Articles Posted in Motorcycle Accident

by

Given the nature of our work, the Boston car accident attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers frequently post reports about motor vehicle and highway safety tips and trends on our Boston Car Accident Lawyer blog. Our goals is simple: to educate motorists wanting to avoid a Massachusetts car accident.

With this in mind, we share updates made to the National Transportation Safety Board’s “most wanted” list of vehicle and driver safety improvements.
868517_a_driver.jpg
The NTSB has chosen to focus on five key safety issues – seat belt/child restraint use, impaired and distracted driving habits, and motorcycle safety. Their “most wanted” list recognizes both the advances and shortcomings of each state while reminding state legislators to persists in enacting laws that promote safe driving conditions for all motorists. NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman notes that state governments are in a “unique position to effect the most significant improvement” regarding transportation safety through legislative and enforcement practices.

The following review of Massachusetts traffic safety directives on these five issues is provided by the NTSB:

~ Child occupant protection: Massachusetts is one of 29 states to have in place a booster seat law requiring all child passengers use a booster seat through age 8.

~ Primary seat belt enforcement: Massachusetts one of 19 states that has no law in place regarding primary seat belt enforcement. NTSB officials recommend that a law be enacted requiring all vehicle occupants wear proper safety restraints, be they conventional lap and lap/shoulder belts or installing car seats and booster seats for use in tandem with safety restraints.

Furthermore, the Board requests that law enforcement be unrestricted in observing and ticketing motorists who fail to buckle up. By enacting “primary” enforcement laws, cops are free to stop (and cite) drivers solely upon visual confirmation that any occupants are unrestrained and non-compliant with the law.

~ Distracted driving: Massachusetts is one of 46 states with a Graduated Drivers License program that meets all NTSB recommendations. As for passenger restrictions, Massachusetts is one of 15 states that have enacted some, but not all, of Board directives. Therefore, currently implemented law fails to meet Board safety standards. (Of note, the NTSB reports that with each additional teenage passenger, so increases the risk a teen driver will crash.)

Regarding the matter of wireless communication restrictions, Massachusetts is one of 26 states to fully restrict (meaning: no cell use for novice, intermediate and “learner” status drivers; no hand-held or hands-free phone use) “interactive wireless communication” while driving.

~ motorcycle safety: Massachusetts has enacted a universal helmet law requiring both driver and passengers helmet-up, so to speak.
Continue reading

by

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.
Continue reading

by

A two-vehicle Shelburne Falls accident involving a 2005 Ford Freestyle and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle claimed the life of a 60-year-old motorcyclist, The Republican reports.

The Ford Freestyle was struck after turning left onto Route 2 and crossing the path of the Harley, which then hit the vehicle. Boston motorcycle accident attorneys know that as the interest in and ownership of motorcycles continues to tick upward, so has the number of motorcyclists killed and injured each year in traffic accidents continued to climb.
369704_custom_chrome.jpg
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, almost 5,300 motorcyclists were killed and 96,000 motorcyclists were injured in traffic accidents nationwide, revealing a decade-long upward trend in both fatal and injury-causing motorcycle accidents. In Massachusetts, 41 motorcyclists died in crashes in 2008. Among the most common accident circumstances – representing 41 percent of fatal accidents involving a motorcycle and motor vehicle – the other vehicle was turning left at the time of the crash. In 2008, left-turn crashes claimed the lives of 985 motorcyclists.

The NHTSA reports that because of their open construction 80 percent of motorcycle-involved traffic accidents result in injury or death. To address this grim statistic, the NHTSA recommends a handful of suggestions to help motorcycles stay safe and uninjured:

~ Obtain proper state licensing and complete a rider-safety training course before taking a motorcycle on the road.

~ Make sure the bike fits the skill, experience and ability of the rider. In this case, size matters!

~ Because motorcycles lack basic structural protection, motorcyclists should always wear protective gear – gloves, goggles, a helmet and boots – that offer additional protection in the event of an accident.

~ Because of their more supple maneuverability, weather conditions can create more hazards for motorcyclists than for other motor vehicles. Before getting on the bike, scan the radar. Be aware of the local weather forecast and road conditions.

~ Perhaps most important: motorcyclists need to ride defensively and ride thinking they are invisible to other motor vehicles. Never ride in a car driver’s blind spot.
Continue reading

by

A local emergency room physician died Friday in a Boston scooter accident, prompting renewed debate over scooter safety in the city, the Boston Herald reported.

Scooters are too often bought or rented as a fun diversion. And they are frequently seen as harmless toys by riders and motorists alike. In fact, they are as dangerous as motorcycles. And statistics show that riders are 18 times more likely to be killed in a Massachusetts motorcycle accident than as a motorist in a passenger car.

“Motor scooters when ridden in the confines of the law are very safe, but people need to be aware of the conditions around them,” John Paul, a manager of traffic safety for AAA, told the Herald. “People need to drive defensively – which is probably an understatement. You have to be as aware as possible. You have to be as aware as you can be of everything around you, just like you do in any vehicle.”

On Friday, a 50-year-old Brigham and Women’s Hospital emergency room doctor and father of three was struck and killed while riding a Zeco scooter on Beacon Street. The accident remains under investigation and no charges have been filed.

While the little bikes can be handy for zipping through traffic, they can also be deadly in the event of an accident. Still, their popularity has skyrocketed in recent years.

Scooter riders should ride defensively, watch for opening car doors, parked cars and driver’s blind spots. Motorists should remain cautious around the scooters and treat them as you would a pedestrian because they are just as vulnerable.
Continue reading

by

The Middleboro, Massachusetts motorcycle accident that injured Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry is a reminder to motorists to watch for bikes through the height of summer riding season and into the fall.

The Boston Herald reported that the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was rear ended by a 62-year-old retired grandmother of six kids while riding his Italian racing bike. The woman didn’t realize who she had hit until told by officers who responded to the scene.

“Of all the people to hit, it had to be a rock star,” the woman’s daughter-in-law said. The two women had been shopping in Plymouth and were returning home in separate vehicles when the crash happened at Routes 44 and 105.

Perry was not seriously injured and was resting at home, according to the band’s manager, who said she did not know what the rocker was doing in Middleboro. The woman was cited for following too closely. A relative said she bumped the bike with her Chevy Malibu when the guitarist’s Ducati motorcycle stalled in the intersection while she was riding behind him.

Police said he suffered minor scrapes and was taken by ambulance to Morton Hospital in Taunton.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports a total of 5,290 motorcyclists were killed in 2008 and 96,000 riders were injured. Massachusetts motorcycle accidents killed 41 riders that year.

Statistics show more than half of all motorcycle accidents are the fault of another vehicle on the road. The most common cause of accidents is failure to yield to an oncoming rider while turning or entering the roadway from a parking lot or private drive.

Following too closely, and rear-end collisions, are also among the most common causes of Boston motorcycle accidents.
Continue reading

by

A Boston Motorcycle accident claimed the life of a 28-year-old rider in a hit-and-run crash early Friday morning, ABC5 reported.

Our Boston injury lawyers encourage motorists to remain vigilant for the presence of motorcycles on the road through the busy Fourth of July weekend and throughout the remainder of the summer.

The crash happened about 2 a.m. on Blackstone River Road when a blue car turned in front of the motorcycle at Whipple Road. The rider was thrown from the bike in the crash and the car did not stop. If you are a motorcycle rider in Massachusetts, we encourage you to carry motorcycle insurance coverage in significant amounts, including uninsured motorist coverage, and to speak with your insurance agent about the importance of high policy limits. There is minimal cost associated with increasing your personal injury coverage, which is critical in the event that you are in a motorcycle accident that is your fault, or in cases when the at-fault driver is uninsured or flees the scene and cannot be located.

The 28-year-old rider suffered significant trauma to his head and face and was pronounced dead at 2:30 a.m.

A 28-year-old Worcester man was arrested several hours later after calling police to report that he had been involved in a crash in his 2004 Pontiac GTO. He was charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident involving death, homicide by motor vehicle, operating to endanger, failure to yield to oncoming traffic while making a left turn, and a stop sign violation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 5,290 motorcycle riders were killed in accidents nationwide in 2008, and more than 96,000 were injured. Massachusetts motorcycle accidents claimed the lives of 41 riders.
Continue reading

by

Two Boston police officers were injured in Massachusetts motorcycle accidents, which occurred within blocks of each other in Roxbury, the Boston Globe reported.

One of the officers was off-duty and riding his personal motorcycle when he was involved in an accident at Warren Street and Martin Luther King Boulevard. The second officer was on duty and responding to the first crash when he was involved in a motorcycle accident in the 500 block of Warren Street while riding his department motorcycle. While many people may not associate work accidents with traffic crashes, serious and fatal traffic accidents are a leading cause of Massachusetts work accidents.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 1,044 of the 5,214 fatal work accidents reported in 2008 involved highway accidents, not counting those accidents that occurred on city streets.

Both officers were transported to Boston Medical Center for treatment and the causes of the accidents are under investigation.

You can watch the report from My Fox Boston here.
Continue reading

by

A Boston motorcycle accident on Sunday sent a 46-year-old man to the hospital with life-threatening head injuries, the MetroWest Daily News reported.

Sunday’s accident occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Grove Street in Framingham. The victim was flown by rescue helicopter to Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston. The investigation continues and details of the accident were not available.

249809_my_max.jpgSpring is a dangerous time for Massachusetts motorcycle accidents. As new riders take to the roads and veteran riders gear up for the spring and summer riding season, motorists need to remain vigilant for the presence of motorcycles on the road.

Continue reading
Contact Information
Boston Office
1 International Pl Unit 1810
Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 777-7777Fax: (617) 722-9999
Taunton Office
60 Court St
Taunton, MA 02780
By Appointment Only
Quincy Office
308 Victory Rd
Quincy, MA 02171
By Appointment Only

Worcester Office
43 Harvard St
Worcester, MA 01609
By Appointment Only
Disclaimer – The settlements above are only a sample of cases represented by our office. Each case is different and the amount of a potential resolution of your case will vary considerably depending on a substantial amount of factors. Some case results were worked in conjunction with partnering law firms.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. The contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure. Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Copyright © 2024, Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers
JUSTIA Law Firm Blog Design