Boston Injury Attorney Blog

Tires flying from the bed of a truck on I-93 were to blame for a fatal car accident in Medford, Massachusetts, which claimed the life of a 27-year-old man from Lynn. The motor vehicle accident occurred just before 3 p.m. on September 19, near Exit 30 in Somerville. The 400-pound tire fell off the bed of the truck, bounced over the barrier, and collided with the victim's vehicle in the northbound lane.

Medford firefighters rushed to the scene, but were not able to save the man's life. According to The Boston Globe, car was wedged between the north and southbound lanes of traffic on Interstate 93 when the Jaws of Life were used to remove the victim from the vehicle. He was then rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital and later pronounced dead. Massachusetts State Police are currently investigating the accident to determine if criminal charges are warranted. The truck accident which resulted from carrying the unsecured cargo is registered to Ryder Truck in Braintree, Massachusetts and was leased by Sullivan Tire, a Massachusetts company.

According to Massachusetts motor vehicle accident lawyer Peter Bellotti of the Bellotti Law Group, "Under Massachusetts law, all commercial drivers are required to ensure that their cargo is safely restrained." Additionally, since interstate travel is often involved, there exist a number of federal regulations regarding cargo carried by trucks, including weight limits. Federal regulations, like Massachusetts state law, also require truck companies to properly secure their cargo before hitting the road. Failure to follow these guidelines can result in liability for damages, injuries, and/or death, for both the truck driver, and vicariously, for the parent truck company. Thus, in this case, if investigators find that either the driver or his company was negligent in securing the load, liability for the accident may be imposed.