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We have been practicing law in Boston and throughout Massachusetts since 1985. I have represented clients in District Courts, Superior Courts, the Appeals Court, Housing Court, Probate Courts, Federal Bankruptcy Court and the Federal District Court.
Car accident injury claims are one of the most common types of personal injury claims and lawsuits that are filed, but one involving a police vehicle are less common. This is primarily because police officers perform a vital public safety function and liability on their part can be difficult to prove. For instance, when an officer is responding to an emergency or urgent call, the vehicle’s siren and flashing lights are a warning to motorists to pull over and to allow the vehicle to pass, much like an ambulance or fire truck. In many instances, motorists ignore the obvious signals and fail to stop or take any action to avoid interfering with the officer responding to the emergency.
Hit-and-run accidents are among the more repugnant acts that a responsible motorist can do. Shirking or evading responsibility is abhorrent, especially if someone has been physically injured as a result. To underscore this, an August, 2018 hit-and-run accident involving a Dorchester man left a pedestrian critically injured at Dorchester Avenue. The motorist fled the scene; fortunately, transit police witnessed the accident and gave chase. At the intersection of Adams and Beaumont, the culprit’s vehicle smashed into 3 parked vehicles and the man fled on foot, allegedly discarding a weapon as police gave chase. He was soon apprehended.
There are numerous hazards on roadways that motorists need to be cautious of and to take reasonable and commonsense steps to avoid by driving defensively. For instance, be aware of weather conditions to avoid losing control on a slippery surface, do not tailgate, share the road with bicyclists, stop for pedestrians, and be wary of slow-moving vehicles or malfunctioning traffic signals. But there are hazards that you cannot plan for such as debris in the roadway.
Tragedy recently struck this past July when a 2-year old was struck and killed in a car accident as a result of an unfortunate set of circumstances at the intersection of L Street and E 6th Street in Southie, Boston. The toddler was with a woman who was pushing a stroller on L Street with another toddler when a Prius and van somehow collided, forcing one of the vehicles onto the sidewalk and to strike the child. The woman was uninjured and the other toddler suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Because the accident occurred on a day and time when street cleaning was in effect, the street was free of parked cars that normally fill up that side of the street. Consequently, there was nothing to prevent the errant vehicle from hopping the sidewalk.
Kids’ parties are a part of growing up. Friends made at pre-school, kindergarten, or grade school often get together for birthday parties where food, games, and party favors are handed out. One common feature at kids’ parties are bounce houses, inflatable structures akin to trampolines for kids to literally bounce up and down on, inside the “house”, though at much lower heights than true trampolines.