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Monthly Archives: May 2013

Study: Amusement park rides pose real dangers to kids

On behalf of posted in Premises Liability on Thursday May 30, 2013

Summer has arrived in Boston after a long winter and stop-and-start spring. That means kids will be tugging on parents' sleeves, asking to go to amusement parks to take a turn on the roller coasters and other rides. A new study will give many parents pause about the risks of their children getting injured, however. The study shows that tens of thousands of kids were treated at hospital emergency rooms after sustaining injuries on theme park or amusement park rides. The study of ride-related injuries shows that 92,885 kids were taken to an ER for treatment between 1990 and 2010. That's…

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Police: Drunk driver killed Massachusetts man in crash

On behalf of posted in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents on Wednesday May 29, 2013

Boston TV stations and newspapers are reporting that a New Bedford man is pleading not guilty to motor vehicle homicide after a fatal car accident this past weekend. The 23-year-old driver was drunk at the time of the crash that killed a 20-year-old man, police say. The driver faces a wide array of charges in addition to homicide: drunken driving, leaving the scene of a fatal accident, driving on a suspended license and possession of drugs with the intent to distribute. He was arrested Sunday morning following the New Bedford crash in which he reportedly fled the scene on foot. He then…

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Are doctors overprescribing opioids for those on workers’ comp?

On behalf of posted in Workers' Compensation on Thursday May 23, 2013

Boston media outlets have in recent years been reporting on the rise in prescription drug use and abuse. Some observers are now saying part of the problem might stem from doctors who prescribe opioids to patients who are injured on the job and are receiving workers' compensation benefits. The overprescription of the potent-pain killers is "a big problem, and it's a growing problem" says a medical epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are statistics to back his statement: of the more than 40,000 fatal drug overdoses every year in the United States, more than half involve prescription drugs.…

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Visiting MIT scientist killed in Boston bicycle accident

On behalf of posted in Pedestrian Accidents on Wednesday May 22, 2013

A 36-year-old visiting scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was killed in a Back Bay bicycle accident last weekend. The native of Japan had been working at MIT since last fall. According to a media report, Boston police are investigating the accident near Kenmore Square which might have involved a garbage truck. The truck was reportedly "seen fleeing the accident scene." Investigators said they are not yet sure of the cause of the fatal accident, and have declined to describe it as a hit-and-run. Investigators found the scientist's body on Beacon Street and her mangled bicycle about a half-mile away. The…

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Young pedestrian dies in accident with van

On behalf of posted in Pedestrian Accidents on Friday May 17, 2013

Drivers in Boston and across New England know that it's important to keep an eye out for pedestrians. Particularly in congested city neighborhoods, people traveling on foot may not always cross the street at intersections with designated traffic signals for walkers. And in some areas there may not be crosswalks available. While pedestrians are encouraged to use crosswalks whenever possible, children especially may not be as careful about doing this. Young people are often less aware of their surroundings and may forget to thoroughly check for oncoming traffic before running out into the street. The loved ones of a 12-year-old boy who…

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Saw safety device can save workers’ fingers, spare injuries

On behalf of posted in Workers' Compensation on Thursday May 16, 2013

Some of the finest examples of woodworking available anywhere come from Massachusetts shops. Workers take raw pieces of wood and sculpt and shape them into beautiful heirloom furniture, cabinets, musical instruments and works of art. Though these workers are almost invariably patient, precise and careful, injuries caused by unforgiving sawblades do happen. Fortunately, there is a safety device that can often spare those workers the pain and disfigurement of gruesome injuries and the need for surgeries, physical rehabilitation and workers' compensation. A device called the SawStop can bring a table saw blade spinning at 4,000 revolutions per minute to a complete…

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Drowsy driving: it can be deadly

On behalf of posted in Commercial Vehicle Accidents on Monday May 13, 2013

It's a natural, routine part of life: people get tired. Their eyelids flutter and sleep beckons. An end to a busy day nears. This natural, normal event can be an extremely dangerous one if it happens while a person is driving, however. Drowsy drivers cause car and truck accidents every day from Massachusetts to Monterey, California -- and everywhere in between. The widow of a police officer killed when a truck driver suspected of drowsy driving slammed into the police cruiser says she can still hear her three sons -- ages 16, 13 and 8 -- calling out for their…

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After crash, Massachusetts bishop cited for drunk driving

On behalf of posted in car accidents on Tuesday May 7, 2013

"There, but for the grace of God, go I" is a saying that dates back hundreds of years. The time-worn phrase might well apply to the recent car accident and drunk driving charges against Bishop Robert J. McManus, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester. The 61-year-old Massachusetts cleric was involved in a car crash this past weekend, but fortunately no one was hurt. As we all know, each year drunken driving leads to thousands of motor vehicle accidents per year, leaving behind fatalities and people with serious injuries. In 2011, more than 120 people were killed in Massachusetts crashes involving…

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Often overlooked, undertreated part of brain injuries

On behalf of posted in brain injury on Saturday May 4, 2013

More than three million Americans live with traumatic brain injuries. Here in Massachusetts, we have the lowest rate of traumatic brain injury (TBI) fatalities in the nation at 9.9 per 100,000 residents. Statistics like that are cold comfort to those who live every day with TBI, however. A recent article on TBI by U.S. News & World Report indicates that an often unspoken problem is that many must deal with sexual dysfunction. Sexual problems are often overwhelmed by the magnitude of the other physical and emotional difficulties TBI victims must cope with, so they are sometimes overlooked, a new study…

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Massachusetts man pleads not guilty in fatal car accident

On behalf of posted in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents on Saturday May 4, 2013

It's a picturesque town nearly 50 miles west of Boston. But late last year, Auburn was the site of a violent collision that resulted in severe injuries to a 45-year-old man out on an early-morning bread delivery route. The 45-year-old later died of his injuries sustained in the November 11 car crash on Interstate 290. The 26-year-old driver of a black Jeep was later arrested and charged with slamming his vehicle into the back of the Nissen bread truck. The collision sent the driver of the truck 80 to 100 feet out of his vehicle; when he hit the pavement, he sustained…

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