a Georgia school bus carrying 27 junior and high school students overturned on the drive to school. 11 children were taken to the hospital for medical attention. Injuries included back and neck injuries.

On Tuesday, in Harrisonburg, Virginia, 28 people suffered injuries in a multi-crash collision involving a car and two school buses because the 70-year-old bus driver of one of the buses ran a traffic signal.

Last month, four students died and 14 people were hurt in Minnesota when a school bus struck a van and then a pickup truck before tipping over.

On February 27, five junior high school students were seen by hospital staff because they were involved in a rollover collision that occurred because the driver turned the bus too fast.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 25.1 million kids ride 474,000 school buses to and from school throughout the United States. In 2005, 8,000 children sustained injuries in a school bus accident. Some 17,000 kids are treated in emergency rooms because of school bus crashes.

Common causes of school bus-related injuries include:

• School bus crashes
• Kids getting off the bus and being struck by the bus or an approaching motor vehicle
• Children slipping and falling on the buses
• Kids getting hurt when the driver steps on the breaks or turns to quickly

Common causes of school bus accidents:

• Speeding
• Driver inattention
• Driver inexperience
• Lack of driver training
• Poor road conditions

Federal law does not require that school buses provide seat belts for kids.

If your child was injured in a school bus accident anywhere in Massachusetts, one of our Boston, Massachusetts motor vehicle crash attorneys can discuss your case with you. You and your child may be able to recover personal injury compensation for the harm that all of you have suffered.

3 injured in TV school bus, car collision, Timesreporter.com, March 7, 2008

Concerns for Kids' Safety on the Rise After Spate of Yellow Bus Accidents, FoxNews.com, March 5, 2008

Related Web Resources:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

National Coalition for School Bus Safety

Continue reading "Series of School Bus Accidents Raise Issues of Children’s Safety" »

Posted by Altman & Altman | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Bus Accidents , Injuries to Minors

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Approximately 87,000 Massachusetts drivers have been in at least two motor vehicle accidents from 2002 through June 2007. 8,400 of these drivers have been in three crashes. Some 1,100 were in four auto collisions. Some 220 people have been in at least five accidents. Yet a number of these drivers continue to return to the roads. There are 4.7 million Massachusetts drivers.

The Boston Globe looked at 750,000 accident records from the Registry of Motor Vehicles. According to the study:

• Males are more frequently involved in motor vehicle accidents than females.
• Drivers 25 years of age and under are involved in 30% of the crashes.
• Fridays, after midnight, and after rush hour are the times when accidents are most likely to occur.

According to state and public safety officials, common causes of motor vehicle accidents in Massachusetts include:

• Negligence
• Aggressive driving
• Driver inexperience
• Bad road designs
• Bad weather

In one recent deadly hit and run accident, the driver, Craig P. Bigos had at least six tickets and two motor vehicle crashes on his driving record. He was also driving with an expired license. Bigos allegedly hit a 13-year-old pedestrian while text messaging. He faces a motor vehicle homicide charge.

In 2004, a repeat offender heading to a methadone clinic struck a 55-year-old man in Kingston. In 2005, a 76-year-old Upton farmer, who has been in five accidents in six years, drove his tractor into a truck driven be an off-duty cop.

The people who suffer the most in car crashes, bus accidents, truck collisions, and pedestrian accidents are usually the ones who had nothing to do with causing the accidents. The injuries, deaths, and pain and suffering of the victims and their loved ones cannot be measured. They can, however, speak to a Massachusetts personal injury lawyer to determine whether they are entitled to receive compensation for the harm that was done to them.

Accidents waiting to happen, Boston.com, February 10, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles

2004-2006 Massachusetts Crash Statistics

Continue reading "Thousands of Massachusetts Drivers Have Been Involved In Multiple Motor Vehicle Accidents " »

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Posted In: Bus Accidents , Car Accidents , Pedestrian Accidents , Personal Injury , Truck Accidents , Wrongful Death

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A jury in Massachusetts has awarded Louise Scialdone, a 58-year-old Somerville resident, $10 million in her personal injury lawsuit against the Massachusetts Transportation Bay Authority (MBTA). The total sum, interest included, is nearly $12.8 million.

Scialdone sustained a traumatic brain injury when an MBTA bus hit her on February 4, 2004. Scialdone used work with the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance as a clerk.

Scialdone had a walker because she suffers from arthritis. She was struck while waiting for the bus at the stop on McGrath Highway.

The driver apparently lost control of the bus, which then struck Scialdone. She flew five feet before her head struck a parked car. One witness said the driver was operating the bus at about 30mph and was moving too fast for the icy road conditions.

The driver was suspended for one day and continues to be employed with the MBTA.

Scialdone can no longer work and has memory and balance problems. Once a voracious reader, she can only absorb reading material up to the level of a third grader, and she is sensitive to noise and light.

Because of her condition, she only appeared in court for part of the trial. Her daughter, Stephanie Mackesy, says Scialdone can no longer take part in the same activities she used to enjoy with her 14-year-old granddaughter.

Scialdone will use the recovery awarded by the Middlesex County jury to pay get better 24-hour care, which she requires because of her TBI. This care costs about $200,000 annually. She will relocate to a brain injury rehabilitation center. Scialdone currently lives in a nursing home.

MBTA’s insurance will only cover the damage amount over the first $7.5 million. It is not yet known whether the MBTA, which has been having financial problems, will appeal or find a way to pay Scialdone.

If you have suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident caused by another party’s negligence, or if you have been seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident anywhere in Massachusetts, our Boston personal injury law firm would be happy to speak with you.

T policy falls short on injury award, Boston Globe, February 12, 2008

Woman struck by MBTA bus awarded $10 million in damages, Boston Herald, February 12, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

What is Traumatic Brain Injury?, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Continue reading "Jury Awards Brain Damaged-Massachusetts Woman Hit by MBTA Bus $10 Million Personal Injury Verdict" »

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Posted In: Bus Accidents , Personal Injury , Traumatic Brain Injuries

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A 62-year-old female pedestrian sustained serious leg injuries today after being struck by a MBTA Bus while at the Quincy Center MBTA station in Quincy, Massachusetts.

The bus accident took place at around 6am at the bus pick-up area. According to the bus driver, he was just leaving the bus way, after dropping off passengers, and turning left when the accident happened.

Police are investigating the accident.

Buses are “common carriers.” This means that the bus driver and bus company owes the public the “utmost duty of care” in ensuring that they do not injure pedestrians, bus passengers, or other motor vehicle riders when on the road. Bus drivers and carriers are therefore held to a higher standard of negligence than regular motor vehicle drivers. This is why, if you are injured in a bus accident in Massachusetts, you should speak with an experienced personal injury attorney that knows how to deal with bus crash cases.

Injuries that can be sustained in a bus accident include:

• Broken bones
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Internal injuries
• Neck injuries
• Burn Injuries

Common causes of bus accidents:

• Driver negligence
• Inattention
• Improper maintenance
• Bad weather
• Text messaging and cell phone use while driving
• Defective products

Public buses are usually owned by a local, regional, or state transportation department. Filing for compensation from a government body, a government employee, or its insurance company can be a lot harder to do than filing a claim against the insurance company of a car driver or motorcyclist.

An experienced Massachusetts bus accident lawyer can evaluate your case for you and determine whether you have grounds to file a personal injury claim against the bus driver or bus company or any other negligent parties.

Pedestrian Struck by MBTA bus, the Patriot Ledger, October 30, 2007

Related Web Resources:

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

Continue reading "Massachusetts Pedestrian is Struck by MBTA Bus in Quincy" »

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Posted In: Bus Accidents

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