Articles Posted in Car Accidents

In a strange turn of events, a building has been the victim of a hit-and-run crash in Brockton, Massachusetts that took place in the early morning hours on Tuesday. The Brockton Police Department received an alarm from the main entrance of the Westgate Mall at approximately 2:40 AM. The mall, which is located on 200 Westgate Road in Brockton, suffered extensive damage as a result of the crash. Responding officers have stated that the driver of the vehicle fled on foot sometime after the accident occurred.

Upon their arrival on scene, Brockton Police Officers discovered that the Westgate Mall had sustained various degrees of damage to the entrance located near the Subway restaurant chain. Initial reports have indicated that two glass entryways to the mall had been completely smashed through by the vehicle. As a direct result of this occurrence, broken glass littered the ground surrounding the entryway and the metal frame supporting the doors had been damaged. Responding officers indicated that the metal frames had been bent and twisted as a result of the collision with the suspect’s vehicle. Continue reading

Many people assume that minor injuries from simple fender benders and other minor car accidents are temporary. The misconception that cuts, scrapes, bruises, or pulled muscles will heal fairly quickly keeps people from pursuing preventative legal measures, such as seeking medical attention and documenting symptoms. However, certain types of muscle and joint injuries may not present any symptoms for weeks, months, or even years. One of the most common of these types of injuries is whiplash, which can occur at speeds as low as five miles per hour. Chronic headaches and arthritis can develop over time with cases of whiplash. Understanding the potential for minor injuries to cause serious, long-term health problems is essential if you’ve been injured in any type of accident.

Whiplash

In the mildest of collisions or sudden stops, a passenger’s body can be jolted forward and backward abruptly. The muscles, ligaments, discs, and tissues of the neck become hyperextended, first in one direction then sharply in the other. This can result in misalignment of vertebrae, muscle tears and strains. Subsequent swelling places pressure on nerves, causing potentially chronic symptoms including:

• Neck pain and stiffness
• Headaches
• Shoulder pain
• Back pain
• Concentration issues
• Memory loss or difficulty
• Fatigue
• Trouble sleeping
• Irritability

Whiplash is most often diagnosed using CT scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Treatment may include a combination of pain relief medications, physical therapy, traction, massage, ice therapy, and injections. Continue reading

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that nine percent of passenger vehicles are driven with at least one bald tire. The dangers of worn and under-inflated tires are often overlooked by car and commercial vehicle owners, increasing the risk of accidents for everyone on the road. Even at the middle point of a tire’s lifespan, tread loses a significant amount of grip. This is especially dangerous when poor road conditions and bad weather are involved, contributing to braking and steering difficulty that may result in collisions. Drivers with poorly maintained, unsafe tires may be held liable in a vehicle crash.

Standards

A tire’s grooves help them grip the road. The tread on new tires is approximately 10/32 of an inch deep. Manufacturers create a series of molded horizontal bars at the base of these grooves so that regular maintenance checks can determine how far the tread has worn down. Professionals in the auto industry typically consider tires to be bald when the grooves reach 2/32 of an inch. At this point, a tire will fail safety inspections. However, the tire’s ability to grip the road can become dangerously low before it hits the 2/32 mark. This increases the risk of an accident, particularly in conditions of icy, snowy, or wet roads. In addition to tread depth, the Rubber Manufacturers Association states that determining the expiration of a tire is difficult, as factors including heat and storage affect the aging of the rubber.

Heat Build-Up

When exposed to heat, air has difficulty circulating through the rubber, causing the tire’s pressure to increase. The summertime temperature of pavement and the heat created by friction from high speeds, excessive cornering, and frequent braking can increase the risk for hazardous tire blowouts. Under-inflation and age add to this risk. Even with the best maintenance and driving practices, worn tire treads are extremely dangerous. Sunlight and coastal climates also tend to age tires quickly. Continue reading

Recently, car dashboard displays seem to be following the same technological trajectory as current smart phones. These new displays, a hot commodity for big name automakers, can perform all of the basic functions you love most about your cellphone. The interactive displays are being manufactured now to allow people to find listings for nearby restaurants, check their Twitter mentions, and upload a photo of a place in order to find directions to that specific destination. Text messages can be read aloud to the driver, and the driver is also able to place and take phone calls via the voice command option popular with all models of these displays. And while the voice command option allows for drivers to remain focused on the road instead of being focused on their phone, certain lawmakers don’t believe that these interactive dashboard displays are any safer than using your phone while driving would be. Continue reading

As of Wednesday, New Hampshire law makers have placed a new law in effect that prohibits drivers from using any hand-held devices. This new “hands-free” regulation has been created in hopes of reducing distraction related crashes. Reportedly there have been 116 fatal crashes over the past four years that can be directly attributed to people driving while distracted.

Have you ever noticed how long it takes you to send a text? Or how frequently your eyes are taken off the road while you change the song on your iPod? New Hampshire law enforcement officials have provided alarming statistics to highlight just how dangerous distracted driving can be. Dialing a phone number while driving increases your risk of getting into an accident by 3 times.  If you are texting while you are driving, you are 23 times more likely to crash your vehicle. Even if you are simply reading a text, you are still taking your eyes off the road for a period of 5 seconds or longer. This may seem like an insignificant amount of time on the grand scheme of things, but in terms of safe driving, 5 seconds could be the difference between life and death. Continue reading

A multi-vehicle accident involving a car, van, tractor-trailer, and pickup truck seriously injured a mother and her one year old boy on I-93 this past Friday. The woman’s gray Honda was crushed in the middle of the chain-reaction collision which occurred shortly before 10 a.m.

The young boy had become trapped in his car seat as a result of the crash. Rescue workers and bystanders worked to dismantle the car seat which had folded around him. Jean Paul LaPierre was one of the first to arrive at the scene. He said they could hear the baby crying from deep within the crushed car. Continue reading

Immediately following a motor vehicle accident, those involved may be seriously injured and in a highly emotional state. This type of scenario doesn’t often translate to clear-headed, effective decision making abilities. However, the decisions you make immediately following an accident can have a significant impact on the outcome. Familiarizing yourself with the below tips will help you to be better prepared in an emergency situation. If you are injured or in any way incapacitated, ask someone else to help you collect necessary information, if possible.

MA Motor Vehicle Crashes – Tips For Protecting Yourself After the Accident Continue reading

As the baby boomer generation enters their senior years, the United States is seeing a surge in senior drivers. Many, if not most, of these individuals will continue driving safely well into their 70’s, or even longer. However, statistics show that the risk of accidents increases after age 65, and the risk of fatality increases after age 75. For this reason, there is mounting concern over the influx of older drivers and our nation’s lack of senior-driving regulations.

In Canada, physicians are required by law to report concerns about a patient’s ability to safely drive. Not only does the U.S. not have such a requirement, we barely have any safeguards in place to monitor senior driving. Some states have no specific driving requirements whatsoever for seniors. An 82 year old driver can renew his or her license for the standard four or five year timeframe (by mail) in certain states. In other states, such as California, the license renewal must be done in person after the age of 70, and it must include a written test and eye exam. However, these more stringent rules are the exception rather than the rule. Too often, unsafe senior driving is not discovered until an accident occurs. Continue reading