Articles Posted in Pedestrian Accidents

Recently, Somerville was named the 10th-most walkable city in the United States, according to Walk Boston. The announcement comes on the heels of the programs the city executed to make the walkways safer to help reduce the risks of pedestrian accidents in Somerville.

Joseph Curtatone, the Mayor of Somerville, has conducted a number of extensive projects to make the area safer for pedestrians over the last few years. These projects were used to make the city safer, to improve the health or residents and to help to boost the local economy.

Our Massachusetts pedestrian accident lawyers understand that pedestrian traffic is an important part of the state. Residents and visitors commute to areas across the state on a daily basis. Safe-walking initiatives should be an important part of all local government. The pedestrian population is an important part of our community and needs to be protected and embraced.

“The city has been working to improve walkability for eight years,” Somerville’s Director of Parks and OpenSpace Arn Franzen. “When the Mayor came in, it was one of his main agendas.”

The City of Somerville was name as the 10th-most walkable city in the United States by the Walkscore.com website. This site ranks city’s walkways based on how well residents and visitors are able to safely travel throughout the area without the use of a motor vehicle. The city was ranked in at 10th place out of all cities with a population of more than 10,000 and was ranked in 5th place for cities with a population of more than 70,000.

The rankings are determined by residents’ ability to walk throughout the area. The rankings are scored from 0 to 100. One-hundred meaning that there is no need for a vehicle and zero meaning that a traveler is required to be car-dependent.

Every single resident in Somerville got a score of at least 70, meaning that errands within the city could all be done on foot.

According to Nicole Rioles, the Regional Active Transit Director, the city’s new programs were used to effectively accommodate more walkers, including pedestrians with disabilities, to help to make sure that all pedestrians are safe. The new designs focused on road and intersection designs and their ability to protect pedestrians. The city created safer sidewalks that are now more visible to both pedestrians and motor vehicles.

City officials understand the impact of pedestrian-friendly roadways. According to Justin Hollander, the Assistant Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, the “walkability” of a city directly correlates with the amount of air-pollution. The safer pedestrians feel, the more they’ll walk and less green house emissions we see.

Although our roadways are getting safer and more pedestrians are hitting the city’s sidewalk, residents are urged to be cautious and alert while walking through in the area. Aside from safe walkways, safe traveling habits may be your best defense against an accident.
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A recent pedestrian accident in Worcester took the life of a 60-year-old man. It happened on Lincoln Street around 10 a.m. when a 30-year-old driver who was heading northwest and allegedly struck the pedestrian as he crossed that street at an intersection.

The Worcester Police Department was called to the accident and when paramedics arrived, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The exact cause of death has yet to be determined, and medical professionals are awaiting the results of the autopsy. The speed limit on that four-lane roadway is 30 miles per hour, according to My Fox Boston. Officials have not determined if the driver was speeding.

Our Boston pedestrian accident lawyers understand that traffic will be picking up on our roadways throughout the remainder of the year. The holiday season brings out travelers from across the country. While motorists will be facing increased risks for an accident, pedestrians and bicyclists will be at heightened risks as well. All travelers are urged to be safe, cautious and considerate during travel throughout the remainder of the year.

An earlier pedestrian accident left an elderly pedestrian with severe head injuries. The accident happened just outside of an elderly living neighborhood in Wollaston.

According to Quincy Police Capt. John Dougan, the pedestrian was transported to a hospital in Boston with “severe head injuries” after the accident that happened at Cheriton Road and Hancock Street around 12:00 p.m. Officers are investigating the accident and a reconstruction team is looking into the accident, according to The Patriot Ledger.

A third pedestrian accident seriously injured a 55-year-old woman from Somerville. The accident happened when she was hit by a Department of Public Works dump truck shortly after 8:00 a.m. The incident took place in Union Square at the Webster Avenue and Washington Street intersection.

The woman was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital and was last listed in critical condition, according to Deputy Police Chief Paul Upton. The driver was also transported to a local hospital. Both the Somerville police and state police are looking into the accident.

According to Massachusetts’ Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, more than 20 percent of all Massachusetts motor-vehicle fatalities in 2008 involved pedestrians. There were roughly 365 traffic-related fatalities during that year. There were nearly 250 pedestrians injured during the same time.

With Christmas and New Year’s approaching, we can expect more visitors to the area and more vacation days away from work. During this time, the number of motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents is expected to skyrocket. Travelers are urged to be conscious of one another and navigate safely to help avoid any holiday traffic accidents. With a conscious effort to exercise safe travel habits, we can all do out part to keep our roadways safe throughout the remainder of 2011.
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A Revere man was involved in a recent and unusual pedestrian accident in Massachusetts. It all happened as the 70-year-old man was waiting for his turn to cross the street and a 200-foot hose that was hanging off the side of a fire truck flew over and struck him unexpectedly. Luckily, a security camera nearby was able to catch the whole thing on tape, according to NECN.

The accident happened at the corner of Dale and Park. Witnesses reported that the pedestrian was struck pretty hard and was left in horrible condition. The accident could have turned out much differently though. The same type of accident took the life of an 83-year-old pedestrian in Cambridge about two years ago.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that the fire department has announced that it’s making changes to its safety procedures since the accident, but these accidents cannot be prevented unless employees and departments exercise precautions. The fire department reported that it has ordered special netting kits for all of the trucks’ engines that were manufactured after 2008. That’s when a safety measure was passed to require that trucks have this safety feature.

“It caught his legs and flipped him up in the air,” said Fire Chief Eugene Doherty.

This netting is used to cover up the hoses on these trucks to prevent them from flying off while in motion. The department has two additional trucks, but those were made after 2008 and already have the safety netting.

“It’s something the manufacturers saw fit to do in 2008,” said Doherty.

Doherty goes on to say that he’s not blaming the manufacturers for the accident, but he says safety precautions should have been more specific and should have been required on all trucks.

The chief thinks that the hose may have fallen loose because the nozzle wasn’t positioned correctly. He says the hose’s nozzle should have been kept in the middle of the compartment that’s located on the top of the fire truck. He believes that the nozzle could have been positioned too close to the edge. All of the firefighters at that department are going through more training courses to help them to ensure that the nozzle is properly stored. He says all fire chiefs should consider retraining their fighters.

Since a recent meeting among area chiefs, all concluded that safety procedures need to be reassessed.

“Wrong place at wrong time,” said one of the victim’s neighbors.

A family member of the victim reports that the 70-year-old man is in the hospital being treated for broken bones and a concussion.

If you’ve been involved in an accident with a government or county vehicle, it is critical for you to contact an attorney to help you represent the case. Oftentimes these parties are able to fight with the help of large and powerful representatives. Legal representation can help you to gain the compensation you deserve.
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With Halloween right around the corner on Oct. 31, the state of Massachusetts and our Boston personal injury attorneys would like to offer some advice to help you and your little ones be safe on this scary holiday.

Did you know that your child is four times more likely to be injured in a pedestrian accident in Massachusetts than any other night of the year? We can all help to greatly reduce these risks by providing our little trick-or-treaters with proper supervision and pedestrian safety tips. So before you suit up your little ghosts and goblins, review the following tips and share them with your young ones.

Halloween safety tips from the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal:

-Make sure that all your trick-or-treaters are supervised by a responsible adult.

-Review these safety tips for children who are old enough to venture out on their own.

-Make sure that you are familiar with the neighborhoods you’ll be trick-or-treating in. You should plan a route that has minimal traffic and has safe sidewalks.

-Make sure to keep your trick-or-treating clan together. Never separate from one another.

-Always carry a cell phone with you in case of emergencies.

-Always walk along sidewalks.

-Always cross the road at street corners.

-Never dart out from behind a parked car.

-Cover one side of the street at a time. Don’t crisscross from side to side while trick-or-treating.

-Make sure children know to never enter a stranger’s home or vehicle.

-Only trick-or-treat at homes that are well-lit. Don’t approach homes without any lights on.

-Make sure everyone is wearing comfortable shoes.

-Attache reflective tape to all costumes or require trick-or-treaters to carry a flashlight. Another way to help ensure your children are “well lit” to be seen is by placing a flashlight in their treat bags.

-Consider using face paint instead of masks, which can obstruct your child’s vision.

-Children should never walk across a person’s lawn.

Halloween safety tips for drivers:

-Keep an eye out for witches, rock stars and little celebrities when driving in residential areas.

-If you’re driving your children to trick-or-treat from neighborhood to neighborhood, drop them off on the curb side of the road. Never allow them to exit the vehicle on the road side.

-Always use your blinkers so that little goblins know where your vehicle’s heading.

-You should never drive drunk.

-It’s wise to drive under the speed limit in residential neighborhoods and school zones on Halloween night.

It’s important to keep a watchful eye out for our young trick-or-treaters. They are extremely vulnerable for pedestrian accidents as they’re less likely to understand the workings and dangers of moving traffic. Be on your best behavior and help your child stay safe and you never know, they may share some of their sweet treats with you. From our Boston personal injury attorneys to your family, have a safe and happy Halloween!
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Getting to and from your destination in Massachusetts often only warrants a short bike ride or a quick walk down the street. But some residents are thinking twice before making these journeys by bicycle or on foot after the release of a new study that found the top 200 most dangerous intersections for car, bicycle and pedestrian accidents in Massachusetts.

Some of the most vulnerable people in these pedestrian accidents are children heading to and from school. In an attempt to help keep these children safe, the report comes with a list of the areas that have the most dangerous crosswalks, according to ABC5.

Our Boston child injury attorneys recommend that parents review these maps and choose a walking route to school that has crossing guards at the dangerous intersections that your child may have to cross. We also want you to make sure that your child is of the proper age to walk to school. Cambridge Deputy Police Superintendent Jack Albert says that you should never let your child walk to or from school without you if there is the slightest possibility that he or she could get lost or unable to gauge traffic dangers. Make sure your child never makes the journey alone. If they’re under the age of 10, walk to school with them.

Albert says that a bulk of the responsibility lies in the hands of drivers.

“Slow down. Make sure your head is on a swivel. You’re always looking. You always want to see where the kids are,” Albert told ABC5.

These dangerous areas are calculated from a variety of factors, including the number of accidents and the number of people who were injured and killed.

Most Dangerous Boston Intersections from 2007 to 2009:

-Gallivan Boulevard and Granite Avenue: 43 accidents.

-Columbia Road and Dorchester Avenue: 43 accidents.

-Blue Hill Avenue and Morton Street: 36 accidents.

Most Dangerous Lowell Intersections from 2007 to 2009:

-Veterans of Foreign Wars Highway and Varnum Avenue: 137 accidents.

-Plain Street and Chelmsford Street: 125 accidents.

-Middlesex Street and Wood Street: 121 accidents.

-Bridge Street and Veterans of Foreign Wars Highway: 93 accidents.

Most Dangerous Brockton Intersections from 2007 to 2009:

-Pleasant Street and West Street: 90 accidents.

-Belmont Street: 58 accidents.

-East Main Street and Curtis Avenue: 101 accidents.

-Ash Street and West Elm Street: 59 accidents.

Massachusetts Avenue, specifically between Sydney Street and Pleasant Avenue in Cambridge, experienced nearly 95 pedestrian accidents in a two-year period. Two pedestrians were killed and nearly 45 were injured.

Chelsea reportedly had the most dangerous crosswalks in the state. Washington and Park Streets are commonly referred to as a “pedestrian crash cluster.” This area got this name because of all of the accidents there — nearly 130 reported in the two-year time frame. There were 95 people hurt and one pedestrian killed.
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A 68-year-old man was walking at the corner of Water and Edgell last Saturday night when he was hit by two motor vehicles, according to the Framingham Patch. The vehicle that hit the pedestrian pulled over to the side of the road after the collision. As the vehicle pulled over, a second vehicle struck the pedestrian that was lying in the road. The Massachusetts pedestrian accident happened at about 9:00 p.m.

The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Framingham Police Lt. Ron Brandolini. The accident is currently being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police Accident Reconstruction unit.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand the dangers pedestrians face, especially when walking near busy roadways. These dangers only increase as the sun falls and visibility is reduced. Motorists are asked to keep an eye out for pedestrians on our roadways, regardless of what time of day it may be.

Framingham Police do not know if they’ll cite either driver.

According to the Federal Analysis Reporting System (FARS), more than 4,000 pedestrians were killed in the United States in 2009 alone. Pedestrian accidents accounted for more than 10 percent of all traffic fatalities for the entire year. Pedestrian accidents accounted for nearly 5 percent of all traffic-accident related injuries in 2009. More than 90 percent of all pedestrian deaths happened in single-vehicle accidents.

More than 75 percent of pedestrian deaths occurred at non-intersection areas in 2009. Pedestrians are most likely to be hit by a motor vehicle during normal weather conditions in comparison to snowy, rainy or foggy weather conditions. Nearly 40 percent of these fatal accidents occurred between 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the evening. Half of them happened on either a Friday, Saturday or a Sunday.

Nearly 20 percent of these pedestrians who were killed on our roadways were 65 and older. Children between the ages of 5 and 9 also made up nearly 20 percent of these fatality rates. In 2009, nearly 70 percent of pedestrians that were killed on our roadways were males.

In 2009, Massachusetts witnessed nearly 50 pedestrian fatalities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these tips to pedestrians to stay safe near our busy roadways:

• Be sure to always cross the street at a designated cross walk.
• Be careful at intersections. While drivers are supposed to give pedestrians the right-of-way, they may not always so do. Be on the lookout for oncoming cars.
• Make sure you wear light colored, reflective clothing or carry a flashlight to increase your visibility.
• Try to stay on a sidewalk. If you must walk on the street, make sure you walk facing traffic.

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