Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

December 9, 2014

Dedham, MA Pedestrian Accident Leads to Criminal Charges for Newton College Student

54-year-old Jean Heppler was killed while crossing a street in a Dedham traffic crash on Friday night. Heppler was struck by a vehicle driven by a Mount Ida College student. The driver, Nicolas A. Rivas-Vasquez, pleaded not guilty to leaving the scene of the catastrophic pedestrian accident.

The 21-year-old’s lawyer said that Rivas-Vasquez did not know that his car had hit Heppler. Instead, the college student thought that his vehicle was struck by an object that the wind had blown in.

Although Rivas-Vasquez stopped the car, he claims that didn’t see anything in the mirror. Because of the road he was on, he had to drive another few blocks before he could legally turn back. Even then, Rivas-Vasquez contends he only saw debris. He later turned himself into the authorities.

November 30, 2014

Today is the Day Lead Singer Injured in Massachusetts 15-Passenger Van Crash

by Altman & Altman

Steve Austin, the frontman for the band Today is the Day, was involved in a Massachusetts 15-passenger van crash over the Thanksgiving weekend. The band was getting ready to resume its tour when the group was struck by an auto that was hit by another vehicle.

On his Facebook page, Austin wrote that one of the cars hit the side of their vehicle, causing the 15-passenger van to spin some 180 degrees and then flip over. Austin says that he and a friend were thrown “super hard” in the vehicle, as glass burst everywhere, sparks flew, and transmission fluid poured in. The two of them climbed out of the van as soon as it came to a stop.

An ambulance took the men to the hospital where Trevor was treated for cuts and bruises. He claims that the drivers of the other two vehicles deny that they were at fault.

November 30, 2014

Airborne Sheet of Ice Crashes into Family’s Car; Causes Heavy Damage

by Altman & Altman

A mother and her two young daughters were involved in a scary accident yesterday on Route 111 in Hudson, New Hampshire.

Lisa Beauchemin, 35, was driving her Volvo wagon Saturday when a sheet of ice flew off a white van and shattered the Volvo’s windshield. The ice was so forceful, it nearly penetrated the passenger’s compartment, police said. Despite being showered with shards of broken glass, Beauchemin and her daughters were uninjured.

With the first big storm of the season, Massachusetts State Police are urging drivers to clean their cars completely of snow and ice prior to hitting the roads.

Accumulating layers of snowfall and ice on top of cars is especially dangerous because it can slide off and blind you or go through a fellow drivers’ windshield-as was the case yesterday. Additionally, state officials caution drivers to take extra precautions when there’s snow on the ground, such as driving more slowly and keeping a safe distance between vehicles.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reported that nearly one quarter of all car accidents (1.5 million) in the United States are caused by weather-winter is unsurprisingly the most dangerous season. Winter weather including snow, sleet, and frigid temperatures contribute to hazardous road conditions. Ice and black ice are products of wet weather and freezing temperatures are the main culprits behind the majority of serious weather-related incidents.
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November 26, 2014

Actor Tracy Morgan May Not Completely Recover from TBI Sustained in Walmart Truck Crash

by Altman & Altman

Five months after comedian Tracy Morgan sustained serious injuries in a truck accident, his lawyer is now saying that it is not certain whether or not the performer will fully recover. Morgan sustained a traumatic brain injury and numerous broken bones after the vehicle he was riding in was rear-ended in a tractor-trailer crash involving a Walmart vehicle. His friend, comedy writer James McNair, died from his injuries.

Now, Morgan’s lawyers are saying that because of the severity of his TBI, they don’t know if he will recover to become the “Tracy Morgan he once was.” Morgan’s uncertain progress is indicative of how with certain brain injuries it can take a while before doctors are able to determine to what extent a patient will get better.

Morgan filed a truck accident lawsuit against Walmart seeking damages. Other plaintiffs in the semi-truck crash case include Morgan’s assistant Jeffrey Millea, Krista Millea, and comedian Ardie Fuqua. They want compensatory damges, punititve damages, statutory damages, legal costs, and pre-and post judgment interest.

November 21, 2014

46.3 Million to Hit Roads Thanksgiving Weekend: Tips You Need to Know to Protect Your Family

by Altman & Altman

With the average gallon of gas costing $2.85-at its lowest cost for the entire year and down 43 cents from this time last year-car group AAA says travelers can expect more traffic on the roads as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches.

AAA projects that nearly 46.3 million people will travel a distance of at least 50 miles from home over the weekend (defined as Wednesday, Nov. 26 through Sunday, Nov. 30), a 4.2% increase from last year-the highest anticipated volume since 2007, before the economic downturn the year after.

“Americans are more optimistic about the future as improvements in several key economic factors, including employment, GDP and disposable income, are boosting consumer confidence and the desire to travel,” says AAA president and chief operating officer Marshall Doney, as reported by USA Today.

According to AAA, nearly 90% of holiday travelers, or an estimated 41.3 million, will travel by automobile. Thanksgiving air travel is also expected to be at the highest level since 2007, with 3.55 million people flying to their destinations, AAA says (USA Today).

For those driving to get their turkey fix, INRIX’s Thanksgiving Travel Forecast says it will take at least 25% longer to get there this year.

According to INRIX analyst Jim Bak, the Wednesday pre-Thanksgiving rush hour is expected to begin about two hours earlier than on a typical Wednesday. He recommends drivers avoid traveling between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to skip the worst delays.
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November 19, 2014

NHTSA Wants a Nationwide Recall of Autos With Takata Driver’s Side Frontal Airbags

by Altman & Altman

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it wants a nationwide recall of vehicles outfitted with certain side frontal side air bags manufactured by Takata. The move comes after the regulator decided that the manufacturer is not acting swiftly enough to expand the recall of defective air bags that may rupture when deployed.

Already there have been five deaths, four in the U.S., linked to the faulty auto safety device, which may shoot out shrapnel when rupturing. Today, two U.S. Senators said there might even be a sixth death linked to the deadly air bags. All of the air bag deaths occurred in Honda vehicles.

A national recall would broaden what has to date been regional action involving 4.1 million vehicles in states that are humid and hot, which is where the safety devices are more likely to fail. Automakers involved in that initiative included Mazda, Honda, Ford, BMW, and Chrysler. NHTSA said that unless Takata and the car manufacturers swiftly agree to the wider recall, it will use its authority to make sure that such an initiative happens.

November 13, 2014

Recent Massachusetts Pedestrian Accidents in Bridgewater, Lowell, Brockton Lead to Fatalities

by Altman & Altman

A 68-year-old woman died earlier this week, in a Bridgewater, MA pedestrian accident. Roberta Harris was struck by a van while crossing the street on Monday morning.

According to police, the Ford van that hit Harris was turning out of a Walgreens parking lot when the incident happened. She was in the road when the van hit her. The incident remains under investigation.

A day after, another pedestrian, this time in Lowell, were also struck in a fatal Massachusetts pedestrian accident. The victims, a 79-year-old resident, was trying to cross Pawtucket Blvd. The driver of the vehicle was another senior, age 69.

October 28, 2014

Man Injured When Cement Beam Falls off Truck

by Altman & Altman

The driver of an SUV was taken to the hospital last week after several cement beams fell off of a tractor-trailer truck and onto his car.

Vidon George, the driver of that SUV, said he was approximately 30 feet away from the truck when he noticed the restraint harnesses giving way. The beams landed on the hood of George’s Honda Pilot, crushing its front end.

“I just tried to brake and I could see this is going to come and hit my car for sure and bam, in a few seconds everything was done,” George, 40, said in a statement to WCVB. “It happened so fast. My hands were on the steering wheel and the airbag exploded or deployed. My body aches because of that huge impact,” he said.

George, a married father of three was en route to work. He was luckily able to open the car door and walk away not seriously injured, however he is being treated for bruises. Investigators are currently looking into how the accident happened.
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October 21, 2014

Massachusetts Teen Drivers Still At Greatest Risk of Involvement in Traffic Crashes

by Altman & Altman

According to statistics, teen motorists are more likely to be in a car crash than motorists who belong to an older age group. In 2012 alone, 39 people ages 16 to 20 died in Massachusetts car crashes-that’s over 11% of all traffic deaths in the state that year. This figure is higher than the national average of 9.6% .

Driver inexperience is the most common cause of young driver traffic accident. Other common causes include speeding, poor seatbelt use, alcohol, and distracted driving.

Just this month an Attleboro teen died in a single auto collision. Christopher Hutcheon 18, was accompanied by other teens in a 2000 Toyota Camry when the vehicle struck a tree in Mansfield. The car, which another teen was driving, split in two. Hutcheon suffered a collapsed long and ruptured spleen. He was placed in a medically induced coma before later passing away.

October 3, 2014

Brookline Police Gauge Interest in New Bicycle Law

by Altman & Altman

Bicycle safety continues to draw the attention of city officials as the number of cyclists grows across the city. With increasing attention to the environmental and health advantages of opting for bicycles instead of motor vehicles and public transportation, and the advent of bike share programs like Hubway, the volume of bicyclists has increased dramatically. With this movement towards cycling, bicycle laws may need to be reconsidered to ensure that cycling remains an attractive option for Bostonians, while ensuring the safety of cyclists, pedestrians, and motor vehicle drivers.

Boston.com reported that on September 17th, the Brookline Police Department solicited comments via Twitter regarding the adoption of a new bicycle law commonly known as the Idaho Stop. The law would allow cyclists to treat red lights as stop signs, and treat stop signs as yield signs, thereby letting cyclists move more quickly and have more freedom on roadways. In Idaho, bicycle injuries declined by 14.5% in the year following the implementation of the law.

Existing bike laws in Brookline follow a “same roads, same rules” approach, which requires cyclists to adhere to the same road rules as drivers of motor vehicles. Steve Sidman, Executive Director of the Boston Cyclists Union criticized this approach, noting that the rules applicable to motor vehicles cannot logically be applied wholesale to bicycles. Stidman also recommended the construction of a separate bicycle path on Commonwealth Avenue to reduce bicycle accidents.

Brookline Police Lieutenant Philip Harrington noted that there are no definite plans to adopt the new rule and the department is merely opening the topic for discussion at this point.
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