Lawrence, MA Motor Vehicle Accident Law Blog

People in Massachusetts may have seen an article about cyclists, and the pros and cons of using your bike as your primary means of transportation. While riding a bike can have excellent overall health benefits, it can also be a risky endeavor, as cyclists appear to be many times more likely to be killed in a car accident than car drivers. While approximately 1% of all trips in the United States are taken by bicycle, cyclists account for 2% of all total traffic deaths.

Studies have shown that riding a bike can improve your fitness levels, lower cholesterol, and lower the risk of experiencing a stroke or heart attack. These are all wonderful benefits, but cyclists are also more likely to be seriously injured in a car accident. Cyclists don’t have the protection available to shield them from broken bones and other serious internal and external injuries, and a collision with a several-ton vehicle can be devastating.

With the advent of new and expanding technologies that make accessing a wealth of information from one's cell phone incredibly easy, many people in Massachusetts simply can't resist the urge to pull one of these devices and concentrate to attention while driving. This is especially true of teens, who are particularly dangerous behind the wheel because of lack of driving experience in the first place. Combined with the fact that many teens compromise their attention span between the cars on the road and the friend with whom they are texting, teenage drivers present a very real risk of causing car accidents.

Massachusetts has been proactive about trying to stop the problem of texting while driving by making it illegal for people to use their phones to text or use the internet behind the wheel. Drivers over the age of 18 can still use their hand to hold a phone to their ear to talk, but teens under 18 cannot use a cell phone at all while driving. In addition, state enforcement officers have experimented with various programs, including using scouts on overlooks and 'sweeps' to nab texters.

People in Massachusetts may know 3 Doors Down for their radio-friendly rock anthems, but they were in the public spotlight again last month for all the wrong reasons. Todd Harrell, the group's bass player, was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and other serious criminal charges after he allegedly caused a car accident that ended in the death of another motorist.

Harrell admitted to drinking and taking prescription drugs prior to getting behind the wheel late on a Friday night in a Nashville, Tennessee suburb. While he was driving, he allegedly clipped the back of a pickup truck as he passed it, sending it careening down an embankment. The driver, a 47-year-old man, was thrown from his truck and killed.

Earlier this month a 29-year-old man from Mansfield, Massachusetts, allegedly veered his pickup truck into oncoming traffic on Main Street in Claremont, New Hampshire, striking a minivan in a head-on collision. The minivan driver, a 42-year-old woman, and a 13-year-old boy who was a passenger in the van were both rushed to a regional hospital with serious injuries. The woman succumbed to her injuries and died at the hospital. The pickup truck driver was also hospitalized with injuries.

After an investigation the police determined that alcohol and excessive speed played a part in the car accident, and charged the pickup truck driver with negligent homicide. If convicted he will probably end up serving prison time for his terrible mistakes that evening, and he will have to live with the guilt of ending a life.