Serving Cape Cod and the Surrounding Areas

Massachusetts State Police investigates fatal car crash

The cause of the head-on car accident in Agawam that killed one driver and injured the other remains unknown. Investigators from the state police’s collision analysis team have yet to announce any findings. A lieutenant from the local police department said that, at this point, nothing indicates that authorities will issue any criminal charges.

Road safety in Massachusetts during the winter months

Winter driving conditions in Massachusetts can be extremely treacherous, but data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that modest amounts of snow or ice can be even more hazardous for drivers than full-blown winter storms and blizzards. According to the NHTSA, almost a quarter of the motor vehicle accidents that occurred between 2004 and 2013 on the nation’s roads were caused by weather conditions, and snow, ice or slush were responsible for nearly half of these crashes.

Athletic reforms part of wrongful death settlement

College athletic programs in Massachusetts might want to review their training programs after a recent California case involving the death of a student athlete. Along with a hefty monetary settlement, the University of California, Berkeley, agreed to ban coaches from using extreme workouts as punishments and to increase their coaches’ awareness of medical conditions among their athletes.

The dangers of keyless ignitions in Massachusetts

When a key is taken out of a car’s ignition, the car stops running. However, this is not always the case for cars with a keyless ignition. This had led to a number of injuries and deaths related to carbon monoxide poisoning. In December 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared that keyless ignitions were a safety problem and suggested that alarms could be added to the cars at a minimal cost.

Wrongful death suits may need to account for Medicare

Those filing Massachusetts wrongful death lawsuits in pursuit of damages may need to consider the type of suit they file and how it relates to Medicare. In cases where a deceased person received Medicare-covered medical treatment after sustaining the injuries that eventually claimed their lives, the Medicare payments may have been classified as conditional. If the at-fault party’s insurer subsequently pays for these expenses, Medicare can demand its share of the payment.

Man dies in head-on crash in Massachusetts

Police in Westfield diverted traffic for nearly three and a half hours after a head-on motor vehicle crash on Springfield Road, also known as Route 20. The wreck involved two vehicles and three victims and took place near East Mountain Road and the line between the cities of West Springfield and Westfield.

Dangers related to self-driving cars in Massachusetts

Self-driving cars are being touted as a safer transportation option, but they have double the accident rate of human drivers. One caveat to the higher accident rate involving self-driving vehicles is that they have never been at fault for any of the collisions. Instead, distracted or forceful human drivers were the cause of the crashes, and many crashes have occurred at low speeds without major injuries or damage to vehicles involved.

3 injured in Massachusetts crash

A Massachusetts crash that occurred on Dec. 12 left three people with serious injuries. The accident reportedly took place on North Road between Holyoke and Westfield at about 4:30 p.m. It appeared that the incident take place near the North Road and Airport Industrial Road intersection.