Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog

September 4, 2012

Officers Set Out on Bikes in Boston, Providing Quicker Service

The “Bikes on the Beat” initiative is back, according to the Boston Inspectional Services Department. Last month, Code Enforcement Officers attended a three-day bike training course at the Boston Police Training Facility. Those who completed the course are now certified in instruction of bike usage, bike safety as well as bike safety precautions, including eye protection, gloves, knee pads, helmets and other protective measures.

According to the City of Boston, these officers will be hitting densely populated Boston areas, including Downtown Boston, the South End, Beacon Hill and Back Bay, on their city bikes. The purpose is to help to ensure a quick and timely response to emergency calls in these densely populated areas. These bicycling officers will be able to cut through the congested areas at a high-rate of speed and will help to increase the visibility of our area’s law enforcement.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that these officers won’t be the only two-wheeled travelers on our roadways. During this time of year, the bike and on-foot traffic is plentiful. Travelers of all kinds are urged to be cautious out there. It’s these travelers that are most likely to be seriously injured or killed in the event of a traffic accident. We all need to work together to help to preserve the safety of our streets.

“This is a great program that will connect my staff with the general public on a daily basis,” said Mayor Menino.

With the increase in bicyclist traffic in the area during this time of the year, we also see an increase in the risks for these kinds of accidents. Oftentimes, these travelers are overlooked on our roadways and accidents result. Drivers are asked to be cautious and aware of their surroundings while traveling along our congested roadways. Your responsible driving habits can help to keep our residents and visitors safe.

According to the most recent statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were nearly 620 bicyclists killed in traffic accidents in the U.S. in 2010. To make matters even worse, there were another 52,000 of these vulnerable riders injured in these same incidents.

To help protect these travelers, officials with the City of Boston ask that drivers consider the following:

-Never travel in a bike lane.

-Always look around for passing bicyclists before you open the door to your vehicle.

-Be sure to pass bicyclists slowly.

-Make sure you allow bicyclists with at least 4 feet of space when passing.

-Always use your turn signals. Make your maneuvers as predictable as possible.

-Always check your mirrors and your blind spots, especially before making a move in traffic.

-Allow bicyclists the entire lane if necessary.

-Don’t get distracted by using your cell phone.
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August 31, 2012

Electronics Causing Pedestrian Accidents in Massachusetts?

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

You can’t rely on drivers. The truth of the matter is that defensive walking habits may be your best bet in staying out of a potentially fatal accident, especially if you’re walking near vehicular traffic.

Just as we stress the importance of paying attention behind the wheel, it’s equally important to pay attention to your surroundings when you’re walking around town. According to safety officials, it’s a growing problem and it’s putting far too many people at unnecessary and preventable risks.

We are talking about distracted walking.

According to USA TODAY, the number of people who landed in an emergency room after being involved in an accident while engaging in distractions has quadrupled over the last seven years. Unfortunately, these hospital reports are some of the only records. Transportation officials don’t keep stats on distracted walking accidents in Boston and elsewhere and therefor have no idea how serious the problem really is.

“With the smartphone technology these days and everything at your fingertips, it’s almost getting to be an obsession or a compulsion with people,” said Jim Fox, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s director of system safety and risk management.

According to what we do know, there were nearly 1,200 people who were treated in an emergency room because they suffered injuries from walking while engaging in an electronic distraction. Unfortunately, this is a statistics that officials think is actually much higher, saying that in most cases distractions are never reported by the victim.

Risks for pedestrians all around are getting worse. In 2010, the number of pedestrian fatalities increased by more than 4 percent and the number on injuries rose by nearly 20 percent. These numbers are only expected to increase more. Travelers beware!

Recent psychological studies show that most people aren’t able to focus on more than one thing at a time. When someone tries, their attention shifts back and forth from each activity and performance suffers. But just like drivers, pedestrians think that they’re safe to do both at once. When this happens, walkers can’t effectively keep their eye on the traffic and other surrounding hazards, leaving them an open target for an accident.

Just take a look at the recent headlines. Pedestrians are falling off curbs, they’re walking into fountains and they’re slamming into poles. You’re urged to keep an eye on your surroundings. Lookout for nearby motor vehicle traffic. By practicing safe and defensive walking habits and by staying one step ahead of the traffic around you, you can help to keep yourself out of a potentially fatal accident.

This is especially important in areas like Boston. In areas where pedestrians are likely to be found, so are the risks for these kinds of accidents.
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August 26, 2012

Millions Offered to States with Primary Distracted Driving Laws

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

There’s a lot of money up for grabs and there’s only one simple thing each state has to do to get it. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is giving out more than $17 million to states that have comprehensive, primary laws against distracted driving during the 2013 fiscal year, according to TruckingInfo.com.

According to the most recent statistics, there were close to 3,100 people who died in distracted driving car accidents. Another 420,000 people were injured in these same incidents.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that distracted driving, cell phone use and text messaging behind the wheel in particular, is a growing epidemic throughout the country. Slowly, state by state has enacted laws against this dangerous driving behavior but motorists aren’t always obeying. In the state of Massachusetts, it is illegal for a driver under the age of 18-years-old to talk on a hand-held cell phone while driving. It is also illegal for all drivers to text message behind the wheel, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

“This new grant program will provide states that have distracted driving laws with important resources to help save lives and prevent injuries,” said USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood.

The funds have been set aside under the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, which was recently passed by Congress.

For a state to qualify to get some of this money, it has to make sure that it has one of these laws in the 2013 fiscal year. It’s important that these laws are primary and not secondary, which means that an officer can pull over and cite a driver solely for disobeying this law. States that only have secondary distracted driving laws are not eligible.

In addition, congress has also freed up another $5 million for officials with the NHTSA to use to create advertising tools to support the enforcement and awareness efforts of these laws.

Enforcement and awareness efforts, whether for distracted driving, drunk driving or seat belt use, have been proven to be effective in getting drivers to listed and to help to reduce the risks of car accidents on roadways nationwide.

Each state has 45 days upon publication in the Federal Register to apply for these funds.

Regardless of what our laws might be, all drivers are urged to remain safe and focused behind the wheel. There should never be a time when you take your hands off of the wheel or your eyes off of the road, especially when it’s only for a phone call or for a text message. This is a move that could potentially wind up ending your life or taking the life of someone else. Keep your phone in the glove compartment or in the back seat to avoid the temptation. You can help to make our roadways safer, and it starts by keeping your attention on the road!
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August 26, 2012

Young Baseball Players Suffers Permanent Brain Damage After Game Injury

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A young little league player is suffering from permanent and debilitating injuries from a line drive during a recent games. The family of the young boy went after the manufacturer of the bat used in the game to collect compensation for the injuries. They were recently granted close to $15 million from Little League Baseball. The young player was left brain-damaged after he was hit by the line drive off a metal bat. The family of the injured player said that this never would have happened, and would have been less severe, if wooden bats were used instead of metal bats, according to ESPN New York.

“This settlement provides them with some relief and comfort that Steven will get the care he needs for the rest of his life,” said the family’s attorney.

Our Boston sports injury attorneys understand that there are about 30 million kids and teenagers who participate in some form of organized sports. There are also about 4 million injuries that occur from these sporting events, too! While the most common injury from sporting events are strains and sprains, brain injury continues to the number one cause of sports-related fatalities among children, according to the Boston Children’s Hospital. Many of these injuries are the rest of collisions, being hit by an object, overexertion and falls. It’s not all about the games either. Roughly 60 percent of organized sports-related injuries happen during practice. About 20 percent of kids who play sports are injured every year. About a fourth of these injuries are considered to be serious.

According to the president of Little League Baseball Inc., the family will receive the funds that they need to ensure that they can cover the lifetime care that he will require as a result of this unfortunately accident. He adds that this type of accident is not likely in baseball among this age.

The tragic event happened when the young player was pitching. The batter swung at his pitch and sent a line drive right into the young pitcher’s chest. Unfortunately, it struck him at that exact millisecond between heartbeats and sent him immediately into cardiac arrest. He fell to the ground and stopped breathing. A nearby professional conducted cardiopulmonary resuscitation on him until medical response teams could arrive.

Paramedics put an oxygen mask on him and rushed him to a hospital. Unfortunately by that time, the damage was already done to his brain as it had been without oxygen for nearby 20 minutes.

Children between the ages of 5- and 14-years old account for nearly half of all sports-related injuries that are treated in emergency rooms every year. The severity of sports-related injuries increases as they age, too! The highest rates for these injuries are for boy. For them, the highest rates of injury, in regards to sports, are ice soccer, hockey and rugby.
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August 23, 2012

Are You Seating Your Child Properly in A Car Seat?

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

You hear it over and over again — BUCKLE UP! Still, far too many drivers aren’t wearing their seat belt. According to a recent study from the University of Michigan, parents and other childcare providers aren’t buckling up their kids either! And when child restraints are used, they’re oftentimes used improperly. This varies between ethnic groups too, according to the study.

RedOrbit reports that car accidents continue to be the leading cause of death for kids in the U.S. who are under the age of 3-years-old. This wouldn’t be the case if more parents and guardians properly buckled in their kids. It’s a problem that only you can fix!

Our Boston child injury attorneys understand that kids face some of the highest risks for injury and death in the event of a car accident. Their little bodies can’t sustain the impact of a collision as well as our adult bodies. Parents and guardians are urged to review the most recent Guidelines for Child Passenger Safety from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“Selecting the right seat for your child can be a challenge for many parents. NHTSA’s new revised guidelines will help consumers pick the appropriate seat for their child,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland.

The study looked at more than 21,000 kids in vehicles and determined that far too many of them were seated correctly in a child’s car safety seat. WebMD reports that as children aged, they were less likely to be properly buckled in. At the same time, there were a higher proportion of minority children who were moved to using an adult seat belt before they were ready. In vehicles where the driver was not wearing a seat belt, the children were 25 times more likely to not be buckled in either.

“We found that few children remain rear-facing after age 1, fewer than 2% use a booster seat after age 7, many over age six sit in the front seat,” said Dr. Michelle L. Macy, an author of the study.

You should never move your child to the next phase of child seating before their ready. You want to keep your child in their car seat for as long as you can, or for as long as they’re within the height and weight limitations of the seat set forth by the seat’s manufacturer. Their safety and their well-bring depends on it. You have the ability to protect these young ones and to help to keep them safe in the event of a car accident.

Parents are urged to review the child seat recommendations before seating your child in the car. It’s also important that you read the guidelines from the car seat manufacturer. Consider visiting a child seat inspection station in the area to make sure that your child’s seat is properly and safely installed.
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August 21, 2012

IIHS Crash Test Highlights Safety Faults of Luxury Vehicles

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Crash ratings should be one of the key points you consider when purchasing a new car. Unfortunately, many of the midsize luxury cars, including the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, didn’t do so well in the new frontal crash test that was developed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the crash test has been developed to see what happens when a car hits another car or a fixed object. The test hits about a quarter of the vehicle’s front end by running it into a 5-foot rigid barrier at 40 miles per hour.

The results do not bode well for non-luxury models either. They’re up next for the new test.

These kind of tests and the results that they produce are highly beneficial to car manufacturers as they’re oftentimes used to make changes in vehicles’ designs and their safety features. And of course to advertise their safety and success.

Our Boston car accident lawyers understand how crucial these test results are for those who are looking into buying a new car. The result of this test and various other tests can be found on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety‘s website.

Before setting out to get a new car, you’re going to want to know about its crashworthiness, meaning you want to know how well it’s going to be able to protect you in the event of an accident. Officials with the IIHS rate these cars with the various ratings, including good, acceptable, marginal or poor. They test how vehicles handle in a rollover test, high-speed front and side crash tests as well as evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. Manufacturers will have to return to the drawing board to find ways to correct the flaws and make the cars safer and more appealing to consumers.

In the most recent test, officials looked at 11 cars. Of these cars, only the Infiniti G, the Volvo S60 and the Acura were marked with good or acceptable ratings.

Many other vehicles, including the Volkswagen CC, the Lincoln MKZ, the BWM 3 Series and the Acura TSX came through with only marginal ratings.

Among the vehicles with poor ratings were the Lexus ES 350, the Audi A4, the Lexus IS 250 and the Mercedes C-Class.

Officials say that the results of this new test show that these vehicles’ side airbags are OK for T-bone accidents, but not for off-center ones. They say there’s a chance the bag won’t go off until it’s too late.

In three of the cars, including the Volkswagen, the Mercedes and the BMW, the seat belts spooled out too much slack after an accident. The dummies in the vehicle were tossed around the cars because of it.

The door of the Volkswagen was sheared off during the test.

“With this new test, the institute has raised the bar again and we will respond to this challenge as we design new vehicles,” said officials with Toyota.
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August 20, 2012

Rollover Accident in Swansea Sends Driver to Hospital

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A single-car accident on Interstate 195 sent a man to the hospital over the weekend. According to Massachusetts State Police (MSP), the accident happened just before 7:00 p.m. in Swansea near Exit 2. The driver of the SUV drove into the median and flipped his vehicle. Officials don’t know what exactly caused the accident yet, according to Wicked Local.

Our Swansea car accident lawyers understand that the vehicle involved in the accident was an SUV. These larger vehicles are supposed to provide drivers with more power and more protection. Unfortunately, they’re much more likely to be involved in rollover accidents, which oftentimes produce serious or fatal injuries.

About 40 percent of Americans think they’re actually safer in an SUV than in a passenger car. That’s just not true!

SUVs rollover more than any other kind of car on the market. As a matter of fact, rollover accidents account for nearly 40 percent of all fatal accidents involving an SUV. That’s high in comparison to the 15 percent rollover rate for passenger cars.

In 2006 SUVs had the highest occupant fatality rate of any kind of vehicle in rollover accidents at more than 7.75 per 100,000 registered vehicles. This is in comparison to the with 3.10 for vans, 6.98 for pickup trucks and 3.18 for passenger cars.

You’d be surprised by how many of these accidents are single-vehicle accidents, too. In 2006, more than 45 percent of single-vehicle rollover accidents involved an SUV. Less than 40 percent involved pickups and about 21 percent in passenger cars.

In 2006, there were nearly 8,100 SUV occupants killed in traffic accidents.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the following can increase your chances of being involved in a rollover accident:

-Riding in an SUV because they’re narrow vehicles with higher centers of gravity, making them more susceptible.

-Speeding. Exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for the current weather conditions contributes to about 40 percent of rollover accidents.

-Alcohol. About half of all fatal rollover accidents involved a driver who was under the influence of alcohol.

Don’t forget to buckle up either! More than 70 percent of people who are killed in rollover accidents were not wearing a seat belt when the accident happened. Be careful in rural areas as well, as about three-fourths of these accidents happen in these areas.

Tips to Avoid a Rollover Accident:

-Do your homework. If you’re looking into purchasing an SUV, look at the accident stats and look for a wider vehicle that comes equipped with electronic stability control (ESC).

-Be careful behind the wheel. Avoid sudden sharp turns.

-Slow it down. Excessive speeds only increase your risks for a rollover.

-Keep an eye on your tires. Many sure they’re properly inflated and that they’re not overly worn.

-Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

-Adjust your driving to accommodate road conditions.
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August 16, 2012

Many Drunk Drivers Double Legal Limit in Fatal Accidents, Not Truckers

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Drinking and driving is a big problem along our state’s roads.

Some drivers are more likely to do it than others. According to a recent study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), trucks drivers were the group who were least likely to be involved in a fatal alcohol-related accident. In 2010, less than 5 percent of fatal accidents involving truckers involved an impaired driver. They only accounted for 2 percent of American drivers who were involved in a fatal accident with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, according to FleetOwner.

Alarmingly, the new statistics from the NHTSA show that about 70 percent of drunk driving accidents from 2010 involved a driver who had a BAC nearly twice the legal limit of .08.

Our Boston drunk driving accident lawyers understand that there were more than 10,000 people killed in alcohol-related car accidents in 2010. These accidents accounted for about a third of all traffic fatalities in the country, meaning someone was killed every 51 minutes. During this same time, about 70 percent of these accidents involved a driver who returned a BAC reading twice that of the .08 legal limit. As a matter of fact, the most frequently recorded BAC among drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes was .18.

Regardless of how drunk a driver is when involved in a fatal car accident, the truth of the matter is that they’re breaking the law. Drivers should never get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol, of any amount but especially when they’re drunk. These kinds of accidents are completely preventable.

To help to get drivers to be more responsible and to avoid these kinds of accidents, officials with the NHTSA are teaming up with law enforcement agencies across the nation, with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), with the National Center for DWI Courts and with Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) for the nationwide anti-drunk driving campaign “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.” The campaign kicked off on the 17th of August.

There are more than 10,000 law enforcement departments across the nation that are supporting this year’s campaign. It will be going strong through the Labor Day holiday weekend.

“Drunk driving remains a serious, unacceptable threat to our families and our communities. Our campaign is clear — if you choose to drive drunk, you will be held accountable,” said USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood.

As we close up the summer season, we know that residents and visitors will be heading out for one last celebration. This is how most people view Labor Day weekend. We’re asking drivers to stay sober during this time. The Labor Day holiday weekend is one of the deadliest on our roadways and this is a direct result of drunk driving car accidents. Remember to always have a sober way to get home. You can use a taxi, a bus, the subway a train, a friend, a family member or even a trolley. Remember these options to help you to stay safe and out of a potentially fatal car accident.
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August 12, 2012

MBTA Safety Watch: Ridership Increases for 17th Consecutive Month

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

More and more people are using the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) services to get to where they’ve got to be. According to a recent release, there were more than 400 million individual riders on the MBTA during the last fiscal year.

This was the first time ridership has ever reached that milestone. On average, officials say that nearly 1.5 million people took the bus, trolley or train each weekday. This was the first time in history that the daily ridership averaged more than 1.3 million, according to The Boston Channel. The biggest jump in ridership was experienced by the buses, with a near 6 percent grown in the number of weekday riders.

Overall, the average number of weekday ridership increased by more than 5.5 percent. These were the numbers of the last fiscal year, which just ended on the 30th of June.

Our Boston MBTA accident lawyers understand that the month of June serves as the 17th month in a row in which ridership with the MBTA has increased. Jonathan Davis, General Manager with the MBTA, says that the increase can be credited to a number of factors, including more reliability by riders in the services, better and more efficient real-time schedule information and the improving economy. Whatever the reason may be though, it’s important to know how to keep yourself safe when sharing the same rides as millions of other people.

With more riders and more trips being taken, accident risks with the MBTA are rising. While transportation officials are working to eliminate these risks, there’s no getting around it. The MBTA prides itself on working every day to help to ensure the security and the safety of both riders and employees. According to officials with the MBTA, Safety Department officials are always in the field inspecting subways, buses, boats, commuter tails and stations to help to ensure the safest possible environment for everyone.

Personnel with the T are supposed to be trained in how to handle various emergency response situations. They follow their own Safety Program, which has been coordinated with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in addition to the MBTA Police. Through this program, transportation officials undergo a number of simulated emergency response exercises that are used to help personnel to be ready with state-of-the-art emergency response techniques.

When you’re traveling with the MBTA, there are some safety tips that you should remember to help yourself from becoming a victim of a crime or another type of accident.

Personal Safety with the MBTA:

-Always keep an eye on your surroundings. Know where you are and who’s around you at all times.

-Try to avoid listening to headphones.

-Don’t talk to strangers, especially when you’re in an isolated area.

-Hold your purse of briefcase close to your body.

-Keep your wallet in your front pocket, not your back.

-If you’re attacked by someone, blow a whistle or scream to draw attention to your situation.
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August 8, 2012

Rising Temps and Risks for Heat Injuries in Boston

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

It’s hot out there and we’re seeing temperatures well over 90 degrees. To help to keep everyone cool, Mayor Thomas M. Menino recently announced that he would be keeping the city’s 16 public indoor pools open even longer. According to the City of Boston, the pools will now stay open until 9:30 p.m. Boston’s two outdoor pools with still be closing at dusk for safety reasons. Residents are also welcomed to cool off at several water spray features throughout the city that are operated by Boston Parks Department — or in air conditioned community centers.

“Keeping pools open later this evening will help our residents find a few more hours of relief on this dangerously hot day,” said Menino.

Boston personal injury attorneys understand that there are a plethora of safety concerns and dangers that accompany this heat we’re experiencing. According to the Mayor and Boston’s Elderly Commission, seniors are to take extra safety precautions in this heat. Young kids and our elderly residents are particularly at risk for a heat-related injury or illness during this time. Still, residents of all ages are urged to keep an eye on how long they hang out outside. You should drink plenty of water and stay away from alcohol of caffeinated beverages.

“A lot of the calls are coming in as minor illnesses because a lot of folks don’t realize that they’re dehydrated,” said Captain Jose Achilla with Boston EMS.

Help to Beat the Heat:

-Limit strenuous activity when working outside.

-Wear sunscreen.

-Wear loose clothing.

-Wear light-colored clothing.

-Take frequent breaks and rest in the shade.

-Consider taking cool showers of baths whenever possible.

-Stay in air conditioned areas whenever you can.

-Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of heat-related injuries and illnesses.

“No doubt, summer temperatures are here,” said Mayor Menino.

Typically, close to 200 people die every year because of heat stroke. If there’s a major heat wave, the number of deaths can increase to over 1,500 people. Many times, victims of heat injuries don’t even recognize the symptoms until it’s too late. You might be experiencing a heat injury, illness or heat stroke if you have a throbbing headache, if you get dizzy, light-headed, have red, hot and dry skin, if you get nauseous or weak, experience cramps, seizures, behavior changes, lack of sweating or even notice an increase in your heartbeat. If you notice any of these symptoms you’re to remove yourself from the heat, cool off immediately and drink water or Gatorade. If you don’t feel better immediately, call authorities.

Residents are asked to be cautious of the weather, cautious of their internal temps and cognizant of the welfare of loved ones and neighbors. We can all work together to get through this heat wave safely, it just takes a group effort. It’s important to especially keep an eye on your elderly loved ones and the young ones in your life as they’re the most vulnerable in these kinds of situations.
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