Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog

October 18, 2020

Contractors Have a Duty to Guard Against Heavy Equipment Backover Accidents

In recent years, the construction industry has been thriving in the greater Boston area. Construction in Boston, Quincy, and Cambridge came in at a whopping $14.3 billion in 2018, up 20% from the previous year, according to a recent report.

As new construction sites pop up in the area, new hazards emerge, posing threats to workers and pedestrians passing by. Backover accidents are, particularly on the rise. Backover accidents are crashes that occur when a driver reverses into and injures or kills a pedestrian. The pedestrian may be another construction worker or a nearby civilian.

Worksites utilizing heavy equipment increase the risks of back up maneuver accidents. Heavy equipment operators often cannot see what is happening behind them when they back up and drive in reverse. These workers sit high above the ground, impairing their ability to see what’s happening at ground level. They rely on spotters and other devices to ensure the vehicle’s enormous blind spots are accounted for.

In fact, statistics indicate that approximately 30% of construction accidents occur when vehicles and heavy machinery are backing up. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates approximately 210 workers were struck by and killed from backing vehicles between 2011 and 2013, another 15,000 were injured.

In 2014, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reviewed reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and found 443 construction accidents from 2003 to 2010 due to backover accidents on construction worksites. Continue reading

October 16, 2020

How to Bike Safely During the Pandemic

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Whether you have recently taken up biking during the pandemic or are a seasoned pro, the bicycling lawyers at the Law Offices of Jeffrey S. Glassman have some safety tips for biking in the age of coronavirus.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed life as we know it. Because people are working from home and not going out as much as they once did, the roads around Boston and other cities around the country have experienced a drop in traffic.

Across Massachusetts, there has been a 20% decrease in vehicles on the road when compared to last year with Boston showing a drop of nearly 50%.

With less congested roadways coupled with public transit options that make it hard to social distance, people are looking for new ways to get around and stay in shape. This has to create a boom in bicycling. Experienced bicyclists are taking to the streets more often while those new to biking are going out and buying new bikes and gear. In fact, many big-box department stores are sold out of bikes while local bike shops are reporting a surge in sales. Some have even compared bicycles to toilet paper, which was in high demand at the beginning of the pandemic. Continue reading

October 4, 2020

Remembering Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers joins with those throughout Massachusetts and the nation in mourning the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Ginsburg, who may have been small in stature, was hailed as a “giant” of constitutional law. She was not only one of the most influential judges in history but became a feminist idol and icon known by three initials—RBG.

Ginsburg spent her career fighting for gender equality and amplifying rights for women and minorities. She is considered the architect of the legal movement that resulted in protections for women under the Constitution. Justice Ginsburg believed in a living Constitution, an interpretation in which the Constitution is viewed as a document that adapts and evolves over time. Continue reading

August 5, 2020

Child Drownings Are on the Rise, Government Agency Reports

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a new report released by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. child drownings are on the rise.

And these drownings tend to occur right at home in residential swimming pools.

“Our latest report confirms that most child drownings take place at home during the summer months,” CPSC said in a June 3, 2020, statement.

The report attributes the bulk of child drownings to inadequate adult supervision, which underscores the importance of continuous, vigilant supervision when children are swimming or even near a pool or other body of water. Drownings can occur in any body of water, including in-ground pools, above-ground pools, spas, hot tubs, wading pools, portable pools, and kiddie pools. Continue reading

May 27, 2020

MASSACHUSETTS COURTS ISSUE NEW UPDATE

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

On May 14, 2020 the Chief Justices of the Supreme Judicial, Appeals, and Trial Court came together and provided “tentative” plans for the months ahead. They acknowledged that it will be a work in progress depending on the number of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations as well as any new orders on the State of Emergency.

KEEPING YOU INFORMED

It is important to ensure the safety of the court employees and the public before moving forward given that approximately 40,000 persons a day entered Massachusetts courtrooms. Since we are “all in this together”, we say thank you to the Justices for working to find solutions that protect not only the public but also the law and the rights of the people.

As of now courthouses will remain physically closed through June. It is expected that the courthouses will open physically this summer in stages and then only for certain matters that require an in-person appearance. Despite the closure, the Trial Court will continue, for the foreseeable future, to attempt to handle most matters that do not require an in-person appearance virtually. Continue reading

May 15, 2020

DESPITE REDUCED TRAFFIC IN MASSACHUSETTS ROADWAY FATALITIES REMAIN THE SAME

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation recently reported that while there was 50% less traffic on Massachusetts roadways in April 2020 there were still 28 fatalities. In April 2019 with twice the amount of traffic, there were 27 fatalities meaning the fatality rate doubled in April 2020.

Excessive speed is a leading cause of fatalities. “Reduced traffic volume is no excuse for excessive speed,” said Jeff Larason, Director of Highway Safety for the Executive Office of Safety and Security. “We’re reminding everyone to drive responsibly, wear a seat belt, and watch the road for cyclists and pedestrians.”

The Law Office of Jeffrey S. Glassman, LLC has represented thousands of car crash victims over the last 25 years. If you or a loved is a victim of a speeding or dangerous driver please let us help. Call 617-367-2900 or contact us online.

May 14, 2020

Arbitration Essentials: Preparation and Procedure – CLE Rhode Island Bar Association

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Attorney Benjamin A. Pushner of the Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers, LLC, will be a presenter for an upcoming Rhode Island Bar Association Continuing Legal Education Program, “Arbitration Essentials: Preparation and Procedure.”

Being broadcast live as a webinar on May 28, 2020, at 12:00 noon, the program will later be available on-demand for download through the bar association web site.

In addition to advocating for clients in court and at arbitration and mediation, Ben also serves as a court-appointed arbitrator in Rhode Island and as a mediator certified pursuant to the Massachusetts Confidentiality Statute and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s Uniform Rules on Dispute Resolution.

May 5, 2020

Now More Than Ever Is the Right Time to Be Safe And Avoid Falls

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are in the news now for important reasons. Yet the Centers’ (“CDC”) attention to protecting people goes well beyond the coronavirus pandemic. The CDC has established an Injury Center because in the United States injury is the leading cause of death for children and adults between the ages of one and 45. Injury statistics examined by the National Safety Council (“NSC”), a leading nonprofit safety advocate, show that going into this pandemic, the three leading causes of death in the United States were drug overdoses, motor vehicle crashes, and accidental injuries. Both the CDC and NSC pay special attention to falls. According to the CDC, in 2018, the most recent year for which the applicable statistics have been compiled, 37,455 Americans died of unintentional falls. Another way to look at this is that on average, every year, one out of every 10,000 people will die from a fall. Over 8,000,000 million people in America will be injured from a fall in an average year, which boils down to one out of every 40 people being injured from a fall. Notably, the injury numbers are based on emergency room visits, so when unreported or untreated fall injuries are taken into account, likely many more people are being injured from falls. (Sometimes falls are due to those who violate community safety standards, causing needless harm, and we at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers are always available to help injury victims in those circumstances.) Continue reading

April 27, 2020

Carnival Cruise Line Knew It Had a Coronavirus Problem but ‘Kept the Party Going,’ Report Says

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Carnival Cruise Line executives knew about the deadly novel coronavirus but failed to stop sailing or take adequate steps to protect passengers from its spread, according to an April 16 online report by Bloomberg titled “Socially Distance This.”

The news agency said more than 1,500 people on Carnival’s cruise ships have been diagnosed with coronavirus and dozens have died.

Covid-19 Outbreak on the Grand Princess and Diamond Princess

Carnival first communicated news about Covid-19 to passengers on its Grand Princess cruise ship on March 4 in a letter slipped under passenger cabin doors, Bloomberg reported. The letter announced that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had started to investigate “a small cluster” of coronavirus cases in California that might have been connected to the cruise ship, according to the report. Continue reading

February 11, 2020

OSHA Hazard Alert Warns of Dangers of Removing Snow from Roofs

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Every year, workers are killed or seriously injured while removing snow or ice from rooftops and other elevated building structures, according to a Hazard Alert from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Considering New England’s brutal winters, dangers associated with snow and ice removal are very real for workers and others living in the greater Boston area. Luckily, many injuries and fatalities can be prevented, the agency said.

If you’ve been injured removing snow or ice from a roof or other elevated structure while working, it’s imperative that you hire experienced and aggressive legal representation. A seasoned OSHA workers’ compensation attorney in Boston will fight for you and make sure you receive full compensation for your injuries, lost wages and pain and suffering.

Here’s a quick look at OSHA’s Hazard Alert:

Why is snow removed from roofs and other elevated surfaces?

• To prevent overloading and collapse.
• For construction or repair of decking or roofs. Continue reading