Stoughton / Canton Area Personal Injury Lawyer - Mass Transit (Airline, Cruise Ship, Train, Bus)

Two Lawsuits Filed Over Boston Trolley Accident

Chrissie Cole — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:16:00 GMT

Two women injured in a Boston Trolley crash in May have sued the transit agency and the train operator.

Rebecca Bishop, of Lynn, suffered a fractured pelvis in the crash. And Jennifer Levi, of Brookline, who is pregnant, suffered a wrist injury and is worried about injury to her unborn child.

Both suits seek “ample compensation” and do not list a specific dollar amount. They were filed in Suffolk Superior Court last month.

According to investigators, 62 people were injured in the crash which occurred on the transit system’s Green Line.

The driver, pleaded not guilty to gross negligence Monday. Officials say he was sending a text message at the time of the accident.

A spokesman for MBTA said the agency is unable to comment on pending litigation.

The Boston trolley accident was the one of several which have involved commuter rail lines in recent months, most of which involved one train rear-ending another.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

50 Injured in MBTA Trolley Crash

Carrie Strasser — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:34:02 GMT

On Friday night, 50 people were sent to the hospital after a Green Line trolley went through a red light and crashed into a stationary train at Government Center Station. The Boston Globe reported that the 24-year-old trolley operator told T police that he was texting his girlfriend while operating the trolley through the subway tunnel.

The National Transportation Safety Board aided local authorities in investigating the crash and found no mechanical problems with the train or track involved. The crash totaled three of the four trolley cars involved and caused $9.6 million in damage.

After leaving Government Center Station, [] the train passed two green lights and a yellow light before going through a red light. It then proceeded 80 feet past the red signal, traveling at the posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour, before striking a trolley that was stopped because of congestion on the tracks. Two other trains were stopped in front of the train that was struck.

The impact jolted the stationary train 31 feet down the tracks at 10 miles per hour, according to an "event recorder" - which is similar to an airplane's "black box" - on the train that was struck. According to an on-the-tracks reconstruction of the incident yesterday, [the driver] should have been able to see the train ahead at a distance of 480 feet.

MBTA general manager, Daniel Grabauskas, explained that the T already bans cellphone use by operators while driving, but that it would now prohibit drivers from even carrying phones onto trains or buses. The driver, who will be fired, may face charges as well.

For more information on mass transit accidents, click here.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Carrie Strasser

MA Senate Rejects Damages Cap For Serious Personal Injuries

Carrie Strasser — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 09:59:16 GMT

The MA Senate was in the process of voting on a transportation reform bill last week, when Governor Patrick's proposed $100,000.00 cap on personal injury damage awards was weakened to include a loophole for serious bodily injury or death. The proposed cap was supposed to be in place for public transit accidents but Senator Steven Panagiotakos, a personal injury lawyer and Chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, rejected the cap and added the exemption for death or serious injuries "resulting in permanent disfigurement, loss or impairment of a bodily function, limb or organ."

Transit authority officials say they have long sought a liability cap because those types of cases are unpredictable, tough to insure and the most costly. Eliminating large judgments, they say, could save the agency -- and taxpayers -- $2 million annually.

Senator Panagiotakos stressed the importance of protecting the common person who should be entitled to recourse in the case of death or serious injury while using public transportation.

However, states across the country have limited these types of damage awards in order to limit taxpayer exposure. Michael Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, explained that state agencies like the T are providing a public service to people and do not necessarily deserve to be punished like a for-profit corporation producing a faulty product that injures someone.

A spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority explained that a damages cap could reduce its budget for personal injury claims 20-25% annually.

Senator Panagiotakos insists that by erasing the cap for only serious bodily injuries or death, that the bill provides unlimited recovery for only the most serious situations.

The MA House will consider the transportation reform bill this week.

Our office has experience handling mass transit injuries and can assist you if you have been injured. For general information on mass transit and related injuries, click here.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Carrie Strasser

Bus Goes Off Mass. Pike; Five Injured

Chrissie Cole — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:37:00 GMT

A tour bus transporting thirty-one people, on the way to Mohegan Sun, veered off the Massachusetts Turnpike and slid 50 feet down a snowy embankment before striking a tree.

Grafton and Westboro Fire Departmetns were on the scene.

The bus remained in upright position and passengers were able to climb out of the rear emergency door. Five passengers were transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries, according to State Police Sgt. Timothy Finn.

It was snowing when the accident happened. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

Quincy-based Sunshine Travel operates the tour bus. Ken Lee, a spokesman for the company, said this morning that passengers on the tour bus last night were all fine today. He said tour buses are running on their regular schedules.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Man Killed By MBTA Train At Kendall Station

Chrissie Cole — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 22:03:00 GMT

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) is investigating after a man was struck and killed by a Red Line train at Kendall Station in Cambridge.

The accident occurred just after 8:30 p.m. on Friday, according to Joe Pesaturo, a spokesman for the MBTA.

The identity of the victim was not immediately known. No passengers onboard the train were injured in the accident.

The fatal accident disrupted service for many hours afterward. The T was busing passengers between Park Street and Harvard Square after the accident.

No further details are available at this time as authorities investigate the accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Bicyclist Crashes With Harvard Shuttle Bus

Chrissie Cole — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:26:00 GMT

A bicyclist crashed with a Harvard Shuttle bus on Sunday Morning, according to Harvard University Police Department.

The bus accident happened at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Everett Street just after 1:10 a.m. None of the 15 students on the bus were seriously injured in the accident.

A bicyclist struck the passenger side of a shuttle bus as the driver was making a right turn onto Everett Street. She was transported by ambulance to the hospital for evaluation after falling from her bike, according to the manager of operations for Harvard Transportation Services.

According to officials, the student suffered bruises, scratches and an ankle injury.

This accident is the second shuttle-related accident this past weekend. On Friday morning a Harvard Shuttle was struck by another vehicle traveling in the wrong direction on a one-way street. No one was injured.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Two Commuter Trains Crash Near Boston

Chrissie Cole — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:42:34 GMT

On Wednesday, during rush hour, two commuter trains crashed, injuring several passengers – the operator of the train was trapped and seriously injured in the train accident, according to authorities.

The above-ground accident involved multiple injuries on the city’s “T” system, said a spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

A two-car train struck the back of another two-car train, packed with commuters, that was approaching Woodland Station.

The first train was stopped at a red signal and was ready to continue to the station when it was hit. Workers were trying to free the operator of the train, who suffered serious injuries. One commuter had to be transported to Boston Hospital via air flight.

At this time it is unclear how many people suffered injuries and the nature of their injuries. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, at this time they have no further information.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Another MBTA Accident

Bruce Bierhans — Fri, 30 May 2008 11:24:54 GMT

This week, another horrible accident happened on the T. Interestingly, a few weeks ago, another client contacted our office about an accident on the same trolley line. She indicated that the trolley was traveling so fast, she was thrown to the ground and injured. She asked that an accident report be prepared. However, the T has denied that one was ever prepared and also denys knowing anything about our clients incident.

The death of the operator is clearly tragic. However, it will certainly be interesting to see what comes out of this internal and NTSB investigation regarding this accident and safety of passengers on this particular line.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Bruce Bierhans