Newton Car Accidents

In Newton, MA, there was one fatality in a motor vehicle collision in 2011, according to City Data. This was a decrease in the number of car accident deaths from 2010 when four people lost their lives in fatal collisions.

When motor vehicle collisions result in fatalities or injuries, victims or their family members have legal rights. A Newton, MA car accident lawyer at the Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers can provide representation to those who have been hurt or who have lost loved ones in a crash.

Death reports from 2008 indicate that 13 percent of all fatalities in Massachusetts that occurred due to unintentional injury happened in motor vehicle accidents. In 2009, Mass.gov indicated motor vehicle collisions were the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury deaths. Sixty-six percent of people who experienced premature mortality due to motor vehicle accidents were in a vehicle when they were killed. Fifteen percent were on a motorcycle, and 18 percent were pedestrians.

Pedestrians face special risks in Newton, as Walk Boston reports changes to some pedestrian crossing buttons in recent years have made certain intersections more dangerous for walkers. For example, in an effort to keep traffic moving at the busy intersection of Beacon and Center Streets, pedestrian walk lights are now timed to force pedestrians to cross parallel with the traffic. This practice of concurrent signaling puts pedestrians at risk if drivers make left turns without checking to see if people are using the crosswalk.

Newton intersections can also be dangerous because many consumers find the village-based address system confusing. Newton is made up of 13 distinct villages, and while most of these villages have their own post office, there are no firmly defined borders. Visitors looking for a particular address within Newton may be unclear where they are going and may be focused on maps or GPS devices rather than the road.

Because of Newton’s proximity to Boston, many people live in the area and commute to the city. This also adds to the traffic and the collision risk. Newton has many major thoroughfares in the city including Route 128, the Massachusetts Turnpike, Route 30 and Route 16. The city is bordered by Brighton, Brookline, Watertown, Wellesley, and Needham and is within Middlesex County.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle collision deaths cost Massachusetts’ residents $6 million in annual medical bills and another $388 million in lost productivity or earnings. This means the total losses from motor vehicle accidents in the state is around $394 million.

Motorists and their families should not be left to face collision costs on their own. Drivers who are responsible for causing accidents should be held accountable for covering losses and damages. Victims and their families can obtain compensation through a personal injury lawsuit, or by negotiating a settlement outside of court with the help of a Newton, MA motor vehicle accident lawyer.

Schedule your free consultation with a Newton car accident lawyer at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers. Call (617) 777-7777 or contact us online.