How Tired is Too Tired to Drive? We’ve written before about the dangers of driving while fatigued, or “drowsy driving” studies over the past several years have shown that driving while fatigued can be as dangerous as driving under the influence. Research from the AAA foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA) found that 16 to 21% …
What Happens When the Responsible Driver is Killed in the Crash? Most people know that a negligent driver who injures you in a motor vehicle accident is typically responsible for damages. Some of the most common include paying your medical bills, paying to repair or replace your damaged vehicle, compensating you for lost income, paying …
What Happens When the Responsible Driver is Killed in the Crash? Read More »
The Winter Holidays Are a Dangerous Time to Be Driving When you think about high-risk traffic days, holidays like the 4th of July and Memorial Day weekend probably spring to mind. Summer holidays with long weekends often mean parties, barbecues, and a lot of alcohol. And, it’s true that the 4th of July, Memorial Day, …
The Winter Holidays Are a Dangerous Time to Be Driving Read More »
What is Highway Hypnosis? You may not have heard of highway hypnosis, but odds are you have experienced it. Perhaps you were driving home from work one day and suddenly realized that you were turning onto your own street without remembering a significant stretch of the trip. Or perhaps you were traveling along the interstate …
Faulty Car Repair Accident Lawsuits Most car accident cases involve the injured person making a claim against the driver who caused the collision. But, occasionally, a car accident is caused–at least in part–by something other than driver negligence. Some common examples include faulty road design or maintenance and defective automobile parts. Another is negligent …
Dangerous Driving Declines, but Not Enough About two years ago, I wrote about a study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. That survey revealed that most drivers recognized the dangers of activities like aggressive driving, texting while driving, and driving under the influence. But, those same respondents told researchers those behaviors were still pretty …
A recent report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA) shows that traffic deaths from wrong-way collisions are on the rise in the United States. And, recent news reports suggest that the situation is even worse in Massachusetts. AAA looked at data from two consecutive four-year blocks of time, specifically involving fatal wrong-way …
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) can happen in a variety of ways. Some of the most common include unintentional falls, motor vehicle accidents, violence, and being struck accidentally with an object. All of these types of head injuries can be very serious, and potentially even fatal. However, automobile accidents can be particularly dangerous. Massachusetts TBI Data …
At the end of April, a Littleton couple celebrated the third anniversary of being hit by an intoxicated driver by thanking the paramedic who saved their lives. The couple was walking their dog in April of 2018, when the driver hit them and continued on to plow his vehicle into a bank building. Though the …
Heartwarming Pedestrian Accident Story Also Highlights Dangers Read More »
2020 was the year of staying home. Across the United States, miles traveled on both local roads and highways dropped as millions of people worked from home instead of making their daily commutes, schools shifted to remote learning or cut back the number of school days, and bars, restaurants, and other common destinations shut down …
Massachusetts Road Fatalities Hold Steady, Despite Lower Miles Traveled Read More »
Every state has different rules for when the police must be called after a motor vehicle accident. Both Massachusetts and New Hampshire are fairly liberal in their reporting requirements. While some states require certain types of accidents to be reported to the police immediately, both Massachusetts and New Hampshire allow for reporting in writing. Submission …
Should You Always Call the Police After a Car Accident? Read More »
Decisions about medical care are very personal. And, every situation is different. Still, it is generally in your best interests to accept medical assessment and treatment at the scene of a motor vehicle accident. The most obvious reason, of course, is that it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your …
Should I Always Accept Medical Treatment at the Scene of an Accident? Read More »
How Much is a Whiplash Injury Claim Worth? Whiplash injuries happen in many ways, but motor vehicle accidents are one of the most common. A whiplash injury occurs when a force causes the head to jerk forward and back. One of the most common causes is being rear-ended, although other types of traffic accidents routinely …
Black Ice Accidents Can Often Be Avoided Black ice can present significant risks in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and other cold-weather states. Earlier this winter, black ice caused multiple local motor vehicle accidents in a single morning. These included a 10-car pile up on 146 at the Mass Pike, an overturned vehicle in Shrewsbury, and several …
Who is Responsible for Injury to the Passenger of a Drunk Driver? In mid-November, an automobile driven by a Lowell woman crashed into two houses in Manchester, injuring the driver and her passenger. The driver was charged with driving while intoxicated. And, because her passenger was injured while she was allegedly driving under the influence, …
Who is Responsible for Injury to the Passenger of a Drunk Driver? Read More »
How Dangerous is Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana? Recreational marijuana use has been legalized in Massachusetts and decriminalized in New Hampshire. Recently, neighboring Maine joined Massachusetts in decriminalization. Several surveys conducted over the past few years demonstrate that most Americans favor legalization. But, a study published by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA) …
How Dangerous is Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana? Read More »
Police Chase Crashes are All Too Common Earlier this month, a police chase that began in Randolph and ended in Avon resulted in a multi-vehicle traffic accident. The fact that a chase commenced in response to an equipment violation ended in a multi-car crash raises questions about the larger issue of police chases, the policies …
“Traffic crash” brings to mind a collision between two or more vehicles, but that isn’t always the way it plays out. In fact, data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that about 40% of fatal motorcycle crashes involve only one vehicle. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the rate …
Tailgating is dangerous, but all too common. It’s especially risky at higher speeds, and in crowded traffic conditions where even a relatively minor rear-end collision can touch off a chain reaction. You undoubtedly see other drivers following too close or accelerating right up behind another vehicle all the time. But, do you do it yourself? …
A study released this month by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAA) suggests that one simple problem has a significant impact on the number of traffic fatalities and other crashes on U.S. roads–when it comes to driving, our actions aren’t consistent with our beliefs. In other words, many drivers acknowledge that certain behaviors are …
Actions Speak Louder than Words in Traffic Safety Read More »
Traffic in the Northeast and around the country has been unusually low this spring. Coronavirus-related shutdowns and a large-scale shift to working from home meant far fewer cars on the road. You might reasonably assume that would make the roads safer, but data shows something else. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), nationwide motor …
Road Usage is Down, but Traffic Fatalities Climb Read More »
A few weeks ago, I wrote about a new Massachusetts law that prohibited most hands-on device use by drivers in the state. The law took effect on February 23, but Massachusetts drivers got a bit of a grace period. Until the end of March, drivers caught violating the law were only issued warnings. A fatal …
Violations of Massachusetts Hands-Free Law are Common–and Deadly Read More »
Rollover accidents make up only about 2% of the traffic crashes nationwide, but they’re responsible for thousands of deaths each year. It likely comes as no surprise that rollover crashes often result in fatalities. But, in fact, recent news stories show that these accidents cover the spectrum in terms of seriousness. In the past several …
Head-on collisions make up a very small percentage of motor vehicle accidents nationwide, but a much higher percentage of fatal accidents. In one recent year, the Insurance Information Institute reports that more than 10% of fatal traffic crashes involved head-on collisions. Some common causes of head-on collisions include: Driving the wrong way on a one-way …
In late September, Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker issued a temporary ban on the sale of vape-related products in the Commonwealth. The ban, with minor modifications, survived legal challenge, and the sale of most vaping-related materials is currently prohibited. But, just weeks after the ban took effect, the Department of Public Health reported that the death …
Vape Ban Comes Too Late for Middlesex County Woman Read More »
The season of ice and snow is upon us. It won’t come as any surprise to most drivers that in cold-weather states that winter weather can create risky driving conditions. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHA), 24% of weather-related crashes each year occur on snowy, slushy, or icy pavement. These …
When you’ve been in an automobile accident and it was somebody else’s fault, that other person is generally legally responsible for your injuries. In other words, the driver who caused the accident will typically be liable for your medical bills, repairs to your automobile, wages you lose because of your injuries, and other damages. Of …
Early in November, a 31-year-old New Hampshire man was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison in connection with a wrong-way collision. Ryan Kittredge entered a guilty plea to manslaughter and reckless conduct after a three-vehicle crash that resulted in two deaths. One of the victims was a retired Massachusetts police sergeant. Kittredge was …
Wrong-Way Collisions Often Tied to Driving Under the Influence Read More »
People who have been seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents are often unsure where to turn for help. But, with medical expenses rapidly becoming unmanageable, income interrupted, and insurance companies angling to avoid or minimize payment, many are looking for the right advocate. Those who have never worked with an attorney before and don’t have …
New Hampshire recently made news as the state with the most dangerous commute in the United States. As a small state, New Hampshire has a relatively small number of motor vehicle accidents and fatalities. But, when it comes to traffic fatality rates, New Hampshire fares worse than many nearby states. Annually, the Granite State sees …
There are a slew of ways to reduce your auto insurance costs besides being a good driver—all you have to do is ask. On behalf of Kevin P. Broderick posted in Car Accidents on Monday, April 29, 2013. A car accident can happen at any time and without warning. While not every car accident occurs …
Massachusetts Car Accidents can Require Victims to Take Action Read More »
A recent early morning car accident left several hundred Massachusetts residents without power for hours. This single car accident sent two people to the hospital after the car crashed into a power pole. Live electrical wires were lying across the road which caused a road closure on a highly traveled road affecting the morning commute. …
Massachusetts car accident causes power outages and road closures Read More »
A car accident can be an unavoidable event at times. Too often, though, victims and their families suffer because of the carelessness of other drivers. With cell phones and social media playing such a roll in the lives of today’s drivers, distractions are a common occurrence. A recent single vehicle car accident in Massachusetts sent …
Massachusetts car accident injures two in turnpike turnover Read More »
