October 2010 Archives

The Cape Cod Times reported a 75-year-old pedestrian suffered fatal injuries after a vehicle ran into him. Police said the man was crossing Route 28 in front of 3 Way Liquors when he was hit by a blue Pontiac Grand Am driven by a young man.

Ben Fortier, a witness to the scene, said the elderly pedestrian's arms and legs were broken after the accident. The driver of the Grand Am was visibly upset by the crash, and the car's windshield was wrecked after the impact from the collision. Firefighters rushed to bring the injured 75-year-old to a Boston Hospital, and reports indicate that he remains in critical condition.

Thousands of people suffer from animal attacks or bites each year, according to FindLaw. Many animal attacks in Boston involve dogs and other pets. Typically, victims may have a legal right to recover damages from the animal's owner or the party held responsible for the attack. If you have suffered from an animal attack or bite, a Boston personal injury lawyer may advise you to:

• Seek medical attention as soon as possible; then
• Determine who the owner of the animal is;
• Note if there might be other potential responsible parties; and
• Find out if you are entitled to recover any damages.

According to the Boston Herald, a Green Line trolley near the Fenway killed Boston University graduate Joshua Stimson while the train headed east. MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said the trolley hit 22-year-old Stimson within the fenced-in area of the train track.

Joshua Stimson graduated in May and had a business degree from Boston University's School of Management. Christ Conte, Stimson's former roommate whom he had also raced with on the ski team, said Stimson had just started a new job a week before the accident. Conte described Stimson as a hard worker and a "quiet kid."

USA Today discusses whether or not parent-teen contracts help make teenagers like those in Boston safer drivers. 350,000 injuries every year come from crashes involving 15-to-20-year-olds, which may explain why many Boston parents worry about the safety of their children as young drivers, especially with the risks of texting while driving rising in the city.

Once Chelsea Hafner received her driver's permit, her parents Toni and Mike wanted to set some boundaries for her driving. The Hafners drafted a one-and-a-half page contract of their own, using a sample contract offered by their insurer State Farm. The contract lists driving restrictions Chelsea needed to follow, and all three agreed to the terms of the contract.

The Associated Press reported 2 million strollers by Graco are being recalled after the baby gear company received reports concerning the deaths of four babies who were killed in the strollers. The deaths, which happened between 2003 and 2005, involved four infants who were strangled after being trapped inside the baby carriages.

The Graco recall includes items such as the older versions of the Graco Quattro Tour and MetroLite strollers and travel systems all made before 2007. A Boston personal injury lawyer can explain in-depth how defective products that cause harm or injury to consumers can sometimes lead to cases involving product liability, unless the item is taken back for changes or repair.

This past August, Amy Barnett's Boston terrier attacked a woman in Acton and must now be restrained at all times  and kept away from visitors. The Beacon reported Henry, the terrier, has been subject to behavioral evaluation after selectmen considered whether the dog would have to undergo euthanasia to protect public safety after the animal attack.

Amy Barnett's boyfriend's parents, Brian and Lucille Donley, were dog-sitting Henry while the couple was away traveling. Swansea resident Linda Medeiros and her husband, Mike, came to visit the Donleys when Henry attacked Linda and bit her hands and feet. The victim was rushed to the hospital the day of the attack and readmitted a couple of days later to treat the infections from her wounds.

While students were getting ready for a 3-day weekend, one high school sophomore from Bartram High hopped on his bike to leave school with a friend. As he pedaled his way through traffic, a privately owned trash truck struck 16-year-old Roger Stockton, killing the sophomore instantly.

According to 6abc.com, witnesses said no one could have seen the accident coming for it all happened as quickly as the blink of an eye. Witnesses also claim Roger Stockton was not paying any attention to oncoming traffic as he crossed the intersection at 58th Street and Elmwood Avenue. Nasir Brown, one of the onlookers who saw the accident, said once Stockton was hit, he "fell off the bike and was rolling and the truck couldn't stop."

WCVB TV Boston reported Waltham resident Yvonne Martin, 87, was killed after a police cruiser crashed into her car at the Trapelo and Pine Vale intersection. As she prepared to make a left turn, the cruiser slammed into the driver's side of Martin's vehicle. Police said the impact sent the elderly woman through a stop sign and into a guardrail; causing her death.

Linda Moschner, a 17-year Waltham police veteran, drove the cruiser involved in the accident. The crash continues to be under investigation.

The Boston Police Department recently released phone call transcripts connected to the September car crash involving the New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady. According to the Boston Globe, calls came through reporting a "huge crash" and were accompanied with crying and screaming.

The fourteen-page call transcript did not reflect any phone calls made by Tom Brady. Instead, it showed an off-duty police officer and a WEEI-AM producer called attempting to gather more information about the accident. One call by a woman was recorded, saying "I hear people crying, and there are still people in one of the cars."

German car manufacturer BMW recalled 345,000 automobiles worldwide this week because of potentially faulty braking systems. No accidents related to the brake issues have been reported, according to Times Live. Still, the car company recalled BMW Series 5, 6, and 7 models made in 2002 across the world, which has affected nearly 200,000 American BMW owners.

A company spokesman reassured the public that the recall was not connected to a safety issue. Instead, some of the cars' brake fluid has leaked into the hydraulics. This prevents pressure from building up, though the brakes generally still work. In an extreme case, a BMW driver would end up having to force or apply more pressure to the brake.

While walking her miniature poodle on the way to a friend's house, a pit bull attacked Stephanie Moran's 8-year-old dog Beau, causing serious injuries to her pet. Telegram.com reported that pit bull escaped and charged out of its owner's yard on Knowlton Avenue. The pit bull attack resulted in Beau getting bit on his stomach and shook around.

Stephanie Moran said her dog Beau suffered multiple puncture wounds, including a ripped abdomen and severely damaged intestines and colon. The miniature poodle had to go through four hours of surgery, and the medical costs for the operations and treatments are nearly $6,000. Moran said "that's not even close to the projected total" because her dog may have to undergo another surgery.

Karen M. Tucker, the Pittsburg native who engineered a bridal show scam in Boston, agreed to plead guilty to charges of identity theft and federal wire fraud, according to the Boston Globe. Prosecutors will ask a federal court judge to sentence Tucker with 36 to 47 months of jail time in a plea bargain.

Though Karen Tucker's case falls under criminal law, a Boston personal injury attorney can tell you that fraud can also be filed as a civil suit for victims seeking recovery in damages. False representation of a matter of fact that misleads or is meant to deceive another person is generally considered fraud.