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Last month, a 62-year old Woodstock woman was killed when she apparently lost control of the 53-foot truck she was driving that was transporting methane gas, a hazardous material, and crashed through a guardrail before the truck rolled onto its side. Police were still investigating the incident to find out why the truck suddenly left the roadway on Route 2 in Orange. Fortunately, no other vehicles were involved. Read more
On October 1 at around 8:40 p.m., a Methuen man lost his life in a hit-and-run accident that occurred on Jackson Street in this small town of just under 50,000 located about 26 miles northwest of Boston. The decedent was reportedly getting ready to move his car to make room for a tow truck when he was struck by a passing motorist. Police later found a vehicle about a mile away that had front-end damage and had it towed for further investigation. There were no further reports regarding the identity of the vehicle owner or if an arrest had been made. Police were canvassing the neighborhood and asking residents if they had surveillance cameras that might have captured the accident or perhaps that of a vehicle fleeing the scene shortly after it occurred.
Earlier this summer, a 28-year-old man died from injuries he suffered when he was struck by a Mazda SUV when crossing Middle Street in Weymouth near the Route 3 overpass around 11:00 p.m. The man had been taken to South Shore Hospital but died soon thereafter. Other details about the accident were not reported.
Construction zones are notorious for being the scene of car accidents in Massachusetts. And if road or other construction is occurring in a stretch of road already known to locals as particularly susceptible to accidents, then that road becomes even more dangerous. This is true not only for motorists but for construction workers who must have safeguards in place to alert motorists to slow down.
Rollover accidents can be deadly since the vehicle occupants can be violently tossed around within the vehicle, striking objects, windows and other passengers. If seat belts are not worn or are worn but fail to restrain the occupants, passengers can be ejected from the vehicle to the pavement or into any object outside. This was highlighted in a horrific crash early this Summer on I-95 near Exit 3 in Attleboro around 11:00 a.m. A Ford Econoline van transporting 11 persons was struck by a Toyota Rav 4 that was in the adjoining lane. Both vehicles crossed the median after impact. The van rolled over and all 11 occupants were ejected. Two of the passengers suffered fatal injuries. Police reports did not indicate how the accident occurred though it is likely that one motorist made an unsafe lane change or that both attempted to change lanes simultaneously. Other factors could have been fatigue, impairment, distraction, or the possible inexperience of the van driver.
A recent lawsuit filing in Hampden County Superior Court brought back memories of the deadly and incomprehensible tragedy this past June in Randolph, New Hampshire where 7 motorcyclists were killed. A young driver in a pickup truck towing a trailer suddenly crossed into the opposite lane of traffic and mowed down the innocent motorcycle riders. None of the first responders or police at the scene could recall an incident or carnage of this magnitude in a single motor vehicle incident. The driver was from Springfield, Massachusetts and had a Massachusetts driver’s license at the time of the incident.
It is generally assumed that the best or safest place to be in a car accident is the back seat. The most serious accidents are head-on collisions followed by T-bone collisions. If you are restrained in the back seat during these collisions, the general belief is that you were likely spared serious or fatal injuries merely because of the distance between the back-seat passenger and the impact location.
Victims of motor vehicle accidents in Massachusetts, and especially Greater Boston where there is a higher concentration of ride sharing services, have a new, helpful and potentially life saving feature in their Uber app.
In a great step toward more safety in accidents, Uber has initiated a new program, to start in Massachusetts before any other state, which is an updated 911 feature built into the Uber app. Upon calling 911 thorough the app, the app sends the 911 operator the vehicle information, license place, and the location of the vehicle automatically. Thus, if you need to make a 911 call, you don’t even need to provide that information – first responders will have it instantly. And they can find you faster, especially on busy streets.
Summer, especially in the Northeast, brings out the motorcyclists in droves. Riding a motorcycle can be fun and exciting as well as a cheaper and often faster way to get around town or to head to the Cape. They are quick off the draw, agile and highly maneuverable, and easy to park in congested downtown areas. However, riders have no protection between them and the roadway or another vehicle, and their smaller size means they are nearly invisible to other motorists, especially those who are distracted. Even a minor collision where motorists and passengers would simply walk away with no injuries can result in catastrophic injuries to a motorcycle rider and passenger. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 80% of all motorcycle accidents result in either an injury or death to the rider or passenger.
Uber is one of two highly recognized ridesharing or ride-hailing services that is ubiquitous in most cities and larger towns throughout the U.S. and abroad. Each state requires these services to maintain a one-million-dollar liability policy in the event of an accident where the Uber or Lyft app is activated, and a passenger is on-board. These policies provide substantial coverage for the drivers if they cause an accident or they or their passengers are injured while being transported. But what if a third party asserts that the Uber passenger was at least partially at fault for their injuries? Would Uber insurance cover the passenger?