Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog

A large truck was the cause of canceled train trips after the driver ran his vehicle into an overhead power system near New Haven, Connecticut. The collision caused Amtrak to suspend all trains traveling between Boston and New York for more than three hours last week, according to The Wall Street Journal. Trains between New York and Boston were the only ones affected in the accident.

Our Boston personal injury lawyers urge all residents and visitors to take advantage of the convenient public transportation options that are offered throughout our state. We would also like to take this time to raise awareness about the importance of passenger safety on these rides. This goes out to those traveling near these modes of mass transit as well. Transportation companies are responsible for providing safe transportation for residents and visitors of our city. A number of injuries that occur within mass transit accidents can be easily prevented by taking a few precautionary steps.

As we recently reported on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, the MBTA witnesses nearly 2,500 accidents each year that are caused by motor-vehicle drivers. The MBTA believes that roughly 500 of these accidents could be prevented.

New Haven police are investigating the AmTrak accident from earlier this week. No train passengers were hurt in the accident, according to Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari.

Amtrak crews have already made repairs to the damaged tracks and to the overhead power system. Service between New York and Boston has been restored.

There are more than 600 railroads in the United States. About 200,000 miles of track help these trains navigate throughout the country. There have been about 12,000 train accidents annually since 2002. Unfortunately, these accidents took the lives of about 1,000 people. Train accidents can be caused by a number of factors, including the negligence of the train operator, lack of safety provisions by train companies, locomotives, trolleys and even motor-vehicle operators.

These companies are required by law to effectively protect all passengers and operators of their vehicles. These accidents can occur in any number of places, including at railroad crossings where light is dim and where signals fail to notify passenger vehicle occupants that a train is approaching.

Trains are also able to derail. This can happen because of mechanical failures or improper track and equipment maintenance. Speedy or fatigued drivers also contribute to these accidents. Oftentimes cargo can become loose or unsecured in the event of an accident, resulting in spills of hazardous waste or other dangerous objects.

Determining the cause and the fault of a train accident, or any other mass transit accident, can be a complicated and lengthy process. You are urged to seek an attorney if you've been involved in one of these accidents as they can help you determine fault and proper compensation.

Continue reading "Train Accident Shuts Down AmTrack Trips between Boston and New York" »

Transit workers had no warning of a Boston trolley accident allegedly caused by a text-messaging driver, the Boston Herald reported.

As our Boston personal injury attorneys have reported, the accident injured dozens of passengers and led to a new rule forbidding transit drivers from using cell phones. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority accident has been blamed on the driver's inattentiveness. This week, the National Transportation Safety Board released dozens of documents related to its investigation of the May 2009 Boston train accident. Its final report isn't expected for several months.

The 24-year-old operator was reportedly text messaging when he ran through yellow and red warning lights and into the two car train ahead of him at the Government Center and Park Street stations. He was fired and charged with felony grossly negligent operation.

The crash led to a strict policy against cell phone use on the job. Violations result in a 30-day suspension and a recommendation that the employee be fired. At least 22 drivers have been disciplined since the new policy went into effect.

Continue reading "Report on Boston MBTA accident due soon; text-messaging driver believed responsible " »

In late August, a passenger on the MBTA Green Line D-line train was reported to have briefly come aboard with a snake around his neck, causing a nine-minute stoppage in service. Less than a week later, a 16-year-old Roxbury teen was arrested after his probation office identified him as the suspect in a stabbing on the MBTA Route 23 bus, the Boston Herald reports.

Boston injury attorneys with the Law Offices of Jeffrey S. Glassman, LLC, bring more than 18 years experience in Massachusetts personal injury matters. We understand that providing a safe environment for guests and employees is a primary concern for any business owner. Our team knows that in cases where security is questionably sufficient, a negligent security claim may be filed against a property or business owner when a victim is injured by a third party in a preventable situation.

A fire and an escalator accident were also recently reported on MBTA property, leading to renewed questions about the system's security.

The alleged suspect in the Route 23 incident was captured in several frames by MBTA cameras. He is accused of stabbing a 47-year-old fellow rider multiple times in the arm, leg and abdomen as the bus left Ruggles Station after the pair exchanged words. After the incident, the victim was transported to Brigham and Women's Hospital. Meanwhile, authorities turned to the social networking website, Twitter, to enlist the public's help while searching for the juvenile.

Continue reading "MBTA accidents can involve premise liability, negligent security" »

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has resorted to using bright reflective logos on approve handsets to distinguish between employees using a radio for legitimate work purposes and those violating the T's ban on cell phone use by drivers, the Boston Herald reported.

Officials hope the move will further reduce the risk of a Boston subway accident or bus accident caused by a distracted driver. With or without the law, a mass transit driver's obligation is to the safety of passengers. When an accident is caused by speeding, distracted driving or other negligence, serious and fatal injuries frequently result. Such cases usually involve multiple accident victims and should always be handled by an experienced Massachusetts injury lawyer.

Some confusion has reportedly arisen when riders spot bus drivers and subway operators using the black hand-held radios utilized by the transit system. By putting the bright stickers on the radios, they apparently hope to ease the minds of commuters.

The MBTA banned employees from carrying cell phones after a trolley accident in May 2009. The crash was blamed on an operator texting his girlfriend. Since enacting the rule, about a dozen employees have been fired and 10 others have been disciplined.

We question how using "approved" handsets can be safer. Certainly, employees will not be making personal calls on company time. But whether they are personal or business calls, the use of a hand-held device still constitutes a significant driver distraction. I guess accident victims can take heart in the fact that the next crash was caused by an operator using an approved radio as part of his job!

The stickers were put into use after nearly 150 commuter tips of operators violating the cell phone policy; officials contend most of those cases involved workers who were using "legitimate radios."

Continue reading ""Legitimate" hand-held radios still increase risk of MBTA bus and subway accidents in Boston" »

At least 20 people have been injured in a Boston subway after an electrical fire late Thursday, MSNBC reported.

An electrical fire forced the removal of passengers from trains and shut down several subway lines; at least 20 people suffered from smoke inhalation. The fire started after 10 p.m. Thursday just north of the Downtown Crossing Station in a Red Line tunnel. The congested area contains several crossing tracks at an underground intersection.

The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority reports that the fire was contained to that tunnel but that heavy, thick smoke spread into several nearby stations and onto platforms.

Power to the Orange and Green lines was shut off as a precaution and Silver Line buses were kept above ground near South Station. Witnesses reported the heavy smell of an electrical fire. Passengers reported smoke too thick to see through, trouble finding their way out of stations and severe hacking and coughing. One passenger said he was doubled over with severe pain upon exiting the station.

Delays continued Friday with the MBTA reporting that the fire had caused signal problems in the downtown area. Crews worked through the night to clear the tracks and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Continue reading "At least 20 injured in Boston subway after electrical fire reported" »