Articles Posted in Auto accident

If you were hurt in a car accident, you probably have questions about whether you are entitled to insurance policy benefits. Working with insurance companies can be incredibly frustrating, especially if they do not have your best interests in mind or if they fail to play by the rules. At Mass Injury Group, our seasoned team of Boston car accident lawyers have handled countless insurance claim negotiations and are ready to put our knowledge and experience to use on your behalf. Call our office today and start pursuing the just outcome that you deserve.

Recently, in Mundell v. Commerce Insurance Company, 98 Mass. App. Ct. 1121 (2020), the Massachusetts Court of Appeal issued an opinion discussing whether an insurance company engaged in unfair settlement practices pursuant to the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act. The plaintiff made a claim for policy benefits from the defendant auto insurer, which provided an auto insurance policy to the person who caused a car accident involving the plaintiff.

The plaintiff made a demand for the policy benefits of $20,000 in a demand letter that gave the insurance company 30 days to respond. The insurance adjuster assigned to the claim investigated the matter. He later notified the plaintiff that the insurer was accepting liability on behalf of the defendant and that he was waiting for settlement authority from his supervisor.

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During the holidays, many people plan get-togethers with friends and family. This often involves going out to eat or enjoying all that Boston has to offer during this special time of the year. With the increase in pedestrian traffic, however, comes an increase in the risks of being involved in an injury accident. The holidays are also a time where rates of intoxicated driving increase, meaning that drivers may be less able to observe pedestrians and avoid hitting them. If you were injured as a pedestrian due to a careless driver, contact Mass Injury Group now to set up a time to speak with a Boston car accident lawyer.

Recently, two pedestrians were the victims of an accident in Allston on Commonwealth Avenue between Harvard and Gorham streets, according to a local news report. The accident happened on a Monday evening around 7 p.m. The victims were transported to the hospital, where one is battling life-threatening injuries. The other victim sustained minor injuries. The driver of the vehicle that caused the accident remained at the scene and was cooperative with the authorities. At this time, there are no further details about the cause of the accident.

A pedestrian accident is a type of personal injury accident. To recover compensation, the victim must show that the driver was not using reasonable care and skill at the time of the crash. This duty of care generally encompasses basic, safe driving practices like obeying the speed limit, yielding the right of way, using turn signals, and adjusting one’s driving based on the circumstances. If there is inclement weather, for example, then a driver should typically reduce his or her speed even if it is slower than the posted speed limit.

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There are few things worse than losing a loved one suddenly and unexpectedly in a car accident caused by someone else’s careless driving. While you and your family are left to pick up the pieces, the last thing that you may be thinking about is bringing a claim to recover compensation for your loss. Regardless of how you and your family are feeling about pursuing financial recovery after a fatal car accident, it is beneficial to speak to a seasoned Boston car accident lawyer to learn more about your options and potential rights. Call Mass Injury Group today to take the next step in your healing process.

Two recent accidents in Boston highlight just how common fatal traffic accidents are in this region. In October, a four-car crash on Interstate 93 left one individual dead. The accident happened in the early morning hours. According to investigators, one person was traveling in the wrong lane, which was the likely cause of the crash. The impact caused one person to be ejected from their vehicle while another was trapped inside the car. Earlier this month, a two-car crash left one of the parties involved with severe injuries that required hospitalization. The victim, unfortunately, succumbed to the injuries and passed away at the hospital. The police are still investigating the cause of the accident.

If you want to pursue financial recovery after losing a loved one in a car accident, you can speak to an attorney about bringing a wrongful death claim. This type of action allows the surviving family members to recover compensation for any expenses associated with the accident like emergency vehicle charges, hospital bills, and more. It also allows the surviving family members to seek compensation for the loss of their loved one’s companionship, love, and support. You can also request compensation for the earnings that your lost loved one would have provided you had he or she not passed away as a result of the accident.

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Sometimes accidents happen on the freeway when drivers think they are exercising caution. Simple driving tasks like merging, changing lanes, or traveling through intersections can become incredibly dangerous when motorists are not paying as much attention as they should or having patience to make sure that the way is clear before they proceed. If you were involved in a Boston car accident, the lawyers at Mass Injury Group are available to discuss your situation and whether you may be entitled to compensation. There are many different issues and facts to consider when determining whether you should bring legal action and we are ready to help you answer them.

A recent case arose from a two-vehicle crash that happened when one vehicle attempted to change lanes. The plaintiff was the passenger in a van owned by the defendant and being operated by a driver. The other vehicle, a moving truck, was traveling in the same direction. The driver attempted to change lanes and observed the moving truck in the right lane about 25 to 30-feet behind him. As the driver attempted to move the vehicle into the right lane, there was a sudden impact. The two vehicles collided, and the plaintiff suffered serious injuries.

The plaintiff sued multiple defendants including the driver of the moving van and the company that owned the moving van. These defendants filed motions for summary judgment, which ask the court to decide the case as a matter of law because there are no genuine issues of material fact. The lower court granted the motions for summary judgment and the plaintiff appealed.

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High-speed car accidents are incredibly dangerous for everyone involved. Unfortunately, they often lead to fatalities. If you were injured or lost someone you love due to a high-speed accident, you can bring a personal injury or wrongful death claim to recover compensation for your loss. This process can seem incredibly overwhelming during a time of stress and shock. The compassionate and experienced Boston car accident lawyers at Mass Injury Group are available to help you through this difficult time.

Recently, the Massachusetts Court of Appeal issued an opinion that involved a high-speed accident. The defendant was driving her vehicle when she had a seizure. It was later discovered that the defendant had a brain tumor. The vehicle continued on the roadway even as the passenger tried to wake the defendant. Eventually, the defendant’s vehicle collided with the plaintiff’s vehicle. Emergency responders concluded that the defendant was showing signs of having suffered a seizure. The passengers in the plaintiff’s vehicle sustained serious injuries as a result of the crash.

Before the accident, the plaintiff had not seen a doctor for nearly 30 years. She experienced a few headaches during her lifetime and reported having a headache on the day before the accident. Medical experts for both parties concluded that the defendant experienced a medical emergency behind the wheel due to the brain tumor, which was diagnosed at the hospital following the crash.

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The Covid-19 pandemic has changed nearly every facet of our daily lives, including traffic patterns. Currently, the volume of traffic on the road remains low as many employees continue to work from home. With no clear timeline as to when the pandemic will resolve, this will likely be the continued status quo. Although fewer cars on the roadway may sound like a safer situation, it actually can create new dangers like speeding. If you were injured in a car crash, contact our team of Boston car accident attorneys today to learn more about your potential right to compensation.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation reports that the volume of traffic is down as much as 20% compared to the same timeframe in 2019. In Boston, however, the traffic volume is down by nearly half. To the south, there is a 19% decrease in traffic while there is an 18% decrease in traffic to the north. If you are someone who normally commutes to and from the city, the roads hardly resemble the typical rush hour patterns that commuters are used to.

Boston is one of the most traffic-ridden cities in the world. In fact, a recent report listed Boston as number 83 on its list of the 100 worst cities to drive in. Drivers in Boston spend even more time behind the wheel than drivers in many other major cities and they are more likely to have an accident as a result.

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Single car accidents can lead to some of the most painful and devastating injuries for the victim. In some cases, the accident may take place as a result of the driver’s inattention, intoxication, or some other factor. But there are certain circumstances where the driver may have lost control due to factors like poorly designed roadways, road hazards, and more. At Mass Injury Group, our committed team of Boston car accident lawyers is prepared to assist you with determining whether you have a right to compensation following an injury accident.

It was a somber day for Hyde Park residents recently when a single-car collision resulted in the death of the driver, according to a local report. The accident took place around 5:30 p.m. on American Legion Highway and Hyde Park Avenue. According to investigators who researched the matter, a sedan was traveling at a high rate of speed before it eventually collided with a pole adjacent to the roadway. Witnesses said that three young children who had seen the accident from a nearby apartment building rushed outside and removed the driver from the vehicle. The witnesses stated that the driver suffered “horrific facial injuries” while the EMTs who reported to the scene stated that the driver was likely killed upon impact.

The Hyde Park community has witnessed an increase in accidents recently on what many describe as a dangerous stretch of roadway. Many view the flow of traffic on the road as entirely too fast and refer to it as a drag strip. Others describe how the American Legion Highway slopes in the particular area where the accident took place, allowing vehicles traveling along it to pick up additional speed.

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When it comes to pedestrian accidents, crashes involving motor vehicles can be the deadliest. If an unprotected pedestrian is struck by a motor vehicle, they may sustain catastrophic injuries or be killed, even if the accident happens at low speed. According to a new study released earlier this year, however, some types of vehicles pose more dangers to pedestrians than others. At Mass Injury Group, our knowledgeable team of Boston pedestrian accident lawyers is standing by to assist you with your claim and to collect the compensation that you deserve.

Even though sport utility vehicles, also called SUVs, have undergone several safety-related changes, a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety concludes that they pose the most dangers to pedestrians. The study indicates that the number of people who die as a result of a motor vehicle accident has declined from over 50,000 in 1980 to roughly 36,600 in 2018 due to safety advancements. When it comes to the number of pedestrian fatalities due to motor vehicle accidents, however, the number of deaths has climbed over the last 10 years.

Part of the explanation for this is that the number of SUVs on the road has grown dramatically, comprising roughly 70% of the market and totaling 6 million sales during the first half of 2019. This is in comparison to 2.5 million sales of cars. The rise in SUVs on the road is important when it comes to pedestrian safety. The study examined the threat that SUVs pose to pedestrians compared to regular passenger vehicles. It concluded that SUVs cause more dangerous injuries than passenger cars when accidents happen at a speed of more than 19 miles per hour. When the crashes happen at speeds of 20-39 miles per hour, three out of ten crashes involving SUVs result in pedestrian fatalities, compared to five out of 22 crashes for cars. At speeds exceeding 40 miles per hour, pedestrians die at almost a 100% rate, according to the study.

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If you were injured in a car accident in Massachusetts, you may be thinking about bringing a claim to recover compensation for your injuries and damages. Understanding the rules that apply to your claim and what it takes to obtain the maximum amount of recovery you deserve is important. At Mass Injury Group, our seasoned team of Boston car accident lawyers are prepared to guide you through the legal process.

In a recent case heard by the Massachusetts Court of Appeal, the parties were involved in a traffic accident. The plaintiff filed a claim alleging that the defendant was negligent in driving her vehicle. A jury concluded that while the defendant was negligent, the defendant’s negligence was not a substantial contributing cause of the plaintiff’s injuries. Under Massachusetts law, it is not enough to show that a defendant failed to use reasonable care and skill at the time of an accident, you must also show that the defendant’s failure was the direct and foreseeable cause of your harm. The plaintiff filed a motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict, which asks the court to change the jury’s verdict, or a motion for a new trial in the alternative. The lower court denied the motion and the plaintiff appealed.

On review, the appellate court first noted that the standard for reviewing a lower court’s denial of a motion for a judgment notwithstanding the verdict, the appellate court must consider whether there is any evidence in the record or any combination of circumstances from which a reasonable inference could be drawn in support of the jury’s verdict. In reviewing the record, the appellate court noted that the plaintiff was pulling out of a gas station at the time of the crash and that her vehicle was moving very slowly. The photographs also indicated that her vehicle had sustained minor damage. The plaintiff also claimed that she suffered four separate categories of injuries as a result of the accident.

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One of the most frustrating aspects of a car accident injury lawsuit is determining the amount of compensation that you are entitled to receive for your damages. As the victim who has dealt with the ongoing stress, disruption, and pain of the accident, you have a clear sense of what you are owed. But the defendant, jury, or court may come to a different conclusion. In this situation, it may be necessary to file a motion contesting the amount of damages that the court has entered in your case. The seasoned and knowledgeable Boston car accident lawyers at Mass Injury Group are available to help you fight for the fair and appropriate outcome that you deserve.

The Massachusetts Court of Appeal considered an appeal where the plaintiff challenged a lower court’s entry of a remittitur, which is an order that reduces the amount of damages that the jury awarded to the plaintiff. In the case, the plaintiff was injured when a truck driven by an employee of a company rear-ended the vehicle. Her brother-in-law came to the scene of the accident and took the plaintiff to the hospital for medical treatment. She was out of work for 2.5 weeks but later returned to the same medical facility experiencing headaches and chest pains. Over the next several months, she received treatment from a variety of physicians regarding her accident-related injuries. The plaintiff was involved in another rear-end crash two years later.

The plaintiff eventually filed a claim against the employer of the man driving the truck that caused the first accident alleging negligence and unfair claim settlement practice. The defendants conceded liability and a trial regarding damages was held. The jury concluded that the plaintiff was entitled to $600,000 in damages. The defendant moved for a new trial or a remittitur. A remittitur is a ruling in which the judge reduces the amount of damages that a jury has awarded if the judge finds that it was excessive and not supported by the evidence. The plaintiff refused to accept the judge’s remittitur of $70,000, so a new trial on damages was held. This time, the jury returned a verdict of $110,000 for the plaintiff. The judge then concluded that the defendant did not engage in unfair claim settlement practices.

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