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As previously discussed, the National Transportation Safety Board found that drowsy driving was a probable cause in a Newton train accident last year. According to the board, drowsiness is the most common cause of fatal-to-the-driver truck crashes. In fact, the number of fatal truck accidents associated with fatigue is equal to the combined number of crashes related to drugs and alcohol.

Truck drivers and trolley conductors are not the only ones who are susceptible to accidents associated with sleep deprivation. Car drivers are also at risk. In fact, each day, 250,000 United States drivers fall asleep at the wheel, causing 8,000 deaths and 60,000 serious injuries annually.

Because drowsy driving accidents are preventable, the Massachusetts Drowsy Driving Commission made a series of recommendations earlier this year that they hope will reduce drowsy-driving accidents. Educating drivers about the risks of driving while tired is a primary goal, while diagnosing and treating sleep disorders is another important step.

Drowsy-driving tragedies preventable, Boston Globe, August 3, 2009 Continue reading

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This may come as no surprise to most drivers in Massachusetts, but a recent survey conducted by the Concord-based TomTom Inc. found that Boston motorists are the most likely to use their horns when someone cuts them off.

TomTom studied drivers in seven American cities to find out the “driving personality” of each city, and Boston’s personality was the “courageous commuter.”

According to TomTom’s findings, this driving personality applies to “bold drivers who do what it takes to overcome the obstacles and complexities of daily driving.” Yes, that definitely sounds like it applies to Boston!

Drivers in Atlanta and Minneapolis also fall under the category of “courageous commuters,” while LA and Houston drivers were classified as “diligent drivers” and those in Chicago and New York were dubbed “neutral navigators.”

Survey: Boston drivers are “courageous commuters,” Boston Globe, July 17, 2009 Continue reading

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Over the weekend, two Massachusetts State Police troopers were injured in separate traffic accidents in Sharon and Braintree.

The first auto accident occurred at 3:55am on Saturday morning. Trooper Eric Papkee was sitting in his vehicle in the breakdown lane processing traffic violation when his cruiser was hit by another car. The driver was cited for failure to take care in stopping. Papkee was treated for minor injuries to his neck and back at Quincy Hospital and released.

The second auto crash occurred on Sunday evening at 9:49pm. Trooper John McCarthy had stopped a car in the breakdown lane of Route 1 northbound when he was hit from behind by the side mirror of a passing pickup.

The pickup was allegedly driven by a drunk driver, who was charged with operating under the influence of liquor, leaving of the scene of an accident involving personal injury, unlicensed operation, marked lanes violation, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and obstructing an emergency vehicle. McCarthy sustained back and shoulder injuries. He was treated at Norwood Hospital and later released.

2 troopers injured in separate traffic stops, Boston Globe, July 28, 2009 Continue reading

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The hazards of text messaging while driving well known, but a recent study found that the risk is disproportionately higher for truckers than those behind the wheel of a car. The study, which was conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, found that truckers who text are 23 times more likely to be involved in a traffic crash or get into a near-wreck than an undistracted driver.

The study also found that the greatest risk to car drivers is when they dial a cell phone. A truck driver is 5.9 times more likely than an undistracted driver to get into a motor vehicle accident while dialing a cell phone. Car drivers are 2.8 times more likely. A trucker who reaches for an electronic device increases their accident risk 6.7 times, while a car driver increases risk by 1.4. According to the study, drivers spend five seconds out of a six second window looking away from the road when they are engaged with an electronic device.

The study was based on research from 2004 to 2007, and researchers looked at video footage from cameras inside of vehicles to look at how drivers engage with the road while using their cell phones. Based on these findings, the researchers recommend that drivers forego cell phones while driving, even if they are using a hands-free phone.

Study: Texting while driving more dangerous for truckers, CNN.com, July 28, 2009 Continue reading

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Last Thursday, a man from Marlborough, Massachusetts was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident on Depot Road in Nashua. The accident occurred around 9:35am. According to police, the 61-year-old man was riding southbound on Depot Road when a car pulled out of a driveway. The motorcyclist swerved off the road, hitting a sign and wooden fence.

The motorcycle accident victim sustained serious leg injuries, and his motorcycle was damaged extensively. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, but he was unable to remember the make, model, or color of the car that hit him. Police are seeking further information from the public and are requesting any witnesses to call 465-7637.

In addition to motorcycle accidents, our Boston personal injury attorneys also handle accidents involving machinery, defective products, motor vehicle collisions, and medical malpractice.

Motorcyclist hurt in crash, Nashua Telegraph, July 24, 2009 Continue reading

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The Associated Press reports that two injured women have sued the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) over the May 8 MBTA accident that injured 62 people when two trains collided. A personal injury lawyer for Rebecca Bishop says the woman fractured her pelvis as a result of the subway accident.

In a separate suit, Jennifer Levi of Brookline is suing because she suffered a wrist injury and is concerned about the health of her unborn child. Both suits were filed in Suffolk Superior Court last month. They don’t name a dollar amount, but the injured women seek “ample compensation.”

According to a spokesperson for the MBTA, the transit authority does not comment on pending litigation.

2 injured women sue over Boston trolley crash, Associated Press, July 21, 2009 Continue reading

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Last week, a pedestrian sustained severe head injuries after he was struck by a car in Brighton as he was strapping his one-year-old child into a car seat. Fredy E. Zepeda was 36. He was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital and treated for what police described as massive head trauma. He died last Thursday. His child was not injured.

According to a Boston police spokesman, police took the 47-year-old driver into custody. The Watertown woman was arraigned last week, and her original charges of leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury and negligent operation of a motor vehicle were upgraded to a charge of motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of personal injury resulting in death. She pleaded not guilty.

According to driving records released by the Registry of Motor Vehicles, the driver had been found responsible for five previous car crashes since 2005.

Driver faces upgraded charges in Brighton crash, Boston Globe, July 20, 2009
Man struck while putting child in car, Boston Globe, July 15, 2009 Continue reading

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The Boston subway operator who was allegedly texting his girlfriend when he missed a red light and hit another subway car appeared in Suffolk Superior Court in Boston earlier today. He pleaded not guilty to one charge of gross negligence while in control of a train.

Twenty-four-year old Aiden Quinn was free set free without bail, but he is due back in court next Monday.

Quinn was fired from his with the MBTA the week after the subway accident and faces up to three years in prison for the May 8 accident, which injured dozens of people and caused $9 million in property damage. He also suffered a broken wrist in the MBTA accident.

T driver pleads not guilty, Boston Herald, July 20, 2009
Texting Boston Trolley Driver to Appear in Court, Associated Press, July 20, 2009 Continue reading

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The National Transportation Safety Board has been investigating a fatal train accident that occurred last year, killing a Boston trolley operator. The safety board’s 14-month investigation blamed the operator for ignoring a red signal along the tracks but also criticized the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority for failing to screen operators for sleep disorders.

The board suspects that the operator may have had a sleep disorder and potentially fell asleep behind the wheel, causing her to miss the red signal. Although she had not been diagnosed with sleep apnea, the board concluded that the operator likely had an undiagnosed sleep disorder because she was obese and tests showed that she had taken doxylamine, an ingredient commonly found in sleep aids.

There was no evidence of drugs or alcohol in her system at the time of the MBTA accident, which makes it surprising that the operator did not apply the brakes to avoid an accident. The trolley collision occurred in Newton, Massachusetts and caused an estimated $8.6 million in damage.

NTSB: Sleep disorder may have contributed to Boston train crash, CNN.com, July 14, 2009 Continue reading

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On Friday night, a Massachusetts state trooper was injured in a car accident in Dorchester. According to police, the cruiser was traveling north on Morrissey Boulevard when another vehicle made a U-turn and caused the crash.

Authorities do not consider the injuries to be life-threatening. The trooper’s vehicle was also carrying a dog at the time of the auto accident, but the dog is said to be fine.

Although some car crashes result in minor injuries, others can lead to serious, life-altering conditions such as burns, brain injuries, or even death. Massachusetts is a no-fault state, so motorists are covered by their own Personal Injury Protection Insurance (PIP), but some car accident victims find that that their medical costs exceed their PIP’s policy limit.

State trooper injured in Dorchester crash, WHDH.com, July 11, 2009 Continue reading

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