Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog

February 23, 2009

As MBTA Ridership Declines, T Officials Discuss Fare Hikes

The Boston Globe reports that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is struggling to pay down $5.2 billion in debt. The MBTA anticipates that it will have to increase fares by as much as 25 percent, make drastic cuts in service, or lay off employees so that it can pay down the agency’s debt.

One of the key spending issues is the MBTA’s pension and healthcare coverage. This fiscal year, the agency will pay more than $385 million on employee salaries and $170 million fringe benefits. The agency may have to cut services such as the commuter bus and the suburban bus subsidy. Many hope that in light of several MBTA accidents in the past year that the agency will continue to take appropriate safety precautions and train its employees on accident prevention.

These possible cuts come during a time when ridership is reportedly declining. According to an article in the Boston Herald, weekday T ridership was down 1.5% in December compared to December of 2007. Officials attributed to the drop in ridership numbers to declining gas prices and the increasing unemployment.

MBTA faces fare hikes, cuts in service, Boston Globe, February 13, 2009
T ridership boom begins to fall off, Boston Herald, January 31, 2009 Continue reading

February 20, 2009

Massachusetts Bus Crash Injures Members of Hockey Team

by Altman & Altman

In Becket, Massachusetts, five people were injured yesterday morning after a bus accident on the Massachusetts Turnpike. The Yankee Trails bus was carrying 29 passengers, including members of the Albany River Rats hockey team. According to the Times Union newspaper, at least four of the five people injured were affiliated with the hockey team.

The bus crash occurred just before 3:30am, when the westbound bus crashed into a guard rail and flipped over. Team members were driving back to Albany after a game in Lowell, Massachusetts. Snowy road conditions may have been a factor, according to Massachusetts state police.

The injured passengers were transported to Pittsfield’s Berkshire Medical Center by ambulance. Though none of the injuries are considered life-threatening, the injuries were serious and Friday’s hockey game was cancelled. As a precaution, the other passengers were taken to Berkshire Medical Center by bus.

Five hurt in American Hockey League team bus crash on Massachusetts Turnpike in Becket, MassLive.com, February 19, 2009
AHL team’s bus crash in Massachusetts hospitalizes 5, LA Times Blog, February 19, 2009 Continue reading

February 18, 2009

Safety Council Calls for Cell Phone Ban on the Road

by Altman & Altman

Data from the National Highway Safety Administration show that over three quarters of motor vehicle accidents are caused by driver inattention, and cell phone use is the number one cause of inattention on the road.

In January, the National Safety Council called for states to ban cell phone use while driving, even going as far as banning hands-free devices. According to the Safety Council, the level of distraction while talking on a hands-free device is no different from talking on a headset. In fact, it’s not the act of holding a cell phone that is distracting – it’s having a conversation with someone who’s not in the car.

Several states enforce hefty fines for drivers using cell phones on the road. In fact, Chicago Police have issued over 40,000 tickets to drivers who violated the cell phone ban. Last week, the fine increased from $75 to $100, but some are concerned that this still may not deter drivers from using cell phones.

Time to Hang It Up: New Cell Fine May Not Help, Chicago Sun-Times, February 16, 2009 Continue reading

February 17, 2009

Massachusetts Man Killed by Commuter Train

by Altman & Altman

In Brockton, an unidentified man was struck and killed by a commuter train yesterday. According to a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the train was traveling outbound on the Middleborogh/Lakeville Line when the MBTA accident occurred.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Police said the commuter train accident victim and another unidentified man were driving around the tracks on a quad runner vehicle. The pair stopped to use the restroom, and the victim climbed onto the tracks, where he was struck and killed. Although police questioned the other man, no charges were filed as of Sunday evening. The fatal train accident is under investigation.

Man killed in train crash, Boston Herald, February 16, 2009
Man killed by commuter rail train in Brockton, Patriot Ledger, February 16, 2009 Continue reading

February 16, 2009

Bus Crashes En Route to Boston

by Altman & Altman

On Sunday, two buses collided on Interstate 95 on their way to Boston. Police say thirty passengers were sent to the hospital, and seven people were treated for minor injuries as a result of the bus accident.

The first bus, owned by Wellesley-based Ivy Tours Inc, was carrying 67 passengers when it slowed for traffic and was hit by the bus behind it. The bus collision occurred around 2:20pm between exits 42 and 43 on the northbound side of the highway in Connecticut. According to an accident reports, the driver of the second bus was cited for failure to drive a reasonable distance apart from a commercial vehicle.

Those passengers not requiring medical attention were taken to a nearby school, where they wait for replacement transportation to Boston.

Boston-bound buses crash in Conn., Boston Globe, February 16, 2009 Continue reading

February 13, 2009

After Passenger Dies Onboard, MBTA Adds Defibrillators

by Altman & Altman

The Boston Globe reports that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is adding defibrillators to its commuter trains in case of passenger heart attacks. Last week, MBTA officials said that thirty cardiac machines have already been installed and the MBTA plans to outfit its entire fleet of trains by the end of the spring. The MBTA is also training its conductors and assistant conductors in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillator use.

The installation was urged by Marlene Allen, a Wellesley women whose husband died on a commuter rail train in 2002. The passenger suffered a heart attack and had to wait for medical attention while the commuter train made its regular stops. The train conductor stopped at three different stations during a 20 minute period but there were no cardiac machines on board the train and the conductor did not promptly call for medical help.

As a result of her husband’s death, Allen won a $3.9 million settlement from the MBTA and Amtrak, which at the time had a contract to run the MBTA’s commuter service.

Widow glad MBTA to get defibrillators, Boston Globe, February 3, 2009
MBTA installs defibrillators on commuter rail, Associated Press, February 2, 2009 Continue reading

February 12, 2009

Survey Finds That Massachusetts Car Accident Deaths on the Decline

by Altman & Altman

According to a survey of state highway safety agencies, deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents declined in 40 states, including Massachusetts, last year. Some are predicting that traffic deaths in the United States could decrease to their lowest levels in forty years.

Of the 44 states surveyed, the average decline was 10.7 percent. The executive director of the Governors Safety Association said that higher use of seat belts and an increased enforcement of traffic laws may have played a role in decreasing traffic fatalities. In addition, many states are noticing drivers reducing speed to increase fuel efficiency.

Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, and four other states reported over a twenty percent decline in auto fatalities during 2008. Two New England states noted an increase in fatalities and several large states were not included in the survey.

Survey reveals that auto accident deaths drop in 40 states in 2008, MedicineHatNews.com, February 4, 2009 Continue reading

February 10, 2009

Massachusetts Police Cruiser Crash Blamed on Speed, Other Factors

by Altman & Altman

In Lynn, Massachusetts, a car accident on July 12 left a police officer severely injured and out of work. The State Police accident report states that high speeds, running a red light, and not wearing a seat belt all appear to be factors in the car crash.

The auto accident occurred at the intersection of Western Avenue and Chestnut Street, where a police cruiser driven by officer Gregory LeBlanc collided with another vehicle driven by Lt. Christopher Reddy. According to the report, Reddy was driving westbound on Chestnut Street, when slowed his vehicle as he drove through a green light and “T-boned” the cruiser driven by LeBlanc.

Massachusetts state law exempts on-duty police officers from wearing seat belts, so neither one was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. Reddy sustained minor injuries and returned to work within a few days. LeBlanc had to be extricated from his cruiser and transported to a Boston hospital by helicopter. According to his wife, LeBlanc suffered a shattered pelvis and received three surgeries in two weeks.

As of late last year, LeBlanc’s medical bills had topped $410,000 and the city of Lynn will likely be expected pay half once LeBlanc’s insurance coverage kicks in.

Report: Lynn cruiser crash due to lax safety measures, ItemLive.com, February 10, 2009 Continue reading

February 9, 2009

Amidst Increasing Rates of Uninsured Drivers, Massachusetts Boasts Lowest Percentage in the Country

by Altman & Altman

The Insurance Research Council (IRC) predicts that nearly one in six drivers will be uninsured by next year, an increase of 3 million uninsured drivers compared to five years ago. Some experts say that higher rates of uninsured drivers correlate with higher rates of unemployment and increased stress on budgets.

According to IRC’s vice president, David Corum, the percentage of uninsured motorists increases three-quarters of a percentage point for every one percent increase in unemployment. Insurance companies warn against cutting car insurance to cut costs, because an auto accident could financially ruin an uninsured driver if there is damage to property or injury to others involved with the car accident.

According to IRC, the average payment on claims involving a driver without insurance is around $11,000. Some states will take license plates or impound vehicles of a motorist who drives without insurance. Some even jail those who do not comply with the law.

Several states have reached rates of uninsured drivers as high as quarter of the population. However, as of 2007, Massachusetts had the lowest of uninsured drivers, with about one percent.

Road hazard: uninsured driver rates climb, Associated Press, February 6, 2009 Continue reading

February 6, 2009

Massachusetts State Trooper Dies in Car Crash

by Altman & Altman

In Saugus, a 28-year veteran of the Massachusetts state police died an early morning car crash last week. Captain Richard Cashin, 52, was working the 11pm to 7am shift when his cruiser, an unmarked Crown Victoria, hit a utility pole, crossed a parking lot, and slammed into a snow bank off Route 1 north. The car crash occurred around 1:45am.

No other vehicles were involved, and Cashin was pronounced dead at the scene of the car accident. The cause of this tragic auto accident is under investigation, but authorities said it does not appear to be weather-related. Cashin had worked with the state police since 1980 and some believe that he is the highest-ranking Massachusetts state police officer ever to die in the line of duty.

Our condolences go out to Cashin’s wife and four children on the loss of their husband and father.

State Trooper Killed In Route 1 Crash, WBZTV.com, January 28, 2009
Mass. state trooper dies in crash, Associated Press, January 28, 2009 Continue reading