Car-Pedestrian Accidents

As the school year gets back into full swing, roadways become busier with bright yellow school buses packed with kids. While student safety is a top concern for school officials and parents, it should be for all drivers on the road, as well. However, many Massachusetts residents fail to follow proper traffic laws when it comes to school bus stops. This sometimes results in injuries, and sadly, even fatalities. Here’s what every driver needs to know and understand about the school zone safety law:

See a bus, slow down and stop

When you see a stopped school bus with flashing lights, or one that is approaching your intersection, you should immediately slow down to stop. School buses are equipped with flashing lights and stop signs that extend outwards when children are entering and exiting the vehicle. It’s crucial that drivers act responsibly and bring their vehicles to a complete stop when these flashing lights are visible.

Drivers are required by Massachusetts law to come to a complete stop while students enter and exit the vehicle. You must abide by the law, stop, and then wait for the flashing lights and stop sign on the bus to be retracted before proceeding. Children need to have the opportunity to safely cross the road when boarding and exiting the bus.

Passing a stopped school bus

Massachusetts law requires that motorists in all lanes in both directions on a two-lane roadway must come to a stop when a school bus is stopped for pick-ups and drop offs. When children are entering or exiting the vehicle and the lights are flashing, all other drivers on the two-lane roadway have to stop or risk a $250 fine, or worse. The law applies to emergency vehicles as well. School bus drivers can report the license plate numbers of vehicles that illegally pass them to police.

Another important aspect of the law to note is that all drivers must remain 100 feet behind a school bus at all times. Buses typically will begin indicating a stop with flashing lights at least 200 feet before actually stopping. This is for safety purposes, since buses make frequent stops.

Rules of the road in school zones

The speed limit for all school zones is 20 mph. If you get caught speeding in a school zone, you can be fined twice the amount of the violation currently in effect. It is also important to note that motorists are not allowed to pass while in a school zone, and pedestrians have the right-of-way in a school zone crosswalk. Distracted or reckless driving can cost a driver more than a ticket, and it could cost a child their life.

What parents can do

Parents can help to protect their kids by walking them to the bus stop and ensuring that they board safely. Talking to children about bus safety is important. Kids need to know that they should wait until the bus comes to a complete stop and has the lights flashing before stepping off of the curb to board. They should always be alert and aware when walking to and from their bus stop, especially when crossing a street.

Failure to stop can cost lives

Drivers who attempt to quickly get around the bus can and have caused serious bodily injury, and even death. Young children between the ages of 4 and 7 are at the greatest risk, according to the Massachusetts Department of Health and Human Services.

While you may not be able to see a child running across the street, the stopped bus with flashing lights is an indicator that children are present and have not safely made it on or off of the vehicle. Bus drivers will turn off the lights when they see that the children have reached safety, and that’s why it is critical that drivers on the road follow these cues. Drivers who fail to do so are breaking the law.

Do your part to keep Massachusetts school children safe by obeying the school bus zone law.

Witnessing an accident can be a frightening experience and it can be difficult to know what to do. However, if you happen to be one of the first people to witness a pedestrian accident, you are in a unique position to help the person who is injured and with quick action, you may even be able to save their life. Here’s how you can help someone who has been in a pedestrian accident.

Call for Help

The very first thing you should do after witnessing a pedestrian accident is to call for help. If you are the only one on the scene and have a cell phone, call 911. If you and one or more others are at the scene, one person should call 911 and another person can attend to the victim. If you do not have a phone, call out to others who may be near for help.

Protect Them from Additional Harm

A pedestrian who has been hit by a vehicle is at an increased risk of being injured again if others do not see the accident and also crash into them. To ensure own safety and the victim’s, make sure that all traffic has stopped. You can then signal to others around that there has been an accident, and emergency service operators can give you information on how to best protect the victim from additional harm given the circumstances.

Follow Emergency Services Instructions

When you call for help, emergency service operators may ask you to assess the victim to determine if they have a pulse, are breathing, or are bleeding heavily from anywhere. The operators may instruct you on how to look for certain signs and coach you on what to do if the victim is seriously injured. For example, you may be asked by emergency service operators to perform CPR on the victim until help arrives.

Give Your Witness Testimony

Once the victim receives medical attention, you should seek out the police officer who responded to the scene. The officer may approach you first for questions. You should provide your witness statement to the officer, letting them know everything you saw occur starting at the beginning of the accident. This will be a very important part of the victim’s case later on.

If you’ve been a witness to someone who was in a pedestrian accident, the most important thing you can do is call for help and let the authorities know what you saw happen. If you or a loved one were hurt in a pedestrian accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Contact us today for a consultation by calling 855-693-9084 or 978-744-8000.

School is almost back in session. And for most children, this brings on a wave of emotions ranging from excitement to dread. Many people don’t stop to think that with the school season about to open up, they should be extra vigilant of kids not just in school zones, but throughout their communities as well as teaching their children road safety rules. Showing your children how to avoid dangers on the street should be as important as buying school supplies and uniforms.

Here are some tips for parents both new and old:

1. Teach your kids from very early on the rules of the road and how to stay safe on them. Staying on the sidewalk and looking both ways when they cross should be at the forefront of their minds at all times when they are on the street. Never allow your child to cross the street from in between parked cars.
2. Tell young children to only cross when the sign says “cross” after pressing the button and looking on the street to make sure it is safe to cross. Remember, teach your child how to Stop before crossing, Look and Listen for potential cars and only when it’s safe to cross, they may do so. Also, teach them to use the cross guard if one is provided.
3. And last but certainly not least, teach them safety rules if they are riding their bikes to/ from school. Always make sure your child is highly visible, wears a helmet and knows that a bicycle is a vehicle and must follow the same rules as the road users.

Lead by example! To ensure that your child is practicing safety rules of the road, you must show them how it’s done. Getting hit by a car is the 3^rd leading cause of death for kids 5-9 worldwide, according to online journal Psychological Science mainly because children are easily distracted and aren’t always paying attention to the road. By ensuring your child knows the importance of being safe on the road from very early on, you can prevent distractions.

Happy walking/riding kids!

A 17 year old man from New Hampshire has been charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated after crashing into two women shortly after 7 A.M. while driving to his graduation rehearsal from a night of drinking at a party. According to a report from Fox 25, the man was driving his Volvo sedan when he crossed over the center lane and hit the women, throwing them some distance. Both women were taken to local hospitals with injuries serious enough that they were later transported to hospitals in Boston. Police say the women were walking facing traffic when they were struck by the teenager.

The man was released on a personal recognizance bail and was ordered to turn in his license, obey a 9 P.M. curfew and not use any drugs or alcohol. He is set to appear back in court in a few weeks. Portsmouth High School officials reported the man will not be partaking in graduation ceremonies scheduled to take place today.

In 2012, 124 motor vehicle fatalities happened because of alcohol related offenses and 7027 people were arrested and charged with driving under the influence. At Mazow McCullough, we know how life changing it can be when you or a family member has been the victim of a drunk driver.  If you or a loved one has been the victim of another person’s negligence while driving under the influence, or if you have any questions, contact the personal injury lawyers at Mazow/McCullough, P.C. for a free consultation. The right lawyer can make all the difference.  You can contact us at 978-744-8000 or rem@helpinginjured.com.

Picture of Loring Ave in Salem, MA.

An 83 year old woman was struck and killed by a hit and run driver this past month in Salem, MA. While she was crossing the street to dispose of weeds from her garden, which her family says she did often, she was stuck on Loring Avenue. According to witnesses at the scene, the driver sped off towards the Swampscott area.

The Salem native was pronounced dead after being taken to Salem Hospital. Salem Police responded to 911 calls at around 9:08 a.m. and are still on the lookout for a small dark colored car, possibly a Honda or a Mazda, according to witnesses. Police are also looking to speak to a man that helped the victim after she was struck. Witnesses are being encouraged to call the Salem Police Department with any information pertinent to the incident.

At the Law Office of Mazow|McCullough, P.C. we will aggressively pursue the responsible person(s) in question in order to hold them accountable, whether through mediation and arbitration, or by means of a jury trial. The injuries resulting from a pedestrian accident can result in serious injuries, often death. You can contact us at 978-744-8000 or info@helpinginjured.com. The Right Lawyer Makes All The Difference.

There’s an assumption out there that when somebody’s injured there’s going to be a limitless supply of insurance benefits available to them. And often times people are surprised to find out that their settlement is limited on what the available insurance coverage is. In the state of Massachusetts the law only requires $20,000 in insurance coverage. And if you suffered an injury as a result of a collision, that money gets used very quickly towards medical bills and expenses and lost wages.

Contact a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in MA

My name is Kevin McCullough with the Law Offices of Mazow & McCullough. If you’ve been injured, you need legal assistance, you have questions. You deserve answers to those questions and you deserve the best. Call our offices.

The number one misconception that people have in car-pedestrian accidents in Massachusetts is that if they don’t have the contact information of the person that hit them, or if that person does not have automobile insurance, then they can’t make a claim. That is not correct. If you’re struck as a pedestrian by somebody who does not have insurance or 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.

Contact a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in MA

My name is Robert Mazow. I’m a partner at Mazow McCullogh. If you’ve been hurt, or a family member’s been hurt as a result of somebody else’s negligence, call us. The right lawyer makes all the difference.

The biggest mistake made by an injured party following a car accident in the state of Massachusetts is assuming that the insurance that contacts them, who represents the person responsible for their injuries, is going to help that injured party. They communicate with the insurance company, they provide information. The insurance then uses all of that information provided to them to either deny the claim or pay less on the claim. It’s very common that I see the insurance company manipulating that information to avoid making payment that injury claim.

Contact an Auto Accident Lawyer in MA

My name is Kevin McCullough with the Law Offices of Mazow & McCullough. If you’ve been injured, you need legal assistance, you have questions. You deserve answers to those questions and you deserve the best. Call our offices.