Paying for Massachusetts Automobile Injuries

You’re driving back from a Boston Bruins game, you’re a Massachusetts resident, and you are seriously injured in a car accident. You’re taken to the hospital and you’re naturally worried about your health and being okay. And then you start thinking about work, bills, the mortgage, your family–you were seriously injured in that car accident.

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Massachusetts Teenagers Involved in Fewer Fatal Car Accidents

There is good news for Boston and Massachusetts residents concerning car accidents. Massachusetts had the lowest fatality rate from all crashes (i.e. car accidents, bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents) involving passenger vehicles in 2008, according the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, teenage traffic deaths declined nearly 17% in 2009 compared to 2008 for youths aged 15 to 19, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention says in a new report. The Boston car accident attorneys at the Law Office of Neil Burns are excited to share this news showing a decrease in teen car accident fatalities.

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Texting Ban to go into Effect in Massachusetts

On October 1, 2010, the new law on texting while driving will go into effect. The Safe Driving Act, enacted by the legislature in June and signed into law by Governor Patrick on July 2, 2010, makes Massachusetts the 29th state to ban texting while driving. The fine is $100 for adults but $100 plus 60 days loss of license for juniors; the fines and time loss of license increases with each offense. The law forbids all drivers under the age of 18 to use cell phones. We have previously published an article on texting while driving.

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Distracted Death Rate Reduced in Massachusetts

The death rate for distracted drivers fell in 2009, according to a report by the US Department of Transportation. The Transportation Secretary announced that this was as a result of a national effort using federal and state regulations. The focus is on drivers talking and texting on cell phones. In 2009 over 5,000 people died, and a half of million were injured from collisions as a result of distracted drivers. We have seen, in Massachusetts motor vehicle collisions an increase in crashes where our clients were injured as a result of a distracted driver. Our prior blog articles have talked about the new Massachusetts anti-texting law.

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Boston Car Accident Trial Judge Makes Mistake

The Massachusetts Appeals Court, sitting in Boston, recently ordered a new trial be held in a car accident case where the plaintiff suffered significant personal injuries. The Appeals Court ordered a new trial because the lower Court judge erred in allowing expert testimony from a police officer. The Boston car accident attorneys at the Law Office of Neil Burns always stay current on car accident cases and trials happening in Massachusetts because we understand that aggressive representation must include the ability to try cases as necessary.

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Not Enough Insurance Money to Pay for Your Injury

If you are injured in Massachusetts, in a car accident or while walking in and around Boston, for example, you should know that Massachusetts car insurance policies have a provision whereby you can collect money for your car accident injury or pedestrian injury from your own insurance company if the at-fault driver does not have enough of their own insurance to pay you for your injury. Of course, caution the attorneys at the Boston Law Office of Neil Burns, you must elect to carry this type of coverage in the first place.

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Danger of Delaying Medical Care After Car Accident

Boston residents are injured in car accidents that happen in Massachusetts every day. Following a car accident in Boston, you should report the accident to your insurance company and file an operator’s report. And if you are injured in a Boston car accident, you should seek immediate medical attention for your personal injuries. The attorneys at the Boston Law Office of Neil Burns can help you file a claim and maximize your recovery if you are injured in an accident through no fault of your own.

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Massachusetts Employers Not Responsible for Drunk Worker, Court Says

In a case handed down by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, the Court took employers off the hook for the responsibility of their employees while off site. Essentially, the Court said that in the “comings and goings” of an employee, the employer is not responsible. We see many such cases: there is insufficient motor vehicle insurance, so the injured party needs to file a claim against third parties. The case involved a pedestrian injured by a driver who had been drinking with his boss prior to driving home. The driver was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol.

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Massachusetts Small Claims Court For Property Damage

Boston automobile drivers face many tough road conditions while driving in Massachusetts. If your car is damaged in an automobile accident because of someone else’s negligence, first try to work things out with your automobile insurance company. But if you cannot get the relief you seek or feel you are entitled to, then you may consider bringing your property damage (or car accident damage) claim before the Massachusetts small claims court.

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