Just days before Thanksgiving on November 21, 2022, an SUV careened through the glass facade of an Apple store at Derby Street Shops in Hingham, Massachusetts. One man was killed in the collision, while 19 others sustained bodily injuries. The driver, a 53-year-old Massachusetts man, has been taken into police custody and remains in jail on charges arising from the tragic crash. The driver claims that the collision was caused by his foot becoming stuck on the accelerator of his Toyota 4Runner.
Lack of Protective Barriers In Car AccidentsNo matter what caused the SUV to accelerate toward the Apple store, it is clear that the vehicle was able to enter the building due to a lack of protective barriers in front of the store. Many establishments install bollards or other barriers between vehicle and pedestrian areas to keep cars from causing injuries. However, the Apple Store in Hingham, MA, did not have any bollards or protective barriers in front of it. The presence of such barriers may have been able to stop or slow the errant SUV that killed one and injured 19 others earlier this month.
Insufficient protection against vehicle strikes can allow vehicles to crash into buildings filled with patrons and employees, causing serious injuries and even death. These tragic events happen more frequently than one may expect, with dozens of building crashes occurring each year across New England. Crash safety experts emphasize that these events are preventable; property owners can protect those on their premises by installing bollards or other protective barriers, which are relatively inexpensive to put in place.
Bollards, which most often consist of cement or steel posts fixed into the ground, serve as a protective barrier between vehicles and people, helping to slow or fully stop cars that would otherwise pose a deadly risk to individuals in the area. Despite the risk unprotected buildings pose, many property owners choose not to install bollards and other barriers to protect their customers and workers.
In many instances, property owners can be held liable for injuries resulting from insufficient protective measures, including a lack of bollards on the premises. Several victims of the Apple Store Hingham crash have already filed lawsuits for their injuries, claiming that the building’s owners were negligent when they failed to install bollards to protect against the exact sort of tragedy that occurred on that fateful Monday morning.
Cars may collide with pedestrians at retail stores, shopping centers, apartment buildings, restaurants, or other establishments. Individuals injured in car strikes at unprotected establishments may be able to recover the costs of medical treatment, reimbursement for lost wages, and monetary compensation for the pain and suffering they experienced as a result of a crash. Workers injured may also have claims for workers’ compensation benefits if they were injured while in the course of their employment.
The Boston car accident attorney team at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers has extensive experience helping individuals who were injured by vehicles crashing into buildings. Our attorneys know what it takes to establish liability in SUV crash cases, including consulting with experts in the field who can lend credibility to your claims.
If you or someone you know has been injured or killed by a vehicle crash, the attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers can help. You can schedule a free legal consultation at (617) 777-7777 or via our online form.