Articles Posted in Truck Accidents

by

At the US Department of Transportation’s Distracted Driving Summit this week, family members who lost loved ones in car accidents involving drivers who were distracted spoke to attendees about their tragedies. One woman lost her mother of a driver who was talking on his cell phone. Another woman, a motorcyclist, was killed when she was struck at a red light by a driver who was painting her nails. And of course, there are the accounts of loved ones lost because drivers were texting while driving, reaching for a cell phone, or glancing at a PDA to “quickly” read a text message.

According to the NHTSA, almost 6,000 people died in distracted driving accidents last year. Over 500,000 others survived these auto accidents with injuries. As one man who lost his mother told the summit, “distracted drivers destroy lives.” Yet many drivers continue to engage in some form of distracted driving.

Talking on a cell phone and texting while driving have proven especially dangerous, and calls for a nationwide ban on texting has become more urgent. The CTIA-The Wireless Association reports that 110 billion texts were sent out in December 2008. Compare this figure to the 10 billion texts that were transmitted in December 2005.

On Wednesday, the Obama Administration announced that federal workers will no longer be allowed to text message while operating a motor vehicle while on the job or in a government-owned auto. According to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the government is also considering restricting truck drivers, train operators, and bus drivers from using cell phones.

In Massachusetts, there is still no ban on text messaging. Localities are allowed to decide whether to restrict cell phone use. Earlier this year, the Boston area’s transit authority announced a new policy change banning bus, trolley, and train operators from carrying cell phones and personal electronic devices while they are on the clock. The crackdown came after a trolley operator who was text messaging caused aBoston train accident that injured 49 people.

Boston car drivers are allowed to talk on handheld devices and text message while driving an auto. This can result in serious Massachusetts traffic accidents and personal injuries and wrongful deaths may ensue.

Cell Phone Ban After Boston Trolley Crash, Huffington Post, May 9, 2009
New regulation bans federal employees from texting while driving, Los Angeles Times, October 1, 2009
Related Web Resources:

Distracted Driving, National Safety Council

The Dangers of Distracted Driving, www.carinsurance.org

State Cell Phone Driving Laws, Governors Highway Safety Association

An Examination of Driver Distraction as Recorded in NHTSA Database (PDF)
Continue reading

by

We all know that driving drunk can result in catastrophic Boston car crashes. Unfortunately, many people still continue to get behind the steering wheel of a vehicle after drinking too much and they risk their lives and the lives of others in the process.

Drunk drivers come from all age demographics and walks of life. New findings, however, are showing that nationally, there has been an increase in the number of women involved in deadly drunk driving accidents. A new report also reveals that it isn’t just young drivers who are prone to binge drinking.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the number of female drunk drivers is becoming a national safety issue. From 1998 – 2007, there has been a 28.8% increase in the number of women arrested for DUI. Currently, impaired women drivers are involved in about 2,000 US traffic deaths each year. In this state, however, between 2008 and 2007 there was a decline in the number of impaired women involved in deadly Massachusetts motor vehicle accidents.

Continue reading

by

The issue of truck safety has been in the news lately. Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration introduced new braking standards for truck drivers that the federal agency says will save 227 lives a year and prevent 300 serious injuries from happening. The NHTSA’s new standards requires tractor-trailer drivers to improve their stopping distance by 30%. Truckers traveling at 60 mph will now have to come to a complete stop in 250 instead of 355 feet.

Large truck crashes continue to claim more than 4,000 lives a year. In 2008, 4,229 people died in large truck collisions in the US.

With the latest findings issued from a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, it’s interesting to wonder how many of these truck injuries and deaths could have been avoided if certain large truck drivers hadn’t been texting while driving.

The study found that texting while driving increases a large trucker’s crash risk by 23 times and that texting truckers have been known to spend nearly five seconds just looking down at their phone or PDA-meaning that those few precious moments spent with their eyes off the road are moments when their crash risk increased dramatically.

Our Boston truck accident law firm cannot stress how dangerous it is for a truck driver-or any driver for that matter-to take their eyes off the road for any length of time. The study is quick to point out that it takes a truck just 4.6 seconds while going at a speed of 55mph to travel the full length of a football field.

Massachusetts currently does not have a law banning texting while driving-although this week lawmakers in the US Senate called for all states to ban texting for motorists or suffer a decrease in highway funding. Yet the dangers of this bad habit are not foreign to lawmakers in this state.

In May, a texting Green Line operator caused an MBTA train accident that injured 62 passengers. Aiden Quinn pleaded not guilty to charges of gross negligence. The train traveled for nearly 600 feet and Quinn ran a yellow light and a red light while he communicated with his girlfriend. By the time he took his eyes off the cell phone, the train he was operating was 8 feet from another trolley. The rear-end Massachusetts train crash caused 9 million in property damage.

New data from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute provides insight into cell phone use and driving distraction, Virginia Tech, July 29, 2009
Study: Texting while driving more dangerous for truckers, CNN, July 28, 2009
Tough New Braking Rules For Large Trucks Will Save Hundreds of Lives Annually, NHTSA, July 24, 2009
Green Line operator in court to face negligence charge, Boston.com, July 20, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Air Brake Systems, NHTSA (PDF)
Continue reading

by

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reporting a 16% drop in the number of Massachusetts traffic deaths between 2007 and 2008. 363 people died in traffic accidents throughout the state last year. 434 people died in 2007.

Worcester County and Middlesex County tied for first place as the counties with the most traffic fatalities-56 deaths each. The state of Massachusetts also saw a decline in the number of drunk driving-related deaths by 20% from 155 fatalities in 2007 to 124 deaths in 2008.

More 2008 Massachusetts Traffic Facts:
227 vehicle occupant deaths 422 drivers that died At least 61 of the drivers were younger than 21 At least 120 of these victims were not properly restrained at the time of their deaths 42 motorcycle deaths-a drop from the 62 Massachusetts motorcycle rider fatalities in 2007 75 pedestrian deaths

Nationally, the US Department of Transportation reported a 9.7% decline in traffic deaths between 2007 and 2008. 37,261 people died in US traffic accidents last year, with substantial drops in nearly every major category, including light truck occupant fatalities and passenger car occupant deaths.

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood also noted that the country had implemented major steps to improve road and vehicle safety, increase seat belt use, and decrease the number of drunk driving accidents.

More 2008 US Traffic Statistics:
2,346,000 injuries 11,773 alcohol impaired-related fatalities 5,811,000 traffic accidents 677 large truck deaths
5,290 motorcycle fatalities 4.378 pedestrian deaths 716 pedalcyclist fatalities 23,000 large truck injuries 96,000 motorcycle injuries 69,000 pedestrian injuries 52,000 pedalcyclist injuries
While the overall decline in traffic deaths is of positive note, there are still too many people getting hurt or dying in Massachusetts traffic crashes. In many instances, an injured person’s own motor vehicle or medical insurance is not enough to cover all recovery costs, medical expenses, and lost wages.

Mass. traffic deaths drop 16 percent in 2008, Boston.com, July 3, 2009
Overall Traffic Fatalities Reach Record Low in 2008, NHTSA
Related Web Resources:
View State-by-State 2008 Data, NHTSA
2008 Traffic Safety Annual Assessment- Highlights (PDF)
Continue reading

by

New information in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine offers convincing evidence that the combined use of seat belts and air bags is the best protection that auto accident victims can have from sustaining spine fractures. The findings are based on an examination of over 20,000 motor vehicle crash victims who were treated in Wisconsin hospitals between 1994 and 2002.

According to the study:
• The number one cause of spinal cord injuries is motor vehicle accidents.
• Becoming involved in an auto crash in a vehicle equipped with air bags and while using a seat belt lowered the chances of an accident victim sustaining a spine fracture.
• Just 14% of the drivers and front seat passengers who were victims of motor vehicle crashes had the protection of both a seat belt and an air bag.
• 38% of the accident victims were not using seat belts.
• Out of the 2,530 victims with spine fractures who were part of the study, 64 of them died in hospitals.
• Kinds of spine fractures: 1,067 of them were cervical fractures, 1,034 were lumbosacral fractures, and 565 were thoracic fractures.
• Auto accident victims that were using an air bag and not a seat belt had a greater chance of sustaining a severe thoracic spine fracture.

Evidence from the study was based on information about air bag and seat belt usage combined with spine fracture incidences. Some 20,276 auto accident victims were part of the study. All of the individuals had be either front seat passengers or drivers, 16 years of age or older. They also had to not have been thrown from the vehicle during the crash, and complete ICD-9CM data had to be provided.

One of the authors of the study, Marjorie C. Wang, MD, MPH from the Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, says that federal and state governments should dedicate more resources toward making sure that motor vehicle occupants use air bags and seat belts together.

Spinal Fractures
A spinal fracture is when at least one vertebrae in the back or neck breaks. While many spine fracture cases are not serious enough to warrant surgery, more serious spinal fractures can result in spinal cord injuries, paralysis, severe pain, and death. Failing to treat existing fractures can lead to progressed deformity and the ability to live a healthy, normal life.

Research: Air Bags/Seat Belts Important in Preventing Spine Fractures, Huliq News, January 26, 2009
Spinal Fractures, Spine Universe.com

Related Web Resources:

Journal of Neurology: Spine

Spinal Cord Injuries, Medline Plus Continue reading

by

Investigators looking into the deadly accident involving a Boston Fire Department ladder truck driving through an intersection and ramming into a high-rise apartment building are examining the vehicle’s brakes. The focus on catastrophic brake failure as a possible cause for the fatal crash comes after reports from survivors that the fire truck’s driver frantically pumped on the brakes in an effort to stop Ladder 26 from flying down Parker Hill Avenue and crashing into the building that housed a computer learning center.

Four children that were working in the center at the time of the Boston truck accident suffered minor injuries and were taken to local hospitals. Fire Lieutenant Kevin M Kelley, who was riding in the fire truck’s front passenger seat, died immediately on impact. Two other firefighters in the backseat of the truck sustained minor injuries. Fire truck driver Robert Bernard O’Neill was released from Brigham & Women’s Hospital on Saturday.

Boston Fire Commissioner Roderick Fraser has ordered an outside inspection of the brake systems on 44 Boston fire trucks, which were made by the same manufacturer. While officials are careful to caution that nothing has been found yet to indicate that brake failure was the cause of the crash, the fire truck’s maintenance records indicate that the vehicle has had brake problems in the past.

In 2006, the truck crashed into another building. Fortunately, no one was injured. Also, following a routine inspection in October, a faulty brake hose was replaced.

Video footage from security cameras at different apartment buildings on Parker Hill Avenue showed that the truck driver could have slowed the truck down by purposely driving into other motor vehicles that were parked on the street. However, this could have caused injuries to others.

Fire union officials have complained in the past about poor fire equipment maintenance, including inadequate truck maintenance. The Fire Department board of inquiry is also expected to conduct its own probe into the fire truck accident.
Crash survivors fault the brakes, Boston.com, January 11, 2009
Boston fire truck smashes into building; 1 dead, Associated Post, January 10, 2009

Related Web Resources:

Fire Department – City of Boston

Labor and Workforce Development, Massachusetts.gov Continue reading

by

One woman is dead and five other people sustained injuries in a multi-vehicle collision in Littleton on Tuesday involving an empty tanker truck. The Massachusetts motor vehicle crash occurred at the intersection of Spectacle Pond Road and Route 2a.

According to Fire Chief Stephen Carter, the elderly woman who died was in the vehicle that collided with the truck. The five other accident victims were treated for nonfatal injuries. Massachusetts state police reconstruction workers are investigating the cause of the traffic crash.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 26 large trucks were involved in fatal truck crashes in Massachusetts in 2007. Nationally, 4,584 large trucks were involved in deadly auto accidents last year, while large 76,000 trucks were involved in motor vehicle crashes resulting in injuries.

More 2007 Large Truck Facts (NHTSA):

• There were 413,000 large truck accidents.
• There were 4,808 large truck fatalities.
• 75% of the victims were riding in other motor vehicles.
• 23% of the fatalities were large truck occupants.
• 2% of the accident victims that died were not riding in or on a motor vehicle at the time of the large truck crash.
• One out of nine traffic deaths involved a large truck crash.
• 28% of deadly two-vehicle accidents involved large trucks.
• 101,000 victims were injured in large truck accidents.
• 802 of the injury victims were riding in large trucks.
• 3,601 of the injury victims were riding in other motor vehicles.
• 405 of those injured were not occupying any vehicles at the time of the truck crash (includes pedalcyclists and pedestrians).
• Large trucks have a greater chance than passenger cars of becoming involved in deadly multi-vehicle accidents.
• In 51% of deadly two-vehicle collisions involving a large truck, both motor vehicles were driving forward at the time of the accident.
• In 11% of deadly two-vehicle crashes involving a large truck, the other vehicle was making a turn.

1 dead, 5 hurt in Littleton crash involving tanker, Boston Herald.com, November 25, 2008
Large Trucks Traffic Safety Fact Sheet, NHTSA

Related Web Resource:

Passenger Carrier Safety, FMCSA Continue reading

by

This month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its 2007 Annual Assessment of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Fatalities and People Injured data. Statistics for last year indicate a 3.9% percent decrease in traffic accident fatalities between 2006 and 2007.

Overall traffic accident deaths for 2007 was 41,059, down from 42,708 in 2006, with injuries also decreasing from 2,575,000 in 2006 to 2,491,000 in 2007.

Other 2007 US Traffic Facts:

Passenger vehicle deaths: 28,933 Injuries: 2,221,000
Motorcycle deaths: 5,154 Injuries: 103,000
Pedestrian Deaths: 4,654 Injuries: 70,000
Bicyclist Deaths: 698 Injuries: 43,000
Large Truck Occupant Deaths: 802
The NHTSA also provided 2007 traffic accident statistics for the state of Massachusetts: 417 deaths.

According to US Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters, the decline in total motor vehicle deaths can be attributed to more aggressive law enforcement measures at both the state and federal levels, as well as the manufacturing of safer motor vehicles.

Read the Summary of the 2007 Annual Assessment of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Fatalities and People Injured (PDF)

Related Web Resources:

Massachusetts Highway Department

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Continue reading

by

In Chelmsford, Massachusetts, a multi-vehicle crash involving a tractor-trailer, a car, and a pickup truck on Interstate 495 today left one person dead. The traffic accident occurred when a Dodge Intrepid hit a Kenworth tractor-trailer.

The tractor-trailer driver then lost control of his truck, which crossed the median before hitting a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck in a head-on collision. The driver of the pickup truck, Charles Butzer, died in the crash. Jody Anderson, the tractor-trailer driver, was treated for minor injuries at Lowell General Hospital.

Police are conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the crash. They say that thunderstorms may have contributed in causing the fatal auto collision.

With Massachusetts traffic accidents involving multiple parties, it is important to work with a Boston motor vehicle crash lawyer that has the resources and connections to work with experienced accident reconstructionist experts that can examine the vehicles involved and the accident scene to determine what caused the crash. There may be more than one party that can be held liable for injuries or wrongful death.

If someone you love has died because of a negligent driver or another liable party, Massachusetts’s wrongful death law allows you to sue for wrongful death.

1 Dead In Pickup, Tractor-Trailer Crash, WCBV.com, July 24, 2008

Related Web Resource:

Massachusetts Wrongful Death Law
Continue reading

by

Approximately 87,000 Massachusetts drivers have been in at least two motor vehicle accidents from 2002 through June 2007. 8,400 of these drivers have been in three crashes. Some 1,100 were in four auto collisions. Some 220 people have been in at least five accidents. Yet a number of these drivers continue to return to the roads. There are 4.7 million Massachusetts drivers.

The Boston Globe looked at 750,000 accident records from the Registry of Motor Vehicles. According to the study:

• Males are more frequently involved in motor vehicle accidents than females.
• Drivers 25 years of age and under are involved in 30% of the crashes.
• Fridays, after midnight, and after rush hour are the times when accidents are most likely to occur.

According to state and public safety officials, common causes of motor vehicle accidents in Massachusetts include:

• Negligence • Aggressive driving
• Driver inexperience • Bad road designs • Bad weather
In one recent deadly hit and run accident, the driver, Craig P. Bigos had at least six tickets and two motor vehicle crashes on his driving record. He was also driving with an expired license. Bigos allegedly hit a 13-year-old pedestrian while text messaging. He faces a motor vehicle homicide charge.

In 2004, a repeat offender heading to a methadone clinic struck a 55-year-old man in Kingston. In 2005, a 76-year-old Upton farmer, who has been in five accidents in six years, drove his tractor into a truck driven be an off-duty cop.

Accidents waiting to happen, Boston.com, February 10, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles

2004-2006 Massachusetts Crash Statistics
Continue reading

Contact Information
Cambridge, MA
Main Office
675 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: 617.492.3000Fax: 617.491.3299Toll Free: 800.481.6199
Boston, MA
1 State St
Suite 2
Boston, MA 02109
Phone: 617.547.1205Toll Free: 800.481.6199
Needham, MA
250 First Avenue 2nd Floor
Needham, MA 02494
Phone: 781.675.2329Toll Free: 800.481.6199

Some Select Cases are referred to other attorneys for principal responsibility

By publishing this information on this Website, the Boston, Massachusetts law firm of Altman & Altman LLP is not claiming to represent any clients or cases mentioned here. The content provided is designed to inform readers and is not intended as legal advice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. The contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure. Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Copyright © 2024, Altman & Altman LLP
JUSTIA Law Firm Blog Design