Lowell MA Personal Injury Law Blog

An unusual criminal case in Massachusetts has some people shaking their heads. A 35-year-old undocumented immigrant is facing charges that stem from a fatal truck accident in Aug. 2011. Authorities charged the man with DUI related offenses after he reportedly ran a stop sign, striking and killing a 23-year-old man in the process. While it has not been reported if the victim's family is separately pursuing a wrongful death civil lawsuit, the criminal proceedings have apparently been delayed for at least 60 days due to a finding that the accused man is currently not competent to stand trial.

The South American immigrant speaks a rare dialect. As such, the criminal court determined that he is not able to understand the charges against him in a sufficient manner to assist his defense counsel. The proceedings were adjourned for 60 days. At that time, the court will hold another hearing to determine if the defendant is competent to stand trial.

Initial details were scarce regarding a recent Boston area car accident. Police were alerted to the car crash by a caller at just about 2:30 a.m. That individual reported hearing a loud noise on Humphrey Street in Marblehead and suspected that a motor vehicle accident had taken place. Massachusetts law enforcement and emergency crews responded to the scene and found three injured victims. The driver had apparently fled from the site of the collision.

The specific details of the crash were few. It appears this was a single vehicle accident in which the driver left his companions to fend for themselves. Police are looking for a red-headed man said to be about 6 feet in height.

Wrongful death is a legal term used to describe a Massachusetts civil claim based upon evidence of negligent or intentional conduct. These lawsuits are not limited to car accidents. A wrongful death claim can result from any incident that is deemed to have been caused by the negligence of another party. One recent claim arose from a tragedy that took place in a school for disabled students.

The surviving family of a 21-year-old man has brought a lawsuit against the Crystal Springs School located in the Massachusetts community of Freetown. The deceased victim apparently suffered from a debilitating medical condition that caused him to attempt to swallow inedible objects. In Oct. 2011, he apparently ingested a rubber glove, causing his death by choking.

Most of us have encountered an aggressive dog at one time or another. Whether the incident occurred at a friend's house, while out for a walk in the neighborhood or in some other location, it is often terrifying and the consequences difficult. While there are laws in Massachusetts that protect dog bite attack victims, we thought it worthwhile to discuss what you might do to avoid one in the first place.

A former Massachusetts animal control officer recently debunked some of the myths about dogs and offered some suggestions about keeping safe. For starters, the time honored myth about extending one's hand to a dog turns out to be the wrong approach. After asking the dog owner's permission, apparently the best approach is to gently tap your hand on your hip as a welcoming gesture. If a dog does attack, the animal behaviorist actually suggests a similar approach - that is, tapping your hand on your hip or offering a friendly greeting such as "good girl." Of course, asking someone facing an aggressive dog running at them to act cheerful and unafraid may not fit every circumstance.