Massachusetts Tag Archives — Page 2 of 3 — Cape Cod Injury Lawyer Blog

Another wrong way fatal accident on Massachusetts Turnpike

September 18, 2012 | by John C. Manoog III

Yet another wrong way crash has resulted in the loss of at least two lives and injuries to others. The fatal accident occurred recently in the westbound lanes of the Massachusetts Turnpike near Ludlow. Both drivers were killed, and authorities have indicated that others were injured.

A Massachusetts State Police spokesman disclosed that an 84-year-old driver was headed eastbound in the westbound lanes of the turnpike near Exit 6 around 8:30 p.m. That vehicle collided with a westbound car operated by a 29-year-old man. Both drivers were rushed to Baystate Medical Center, where they were both pronounced dead.

The identity of the drivers was not initially disclosed. Though others were also said to have sustained injury in the fatal accident, the surrounding circumstances were not revealed. It is not known if others were hospitalized or what injuries were sustained. Few other details are known.

Massachusetts apartment fire kills mother, daughter

September 14, 2012 | by John C. Manoog III

A tragic Massachusetts fire in a multi-family apartment house in Uxbridge has claimed the lives of a 45-year-old woman and her 6-year-old daughter. The young girl had just started first grade in the community school system, and she and her mother had lived in one of the apartment units on the first floor of the structure for just several months. The blaze started around 10:30 at night, and firefighters from some 14 different departments responded. The cause of the blaze has not yet been discovered, and it is as yet unclear if premises liability claims may be filed.

The first fire truck that arrived on the scene had just 1,000 feet of hose. The nearest hydrant to the building was about 1,200 feet away, and the firefighters had to await a second truck to battle the inferno. The structure was said to be demolished by the fire. Though the mother and daughter were immediately reported as missing, their bodies were not recovered until the following morning. The other seven occupants of the multi-family home were all accounted for.

In addition to tapping the fire hydrant, other water was drawn from the Blackstone River to battle the blaze. One individual who used to work in the building said that all of the fire detectors were operational. In addition to the two deceased victims, a firefighter was said to have been injured. He was, however, expected to make a full recovery.

Massachusetts workplace injury: Pinned by a rolling work cart

August 29, 2012 | by John C. Manoog III

A country club employee was recently injured in an on-the-job accident involving a work cart. The Massachusetts workplace injury occurred at about 8:30 a.m. when the worker got out of the cart. As he did so, it was said to have rolled backwards on a hill. He apparently tried to stop the movement of the cart but fell when he tried to get back into it. Consequently, the front wheel of the cart rolled over one of his legs, pinning it in a position from which he was unable to free himself.

The worker was said to have been stuck for nearly a half hour before he was discovered and 911 was alerted. Local firefighters responded. Shortly before they arrived, others at the country club were able to lift the cart from the injured man. Though conscious, he was said to be in pain.

Rescue workers applied a medical splint. It was noted that the device used was intended for circumstances where a bone had been broken. Once placed on a backboard, he was transferred to Salem Hospital for treatment. No further word on his condition was immediately available.

Cape Cod community sees increase in dog bite cases

August 22, 2012 | by John C. Manoog III

One Cape Cod community has experienced a rash of dog bite complaints over the months of June and July. The law requires that a doctor treating a cat or dog bite victim must report the incident to the local animal control officer (ACO). Once notified, the ACO then places the animal under quarantine for 10 days and checks periodically over that time period to ensure the person responsible for the animal is in conformance with the law.

In the Cape Cod community of Dennis there were nine dog bite reports in June alone. Four more were logged in July. A prior ACO said that, in her many years on the job, she had never before seen as many as nine reported dog bite cases in one month. It is reported that there are over 1800 licensed dogs in Dennis alone.

The current Dennis ACO said that at least some of the recent dog bite attacks could have been prevented. She reiterated that no one should approach a strange dog, even those that appear friendly. One should not make the assumption that it is okay to touch a dog. Further, owners are cautioned to keep their dogs on a leash in well populated areas unless the animal is voice trained.

Woman dies in accident on I-291 in western Massachusetts

August 12, 2012 | by John C. Manoog III

A three-vehicle accident has claimed the life of a 34-year-old woman in western Massachusetts. She was a front-seat passenger in a vehicle driven by a 41-year-old man. He apparently did not suffer a serious injury in the fatal accident, and two minors in the rear seat were said to have escaped injury.

The fatal accident occurred westbound on I-291 at the on-ramp to the southbound travel lanes of Interstate 91. No information about the mid-afternoon collision was initially disclosed beyond the fact that three vehicles were involved. The name of the victim was withheld so that authorities could formally notify her next of kin.

The crash was said to be under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police as well as the office of the local district attorney. There were no reports of any arrests in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. As more information is available, the parties will be in a better position to assess their rights and responsibilities under state law.

Fatal accident at construction site kills decorated officer

August 9, 2012 | by John C. Manoog III

No one can dispute the fact that police officers put themselves in danger every day. But sometimes the danger comes from unexpected places. A Westfield, Massachusetts, officer was killed when a dump truck hit him while he was directing traffic at a construction site. No charges have been filed but OSHA is investigating the fatal accident.

Jose Torres, a 27-year-veteran of the Westfield Police Department, was working the construction detail when he was injured. He was taken to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield where he died shortly thereafter from his injuries. He leaves behind a wife and two children.

Torres had been cited at least two times during his career for heroism. He thwarted an attempted suicide in 1996 by climbing a fire escape and stopping a man from jumping. When the man jumped back through another window to escape Torres, he caused permanent scarring to the officer’s face. In 2000, Torres was charged with the responsibility of stopping speeding vehicles and barely escaped injury when he used a ‘stinger spike’ to stop a car.

Massachusetts car accident: Mother dead, child seriously injured

August 1, 2012 | by John C. Manoog III

While there may be more physically damaging accidents, a hit-and-run accident is one of the most emotionally draining types of car accidents possible. Not knowing who hit you can wreak havoc on your mind, and when there is no one to stand accountable for the crash, there is no closure available in the form of justice through the Massachusetts legal process. The situation is even worse if there are seriously injuries as a result of the car accident

A 19-year-old mother, pregnant with another child, was pushing her almost 2-year-old daughter in a stroller in Springfield. They were walking across the street during the evening when a vehicle struck her and the stroller and subsequently fled the scene. Reportedly, a second car drove over the mother, likely unable to respond fast enough to the first impact from the other vehicle. The 23-year-old driver of the second car stopped at the scene and will not face any criminal charges, according to authorities.

The young mother was killed in the crash; her daughter is hospitalized in intensive care due to injuries sustained during the accident. A 35-year-old man believed to be the driver who struck the woman and child is now under arrest and is facing a number of charges. The charges include leaving the scene of an accident, motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in a fatality.

Route 24 car accident north of Cape Cod kills 2, injures more

July 27, 2012 | by John C. Manoog III

A deadly crash occurred on a recent Sunday morning just before 4 a.m. on Route 24. The Massachusetts State Police, along with its Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section (CARS), are working to piece together exactly what happened in this tragic incident. Two people were killed in the car accident, and at least three others appear to have been injured in the four-vehicle collision. The accident took place in Plymouth County near Cape Cod.

Preliminary reports say that a 19-year-old woman was traveling in the wrong direction, headed south in the northbound lanes of Route 24 in West Bridgewater. Her Toyota Corolla struck a pickup truck head-on and may have been hit by another vehicle after that first collision. She was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

The pickup driver, a 44-year-old man, was trapped in his vehicle as it burst into flames. He was also declared dead at the scene. His passenger, a 42-year-old woman who shared his last name, was able to escape the wreck. She was said to have suffered injuries that were initially described as minor. The drivers of two additional vehicles were transported to Good Samaritan Hospital, one with non-life threatening injuries and the other for evaluation of potentially minor injuries.

Norfolk propane explosion sparks wrongful death settlement

July 17, 2012 | by John C. Manoog III

At the tail end of July 2010, a 46-year-old Massachusetts man was working for a Franklin electric company in the basement of a Norfolk condominium at about 12:30 p.m. In addition to his job working as an electrician, he was also a lead guitar player for an area band called Fatty Mac.

Little did he know when he went to work that day that he had already played his last song. Instead, his family would soon be fighting for justice by filing a wrongful death claim against the companies whose negligence allegedly caused his death in a propane tank explosion that summer day.

The wrongful death lawsuit subsequently filed by the victim’s family alleged several acts of negligence against EnergyUSA Propane and Smolinsky Brothers Plumbing and Heating (Smolinsky) in regard to the installation of a new underground propane tank at the condominium development.

Man sentenced in boat crash that killed Massachusetts boy

July 13, 2012 | by John C. Manoog III

A little less than two years ago, a father and his young son were enjoying a day in a kayak, fishing on a Massachusetts lake in the city of Huntington. During their outing, an allegedly reckless speedboat driver crashed into their kayak, killing the boy and leaving only tragic memories for the father. The boy was 10 years old.

Recently, some sense of justice has been brought in the fatal accident as the speedboat driver was found guilty for his involvement in the crash. The Westfield, Massachusetts man was convicted by a Hampshire Superior Court jury of negligent homicide and misleading a police officer. According to a news report, he was sentenced to five years in prison. The jury cleared the man of a handful of other charges, including manslaughter.

This father and son outing turned tragic by the negligent and arguably reckless conduct of the boat operator. It was reported that prosecutors said the man had been drinking beer and smoking marijuana the day of the accident.