A North Easton man who was seriously injured last Friday after a metal grate flew through his Toyota’s windshield while he was driving on route 128 is still in the hospital and is in stable but critical condition.
Pawel Swierzcynski, 39, had to be flow to Boston and taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital after the accident that occurred early on the morning of July 27 in Westwood.
Massachusetts highway engineers are trying to figure out what caused the steel grate to become dislodged and fly into the car windshield.
Worried citizens had recently expressed concerns to that they were worried that one of the 24 grates on the storm drains could come loose. SPS New England, a contractor, had been ordered to secure all of them. Officials say they don’t know why the problem was not resolved.
The grates, also called steel catch basins, usually weigh approximately 250 pounds each and sometimes they are not held in place by anything but their own weight.
After the accident, MassHighway personnel spent the day welding the remaining grates in the area to prevent similar accident from occurring again. Construction had been taking place in the area, and officials are now going to be looking at other construction zones to see if a similar problem could occur.
Usually, catch basins are placed next to highways and roads. The basins were relocated to high-speed lanes because of the construction work in the area.
When a person is seriously injured because another party was negligent, the injured person may have grounds to file a personal injury claim.
Massachusetts law holds negligent persons responsible for the injured persons:
• Pain and suffering • Past, ongoing, and future medical and recovery costs • Any lost wages
• Expenses incurred to hire help while the injured person recovers • Rehabilitation costs • Property damage • Permanent disfigurement • Disability resulting from the accident • Other costs resulting from the accident
Man still hospitalized after accident, Easton Journal, August 2, 2007
Catch Basin Cover Crashes Windshield, Injures Driver, The Boston Channel, July 27, 2007
Repairs On Loose Grate Ordered Before Accident, WBZTV.com, July 27, 2007
Related Web Resource:
SPS New England
In Massachusetts, Altman & Altman LLP can help you file a personal injury claim if you have been hurt because someone was negligent. Contact Altman & Altman LLP to schedule your free consultation with one of our personal injury lawyers.