Category: Motor Vehicle Accidents

Massachusetts Car Accident Lawyer Reports on Justice Scalia’s Traffic Ticket

According to news we received this morning from Washington, D.C., United State Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia was issued a traffic ticket by the U.S. Park Police for following too closely when his motor vehicle struck the vehicle in front of him on his way to work. The collision caused a “chain reaction” with four cars and the justice’s car being towed from the scene. Most importantly, no one reported personal injuries at the time.

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Work Related Trucks and Fatality Accident Data

In a study of truck accidents involving fatalities, a multiplicity of statistics show interesting data. We reviewed the Federal Trucks involved in Fatal Accidents data complied by the Center for National Truck and Bus Statistics at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute Fatal Accidents database. We intend here merely to highlight some of the data.

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Massachusetts Drivers Beware of Prescription Medication

In a French study published in PLOS Medicine, of 72,685 drivers involved in serious motor vehicle accidents, 27% had taken at least one prescribed medicine the day of the crash. Drivers that had taken more serious drugs, including antihypertensives, diabetes drugs, opioids and antidepressants were at a higher risk of being responsible for a motor vehicle crash than drivers taking less serious prescription drugs. The Wall Street Journal pointed out that the study did not take into account non-compliance in prescriptions; folks that were supposed to be taking the medication, but were not. Nevertheless, the study is instructive to Massachusetts drivers.

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Massachusetts Car Accident Attorney Fee Agreements to Change

The news from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is that car accident lawyers and other Massachusetts personal injury lawyers must use a new form for the contingent fee agreement, effective March 15, 2011. The focus of the new format is on full disclosure of out of pocket fees on contingent fees cases. The changes to Massachusetts Rule of Professional Conduct,1.5 was proposed by an SJC advisory committee, with input from the various bar associations.

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Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Death Statistics

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, for 2009 (the last year with full data), indicates that the number of total motor vehicle deaths in Massachusetts was 334. Of those, 280 people were occupants; 54% of the occupants’ deaths were in car accidents, 23% in “light trucks” and 19% were deaths to motorcycle passengers. The highest number by county was 66 in Middlesex County, 42 in Worcester County, 37 in Bristol County, 33 in both Norfolk and Essex County, 25 in Plymouth County, and 21 in Suffolk County.

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Ten Winter Driving Tips for Massachusetts Drivers

Whether we like the weather or not, winter conditions make for more dangerous and more variable conditions on Massachusetts roads. Unfortunately, motor vehicle accidents can occur more often. We have taken some of the driving safety tips from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Washington State Department of Transportation to give Massachusetts drivers winter driving safety tips.

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