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Lowell MA Personal Injury Law Blog

Elderly man, 88, struck down by MBTA bus; Wrongful death claim?

The Massachusetts town of Melrose was the scene of a fatal pedestrian accident recently. A man well into his ninth decade was struck down by an MBTA bus. In what may be an important piece of evidence in any subsequent wrongful death claim by the victim's family, at least one observer noted the 88-year-old man had been walking in a crosswalk.

The bus was reportedly traveling at approximately 20 mph prior to the collision. After the fatal accident, the vehicle was observed stopped in the crosswalk where the victim had apparently been walking. It was also noted that a window on the side of the vehicle had been broken, and the victim suffered a deep gash on his head. Though emergency responders tried to revive the man at the scene, a sheet was placed over the man's body when resuscitation attempts failed.

Massachusetts wrongful death claim possible in hit and run crash

A few weeks before Thanksgiving last year, a 45-year-old man was driving his bread truck on Interstate 290. He surely had no idea it would be his last day alive. In what appears to have been a wrongful death under any sense of the term, the man died after his truck was struck from behind.

The driver of the vehicle that struck the bread truck did not even stop at the scene of the crash. The bread deliveryman was left to fight for his own life at 4:30 in the morning. Tragically, he did not make it. Massachusetts law enforcement personnel tracked the driver to his home in Auburn by following a trail of automotive fluids that was leaking from his vehicle. Field sobriety tests were administered, and the 26-year-old man was arrested on vehicular manslaughter and homicide charges involving a DUI.

Massachusetts car crash blamed on teen negligence: 2 bikers hurt

A Massachusetts couple out for an early evening ride on a motorcycle wound up in an accident recently. The car crash occurred on Route 10. Police placed blame on a teenage driver and cited her for the incident under a local ordinance.

The motorcycle riders are from West Springfield and both are said to be 45 years of age. Initial reports indicate that they were traveling southbound on Route 10. A photograph from the car crash site shows a roadway dotted with what appear to be residential homes. A police sergeant explained that a 19-year-old was backing a vehicle out of the driveway at her residence when she collided with the oncoming motorcycle.

Massachusetts wrongful death claim an option in DUI fatality?

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.

Massachusetts wrong way car crash injures 2; DUI charged

Driving on the wrong side of a highway accounts for a significant number of accidents in Massachusetts and across the country. Typically, this type of car crash occurs at night or in the early morning hours, and alcohol or drugs often are contributing factors. That appears to have been the case in a recent wrong way auto accident that occurred in Seekonk.

The car crash is said to have happened on a recent Friday night at just about 11:30 p.m. Massachusetts State Police say a man suspected of driving under the influence was headed east in the westbound lanes of Route 195. In doing so, he struck a car headed west, causing injury to two of its occupants. Both were transported to a nearby hospital. Though the specific nature and extent of their injuries was not further described, authorities reported that both victims were expected to survive.

Massachusetts car crash in Marblehead: Driver abandoned victims?

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.

Massachusetts fatal DUI accident: Wrongful death claim next?

We have written on this personal injury blog in the past about the inherent dangers of drinking and driving. Those who choose to drive on Massachusetts roadways after ingesting drugs or consuming alcohol are a danger to themselves, their passengers and others in or near the road. Both drugs and alcohol are considered to have contributed to a deadly crash that occurred in the early morning hours of a recent Saturday. In addition to criminal charges now pending, a wrongful death civil claim could ultimately be filed as well.

Police are seeking to hold a 23-year-old Massachusetts woman from Middleboro criminally responsible in connection with the fatal car accident. Details of the accident in an early news report were scant. Authorities have indicated it was a head-on crash that happened close to 2 a.m. on the final weekend of March. Both vehicles flipped over as a result of the impact, and an 18-year-old woman that was behind the wheel of the car that was hit lost her life.

Massachusetts school for disabled sued for wrongful death

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.

Massachusetts car accident: 4 injured near Worcester, 1 critical

Early news reports of a Massachusetts motor vehicle accident often leave us wondering exactly what happened. When a car accident results in serious injury, the first concern - understandably - is stabilizing any crash victims and transporting them for emergency medical care. When there are multiple vehicles and multiple victims, the scene sometimes appears akin to organized chaos.

A recent crash near Worcester injured four people. Initial details concerning the accident were scarce. It is known that two vehicles collided with one another on Route 140. The car accident happened around 9:30 p.m. on a recent Thursday night in Westminster. It was not initially disclosed what factors may have led to the collision.

Tips from former Massachusetts dog officer may prevent dog bite

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.

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