Articles Posted in Car Accidents

Every day, tens of thousands of people ride public transportation in the greater Boston area.  While it is generally safe to ride on the T, accidents do happen, and sometimes they are the fault of the driver or Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). If an accident occurs and results in a personal injury, and that accident was the fault of a bus operator, you may have valid case for a full an appropriate financial recovery.

903140_road_signsOf course the MBTA is not the only major transit system in the country.  In New York City, there is the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), and according to a recent news feature from the New York Post, a man was just awarded $12.5 million in connection with a bus accident lawsuit. Continue reading

Snaras v. Richard Lundgren, a recent summary decision from the Massachusetts Court of Appeals involves a wrongful death claim that was dismissed after a motion for summary judgment was allowed in favor of the defendant.

parking-lot-1450508In this case, defendant gave a loaner vehicle to a person who was having his car serviced.  When he got the loaner vehicle, he signed an agreement that said he was not an agent of the defendant, and was not an employee or servant of the defendant in anyway.  He also agreed that while driving the service loaner vehicle he would not carry more than five passengers and would comply with all local, state, and federal laws.  He agreed that he shall be responsible for any violations, and not the defendant. This particular agreement was signed by the defendant, but it was not ever signed by this third party who borrowed the loaner vehicle. Continue reading

Whenever we walk on the street or even drive down a highway, we frequently come across metal manhole covers.  We don’t usually give much thought to them, but, as it turns out, they weigh over 200 pounds and can lead to serious personal injury or death in the event they come loose.  While, obviously, it is possible for someone to fall in an uncovered manhole, the covers themselves can also be quite deadly if they are knocked loose by a car or truck.

manhole-cover-san-francisco-1496606-300x200According to a recent news feature from WPRI, a manhole cover that did, in fact, weigh 200 pounds, was knocked loose by a vehicle on Interstate 93 by the O’Neil Tunnel in Boston.  The manhole cover was then clipped by another vehicle and was launched into the air and came crashing through the windshield of a car moving at highway speeds.  Continue reading

There is no question that driving in the ice and snow is dangerous. There are many accidents as a result of people driving too fast for dangerous conditions. There are also accidents caused by people in cars that are unable to drive safety in the snow, and there are accidents caused by people being overconfident in vehicles that are designed to handle winter conditions like an SUV with four-wheel drive.

1272047_snowHowever, in addition to acts caused by driving on the snow and ice, there are many accidents caused by snow and ice still on the roofs of cars and trucks while driving at highway speeds. Anyone who driving in Boston or on the Mass Pike during the winter has surely seen huge chunks of ice and snow falling off the top of a car or truck. You have probably also seen giant sheets of ice that are several feet long flying off the top of a semi-tractor trailer, and you may have had to swerve out of the way to avoid being hit by them. Continue reading

When a victim is injured as result of the negligence of an employee of the state or municipal government, and a lawsuit is filed, government defendants will often try to escape liability or limit liability based on what is known as the doctrine of sovereign immunity. While the actual statute may have a different name under state or local government tort claims acts, the doctrine essentially places a limit on the amount of money one can demand or be awarded from a government defendant in many situations.

1235172_beeThe reason these laws exist is because lawmakers felt that in order for a government to perform its essential functions, it must be able to operate without constant fear of lawsuits that could bankrupt the treasury. The rationale is that a government, unlike a private citizen or corporation, has no choice but to act. The government is responsible for providing various functions. For example, even during a major snowstorm, the government must send out plows and salt trucks. This is dangerous work, and it may result in personal injury or property damage. Since the government has not choice but to go out and work on the roads, a person should be limited in amount of money they may obtain in a lawsuit. Continue reading

A couple of weeks ago, it was reported that a United States Secret Service advance team was in the New England area preparing for an upcoming visit from presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton when their vehicle was hit by another driver in a head-on collision. Basically, everyone involved in the accident was seriously injured, and one person was killed.

825017_crash_carAmong the injured was a Secret Service agent who was left paralyzed following the tragic accident. According to a recent news feature from CBS Boston, his fiancé got a call at her Boston home from the 30-year-old agent himself, and he told her that she was the best thing that ever happened to him. He also told her that he can’t feel his legs and that she needed to come get him as soon as possible. Continue reading

According to recent article from the Boston Herald, a 67-year-old woman was on her way to a community theater where she volunteers her time to make costumes for the theater company’s productions. While she was driving, a 4×4 wood board smashed through the front windshield of her vehicle and ended up just a few inches from her head. Had the board hit her, it would most likely have caused serious personal injury or death. The woman told police it all happened in an instant. She could not believe what had happened and knew how close it came to hitting her in the face.

1409592_gavel_2At the time of what is being described as a freak accident, the woman was headed north on I-91 in Springfield. A box truck hit the wooden board that was already lying on the road surface in the middle lane. When the truck hit the board, it flipped and went flying behind the truck and into this woman’s windshield. Continue reading

According to a recent news report from CBS Sports, Montreal Canadien’s forward Zack Kassian was in a car accident where he suffered serious injuries. He was sent to the hospital following the accident and is now under the care of the team’s medical staff.

921217_crashed_carWitnesses say Kassian was riding in the car as a passenger, along with a 20-year-old female driver and an 18-year-old passenger, when the accident occurred. One witness took a photograph of the vehicle, which had apparently crashed into a tree.   Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the accident and have said they will release more information when it becomes available. Continue reading

Frazier v. Drake, an appeal from the Nevada Court of Appeals, involved defendant who was driving a truck as part of his job working for a concrete company. He testified that he was driving with the window open when a number of bees flew into the cab or the semi tractor-trailer truck. He then testified that one of the bees landed on his eye. When he tried to remove the bee, he did not see a light had turned red and crashed into the rear end of plaintiff’s car, which was stopped at the red traffic signal.

1197254_motionThe occupants in the front car were injured as a result of the car crash and filed a personal injury lawsuit against plaintiff. Around one year after the case was filed and three years before trial, defendants made an offer of judgment for $50,001 to one plaintiff and $70,001 to the other plaintiff, pursuant to relevant state law.   Both plaintiffs rejected their respective judgment offers and decided to proceed to trial. Continue reading

Some accidents are termed “freak accidents,” because they involve circumstances that we would not expect to see. According to a recent news feature from the Sun Herald, one of this “strange accidents” has resulted in the death of one person and the serous personal injury of two others in Mississippi.

774605_car_accident_2Authorities say this accident occurred when a car was propelled through the air, then hit the raised porch of a house, and then landed completely upside down in the woods. When emergency personnel arrived at the scene of this fatal accident, they initially could not figure out what exactly happened, and these are people who deal with deadly wrecks on a regular basis. Continue reading

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