An emergency room doctor from Brigham and Women’s Hospital was killed on August 27, 2010 when the motor scooter he was driving collided with a truck in Brighton, Massachusetts.

Details of the Motor Scooter Accident

Boston police reported that police responded to a call for an accident involving a scooter and another motor vehicle on Beacon Street. The accident occurred when the emergency room doctor, an attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an instructor at Harvard Medical School, collided with a truck. Upon arrival at the scene, police discovered the 50-year-old doctor suffering from serious injuries. He was taken to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center where he died from his injuries. The victim left a wife and three children.

Motor Scooter Accidents Increasing

Our experienced Salem, Massachusetts personal injury attorneys have successfully handled motor scooter, moped and bicycle crash cases throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Our attorneys have found that these crashes occur frequently during daylight hours and during the spring and summer months. Given the increased popularity of bicycles and motor scooters, the personal injury attorneys at Mazow & McCullough had seen an increase in injuries and wrongful death claims.

Seeking Help from a Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have suffered a personal injury or a loved one has been killed as a result of a motor scooter, moped or bicycle crash, please contact the attorneys at Mazow & McCullough so that the matter can be properly, efficiently and successfully handled.

To read more about this tragic case, please see the following links:

• http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20100829doctors_death_draws_scooter_scrutiny/
• http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/08/28/er_doctor_killed_in_motor_scooter_crash/

A 35 year old man from Lynn, Massachusetts, was seriously injured when an alleged drunk-driver struck him.  The alleged drunk-driver is from Peabody, Massachusetts and was operating a Volkswagen Passat.  The Lynn resident was operating a Yamaha Scooter.  The crash was in Salem, Massachusetts.

The Crash Scene in Salem, MA

Police at the scene say that the alleged drunk-driver had bloodshot eyes, her speech was slurred and she had the smell of an alcoholic beverage on her breath.  She failed two out three field sobriety tests and was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor.

The victim was transported by ambulance from the accident scene to the North Shore Medical Center in Salem, Massachusetts.  He was then taken to the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts due to the severity of his injuries.

Scooter and Bicycle Injuries – The Legal Issues

Injuries to people on scooters, mopeds and bicycles present particularly complex insurance coverage issues.  Generally, the medical bills will be partially paid for by the insurance company of the owner of the vehicle that caused the collision.  Furthermore, if the driver was negligent, as is the likely scenario in this case, the insurance company of the owner and operator of the vehicle will be responsible for compensation for pain and suffering, future disability, lost wages, loss of future earning capacity and scarring.  Additionally, if there is not enough insurance coverage to fairly compensate the victim of the accident, the victim can seek compensation directly from the responsible party.

Importantly, when a person is the victim of injuries caused by a drunk driver, that person or his or her family need to begin an investigation quickly into the facts surrounding the incident.  It will be critical to learn where the drunk driver obtained the alcohol, whether it was a public or private bar or establishment, whether they might have been over served or illegally sold liquor.  It is critical to learn this information early on so that potential additional insurance coverage can be located.

Contact Mazow & McCullough for Legal Assistance

If you or a loved one has been injured while operating a scooter, bicycle or moped or if you have been injured by a drunk driver, you may be entitled to financial relief.  The attorneys at the law firm of Mazow & McCullough have handled thousands of personal  injury cases with great success.  If you or a loved one have been injured, please contact our office for a free initial consultation.

Massachusetts is now the 27^th state to ban texting in a car. In a concerted effort to prevent serious auto accidents, the state has also banned any cellphone use for drivers under the age of 18.

According to the Boston Globe, the state law will take effect in October and will cover a wide range of reading and writing on mobile devices, including emailing, internet searching and other noncalling activities. The law, passed after a number of high profile deaths in texting auto accidents, also covers drivers waiting at traffic lights and stop signs. An instant $100 fine is possible.

Under 18 drivers may only use their phone for texting or talking in an emergency or when the car is parked. If they break the law, they can have their car licenses suspended for 60 days.

Have you been affected by an auto accident where the driver was texting? Call or email the lawyers at Mazow|McCullough for expert advice on your case.

If you’ve been struck as a pedestrian in Massachusetts the very first thing you should do if your injured is to get medical treatment. You want to make sure, however ,that you get the name of the drive who hit you because all too often the driver wants to get out of the scene and not leave their contact information with you. Once you’ve had medical attention and you have the name of that driver you can then make a claim against that driver’s insurance company to pay for your medical bills and your pain and suffering.

Dorchester District Court Judge Cites Expert Testimony of Kevin J. McCullough, Esquire in Finding that Commerce Insurance Company Violated the Consumer Protection Act, G.L. c. 93A

On March 20, 2009, Kevin J. McCullough, Esquire of Mazow/McCullough, PC testified at trial before Judge Sydney Hanlon in the Dorchester District Court.  Attorney McCullough was retained by the plaintiff, Arelis Beato to provide an expert opinion as to the investigation and claims handling practices of Commerce Insurance Company in regards to Commerce Insurance Company’s handling of Plaintiff’s first party Personal Injury Protection (“PIP”) claim.  Judge Hanlon cited to and referenced Attorney McCullough’s expert opinion in the Court’s written Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law regarding the decision.  Based upon Attorney McCullough’s testimony the Court found that Commerce Insurance Company had in fact violated G.L. c. 93A (The Consumer Protection Act) and ordered that Commerce Insurance Company pay attorney fees in the amount of $20,000.00 and costs incurred by Plaintiff.

To read more about this case, please click here.

On July 12, 2007 Justin Crow was stopped in traffic on Route 114 in North Andover, Massachusetts. The two vehicles behind him collided and the car directly behind Mr. Crow violently collided into the rear of his vehicle. Mr. Crow’s seat snapped and he was pushed off of the road. Mr. Crow suffered neck and back injuries and was out of work for several months due to the collision. Despite the fact that the insurance companies of the two cars behind Mr. Crow’s vehicle both agreed that Mr. Crow did nothing to cause or contribute to the collision, neither company made any offers of settlement. Even after Mr. Crow filed a lawsuit and extensive material and discovery was exchanged between the parties involved, no settlement offers were extended to Mr. Crow to compensate him for his injuries. A few days before the trial date the insurance company offered to settle the case with Mr. Crow in exchange for a payment of $20,000.00. Mr. Crow rejected the unreasonably low settlement offer. On October 23, 2009, after a one week trial the Newburyport Superior Court jury returned a verdict for Mr. Crow in the amount of $75,253.17, plus interest and costs. Mr. Crow’s post trial motions for costs and expenses are still pending.

Justin Crow vs. Galina Zhevakin and Martin D. Johnson
Newburyport Superior Court Civil Action No.: 2007-01981B

The number one misconception people have in car-pedestrian accidents in Massachusetts is that if they don’t have the contact information of the person who hit them or if that person does not have automobile insurance then they can’t make a claim. That is not correct. If your struck as a pedestrian by somebody who does not have insurance or who has left the scene of the accident and you have your own automobile insurance coverage, you can still make a claim against your own insurance policy for your lost wages, your medical bills, and your pain and suffering.

In Massachusetts, car/pedestrian accidents are very common. Drivers are inattentive, they’re using their cell phone, they’re texting, they’re on the radio – they’re not paying attention to people that are crossing the street. In Massachusetts, pedestrians have the right to be in the crosswalk safely. If you’ve been struck down as a pedestrian, you have the right to bring a claim against the person that hit you.