The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority is among the defendants that have agreed to pay a state trooper’s family $9 million after he was killed when his motorcycle slammed into Big Dig handrails, the Boston Globe reported.
Our Boston accident attorneys reported earlier this year on our Boston Car Accident Lawyers Blog about the railings. Originally put in place to protect construction and maintenance workers from falling onto the highway, the railing have been involved in the deaths of seven motorists in recent years.
New documents now show that the U.S. Department of Transportation warned the director of the Big Dig that the rails were unsafe as far back as 1992. But the director replied that they were safe.
The trooper was one of seven victims to be killed after striking the railings lining the tunnels; most of the victims were dismembered. One victim lost an arm but survived.
While the trooper’s family said they hope the case will result in the removal of the railings, the settlement did not address the safety issue.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation expressed sorrow for the accident and the loss of the trooper’s life but referred all other comment to the insurer, AIG.
AIG had no comment.
Other defendants included Big Dig contractors.
If a loved one has been killed in an accident in Massachusetts, contact Boston Wrongful Death Attorney Jeffrey S. Glassman for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 877-617-5333.