A jury has awarded Colleen Fyffe $1.2 million for injuries she sustained in the 2009 Green Line trolley crash that was caused by an operator who was text messaging. This is the first of 24 Boston personal injury lawsuits related to the accident, which injured 49 people. Nine of the cases have been settled for about $31,000 each.
Fyffe hurt her neck and sustained a herniated disc when the trolley rear-ended another train. She contends that because of the Boston MBTA train accident, she was unable to go back to her job with Delta Air Lines at Logan International Airport.
Her Boston injury case went to trial after she rejected the $100,000 settlement that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority had offered her. MBTA intends to appeal the verdict.
Right before the 2009 collision happened, trolley operator Aiden Quinn was texting his girlfriend. He lost his job because of the crash and he later pleaded guilty to negligence. Quinn was sentenced community service and two years probation. Following the 2009 Green Line train accident, MBTA operators have been banned from even having a cell phone with them while working.
Sometimes, opting to go to trial is the better way to go for an accident victim (or vice versa). It is a good idea to work with an experienced Boston injury law firm that can help you determine the best course of action while protecting your legal rights.
Texting while operating any vehicle is dangerous and can be grounds for both criminal charges and a civil damages. The federal government and the states have been zealous these last few years about making sure motorists know that it is dangerous to send/receive/read text messages while driving. Unfortunately, people continue to get hurt or die because there are those that continue to text and drive. It just takes a few seconds while the driver’s attention is on his/her texting device for a catastrophic crash to happen.
Passenger hurt in Boston trolley crash wins, AP/Boston.com, June 26, 2012
Boston trolley driver was texting at time of crash, official says, CNN, May 8, 2009
More Blog Posts:
MBTA Wants $100,000 Limit on Personal Injury Lawsuit Awards, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, April 10, 2012
2009 MBTA Green Line Trolley Accident: Family of Injured Salem Woman Files Boston Injury Lawsuit, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, April 29, 2011
Quincy Woman Trapped by Boston Train When Her Purse Got Caught in Door Claims MBTA Not Taking Her Injuries Seriously, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, December 11, 2009