An inbound Green Line trolley and a flatbed truck crossing the trolley tracks near Coolidge Corner collided on Tuesday. The crash caused the truck to flip onto its side across the tracks on Beacon Street. Fuel was spilled onto the road. The trolley was carrying 200 passengers and traveling at 10 mph.
The truck’s driver and three passengers that were riding the trolley were taken to area hospitals. They sustained neck and back injuries in the trolley-truck accident.
In Massachusetts:
• Approximately 34 fatal truck accidents occur every year • 1.075 truck crashes are non-fatal
Common causes of truck accidents include driver fatigue, aggressive driving, defective breaks, tires, or lights, cell phone use, driving longer than the number of hours that are legally allowed, speeding, and failure to properly inspect trucks for maintenance.
Trucks and trolleys, as well as other vehicles designated for public transportation, must follow more stringent safety requirements than the drivers of motorcycles and cars. If these regulations are disregarded and a driver of a truck or trolley causes an accident that injures or kills another person, a personal injury or wrongful death case can be brought against the driver.
There is also a possibility that the truck company or trolley company could be held liable if their actions-or inaction–enabled the accident in any way. The truck in this accident is owned by Rebars & Mesh Inc., a steel and concrete company from Haverhill.
Collisions involving large trucks and other large vehicles frequently lead to serious injury and death. One of the reasons for this is that these kinds of vehicles are so heavy that the damage they inflict upon collision can be catastrophic.
MBTA trolley, flatbed collide; 4 hurt, Boston.com, September 5, 2007
Truck Accidents, Lawcore
Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Rebars and Mesh
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a truck accident, a trolley accident, a car accident, a motorcycle accident, a train accident, a bus accident, or any other kind of accident caused by someone else’s negligence in Massachusetts, do not hesitate to contact Altman & Altman LLP.
We are committed to helping all our clients achieve the best outcome possible in their personal injury or wrongful death case, and we offer a FREE consultation to all prospective clients.
Contact Altman & Altman LLP today.