Boston Injury Attorney Blog
Earlier this week, an 18-year-old Billerica, Massachusetts man died after being struck by a vehicle on Route 128 South in Lynnfield, near the Route 1 tunnel, north of Boston. A 17-year-old Massachusetts woman, also from Billerica, sustained severe personal injuries following the pedestrian accident. Massachusetts State Police and Lynnfield Police and Fire responded to the scene. The teens were rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital following the accident.
According to the state police, the young man died at the scene and the young woman was left suffering from life-threatening personal injuries. Traffic was halted on Rte. 128 South and nearby on-ramps were closed as a result of the motor vehicle accident. The Massachusetts State Police report noted that the two teens were occupants of a car that had stopped in the median of Rte. 128 South, when they “exited the vehicle and were standing in the travel lane when they were both struck by a second vehicle.” The pedestrian accident remains under investigation. Troopers with the State Police Detective Unit and the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, plus the Crime Services Section, are among those investigating.
Pedestrian accidents are a growing concern in Massachusetts. According to the Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Security, nearly 1/4 of all motor-vehicle related fatalities in Massachusetts involve pedestrians. Non-fatal pedestrian injuries are even more common. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration notes that a pedestrian injury occurs once every 8 minutes.
Most pedestrian accidents are the result of a driver’s negligence. Pursuant to Massachusetts law, pedestrians are granted the “right of way” when walking along roadways, especially inside crosswalks. Drivers must be cognizant of pedestrians, slow down, and pass only when safe to do so. Pedestrians must also exhibit reasonable caution when crossing roads. All drivers have a duty to drive carefully and attentively, especially in areas of high foot traffic. If a motorist breaches this duty and causes an accident, he can be held negligent and liable for damages caused by the accident. Additionally, all pedestrians are urged to walk in designated safe areas and to cross busy roads only in crosswalks, after carefully ensuring it is safe to cross, to minimize the risk of a pedestrian accident.
“The holidays are an especially dangerous time for pedestrian accidents, as traffic increases, the days get darker and the weather changes,” said Boston personal injury lawyer Peter Bellotti. “More drivers are on the road for holiday shopping and gatherings and are not as focused on obeying traffic laws as they should be.”
If you have been injured, contact the experienced Quincy and Cambridge pedestrian accident lawyers at Bellotti Law Group. Our Massachusetts pedestrian accident lawyers can inform you about your rights to seek compensation, including medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering.
Bellotti Law Group serves Boston, Cambridge, Braintree, Quincy, the South Shore and all of Massachusetts. Our offices are located in Cambridge and Quincy. Contact us today at 617-225-2100.You can also contact us through our online form and we will promptly respond.