Articles Posted in Car Accidents

A Massachusetts man suffered critical head and face trauma after chunks of ice fell off of a passing truck trailer on Route 31 in New Hampshire. Stanley Raczelowski, of Westford, Massachusetts, was driving northbound when the ice fell from a truck heading southbound near the town of Mason, New Hampshire. There are no witnesses of this single-car accident. Although it is possible that the driver was unaware of ice falling off of his or her vehicle, the driver, owner, or company of the truck, have not yet been found or identified.

Police reported that Raczelowski was first taken to Monadnock Regional Hospital and then transferred to a Worcester, Massachusetts, hospital for more treatment.

In New Hampshire, drivers who do not clear ice off of their vehicle can be charged with $250 to $500 and negligent driving. Known as “Jessica’s Law”, this legislation was passed after Jessica Smith was killed in 1999 in an accident in which the driver of a state truck lost control and crashed into her vehicle after he was struck by a 9-foot piece of ice that flew off of a passing trailer truck.

In Massachusetts, State Representative Cleon Turner is currently pushing for this same type of law. Turner argues “I’m…concerned about having legislation there or a statute there eventually that will give police the tools they need to stop a vehicle and say, ‘Look. You need to clean the snow off your vehicle because it’s dangerous.'” He said that the amount of the fine is negotiable but the concept that drivers should completely clear the snow off of their cars should be mandatory for the safety of other drivers.

If you have been involved in a car accident and would like a free consultation, please do not hesitate to contact one of our experienced lawyers.

Sources:

Flying ice causes Greenville accident, The Telegraph and NashuaTelegraph.com, March 4, 2011

Lawmaker proposes fine for not clearing snow off cars, 7-News whdh.com, February 4, 2011 Continue reading

A two-car crash in Revere yesterday is under investigation. The driver of a Volkswagen was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital after he was hit by a drunk driver in a Lincoln. Both the driver and passenger of the Lincoln were reported to be drunk but only one of them was arrested as the other fled the scene. The extent of the injured man’s condition is unknown but the jaws of life were needed to extricate him from his vehicle.

Drinking and driving, as well as fleeing the scene of an accident, is illegal and can result in arrest, fines and/or imprisonment. Although it is sometimes impossible to prevent an accident from happening, especially when a drunk driver is involved, it is important to take caution and be a defensive driver. In order to protect yourself from drunk drivers on the road, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Always wear your seatbelt and make sure your passengers do the same.

• Be an alert driver and try to stay away from other drivers who appear to be intoxicated or distracted and/or are swerving.

• Stop driving if you are tired or weary. This not only causes you to be a potentially unsafe driver, but you also might not notice drunk drivers around you.

• Make sure your car’s safety features have recently been inspected and are fully functioning.

• Be aware of what time you are driving. In 2004, 39.6% of drunk driving accidents happened between 10pm and 2am, and 37.5% of drunk driving accidents happened on Friday or Saturday nights.

Our lawyers have over 25 years of experience representing car accident victims throughout Massachusetts. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have a question on a case or would like a free consultation.

Sources:

Drunk driving likely cause of 2-car crash in Revere, 7-News whdh.com, March 1, 2011
How to Protect Yourself from Drunk Drivers, DrunkDriving.com Continue reading

Massachusetts State Police are investigating a fatal accident in which Karla Nieves-Vazquez, 23, and Jesus Nieves, 17, both of Springfield, were killed on Interstate-91. Police believe that neither Nieves-Vasquez or Nieves were wearing seatbelts. In this single-car crash, it is reported that Nieves-Vasquez lost control of her 2002 Dodge Stratus. The car turned over multiple times and then landed in the ditch of the median. The car’s other two occupants, Jesus A. Ferreira, 20, and Martin A. Nieves, 18, also of Springfield, were taken to Baystate Medical Center for medical attention.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that seatbelts save over 13,000 lives per year. In 2006, over 60% of victims of fatal car crashes between the ages of 16-24 were not wearing seatbelts. These lives could have been saved if they were wearing seatbelts. The NHTSA provides the following life-saving reminders on the importance of seatbelt safety:

• Wearing your seatbelt is the best thing you can do to protect yourself in an accident • Airbags are not designed to replace seatbelts • Buckle-up correctly; the lap belt and shoulder belt should be secure across the pelvis and rib cage, which can endure crash forces better than other parts of your body • Make sure your seatbelt fits; you can obtain belt extenders or a new shoulder belt from your car dealer or manufacturer • Age or condition is not an excuse; everyone should wear a seatbelt. There are effective ways for pregnant women, obese, and eldery, to safely buckle-up. Visit A Parent’s Guide to Child Safety on
how to safely buckle-up your child.

Our experienced lawyers have over 25 years of knowledge representing car accident victims throughout Massachusetts. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have a question on a case or would like a free consultation.

Sources:

I-91 crash victims identified, WWLP-22News, February 25, 2011
The top 5 things you should know about buckling up, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Continue reading

At 6:44 a.m. on Wednesday morning, a three-car accident on Route 128 resulted in the death of Wallace Arnott, a 56-year-old man from Haverhill. Dr. Joshua Namias, who was on his way to Salem Hospital for work, pulled over and provided assistance alongside an unidentified nurse, who had also pulled over to help. They were able to provide CPR for Arnott until paramedics arrived.

Arnott was first taken to Salem Hospital, and then transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital where he was pronounced dead in the early afternoon. Arnott was driving a 2005 Chevrolet Aveo, which is a small car. The other two vehicles involved were a 1996 Jeep Cherokee and a 2002 Chevrolet Venture minivan. Kenneth Weeden of Peabody, was the driver of the Jeep and was taken to Salem Hospital for serious injuries. The driver of the minivan, Rita Tavarez, was not injured. Although the crash is under investigation, state police have confirmed that the accident was a series of rear-end accidents.

State police, the Peabody Fire Department, and the Massachusetts Highway Division, all responded to the scene of the accident.

Reported shortly after this crash in the northbound lanes, an accident in the parallel southbound lanes occurred. There were no serious injuries reported in the second crash and both lanes were cleared by 10:30 a.m.

Our lawyers have over 25 years of experience representing clients throughout Massachusetts who have been involved in car accidents. Please feel free to contact us if you have a question in regards to a case and would like a free consultation.

Source:

Man killed, 1 injured in crash on Route 128 Gloucester Times, February 23, 2011 Continue reading

QinetiQ North America, a research and development company based in Waltham, is developing a system that can sense a driver’s blood alcohol level and prevent the car from moving if the driver’s alcohol content is at or above the .08 legal limit. The system, the Driver Alcohol Detection Systems for Safety, will use sensors on the steering wheel and door locks to determine the driver’s blood alcohol level via skin contact.

David Strickland, the director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), said that the technology could prevent as many as 9,000 fatal alcohol-related crashes a year in the United States. In 2008 alone, 42% of Massachusetts driving fatalities were the result of drinking and driving. Alcohol-related accidents continue to plague the state.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently visited the Waltham facility for a public demonstration of the system, during which the system was tested and displayed. Strickland, who was also at the demonstration, said that although the device is in the early stages of development and that it will not be available for another few years, he emphasized that it will not be released until it is “seamless, unobtrusive and unfailingly accurate.” LaHood said that the alcohol detection system is “another arrow in our automotive safety quiver,” as it is envisioned to deter drinking and driving for the future.

Our experienced lawyers represent clients throughout Massachusetts who have been in alcohol-related accidents. If you have a question in regards to a case and would like a free consultation, please feel free to contact us.

Source:

In Future, Cars Might Decide If Driver Is Drunk,National Public Radio, The Associated Press, January 29, 2011 Continue reading

Here in Massachusetts, the Distracted Driving Law took effect on September 30, 2010, which fines motorists $100 for using cell phones to call, text, or engage in internet searches while driving in an effort to reduce the risk of Massachusetts car accidents and fatalities caused by distracted driving. In a recent 90-day study of the law, police cited only 245 people for texting while driving, which for lawmakers is surprisingly low. This is likely due to the difficulty of enforcing the law and the fact that people can still appear to be an attentive driver while using a cell phone by hiding the phone.

Director of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Dr. Don Fisher, has created a driving simulation lab that tracks the driver’s eye movements while texting. Fischer says, “The risk while you’re texting is 23 times higher than while you’re not texting…when you’re texting you’re spending especially long periods of time with your eyes away from the forward roadway – much longer than the two seconds that’s barely safe.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports the facts on distracted driving:
•20% of injury crashes in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving.
•Using a hands-free or hand-held cell phone while driving delays a driver’s reactions
as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent.
•16% of all drivers under than 20 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes were
reported to have been distracted while driving.
•Distracted driving is reported to have claimed the lives of 5,474 people and injured
an additional 448,000 in the United States in 2009 alone.

Our experienced lawyers represent clients throughout Massachusetts who have suffered injuries or the death of a loved one because of such distracted driving accidents. If you have a question in regards to a case and would like a free consultation, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sources:

245 texting-while-driving tickets in Mass., UPI.com, January 6, 2011
Maine Summit Takes Aim at Texting While Driving, Maine Public Broadcasting Network, February 16, 2011

Statistics and Facts About Distracted Driving, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Continue reading

Claudette J. Kumor, 57, of Northborough was ejected from her car after being rear-ended on I-95 in Attleboro early on Saturday morning. Kumor lost control of her 2004 Ford Explorer when hit from behind by Samantha Lee Fletcher, 19, of Danvers, in the slow lane of traffic. The SUV is reported to have flipped over many times and Kumor was ejected from the vehicle. Authorities have confirmed that Kumor was not wearing a seatbelt and was confirmed dead when the emergency crew arrived. Her passenger, Carolyn P. Bibbo, 34, of Woonsocket, R.I., was trapped inside the wreckage and then taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, R.I., for serious injuries. Fletcher was not injured in the accident.

The accident is under investigation and police are considering Fletcher’s speed as the cause of the accident. No charges have been made.

Our attorneys have been representing personal injury and accident victims for over 40 years. Feel free to contact us to speak to one of our experienced attorneys for a free consultation.

Sources:

Northborough woman killed in crash on I-95 in Attleborough this morning, The Boston Globe, February 12, 2011
Northborough woman killed in crash on I-95 in Attleboro, The Milford Daily News, February 12, 2011 Continue reading

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the findings of a study requested by Congress on the unintended acceleration in Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood assured that “We enlisted the best and brightest engineers to study Toyota’s electronics systems, and the verdict is in. There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas.”

Under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the study was administered by NASA engineers, who, after ten months of exhaustive testing and research into the electronic operating systems of the car, came to the conclusion that sticky pedals and a design flaw of floor mats jamming pedals were the only verifiable causes of unintended acceleration. Since 2009, Toyota has recalled approximately eight-million vehicles to remedy these causes of unintended acceleration, in addition to paying $48.8 million in civil penalties.

Here in Massachusetts, owner of Expressway Toyota in Boston, Robert Boch said: “We are not the powerhouse that we were prior to the recalls…but this will certainly be a step in the right direction.” Within New England, there have been at least seven fatal car accidents resulting in ten deaths that have been attributed to Toyota drivers losing control of their vehicles because of unintended acceleration.

Sources:

US finds Toyota electronics weren’t to blame in crashes, The Boston Globe, February 9, 2011
U.S. Department of Transportation Releases Results From NHTSA-NASA Study of Unintended Acceleration in Toyota Vehicles, United States Department of Transportation, February 8, 2011
Acceleration questioned in fatal crashes, The Boston Globe.
Continue reading

Early on Saturday morning, 19-year-old Christopher Ward of Woburn lost control of his car on I-93 in Somerville. He swerved off of the overpass and fell at least 30 feet onto Route 28 below. He later died at Massachusetts General Hospital.

State police reported that 31-year-old Lawrence Capriotti Jr. hit Ward’s car either when it first impacted the ground or directly after. He initially fled but then returned to the scene of the accident approximately an hour later. Although he does not face charges relating to Ward’s crash off of the overpass, police have charged him with leaving the scene of an accident, resulting in personal injury, and leaving the scene of an accident, resulting in property damage. The reason for Ward losing control of his car is unknown and the accident is still under investigation by state police.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers and young adults between the ages of 15 and 20 and account for more than one in three deaths in this age group.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident or have a question on a case, feel free to give us a call for a free consultation to speak to one of our experienced attorneys.

Sources:

Teen dies after overpass plummet, Boston Herald, February 6, 2011
A Comprehensive Approach to Teen Driver Safety, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, February 2011 Continue reading

Authorities are investigating a fatal accident on the Interstate-95 Whittier Bridge. Charles Moncousky, of North Hampton, NH, died on Monday when his car drove over the Northbound side of the bridge. His 2002 Toyota Camry fell over 90 feet into the Merrimack River. State police said that in the bridge’s history, it is the first time that they can remember that a car has driven off. The bridge connects Massachusetts and New Hampshire for over 76,000 cars each day and is operated by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

The car went off the bridge near the Newburyport side of the river, in a section of the bridge where concrete protective barriers line the side of the bridge. Police spokesman David Procopio reported that it was not raining or snowing on the bridge at the time of the accident. The wheel’s tread and skid marks were clearly seen where the car ran up and over the barriers that were heavily covered with ice and snow.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reminds winter drivers to “slow down…bridges and overpasses can freeze up sooner than roadways” and that the majority of winter deaths related to snow and ice occur in automobiles.

Source:

Probe continues into Fatal I-95 bridge accident, Eagle-Tribune, February 2, 2011 Continue reading

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