Articles Posted in Truck Accidents

According to the journal Injury Prevention, New Year’s Eve is when people are most at risk for becoming involved in a fatal pedestrian accident. One reason for this is that while inebriated individuals might choose to walk rather than drive, drinking too much alcohol still impairs one’s physical abilities, judgments, and reflexes regardless, making one more prone to involvement in a traffic crash. One option for avoiding such risks might be to take a cab. Another alternative is staying over at wherever you plan to celebrate.

That said, there are Boston pedestrian accidents that occur on New Year’s Eve because a motorist was distracted, multitasking, texting while driving, talking on a cell phone, or drunk. Please contact Altman & Altman, LLP to request your free case evaluation if you were involved in a Massachusetts traffic accident that you believe was caused by another party.

No one wants to start or end the year involved in any type of collision, but it can happen. Because the state follows modified comparative negligence system, an injured party can recover Boston injury compensation compensation as long as his/her fault in causing the incident was 50% or less.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of US highway deaths in 2011 went down to their lowest level since 1949 at 32,367 fatalities-a 1.9% drop from last year. The 2011 decline is a continuing trend over the last six years, which has lead to a 26% drop in traffic deaths since 2005.

In this state last year, Massachusetts traffic fatalities went down from 347 deaths in 2010 to 337. Nationwide, other significant 2011 statistics included:

• A 4.6% drop in the number of light truck and passenger car occupant deaths.

Joseph O. Irorere, a 45-year-old trucker, has been hospitalized, after he received an electrical shock when his 2001 Mack 600 tractor-trailer hit power lines that were sagging on Interstate 95 in Attleboro. According to State Police, the incident happened when the Brockton man got out of the vehicle. Their preliminary probe found that the wires on both sides of the road had sagged due to a structural issue involving a utility pole.

Electrical Shock

Electrical shock can cause serious injuries as the electrical current enters the body. There may be electric burns, internal injuries, damage to tissues, muscles, or nerves, thermal burns, brain damage, organ damage, cardiac arrest, spinal cord injuries, hand/foot injuries, deformity, or even death. Common causes of Boston electric shock accidents:

Three years after passing away from accidental asphyxia involving suffocation, the family of ex-Major League Baseball pitcher Mark S. Fidrych is suing Morse Mack Sales, Ballard Mack Sales, and Mack Trucks for Northborough, Ma wrongful death and products liability. Fidrych died when his clothes tangled up in his 1987 Mack dump truck’s power takeoff shaft on April 13, 2009. The former Detroit Tigers pitcher was 54.

The plaintiffs are contending that the truck was negligently designed, made, and marketed. They also believe that it was already defective/dangerous when sold to consumers. They are seeking monetary damages for pain and suffering, failure to instruct and warn, negligent sale, breach of implied warranty and merchantability, and negligent service and repair. In addition to wrongful death recovery, they also want punitive damages.

Meantime, two of the defendants, Ballard Mack Sales & Service and Mack Trucks, are asserting that the Massachusetts wrongful death lawsuit is barred because of the statute of limitations. They claim that Fidrych’s negligence was more significant than any that they may have committed. Morse Mack Sales, which is also denying any wrongdoing, blames Fidrych for modifying the vehicle after purchasing it and contends that it was this change that played a role in/caused his accidental Northborough dump truck death.

With record-breaking temperatures yesterday, Massachusetts residents poured outside to enjoy the sunshine and summer temperatures. Walkers, runners, bicyclists, rollerbladers, picnickers, and beach-goers (including kids playing hooky from school) were seen in droves. Unfortunately, the day did not end as gloriously for all.

According to news reports, on Wednesday evening around 6pm, 58-year-old Cynthia Pacheco of New Bedford was hit and killed by a FedEx freight truck in New Bedford Industrial Park. The FexEx truck was making a left-hand turn when it hit her. The incident is still being investigated. Police could not confirm whether or not Pacheco was wearing a helmet.

With virtually no protection against guardrails, trees, fences, cars, and trucks, bicyclists can suffer minor injuries like bumps and bruises to serious injuries such as broken bones, head injuries and even fatalities. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a bicycle accident in Massachusetts, you should contact an experienced MA bicycle accident attorney to determine whether you may be able to financially recover.

Authorities have identified Phyo N. Kyaw as the victim of a Cambridge, Massachusetts truck accident that occurred Tuesday night on the corner of Vassar Street and Massachusetts Avenue.

The 23-year-old, who was originally from Myanmar, graduated from MIT last year. He was pronounced dead after he was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital.

According to Cambridge police, there have been 27 traffic crashes at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Vassar Street since the beginning of 2010. If there is a road condition or the intersection as poorly designed so that there really is a higher risk of a motor vehicle crash happening there, then Kyaw’s family may have grounds for a Cambridge personal injury lawsuit.

Meantime, state police are trying to determine whether charges should be filed in Kyaw’s death. If the trucker acted negligently in any way to cause the Cambridge bicycle accident, he/she could be held liable. If the truck driver was working for an employer at the time of the collision, then there also may be a case filed against that company.

After a Massachusetts semi-truck crash, it is not uncommon for the trucking company’s insurer to attempt to immediately negotiate a settlement with the victim. It is a good idea that you not reach any type of agreement until you’ve explored your legal options first. You also may not know the extent of your injuries until after you’ve had a doctor examine you.

MIT graduate is identified as victim in bicycle-truck collision, Boston.com, December 28, 2011
Cyclist killed in Cambridge accident ID’d, Boston Herald, December 29, 2011

More Blog Posts:
Multiple Vehicle Accident Involving Dump Truck Leaves Several Injured in Uxbridge, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, April 21, 2011
20-Year-Old Bicyclist Victim of Hit-and-Run in Attleboro, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, July 18 2011
NTSB Calling for Total Cell Phone Ban on All US Roads and Highways, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, December 15, 2011 Continue reading

Last week, our Boston injury lawyers published a blog post about a new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study on text messaging and cell phone use while driving. As evidenced by the number of distracted driving fatalities that happened in 2010, too many people are dying because there are drivers that are multitasking and distracted.

Now, the National Transportation Safety Board is calling for all states to ban any type of cell phone use-including texting-unless it is an emergency situation. Over the last decade, the NTSB has made efforts to limit the use of portable electronic devices by commercial truckers, new drivers, and school bus drivers, but this is the first time that it is calling for a ban that would apply to all drivers. Handheld and hand-free devices would both be barred. Passengers that are not driving, however, would still be allowed to use their cell phones and other devices.

Although the NTSB cannot dictate state law, lawmakers do seriously consider what the federal agency has to say. Currently, in Massachusetts, only school bus drivers, passenger bus drivers, and drivers under 18 are prohibited from using cell phones. There is no ban on the use of hand-held phones-although Rep. Cory Atkins, D-Concord has introduced legislation to make the use of a hand-held cell phone while driving illegal. All drivers are banned from texting in Massachusetts.

Distracted Driving Lawsuits
Distracted driving has proven to be a huge problem among motorists. Even though people are aware of how dangerous talking on a cell phone or text messaging can be when operating a motor vehicle, many motorists cannot seem to stop themselves from making a call, sending a text, checking on email, or surfing the Web and these behaviors are causing serious injuries and killing people.

Some in Mass. eye tougher cellphone restrictions, Boston, December 14, 2011
NTSB recommends full ban on use of cell phones while driving, CNN, December 13, 2011
National Transportation Safety Board

More Blog Posts:
NHTSA Reports 314 Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Accident Deaths in 2010 , Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, December 9, 2011
Peabody Police Hit as a Pedestrian, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, December 12, 2011
Motorists Encouraged to Remain in Vehicles After an Accident Following Multiple Massachusetts Highway Fatalities, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, November 30, 2011 Continue reading

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has published its 2010 Fatality Analysis Reporting System, and our Boston injury lawyers are pleased to report that the latest figures show that last year saw a drop in Massachusetts motor vehicle crash deaths. There were 314 traffic fatalities in the state in 2010, which is a 26% dip from the 340 deaths in 2009.

Federal traffic safety officials announced that 32,885 US traffic deaths for 2010, this is the lowest number of motor vehicle fatalities that the country has seen in a year since 1949. This record-breaking low happened even as motorists traveled almost 46 billion more miles than in 2009. US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is crediting “our safety agency and partner organizations” for their efforts.

There was, however, a 1.2% increase in the number of US motor vehicle crash injuries that occurred. Nationally, 2,243,000 people were hurt in traffic accidents in 2010, which is slightly more than the 2,217,000 motor vehicle crash injury victims from 2009.

The federal government also released its findings from a survey that reported an increase in the number of people who text and drive at the same time despite the growing awareness that this is dangerous. Young people are especially prone to texting while driving.

More than 6,000 drivers participated in the survey. Per its results, at any given moment in 2010, nearly 1 out of ever 100 drivers was emailing, texting, surfing the Internet, or doing something else on a handheld device while operating a motor vehicle-that’s a 50% jump from the year before. A few of survey’s other findings:

• Both women and men are just as likely to make or take cell phone calls, text, or read email while driving.
• Drivers under age 25 are 2-3 times more likely to text or email than older drivers.
• Aside from poor weather conditions, traffic jams, or a fast traffic pace, most drivers found there were few situations during which they wouldn’t text and drive.

The NHTSA says there were 3,092 distracted driving deaths in 2010.

Gov’t survey of drivers finds 2 in 10 texting, Bloomberg Businessweek/AP, December 8, 2011
U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces Lowest Level Of Annual Traffic Fatalities In More Than Six Decades, NHTSA, December 8, 2011
2010: Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview, December 2011 (PDF)


More Blog Posts:

Motorists Encouraged to Remain in Vehicles After an Accident Following Multiple Massachusetts Highway Fatalities, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, November 30, 2011
Man in Wheelchair Killed on Busy Street in Brockton, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, October 28, 2011
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to Consider Whether Drunken Driver Acquittal Rate is Too High, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, October 31, 2011 Continue reading

A 30-year-old Massachusetts woman was killed on Saturday during a tailgating incident at the Harvard-Yale football game. The truck accident happened as the driver of a U-Haul truck sped up through the area where people were hanging out, striking the victim and two other women a couple of hours before the game started.

More than 55,000 fans turned out to watch “The Game.” At halftime, a moment of silence was observed in honor of the tailgating accident victims. Harvard defeated Yale 45-7 in today’s game.

The two women that survived the pedestrian accident were treated at a hospital. While one of them sustained minor injuries, the other was reportedly in critical but stable condition.

According to police, the box truck that hit the three men was transporting several kegs. The truck driver had sped up as he turned into a parking lot close to the Yale Bowl and that was when the traffic accident happened. The vehicle then kept going until it struck another U-Haul.

Some fans complained that traffic enforcement at the game was not very good this year. Following the incident, Yale issued a statement saying that its regulations and policies about tailgating will have to be reevaluated. At last year’s game between Harvard and Yale, which took place in Massachusetts, Harvard had banned kegs, U-haul vehicles, and hard alcohol.

Massachusetts Personal Injury
If you or someone you love was injured in an accident on another party’s premise, you could have grounds for a Massachusetts injury lawsuit. Property owners are supposed to make sure that their premise has no safety hazards that could cause/allow serious injuries or deaths to occur. This includes making sure that parking lots are safe for pedestrians and revelers hanging out there during events so that Boston pedestrian accidents and motor vehicle crashes don’t happen.

Mass. woman dies at Harvard-Yale game, Boston Globe, November 19, 2011
Deadly tailgating accident mars Harvard’s 45-7 win over Yale, Los Angeles Times/AP, November 19, 2011

More Blog Posts:
Injured last Month in New Bedford Oil Truck Accident, 84-Year-Old Wheelchair-Bound Man Dies from His Injuries, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, February 25, 2011
Boston Personal Injury Lawsuit Accuses Police Motorcyclist of Assault and Battery in ’07 Marathon Pedestrian Accident, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, February 15, 2011
Blaze in Saugus Caused by Crashed Gas Tanker, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, July 29, 2011 Continue reading

A city worker died this morning after the bucket truck he was working in was hit by an 18-wheeler truck. The impact of the Quincy truck crash caused Robert DeCristofaro to fall out of the bucket and into the road.

The 58-year-old Braintree man was taken to Boston Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Police are trying to figure out which truck driver caused the Quincy tractor-trailer accident. Meantime, OSHA is also looking into the crash.

Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation
City workers and their families are entitled to Massachusetts workers’ compensation benefits in the event of injury or death on the job. It is important that you file your Quincy work injury claim right away. It is also a good idea to consult with a Boston workers’ compensation law firm about your case. You want to make sure you receive all of the benefits that you are owed.

Although it would be nice to think that this is what automatically happens, this isn’t always the case. An employer’s insurer may choose to reduce, delay, or deny your benefits. Considering that employees and their families generally cannot sue the employer for Quincy personal injury, this can take a financial toll on the victim and loved ones, who may have to contend with lost wages, medical benefits, and other expenses.

Your Quincy workers’ compensation lawyer can protect your right to receive everything that you are owed.

Third Party Lawsuits
Obtaining work injury benefits from your employer doesn’t stop you from filing a third party lawsuit and vice versa. Although you cannot sue your employer, there may be third parties that are not your employer who can and should be sued. For example, right now, the facts of what happened in the Quincy work accident that killed DeCristofaro are not clear at this time. However, if it was the driver of the semi-truck that struck the bucket truck he was on, then the Braintree man’s family may have grounds for pursuing a Quincy wrongful death case against the trucker and his/her employer.

Quincy worker thrown from bucket after crash dies, Boston Herald, October 18, 2011
Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Related Web Resources:
Labor and Workforce Development, Mass.gov
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, US Department of Labor

More Blog Posts:

Repairman Loses Consciousness 14 Feet Underground in Septic Pump Chamber, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, October 5, 2011
$7.7M Boston Personal Injury Verdict Awarded to Boiler Repairman Burned by Defective Water Heater, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, October 6, 2011
Boston Hospital Gives Full Face Transplant to Man Burned in Construction Accident, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, May 9, 2011 Continue reading

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