Boston Injury Lawyer Blog

December 4, 2012

Boston University School of Medicine Finds Additional Evidence Linking Brain Damage to Head Injuries

According to a study published this week by the Boston University School of Medicine, researchers have discovered more evidence affirming a causal connection between repeated head injuries and chronic brain disease. The findings can be found in the journal Brain and will likely provide support for brain injury lawsuits filed by numerous professional football players who claim that concussions that they sustained during their career caused them to develop permanent brain damage or injuries.

One need only look to recent headlines to read about how Kansas City Chiefs’ Jovan Belcher shot his girlfriend and then killed himself in front of his coach and general manager. Family and friends believe his inexplicable actions were due to head injuries he had sustained while playing the game.

Researchers examined brain samples from 85 deceased people ranging in age from 17 to 98 who had suffered from concussions and other types of mild TBIs, including well-known professional athletes such as running back Cookie Gilchrist. They compared these samples with those of other people who didn’t have the same brain injury history.

December 3, 2012

No Cell Phone Use or Mechanical Failure in Boston Green Line MBTA Crash

by Altman & Altman

Last week, our Boston Personal Injury Lawyers blogged about the MBTA crash involving two Trolleys in Boston, MA. Investigators now report they have found no evidence that cell phone use or mechanical failure caused the crash between two Green Line trains on Thursday that injured 37 people, said the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

The collision occurred when “One trolley bumped into the rear of another trolley that was making a regular stop at the station,” said MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo. According to one rider, “people went flying, got their knees banged up. It was pretty hectic.”

“The train was going, and all of a sudden we heard a loud crash,” and “All of us just piled on top of each other,” one witness said.

EMTs set up a triage center outside the station to treat injured riders. 37 passengers were taken to area hospitals. The operator of the second trolley was also injured, Pesaturo said.
Chief of Boston EMS James Hooley said several people “complained of neck and back pain that required them to be carried up and extracted, but the majority of them – 28 or so – were walking, wounded.”

About 200 people were on the Green Line trains at the time of the crash.
MBTA officials downplayed the severity of the incident, saying it was a “slow-speed crash” that damaged no trolleys. There were no serious injuries, Hooley said.
Continue reading

November 30, 2012

Securities and Exchange Commission Received 3,001 Whistleblower Tips During Fiscal Year 2012

by Altman & Altman

During this past fiscal year, the SEC received 3,001 whistleblower tips from tipsters in all 50 states and from 49 nations. Outgoing SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro said that the Commission’s whistleblower program has proven valuable in uncovering financial fraud. Earlier this month, the agency issued its “2012 Annual Report on the Dodd Frank Whistleblower Program.”

The SEC whistleblower program allows parties to offer up original, quality information about possible securities law violations. Should the information result in a successful SEC enforcement action that leads to over $1 million in monetary sanctions, the whistleblower is entitled to 10-30% of this amount. The award is paid to the whistleblower from the Investor Protection Fund.

If you are someone who has such information, do not hesitate to contact our Boston whistleblower lawyers at Altman & Altman, LLP today. Filing a Qui Tam case can be a complicated process especially when done without legal help. In addition to making sure that your rights are protected throughout the process, an experienced Massachusetts whistleblower attorney can make sure you receive the reward that you are owed.

November 29, 2012

35 Hurt in Boston Trolley Accident Involving Two Trains

by Altman & Altman

A Boston train crash at Boylston Station this morning has left at least 35 people with injuries. Nine of the victims were immobilized because of possible neck or head injuries.

The Boston trolley collision happened when a Green Line train departing Park Street Station rear-ended a trolley that was at the Boylston Station platform. Both trains were two-car trains.

According to MBTA Transit Police, initial signs indicate that the moving train wasn’t going at a fast speed when impact was made. However, The Boston Globe quotes one witness who said that she didn’t think the operator of the train, which she was riding, had braked before the collision. Another witness said he saw one passenger, who was boarding the stopped trolley at the time, get knocked back onto the concrete platform where he landed face down.

November 29, 2012

FDA Shuts Down Nut-Processing Plant After Many are Sickened with Salmonella

by Altman & Altman

The Food and Drug Association shut down a nut-processing facility in Portales, New Mexico, after it was tied to a nation-wide salmonella outbreak in June of this year. The plant, operated by Sunland Inc., was set to open this week, however the FDA stepped in and put the reopening process to a halt.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the plant produced salmonella contaminated nut butter, which sickened at least 41 people in 20 states, most of whom were children. The nut butter was sold in restaurants and retailers such as Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, Whole Foods and Target stores nationwide, including several in Massachusetts, and was pulled off the shelves following the recall.

The recalled Sunland Inc. products were not only jars of peanut butter, but also other nut products the company produces. A complete list of products is available on the FDA’s website.
Continue reading

November 28, 2012

Springfield, MA Natural Gas Explosion Caused by Human Error

by Altman & Altman

Our Boston Personal Injury Attorneys previously blogged about a natural gas explosion at Scores Gentlemen’s Club that injured 18 people and damaged 42 buildings in Springfield’s entertainment district.

Now, authorities appear to have identified the cause. State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said the blast was due to a “human error” that occurred when an unnamed utility worker accidentally punctured a high-pressure pipeline while looking for a leak.

The worker pierced the gas line while using a metal probe to search for a leak, said Coan. Gas then filled the strip club, with a spark of some kind igniting the blast. “Unfortunately when he put the probe in the ground he punctured and penetrated the gas main itself. That allowed a high volume off free flowing gas to enter the building,” Coan said.

The worker was following older markings on a sidewalk that located the position of the gas line, but the markings were incorrect, Coan said. “Some old markings that were in the street from some previous work that had been done were not exactly where they should have been and were off a couple of feet. So while the employee thought he was a safe distance from the gas line, in fact he was directly on top of it,” Coan said.

The explosion damaged 115 residential units located in 42 buildings. Officials condemned three of those buildings immediately, and indicated that 24 others need structural inspections by engineers to assess their safety. The blast completely destroyed the gentlemen’s club. Most of the people hurt in the blast were gas workers, firefighters, and police.

Authorities had evacuated several buildings in the area after the pipe was damaged. Springfield Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant commended the department’s firefighters, saying they “did an excellent job evacuating the area which certainly prevented additional civilian injuries and saved many lives.”
Continue reading

November 25, 2012

Boston Products Liability?: Keep Kids Away from Single-Load Liquid Laundry Pods

by Altman & Altman

The CPSC recently put out an alert warning that a new type of laundry detergent-the single-load liquid laundry packet-is proving toxic for kids. While laundry detergent was never supposed to be ingested, what makes this product especially child unfriendly is that they look and even feel like they might be small pieces of candy or a teething toy.

It doesn’t help that they tend to come in bright, attractive colors and their texture has been likened by some to that of a gummy bear (soft and gooey). Liquid laundry pods are also small enough to put in the mouth and easy to puncture so that it is no wonder that the detergent, which contains toxic ingredients, can easily make contact with the eyes and skin. Also, the majority of liquid laundry packets don’t come in childproof containers.

Already, the CPSC knows of at least 500 incidents involving kids and adults getting sick from this type of detergent. Serious side effects may include throwing up, sleepiness, problems breathing, eye irritation, diarrhea, temporary vision loss, and/or ocular burns. The American Center of Poison Control Centers is reporting about 10 calls a day over injuries involving this laundry product during one 20 day period.

November 23, 2012

At Least 18 Injured in Springfield, Massachusetts Natural Gas Blast at Strip Club

by Altman & Altman

At least 18 people were hurt during a natural gas blast in Springfield, Massachusetts’s entertainment district at around 6 pm tonight. The explosion at the Scores Gentlemen’s Club, leveled the local strip club, and also damaged a five-story building and a nearby day care. A tattoo parlor a block and a half away also experienced property damage from the incident.

The blast happened after gas workers had wrapped up their investigation of the smell of gas in the area. They had evacuated the street and were just about to let people return when the explosion occurred.

Spokespeople at Mercy Medical Center and Baystate Medical Center say that none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening. Among those hurt were 10 firefighters and cops and three gas workers. One dancer from the strip club reportedly told The Republican that the smell of gas had been present for a while. She says the gas company even checked it out earlier this week.

November 19, 2012

North Andover Wrongful Death Lawsuit Involving Worcester Man Subdued by Police in Traffic Stop is Settled for $1.6M

by Altman & Altman

Three years after Kenneth Howe, 45, died after being subdued by several officers during a North Andover traffic stop, the Worcester man’s family has settled their Massachusetts wrongful death lawsuit against three law enforcement agencies for $1.6M. The agencies are the North Andover police, state police, and the Essex County sheriff.

Howe was detained during a traffic stop at a state police checkpoint in November 25, 2009. According to the family’s North Andover wrongful death lawyer, Howe was “swarmed” by numerous troopers and police officers after he allegedly got involved in a tussle with a trooper at the scene. The law enforcement officers struck him with a baton and shackled him and didn’t call for medical help even though Howe said that he couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t until he was on the ground at the Andover state police barracks and unresponsive that medical assistance was sought. Howe was pronounced dead upon arriving at the hospital.

While prosecutors had cleared the officers of wrongdoing, Howe’s wife and three children believe that he was the victim of excessive use of police force. They named 33 troopers and officers in their complaint. According to Eagle-Tribune, photos taken by one of its photographers show Howe face down on the ground with some of the cops on top of him.

November 17, 2012

Family of Teen Who Fell from US Airways Jet in a Boston Suburb Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against US Airways

by Altman & Altman

Two years after Delvonte Tisdale fell out of a flying Boeing 737 and landed in a Boston suburb, his family is suing US Airways, Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, and the city of Charlotte, NC for his wrongful death. The tragic accident involving the 16-year-old in November 2010 made national headlines after Tisdale stowed onto the plane.

The teen had run away from home and was able to get onto the airport tarmac and then later into the wheel well of the jet, which was destined for Boston, undetected. Following Tisdale’s death, a security review determined that the airport’s police force was not adequate enough to provide proper monitoring of the property. Since then, certain security recommendations have been implemented there.

The wheel well of a plane is not pressurized and there is usually not enough oxygen there. Temperatures can become very cold, even going down to way under 0 degrees. A shattered plastic card was found on Tisdale’s body. The condition of the card likely was a result of freezing temperatures in the wheel well during the flight.