Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog

May 29, 2012

Chelsea Fall Accident Sends 2-Year-Old Down Three Stories

A recent fall accident in Chelsea sent a 2-year-old out of a third-floor window and down about 50 feet to the ground below. According to the Boston Globe, the young girl is expected to make it. Officers believe that the girl was playing with some of her friends on a bed in the home that was located next to a window. They believe that the window was left open and the young girl fell out and into the alley below. Officials have not determined if the child was supervised or not at the time of the accident.

Just a week ago, a 2-year-old girl died after she fell from a third-floor window in Fall River.

Our Chelsea injury attorneys understand that there are nearly 2.5 million children under the age of 14-years-old who are treated in emergency rooms across the country because of fall-related accidents.

According to recent statistics, there fall-related accidents kill about 80 of these young ones every year. More than half of the injuries occur to children under the age of six. Window falls are some of the most serious of these kinds of accidents, especially for our young ones. Every year, nearly 20 kids under the age of 11 die from window falls. Another 4,700 kinds under the age of 14 require treatment each year because of these same accidents. Children don’t understand the dangers that are associated with heights. They’re also not able to calculate the dangers of playing near windows. Many don’t understand that there are risks of a dangerous fall. For this reason, it’s parents’ responsibility to keep a close eye on their young ones near windows and to make sure that all windows are properly guarded.

Luckily, there are ways to help to keep our children safe near windows.

According to the Boston Public Health Commission, parents, guardians and property owners are urged to safeguard all windows to make sure that children don’t have access to them and that they can’t get out of them! That’s why the state participates in the Kids Can’t Fly campaign, to help to educate communities about window falls, prevention and the use of child safety window guards.

Tips to Protect Children from Windows:

-Be sure to install window guards on all windows that are above the first floor.

-If you have to open a window for ventilation, be sure that your child can’t reach the open window.

-Make sure you have ground rules in your home and that children know not to play near windows.

-Move your furniture away from all of your windows.

-Never rely on window/insect screens to keep children from falling out of a window. They’re not strong enough and will not keep your child in.
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May 27, 2012

Distraction-Related Car Accidents in Quincy and Elsewhere Targeted through “It Can Wait” Campaign

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

To help to stop teen car accidents in Quincy and elsewhere, AT&T recently launched its “It Can Wait” campaign.

The campaign started in the state of Massachusetts back in 2011 and since then organizations and law enforcement agencies across the country have joined in to help to raise awareness about the risks of distracted driving among teen drivers nationwide, according to The New York Times. This campaign usually takes place during the summer months because it’s during this time that teen drivers face the most dangerous risks for car accidents.

“Memorial Day is the beginning of the 100 deadliest days of the year for teen drivers,” said president of AT&T in the New England area, Patricia Jacobs.

Our Quincy car accident lawyers understand that teens know that texting while driving is dangerous. Studies prove it! Unfortunately, studies also show that these young drivers are still sending and receiving text messages behind the wheel. According to a recent AT&T study, more than 95 percent of teens know that it’s dangerous to text and drive at the same time. The same study also revealed that nearly 45 percent of these young drivers are still texting behind the wheel and another 75 percent say that their friends are doing it on a regular basis.

The study revealed that teens feel peer pressure from their buddies to respond to these messages quickly and that’s why they’re not waiting. The study also illustrated that parents and other adults are setting a poor example behind the wheel, leading these young drivers to believe that it’s okay to text and drive.

It’s going to be tough to get these young drivers to put the phones away while they’re on our roadways. Text messages rank as the number one mode of communication among this young age group. Recent studies conclude that teens text about five times more than most adults in a day. When this is going on behind the wheel, teens are nearly 25 times more likely to be in a near-accident or an actual accident on our roadways.

Highlights of the AT&T study:

-Nearly 90 percent of teens say that they expect to get a reply to a text message or an email within 5 minutes of sending the message.

-Three quarters of teens know that texting while driving is dangerous, yet nearly 45 percent still do it!

-About 70 percent of teens say that it’s still dangerous to text while stopped at a stop light.

-About 60 percent of teen say that they will text at a red light and another 75 percent say that they’ll at least peek at their phone at a red light.

-More than 60 percent of teens admit to glancing at their phone while driving. The same number of teens say that they’ll read or send an email or text while driving.

-Nearly 80 percent of teens say that adults tell them not to text and drive but these same adults text while driving.

-More than 40 percent of teens say they see their own parents send or read texts and emails while driving.
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May 25, 2012

Risks of Bicycle Accidents in Boston and Elsewhere Rank Mass. as 3rd Safest

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In 2011, the state of Massachusetts was ranked the 9th safest bicycling state in the Northeast. In 2010, we ranked in at 16th place and in 2009 at 19th place, according to a study conducted by the League of American Bicyclists.

In 2012 we are ranked in 3rd place! We’re getting better and our roadways are getting safer for bicyclists, but we still have a long way to go. For the fifth straight year in a row, Washington ranked in at number one. Unfortunately, even with a 3rd place ranking bicycling accidents in Boston and elsewhere are still a common occurrence.

“We are encouraged to see significant progress in top states like Washington, Minnesota, Colorado [which ranked fourth this year] and Massachusetts,” said Andy Clarke, president of the League.

Our Boston bicycle accident lawyers understand that this recent study illustrates there is still much to be done to make our roadways safer. Thousands are still being injured on our roadways every year. Many of these changes need to be done in funding and in infrastructure. Overall, the study concluded that state DOTs and legislatures across the country are lagging behind when it comes to bicycle safety even though there’s a much higher demand for safe riding areas.

In the study, the League of American Bicyclists looked at each state’s enforcement and legislation, programs and policies, funding and infrastructure, encouragement and education and their planning and evaluation. States were then ranked on these categories and their contributions to bicycling traffic.

Richard A Davey, the Secretary for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), said the department marks its commitment to provide residents and visitors with efficient, healthy and safe forms of transportation and continues to push the importance of the GreenDOT policy.

In April, the League of American Bicyclists named MassDOT and another 66 organizations as being Bicycle Friendly Businesses. Our state was the first state to have its DOT to receive national recognition for this kind of thing, according to the Boston Globe.

Recently, MassDOT launched the GreenDOT program to help to push environmental responsibility and a sustainability initiative to help make our state a national leader in “greening” the state transportation system. With pushing bicycling in the city, officials have also had to make some changes along our roadways to protect these travelers.

Awareness of bicyclists has also been important with the re-launch of the Hubway system, which allows residents and visitors to rent a bike, ride to their destination or where ever else and just return it to another kiosk in the area.

Other rankings in the New England area:

-Vermont: 18.

-Connecticut: 20.

-New Hampshire: 27.

-Rhode Island: 27.

We may be ranked higher than many of our neighboring states, but it’s no time to rest. We need to continue pushing forward to making biking in Massachusetts the safest it can be!
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May 23, 2012

Fatal Accidents in Boston and Elsewhere Rank State in Third Place

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent study from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and groups with the Trust for America’s Health, the state of Massachusetts ranked third in the nation for injury prevention measures. Our state had some of the lowest fatality rates, sitting at about 41 deaths per 100,000 residents resulting from fatal auto accidents in Boston and elsewhere every year. The national fatal injury rate sat at nearly 60 per 100,000 residents.

Included in this report were a number of injury prevention policies that states could enact to help to reduce the number of fatal accidents, according to the Boston Globe. Some of these prevention strategies include strict drunk driving laws, seat belt laws and other regulations to help to prevent domestic violence. Our state was proud to check off 7 out of the 10 recommended policies. Only New York and California ranked higher than us, both being able to check off 9 out of the 10 recommended policies.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that our state has a good number of laws in place that help to reduce the risk of injury. It’s up to residents and visitors to abide by these laws for them to actually work. Some of the laws that our state already has include requiring bicyclists under the age of 16 -years-old to wear a helmet, requiring all motorcyclists to wear a helmet on our roadways and requiring all child passengers under the age of 8 to be placed in the proper child seat.

We did lose some points though. We got some marked off for still having our seat belt laws as secondary enforcement. Officers are not allowed to pull over a driver just because they don’t have their seat belt on. They have to be breaking another road law before they can be pulled over and cited for not wearing a seat belt.

Massachusetts was however, praised for our laws and regulations to help to prevent and to manage concussions, to keep an eye on prescription drugs and to help to prevent accident overdoses and to make it relatively simple to file and complete a restraining order against a partner who has been deemed violent. Still though, many officials say that there’s a whole lot more that could be done and we need to continue working our way to the number one spot as the safest state in the country.

During the summer season, students are out on summer break, families and residents are venturing out on summer vacations and millions of tourists are heading to the area. Make sure that, no matter what you do, you keep safety as a number one priority.
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May 22, 2012

Holiday Schedule and Risks for MBTA Accidents in Boston over Memorial Day

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Listen up commuters! For those of you planning on using the MBTA’s services on Memorial Day, you may have to make other plans if you’re trip involves one of the services that will be shut down for the day.

The

May 20, 2012

Dog Bites in Boston and Elsewhere Costing Insurance Companies Nearly $500 Million in 2011

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Dog bite injuries in Boston and elsewhere are more common than you may think.

According to State Farm Insurance, it paid our nearly $110 million for these kinds of claims in just 2011. The year before, it paid out about $90 million. Experts are now trying to figure out why the increase, of nearly 4,000 claims in 2011 from 3,500 in 2010.

Nationwide, insurance companies dished out about $500 million in homeowners insurance claims for dog bite injuries in 2011, according to U.S. News.

Our Boston personal injury lawyers understand that there are more than 4.5 million people who are a victim of a dog bite every year. And those are only the ones that are reported. Experts say that about half of the bite victims are children. Nearly a million of all victims seek medical attention for the treatment of these bites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 20 die from these attacks every year, too!

Kids between the ages of 5- and 9-years-old are the most likely to be bitten by a dog. After this age group, seniors and then letter carriers make up the most at-risk group. Over the last two years, nearly 6,000 employees with the U.S. Postal Service were attacked by dogs.

To help to raise awareness about these kinds of accidents, the third week of May has been dubbed National Dog Bite Prevention Week. During this time, safety advocates and organizations nationwide work to educate residents about the risks for dog bite accidents. In most cases, dog bite victims are bitten or attacked by dogs they know, like the ones in their own household or dogs of neighbors, close friends and even family members.

Dogs can bite for a number of reasons, including health, training, socialization, heredity and the behavior of those around them.

The state of Massachusetts has one of the best laws for protecting the victims of dog bite injuries, especially child victims. The owner of a dog is strictly liable for dog bite accidents unless the victim was tormenting, trespassing or abusing the dog prior to the bite. Children under the age of 7 are presumed innocent, according to Dog Bite Law.

Residents are urged to be cautious near dogs. Some may not look dangerous, but looks can definitely be deceiving. Be careful when you’re near a dog of any kind. Allow them to sniff you before petting them. Never bother a dog while they’re eating, sleeping or caring for their young. Always treat a dog as if they could strike at any time. Be calm, careful and cautious to reduce your risks of a dog bite injury.
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May 18, 2012

Intersection Car Accident in Somerville Sends Seven to Hospital

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

After a recent rollover car accident in Somerville seven people were sent to the hospital, according to the Medford Patch. Four of the seven were taken away on body boards.

The accident happened shortly before 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Mystic Valley Parkway and Boston Avenue. Officials with the Medford and the Somerville fire departments and police departments were called to the scene as well as the Massachusetts State Police. Officers were forced to close off nearby sections of Boston Avenue and Route 16 so that emergency response teams could attend to the victims and could clear the mess of the accident. Unfortunately, the accident happened right in the middle of rush hour. Emergency response teams were delayed a short while trying to get through the gridlock traffic, according to District Chief Frank Lee. He adds that this intersection has had a history of these kinds of accidents.

“Something like this happens four or five times a year,” said Lee.

Our Boston car accident attorneys understand that intersections are in fact some of the most dangerous places on our roadways. They’re the backdrop to many accidents each and every day. As a matter of fact, nearly half of the near 6,000,000 car accidents that happened in the U.S. in 2008 were intersection-related. Motorists are urged to be cautious in these areas to try to avoid a potentially fatal accident.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), there are a couple of factors that contribute to a large majority of these intersection-related accidents. Some of the most common factors include inadequate surveillance, false assumptions of other’s actions, turning with obstructed views, illegal maneuvers, distracted driving, misjudgment of gap and other’s speed and failure to obey traffic control devices.

Luckily, there are a few safe driving tips that can help to keep you safe when driving through intersections and through other high-risk areas.

Intersection Safety Tips:

-When coming up to a traffic light, assume that it’s going to change. Slow it down a little bit. That way if it does change then you will be able to slow down in time for drivers who aren’t as cautious.

-Always check the crosswalks for pedestrians.

-If the light at the intersection changes to green as you approach, be sure to keep it slow and look in all directions. You never know when there’s a car coming from another direction that’s going to run the red light.

-Be sure to always use your turn signals, both when changing lanes and when making turns.

-Yield to vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.

-Never tailgate. Always allow enough room for you to stop safely.

-Be one step ahead of other drivers and the surrounding traffic.

-Always use your blinker to alert other travelers of your intended maneuvers.
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May 16, 2012

Man Fights for Life after Chelsea Pedestrian Accident

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

An overnight accident in Chelsea sent a pedestrian to Massachusetts General Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Officials with the Massachusetts State Police are currently investigating the accident.

The accident happened along Revere Beach parkway just after midnight when the pedestrian was struck by a passing bus, according to NECN.

The Bolt Bus was being driven by a Brockton man. Currently, no charges have been filed.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that buses are a key form of transportation throughout the state. Many residents and visitors rely on this form of transportation to get to and from work and school. While we oftentimes focus on the safety of the passengers, it’s also important to focus on the pedestrians are the vehicles. These large buses pack a heavy punch when they’re involved in traffic accidents and oftentimes produce deadly results.

Pedestrians need to be cautious whenever traveling near motor vehicle traffic. In 2009, there were nearly 4,100 pedestrians killed on U.S. roadways. In addition to these fatalities, there were another 60,000 people injured in these accidents. Oftentimes, pedestrians are overlooked by vehicle traffic, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It’s important for pedestrians to make their movements near traffic predictable to make them better seen my motorists. These kinds of accidents are preventable. They just take some awareness from everyone.

According to the Cambridge Police Department, there are a few simple safety tips that pedestrians can use when walking around buses and bus stops to help them to avoid becoming the victim of a fatal bus-pedestrian accident.

Pedestrian Safety Tips:

-Pedestrians are required to follow all traffic control signals and directions of officers who may be out directing traffic.

-Pedestrians are required to use crosswalks to cross the street if they’re within 300 feet of one.

-Pedestrians are required to yield to the right of way to authorized emergency, funeral processions, regardless of what the traffic controls may be conveyed.

-When traveling at night, wear bright clothing and wear reflectors or carry a flashlight to be able to be more visible to motorists.

While we ask pedestrians to do their part to stay safe on our roadways, we also ask motorists and bus drivers to keep an eye out for on-foot traffic. The Cambridge Police Department also offers some safety tips for drivers to help to keep our roads safe.

Motorist Safety Tips:

-Motorists are to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.

-Motorists are to never block a crosswalk.

-Always expect pedestrians. Be extra cautious in residential neighborhoods and be cautious when traveling near downtown areas and shopping/business districts.

-Motorists must slow down for pedestrians.

-Motorists may not open a car door into the travel lane of a bicyclist of a pedestrian.

-Motorists must yield to pedestrians and bicyclists when making a turn.
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May 14, 2012

Red Sox Announcer Dies in Boston Car Accident

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Carl Beanie, the public address announcer for the Red Sox, recently passed away after a car accident in Boston. According to the Boston Globe, the announcer called out some excellent Sox plays through two World Series championships. He was 59-years-old.

“We are filled with sadness at this tragic news,” Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said. “All of Red Sox Nation will remember his presence, his warmth, and his voice.”

Our Boston injury attorneys understand that the announcer’s vehicle reportedly ran off the road. He was taken to Harrington Hospital in Southbridge where he was later pronounced dead. There’s no denying he will be missed. Beanie was a long-time staple at the baseball park. He’s announced for a number of broadcasts, including the Associated Press, and started his career at Fenway back in 2002. He announced the World Series game when the Red Sox took home the championship to end their 86-year title drought.

Nearly everyone is Boston knows his familiar voice. He also announced wedding ceremonies, popular commercials and a number of ceremonies. A Boston magazine interview back in 2008 revealed that grooms would tell him that they were more excited to meet him than to marry their bride.

“This is where I should be,” said Beanie.

He loved his baseball, he loved the Red Sox and he loved Boston.

Roadways in Boston can be dangerous. As a matter of fact in Boston there were nearly 20 fatal car crashes in 2009. Many of these accidents happened under completely preventable conditions, such as impaired driving, distracted driving, speedy driving and other forms of dangerous driving conditions. With a little bit more awareness behind the wheel, we can all do our party to help to reduce the risks of these accidents on our roadways.

To help keep our roads safe for everyone, it’s important to keep an eye on health conditions. In many cases, drivers’ health conditions and the medications that they’re prescribed to can have a seriously risky effect on their abilities to navigate our roadway safety. Drivers are urged to talk with a doctor about driving after being prescribed to any medication.

The truth of the matter is that driving is tough and is a complex skill. Our ability to drive can be drastically changed if our mental, physical and emotional condition.
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May 12, 2012

Bicycle Accidents in Boston and Elsewhere Targeted by Bay State Bike Week 2012!

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Bicyclists throughout the state are encouraged to hop on their bike during this year’s Bay State Bike Week. It’s all for a good cause and to help to save lives.

This annual week-long event is being held this year from May 14th through the 20th and is used to raise awareness about bicyclists in the state. Every year, there are far too many bicyclists who are killed in traffic-related bicycle accidents in Boston and elsewhere. These accidents can be prevented!

As the weather warms up, more and more cyclists will be hitting our roadways and risks for accidents will increase. Be on your best and most cautious behavior behind the wheel to help avoid causing an accident with a cyclist.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), there have been hundreds of events registered throughout the state for this year’s campaign. You’re urged to sign up and participate by visiting the campaign’s website. Get involved and help to raise awareness about bicycle safety.

Just two years ago, MassDOT became the very first state DOT in the U.S. to organize a state bike week event. Our state continues to be the only state in the country to dedicate an entire week to our bicyclists. Our Boston bicycling accident attorneys understand that there were more than 600 lives of bicyclists lost in motor-vehicle accidents across the U.S. in 2009. During the same year, there were more than 50,000 bicyclists injured, according to bicyclinginfo.com. What’s worse is that experts believe these numbers are actually much higher as they believe that not all bicycle accidents are even reported by police.

This year, MassDOT is teaming up with MassRIDES as well as MassBIKE to successfully execute the Bay State’s Bike Week. Both MassBIKE and MassRIDES are two of Commonwealth’s statewide travel options program.

“The work that each community places in hosting events throughout the Commonwealth works to achieve the GreenDOT mission and the Healthy Transportation Compact statewide,” Richard A. Davey, MassDOT Secretary and CEO.

In addition to all of the registered events throughout the state, there will also be more than 10 Massachusetts Transportation Management Associations (TMA) that will be giving out this year’s MassCommute Bicycle Challenge. This is the state’s 18th anniversary and will be used to conduct friendly competitions between residents, visitors, employers, communities, schools and others and is used to encourage everyone to use their bike to get to and from work, school, errands, etc.

Even if you’re not getting out there on a bicycle, you’re still encouraged to help to raise awareness about these travelers. Everyone is urged to share the road safely with one another, regardless of mode of transportation, to help make our roadways safer for all!
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