Articles Posted in Car Accident

shutterstock_1357162304-300x200Three people, including a police officer, were injured in a three-vehicle crash in Boston late Wednesday night, officials said. Emergency crews responding to a report of a crash in the area of Dorchester Avenue and Park Street around 11:30 p.m. found three wrecked vehicles sprawled across the road, according to Boston EMS. The officer, as well as the two other victims, were all taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Boston police noted. EMS initially said that five people were transported.

How is liability determined in a Boston multiple-vehicle crash?

In a multiple-vehicle crash in Boston, liability is typically determined by examining the actions of each driver involved in the accident. Liability is determined based on the legal principle of negligence, which requires the plaintiff to prove the following elements:

woods-g1d85369f1_640-300x200Boston, MA – Egidio Dantuony, a 60-year-old Roslindale resident, died after sustaining severe injuries when a silver sedan went off the road and crashed into his porch Sunday afternoon. Another man who happened to be visiting Dantuony at the time was also injured in this rare type of crash, but he is expected to survive. According to local police, the crash remains under investigation and no charges have been filed against the driver as of yet. 

The victim was described as a really good guy, a salt-of-the-earth type of fellow. “He would sit on the porch and just say hi to people as they walk by,” a neighbor said.

How do cars end up crashing into buildings?

One person was killed and two others sustained severe injuries following a head-on collision in Cherokee County on Saturday. According to Canton PD, the crash occurred on I-575 northbound just south of the Riverstone Parkway northbound off-ramp. The causes of the fatal frontal collision between a white Chevrolet Silverado truck, driven by a Marietta man, and a blue Honda Accord with two Tennessee residents on board are still under investigation. The police launched an appeal for anyone with information on the crash to come forward. 

What makes head-on collisions so dangerous?

michael-jin-ipHlSSaC3vk-unsplash-300x200Head-on collisions, also known as frontal collisions, are a dangerous type of car accident that can cause severe injuries and fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), frontal collisions account for a significant portion of fatal accidents on US roads. In 2019, for instance, there were a total of 33,244 fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States, resulting in 36,096 deaths. Of these fatal crashes, 2,641 (8%) involved a head-on collision. 

If you have too much time on your hands, the Internet has plenty of content to keep you entertained. Like “X weird driving laws in the United States”. Most of us will at least chuckle learning that it is illegal to drive with a gorilla in the backseat in the state of Massachusetts. The same post will inform the bored reader that in Florida it is against the law to tie an elephant to a parking meter and you’ll certainly wonder why in Montana you must have a chaperone if you have sheep in your truck.

Who came up with these crazy laws? Well, no one. There is no specific law in Massachusetts preventing you from taking a gorilla for a ride. It’s just one of the many urban myths making the rounds on the Internet. Oddly enough, though, what they say is technically true and it is illegal to drive with a gorilla in the backseat.

The making of an urban myth

FpvHoJyX0AMkO8V-300x169Boston, MA – March 1st may be just days away, but there are little signs of spring in Massachusetts. On the contrary, weather forecasts indicate potential winter storms throughout the week. This means dangerous road conditions in the Boston area, similar to those last week when 15 trucks and cars were involved in a chain accident on the Massachusetts Turnpike. Several people were taken to the hospital, some of them in serious condition. According to Massachusetts State Police, the crash was most likely caused by the freezing rain that made for very treacherous driving conditions. Speed restrictions were implemented from the New York border all the way to Boston during the storm.

Although it’s been almost one week since the accident, the investigation continues. If you’re ever involved in a multiple-vehicle accident you need to wait for the police report and then contact seasoned Boston accident lawyers. Recovering damages for this type of crash is extremely tricky as more than one party may be liable for damages. 

What is Massachusetts’ basic speed law?

side-mirro-gf11f25244_640-300x169Boston, MA – Boston police announced they have identified the driver who killed a homeless person in a hit-and-run accident last month. Abner Jean-Baptiste, a 36-year-old from Roxbury, was charged with motor vehicle homicide by negligence and leaving the scene of a crash. The accident happened late at night on Jan.20, near Mass. Ave. and Melnea Cass Boulevard. The victim was a 73-year-old man pushing a wheelchair carrying his meager personal possessions. The man was well-known to the people in the area. A few hours before the crash, a security guard at a nearby hotel had offered the man some money to get a warm meal and hot coffee at a nearby fast-food restaurant as it was a very cold night. 

The security guard was still at work when the accident happened. He tried to run after the SUV, but to no avail. 

The police identified the driver after locating an SUV with a damaged hood. 

family-g4cce6b302_640-300x188Three people were killed in car accidents in the Boston area over the weekend. Although the whole area was affected by a snowstorm, there are no indications weather played a role in the crashes. Two of the accidents involved cars going into the opposite lane. In Acton, a pedestrian was killed after being hit by a van on Concord Road. The driver initially fled the scene but contacted the police later in the day.

Most motorists are aware of their rights after a car crash, but what about pedestrians? Many would say that a pedestrian injured or killed in a crash automatically qualifies for damages, but that is not so. Such claims follow the same rules as those stemming from a crash between two cars. The victim or their family must prove that the driver was negligent if they want to get damages.

How do you prove negligence in a car accident case?

Massachusetts police sent out a flurry of messages reminding motorists to drive cautiously and reduce speed on snowy roads. Several accidents have been reported over the past few days in the Canton area all the way to Boston. One trucker lost control of the vehicle and went off the road, while another tractor-trailer lost most of its cargo bringing traffic on Interstate 495 to a standstill.

If you were recently involved in an accident on icy roads, you should contact a seasoned Canton car accident lawyer. You may be able to file a claim for reckless driving even if the other driver was not above the speed limit.

Is there a different speed limit in winter?

Massachusetts – January 23, 2023

Drivers who are determined to show that another person was at fault for a motor vehicle accident in which they suffered harmful losses may benefit from effective Massachusetts car accident legal representation. Massachusetts is a “no fault” state regarding car accidents, allowing individuals to seek compensation for medical costs and related damages with their own insurance company.  As a modified no fault insurance state, accident victims can sue for damages if an injured person shares less than 50 percent of the fault, but a victim’s insurance must pay up to the policy limit before other means are addressed.

Common driver fault.

shutterstock_1769535560-300x200Driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the most serious offenses a driver can commit on the road. Unfortunately, DUI accidents can often result in severe injury or death. These accidents are especially tragic because they are preventable by simply avoiding drugs or alcohol before driving. When a victim dies in a DUI accident, the deceased’s family is left to pick up the pieces.

A recent news article reported that a man died and 20 people were injured after a driver under the influence crashed into an Apple store. The accident occurred in Hingham, Massachusetts, when the driver pressed down on the accelerator and was unable to brake. His SUV then crashed through the front of the store, striking a construction worker who was moving a barrier. The worker sadly died from his injuries. Twenty people were also hospitalized, some with life-threatening injuries. Police arrested the driver hours after the crash.

What Are the Civil and Criminal Penalties for a DUI in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts law refers to DUI crimes as “Operating Under the Influence” (OUI). Under OUI laws, drivers who operate their vehicles under the influence with a blood alcohol level (BAC) of 0.08 and cause serious bodily injury faces either 2 ½ to 10 years in state prison and a maximum fine of $5,000, or 6 months to 2 ½ years in a county prison and a maximum fine of $5,000. These penalties apply regardless of whether the accident occurs on a roadway or in any other place available to the public. An example of the latter scenario is an intoxicated driver who crashes into a building, as opposed to another vehicle on the road. If a person dies as a result of a driver operating a vehicle under the influence with a BAC of 0.08 or higher, the driver is guilty of homicide by motor vehicle. As punishment for this crime, Massachusetts law imposes between 2 ½ to 15 years in state prison and a maximum fine of $5,000, or 1-2 ½ years in a county prison and a maximum fine of $5,000.

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