June 21, 2023

Bombshell Illinois Report Uncovers Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse

Over 450 Catholic clergy members abused nearly 2,000 children in Illinois since 1950, according to a report released by the state attorney general last month. Before the start of the investigation, the church had publicly acknowledged only around 100 individual abusers. The report comes at a time when increasing numbers of Catholic priests across the nation are being accused of sexual abuse.

Hundreds of Priests Abused Thousands of Children

After a Pennsylvania grand jury found that over 300 Catholic clerics had abused over 1,000 children during a 70-year period, Illinois began its own state investigation into clergy sexual assaults starting in 2018. The nearly 700-page report released in May found evidence that 451 Catholic clergy members abused at least 1,997 children across Illinois between 1950 and 2019.

May 23, 2023

Former Catholic Cardinal Faces New Sexual Assault Charge

by Altman & Altman

When defrocked Cardinal Theodore McCarrick was charged in 2021 with molesting a teenage boy in Massachusetts in 1974, he became the highest-ranking Roman Catholic official in the country to face criminal sex abuse charges. In April of 2023, he was charged again. This time, he faces accusations in Wisconsin of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man in 1977. In addition to the criminal charges against him, McCarrick has been named in numerous civil suits alleging sexual misconduct.

The new accusations come as numerous states around the country are updating their sexual assault laws. Since 2018, more than a dozen states have made changes making it easier for sexual assault victims to seek justice. Some states suspended the statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse altogether, some raised the age limit to make claims, and others created temporary “lookback windows” allowing survivors to sue their abusers no matter how many years ago the abuse happened.

McCarrick Accused of Dozens of Alleged Sex Assaults

May 19, 2023

Hit and Run Car Crashes in Massachusetts

by Altman & Altman

In a hit and run accident, the driver leaves the scene without stopping to assess damage or injury, call the police, or provide his or her contact information. While leaving the scene of an accident is illegal almost everywhere, it still happens all too often. In fact, over 2,500 people died in hit and run crashes in the U.S. in 2020. In Massachusetts, nearly 10% of fatal pedestrian accidents in 2022 involved hit and run drivers.

Sometimes drivers flee the scene because they are intoxicated, don’t have a license or insurance, or simply panic and keep driving. Even if the driver is never identified, victims of hit and run accidents in Massachusetts can still make a claim with their insurance company. If the driver is later identified, he or she may face criminal charges or a lawsuit in civil court.

Recent MA Hit and Run Accidents

May 18, 2023

Three Deaths in One Year on MBTA Commuter Rail Line in Abington

by Altman & Altman

Long concerned about the safety of the town’s railroad crossings, Alex Bezanson planned to prioritize the issue when he became the chairman of the Abington Board of Selectmen last year. Just two weeks later, a teenager walking home was tragically struck and killed by a train at the Birch Street crossing.

After that incident, the town hired a transportation consulting firm to study the safety of railroad crossings along the Abington corridor. The findings were included in an April 25, 2023 letter to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The very next day, another fatal train incident occurred at the same intersection.

Recent Deadly Train Accidents in Abington

May 11, 2023

New “Rust” Shooting Lawsuit Claims “Loss of Consortium” — What Exactly Is It?

by Altman & Altman

After the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the “Rust” set in 2021, her family agreed to settle their wrongful death lawsuit against the film’s producers. In 2023, her parents and sister filed a new suit against Alec Baldwin and other parties, alleging negligence, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and loss of consortium. While you may have heard of the other kinds of claims, what exactly is “loss of consortium”?

A loss of consortium claim seeks financial compensation for the damage to a relationship caused by the death or injury of a family member. Specifically, it is a type of personal injury claim by individuals who have lost the benefits of a close relationship, such as comfort, companionship, affection, marital intimacy, or assistance with parenting or housework.

In some states, only spouses can claim loss of consortium. In other states, parents and children may also be able to make a claim. Massachusetts loss of consortium claims are available to married couples whose spouse is injured, minor children whose parent is injured, dependent adult children whose parent is injured, and parents whose minor child is injured.

April 25, 2023

Clergy Abuse Cases Continue To Be Uncovered, This Time In Baltimore Maryland

by Altman & Altman

More than 150 Catholic clergy members sexually abused at least 600 children over a 60-year period, according to a report recently released by the Maryland Attorney General. The report details the results of an investigation into the Archdiocese of Baltimore that found that the sexual abuse of minors occurred from the 1940s through 2002 while church leadership “looked the other way.”

The Maryland report follows numerous investigations into clergy sexual abuse at archdioceses across the United States. In 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched an investigation into sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests in New Orleans. In 2018, Pennsylvania’s Attorney General revealed findings of abuse of children by priests and a systematic cover-up by senior church leaders in the state and the Vatican.

Recent Clergy Sex Abuse Cases

April 25, 2023

MBTA Continues To Have Safety Issues For Both Passengers and MBTA Workers

by Altman & Altman

The woes continue for the troubled Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). According to an April report in the Boston Globe, the agency told members of its board of directors that MBTA trains came dangerously close to workers in four serious episodes over the last month. The incidents were reportedly caused by miscommunication between dispatchers and construction crews. In a separate event, an employee on the Blue Line went to the hospital after being injured while working on overhead electrical wires.

As a result of the series of worker safety issues and near misses, the Department of Public Utilities (the T’s oversight agency) sent the MBTA an “immediate action letter.” These are only the most recent developments in a long line of safety concerns that prompted a 2022 investigation and report by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) ordering the MBTA to correct 53 problem areas.

MBTA Safety Timeline

April 5, 2023

Thousands of Lawsuits Claim Paraquat Causes Parkinson’s Disease

by Altman & Altman

The powerful weed killer paraquat has been used in commercial agricultural applications for decades. Although direct ingestion of the herbicide can be fatal, manufacturers have maintained that paraquat is safe when used as directed. Recent research, however, has suggested that chronic exposure to the chemical may lead to Parkinson’s disease (PD).

A growing number of farmers, agricultural workers, and others exposed to paraquat have filed suit, claiming the herbicide is to blame for their illness. In fact, paraquat lawsuits have been grouped into an MDL (multidistrict litigation) that added more than 200 plaintiffs per month in 2022. The cases continue to mount in 2023, with hundreds of new paraquat Parkinson’s lawsuits joining the MDL.

The Paraquat Parkinson’s Link

March 22, 2023

Calico Critters Animal Figures Recalled Due To Choking Hazard

by Altman & Altman

Every year, dangerous baby products are recalled for a variety of reasons: choking hazards, toxic substances, suffocation risks, and more. In fact, the average year sees over 100 children’s product recalls, according to the nonprofit organization Kids in Danger (KID). Just this month, more than 3.2 million Calico Critters figures were recalled after two children’s deaths involving pacifier accessories that came with the toys.

Calico Critters Recall

On March 9, Epoch Everlasting Play recalled all of their Calico Critters animal figures and sets sold with small bottle and pacifier accessories, which can pose choking hazards. The recall came after reports of three incidents involving the pacifiers, including two deaths — a 2-year-old child in New Mexico and a 9-month-old infant in Japan.

March 9, 2023

Werner Ladder Accident Injuries

by Altman & Altman

Every year in the United States, over 100 people die and thousands more suffer injuries in ladder-related falls. While some accidents result from improper usage, others happen when the ladders themselves are defective. Even when you buy well-known brands at major retailers, products can sometimes have design flaws or manufacturing defects.

In 2018, U.S. company Werner Co. recalled about 78,000 aluminum telescoping ladders after receiving a report that the ladders can break while in use, posing fall and injury hazards. The recall affected five models of ladders sold at Home Depot and Lowe’s stores nationwide in April and May of that year.

If you have a recalled Werner ladder as posted on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website, immediately stop using it and return it to the store of purchase for a refund. If you were hurt while using a recalled Werner model or any brand of defective ladder, a personal injury attorney can help evaluate whether you qualify for financial compensation for your injuries.