Boston Injury Lawyer Blog

October 31, 2023

Navigating MBTA Accident Claims

Every day, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is used by more than 700,000 residents and commuters throughout the Greater Boston area. While public transportation offers convenience and efficiency, accidents involving the MBTA can and do occur.

In 2022, following an increase in MBTA-related deaths and serious injuries, the FTA assumed safety oversight of the MBTA. In a letter to T General Manager Steve Poftak, the agency said, “The Federal Transit Authority (FTA) is extremely concerned with the ongoing safety issues at the MBTA.” This letter was sent after a 39-year-old man was dragged to his death by a Red Line train car.

If you or a loved one has been involved in an MBTA accident, the ability to obtain compensation is dependent on knowing how to navigate the complex claims process. Following the steps below can help.

October 12, 2023

The Majority of MBTA Riders Report Feeling Unsafe

by Altman & Altman

Nearly three-quarters (70%) of current and former MBTA riders have felt unsafe at least once or twice because of the poor condition of the system’s infrastructure, according to a survey by MassINC Polling Group. While the ranking varied by mode of transportation, most MBTA services did not get a passing grade from riders.

The subway and trolley service received the agency’s lowest score, with less than one-third (28%) of poll respondents giving it a “good” or “excellent” rating. Only 35% rated bus service as “good to excellent” with the rest ranking it as “poor to fair.” The commuter rail earned the best marks, but still less than half (46%) of respondents said the service was at least “good.”

The poll was conducted in August, before a report released in September highlighted problems with MBTA track maintenance safety. An independent review by a consulting firm found that track inspection workers were often unqualified, inexperienced, or both. It also addressed other safety issues such as inadequate staffing, misunderstandings of job duties, and a lack of standardized procedures for track inspections.

September 27, 2023

Sensio Pressure Cookers Recalled After Dozens of Burn Injuries

by Altman & Altman

Pressure cookers can reduce cooking time by exposing food to intense steam heat. When the air-tight, locking lid and other components work properly, pressure cooking is usually safe. With defective or malfunctioning parts, however, the pot can expel hot contents and cause users to suffer serious burn injuries.

After dozens of reported burn accidents, manufacturer Sensio recently recalled some of its electric and stovetop pressure cookers. The lid of the pots can unlock and be removed during use, causing hot contents to splash out and potentially burn users. Sensio recalled about 860,000 products after receiving 63 incident reports, including second and third-degree burns to the face, torso, arms, and hands.

Sensio Pressure Cooker Recall

September 21, 2023

Bill Addresses Lax Boating Safety Requirements in Massachusetts

by Altman & Altman

Despite the Commonwealth’s reputation for strong government regulation, boating in Massachusetts appears to function a little more like the Wild West. Anyone 16 or older can operate a boat without completing even a basic safety course, according to a recent article in the Boston Globe. This makes Massachusetts somewhat of an outlier in the region, as neighboring states Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont all require motorboat pilots to have a safe boating certificate.

Each year, thousands of boating accidents kill hundreds of people across the United States. In 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard counted 4,040 accidents, 2,222 non-fatal injuries, and 636 deaths. Although this marks a decrease from 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 saw a surge in boat sales and a drop in boater education, meaning many untrained boaters may still be on the water. After crashes this summer caused the death of a Boy Scout from Lexington and a teenage girl on Cape Cod, boating safety is receiving renewed attention in Massachusetts.

New Proposed Boating Safety Bill

September 7, 2023

Work-Related Death Rate Reaches 5-Year High

by Altman & Altman

American workplaces have seen a concerning increase in on-the-job deaths, according to a news release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A total of 5,190 people in the United States died from job-related injury in 2021 — the equivalent of one worker every 101 minutes. With 3.6 fatalities per 100,000 full-time workers, this marked the highest annual fatal work injury rate since 2016.

This troubling trend serves as a stark reminder of the risks that many American workers face on a daily basis. From construction sites to underground mines, dangerous workplaces can lead to fatal accidents that leave families devastated and struggling to cope.

Leading Causes of Workplace Deaths

August 29, 2023

Catholic Diocese in New York Agrees to Pay $100 Million to Sex Abuse Survivors

by Altman & Altman

The Diocese of Syracuse has agreed to pay $100 million to compensate parishioners abused by priests, employees, and volunteers in the diocese. According to NBC News, it appears to be the largest payout by a U.S. Roman Catholic diocese since at least 2018, when the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis settled with over 400 victims for $210 million.

Catholic entities across New York faced a surge of claims when the state temporarily lifted the statute of limitations on child sex abuse in 2019. After being hit with more than 100 lawsuits, the Diocese of Syracuse filed for bankruptcy in 2020. The proposed settlement — which is a part of bankruptcy proceedings and still requires court approval — would resolve 411 sex abuse claims brought by 387 people.

Clergy Sex Abuse Settlements Nationwide

August 17, 2023

Tennessee Bishop Resigns Amid Claims He Mishandled Sex Abuse Allegations

by Altman & Altman

In yet another scandal facing the Catholic Church, Tennesee Bishop Richard Stika resigned in June after allegations that he mishandled sex abuse claims in his Knoxville diocese. Several priests also complained about his behavior and leadership, triggering a Vatican investigation. Although he denies wrongdoing, Stika is now facing at least two lawsuits claiming that he improperly dealt with sexual misconduct allegations and sought to silence the accusers.

In one lawsuit, a Honduran immigrant seeking grief counseling in 2020 said a priest locked her in a room and sexually assaulted her. Although the police and the diocese knew of the accusation, the lawsuit argues, the diocese took no action against the priest and, in fact, obstructed law enforcement. The woman also claimed that the diocese tried to intimidate her by spreading rumors about her and hiring a private investigator to find information to use against her.

In a second lawsuit, a former employee at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville accused a seminary student of harassing and raping him in 2019. The lawsuit argues that Bishop Stika pressured the accuser to remain silent, concealed the abuse, and even dismissed an investigator who was looking into the case. Before Stika’s resignation in 2023, he had been the bishop of Knoxville for 14 years.

August 15, 2023

Automatic Emergency Braking Systems May Soon Be Required on Nearly All US Vehicles

by Altman & Altman

A new regulation proposed in May by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would require new vehicles to come equipped with automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems. These systems detect potential collisions and automatically apply the brakes to lessen the impact of a crash — or avoid it altogether. NHTSA estimates that the new regulation could prevent at least 360 deaths and 24,000 injuries annually.

This technology has been available on many automotive models for years, but it hasn’t yet been mandated. If the new regulation is adopted as proposed, it would require almost all US passenger vehicles and light trucks to have AEB systems three years after the publication of a final rule. In addition, NHTSA and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced in June that they plan to require AEB technology on heavy vehicles as well.

What Exactly is AEB Technology?

August 3, 2023

The Most Deadly Time of Day to Drive in Massachusetts

by Altman & Altman

Navigating the streets of the Bay State can be treacherous for even the most seasoned of drivers. According to recent studies, Massachusetts has the fourth-worst roads in the country and Boston has the fourth-worst traffic in the world. A new Forbes Advisor report sheds more light on the issue by pinpointing the most dangerous times to drive in the state.

As it turns out, you may want to start driving more cautiously during your evening commute. According to the report, the most deadly time to drive in Massachusetts is between 5 and 6 pm. Using National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data for 2016 to 2020, Forbes Advisor found that more fatal car accidents happened in the state during this hour than during any other. The same was true for Maine and New Hampshire.

This time was slightly earlier than the country as a whole. Nationwide, the report found that 6 to 7 pm is the most dangerous hour to drive. The next most deadly time is 8 to 9 pm, followed by 9 to 10 pm. Overall, the most dangerous driving hour in the majority of states falls between 3 and 10 p.m., especially after sunset.

June 22, 2023

Report Finds MA Workers Dying in Alarming Numbers

by Altman & Altman

Dangerous jobs continued to hurt and kill workers in “alarming numbers” last year, according to a report by the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. Specifically, the report found that 51 workers suffered job-related fatalities in 2022. Although this represented a drop from the Commonwealth’s 62 workplace deaths in 2021, the report noted that many such fatalities are preventable.

Workplace Injuries and Deaths in Massachusetts

Published in April, the report showed that 39 workers died of traumatic work injuries and 12 died of work-related disease in 2022. The true numbers may be much higher, however, because the data does not include all people who died after contracting COVID on the job. In addition, injuries and illnesses are not always reported or properly recorded.