A disabled man has died in a New Bedford, Massachusetts pedestrian accident after his motorized wheelchair was dragged beneath a van at a busy city intersection Friday afternoon, the Boston Herald reported.
While police and authorities at the scene said they did not believe the man’s injuries were life threatening, his family said he died at the hospital. This case illustrates why our Boston personal injury lawyers and Massachusetts wrongful death attorneys are bothered when we see it reported that someone suffered “minor injuries” as the result of an accident.
As the old adage goes, “minor injuries” are injuries that do not happen to you!
Traumatic brain injuries are just one example: While these injuries are very often life threatening, the initial symptoms can takes weeks or even months to progress into a full-blown emergency. In other cases, the extent of a person’s injuries may not be readily apparent in the immediate aftermath of the accident. In other cases, a pre-existing health condition can exacerbate injuries sustained as the result of an accident. These are just a few of the reasons that we encourage those involved in an accident to contact an attorney, document the incident, and take the steps necessary to protect their rights should a claim need to be filed in the months or weeks to come.
Police report the 54-year-old victim was struck while crossing the intersection of Route 6 and Pleasant Street on Friday afternoon. He died at Boston Medical Center’s trauma center at about 11 p.m.
If you have been injured in a bicycle accident or pedestrian accident in the Boston area, contact Massachusetts Injury Attorney Jeffrey S. Glassman for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 877-617-5333.