Boston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Blog

February 20, 2015

Studies: Drugged Drivers Increasingly Common

While drunk driving accidents and deaths are on the overall decline – both in Massachusetts and nationwide – there is another growing concern, according to the National Highway Traffic Administration: Drugged drivers.

Two recent studies by the agency point to this fact.

One of those is the most recent Roadside Survey of Alcohol and Drug Use by Drivers, which revealed the number of motorists in the U.S. with alcohol in their blood declined by almost one-third in the last eight years. The figure has dropped by more than two-thirds since 1973.
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February 15, 2015

Report: Massachusetts DUI Deaths Down Sharply, But Still Too High

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Drunken driving deaths in Massachusetts are reportedly down significantly, according to the latest report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In fact, the rate has dropped so sharply, it’s down by almost three times the national average.

The NHTSA indicates of the 326 people killed in motor vehicle accidents in Massachusetts in 2013, there were 118 who lost their lives in alcohol-related crashes. That figure represents a 15 percent drop from 2012, which saw alcohol-related traffic deaths dip by 8.5 percent from the year before that.

As noted by a state lobbyist for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, while that kind of decline is encouraging and welcome, the deaths of 118 people is “nothing to celebrate.”
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February 10, 2015

Rice v. Corasanti – Pre-Death Pain & Suffering in DUI Wrongful Death

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A significant element of damages in a wrongful death lawsuit is the element of pre-death pain and suffering. Compared to other elements of damage, such as lost wages and medical expenses, this element can be tough to prove.

Still, it can result in a substantial amount of compensation. Mass. General Laws c. 229-6 allows for recovery of damages for conscious suffering.

Other states grant the same allowance. But in order to prove it, one must show decedent was alive and in pain for a time prior to dying.
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February 5, 2015

Man Arrested for Allegedly Drunk Driving a Zamboni

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

When we think of drunk driving, we typically think of someone driving a car, motorcycle or truck. In reality, a person can be charged with drunk driving for operating any type of wheeled vehicle with the exception of a wheelchair, as this would be discriminatory against those who cannot walk. It is not uncommon for people to get arrested for operating under the influence on a bicycle or even a pedicab as we have seen in the past.

There is good reason the law makes it a crime to operate any motor vehicle or non-motorized vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs. This is because even on a bicycle, an intoxicated person can seriously hurt other people, especially if she is riding in traffic and causes a major accident.
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February 1, 2015

Patriots’ Defensive Tackle Vincent Wilfork Rescues Drunk Driver in Car Accident

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent news article from the Boston Herald, New England Patriots’ defense tackle, Vincent Wilfork, came to the aid of a woman involved a drunk driving accident after the playoff game in Massachusetts.

Police say defendant admitted to drinking nine beers at Gillette Stadium during the game before getting behind the wheel of her car to drive home following the big win. A responding police officer says he arrived at the accident scene to find defendant inside her overturned Jeep in a ditch on the side of Route 1 a few hours after the game. He also says Wilfork reach into her car and pulled defendant out with one arm. Wilfork is listed by the National Football League (NFL) as being 6’2″ and weighing 325 pounds, while police say defendant was around 5’5″ and 175 pounds, so he did not have much trouble getting her out of her car.
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January 28, 2015

Ride-Sharing Companies Donate to MADD Super Bowl Sunday

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Super Bowl Sunday is a day known for parties. These parties involve eating a lot of high-calorie foods and drinking a lot of beer. Regardless of how many slices of pizza or wings a person eats, after a day of heavy drinking, his or her blood-alcohol content (BAC) will likely be too high to safely drive home from the party.

One of the best things you can do is use a designated driver and drink responsibly. However, many people have a hard time finding someone who will come to the party and not drink. Companies like Uber and MyDD (creators of ride-sharing apps) are aware of this and are trying to get party-goers to use their respective services this Super Bowl Sunday. One company is working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to publicize the service and has agreed to donate one dollar from every trip to MADD if customers enter a special code when they request a driver.

Another company will be offering $20 discounts to first-time customers of the ride-sharing service during Super Bowl Sunday, according to a recent article from BetaBoston.
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January 25, 2015

Stay Safe from Drunk Drivers this Super Bowl Sunday

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Super Bowl Sunday is a lot of people’s favorite day of the year. You may be hosting your own party or going to one of the many Super Bowl parties hosted by friends and family. While the day can be a lot of fun, for many that fun involves drinking a lot of beer and then getting behind the wheel of a car for the drive home.

If you are going to be drinking alcohol on Super Bowl Sunday, we urge you to drink responsibly and use a designated driver. A drunk driving accident is not the way anyone wants to end the night.
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January 23, 2015

Man Arrested for DUI on New Years’ Eve Says Everyone Does It

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Every year around the holidays, we tend to see more drunk drivers out on the roads. New Year’s Eve probably has more drunk drivers on the road at any given time than any other day during the holiday season. Many people spend the day drinking and watching college football, and then get behind the wheel to drive to a restaurant or party where they will be doing more drinking before driving home. To some it seems like nearly everyone is driving drunk. Safety in numbers is not a defense to drunk driving nor does it make the extremely dangerous conduct any less negligent.

According to a recent news report from the Daily Journal, a man was driving just after midnight when he is alleged to have nearly hit a police K9 unit. Police say defendant drove through a stop sign and raced towards the car in front of him. A police officer who witnessed this, turned on his emergency lights and tried to pull over the suspect fearing he would also drive through the upcoming intersection.

Police then say suspect’s car came to a complete stop and the intersection but the car in front of suspect continued through the intersection and made a U-turn. This vehicle turned out to be the K9 officer.
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January 21, 2015

East Boston Power Lines Taken Out by Drunk Driver

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a news article in the Boston Herald, a suspected drunk driver crashed his car into a series of equipment operated by the utility company in East Boston. The alleged drunk driving accident occurred around 4 a.m.

Witnesses reported downed power lines, transformers, and multiple downed telephone poles as a result of the crash. The downed power equipment caused police and firefighters to close Route 1A to all traffic through in East Boston following the accident. Route 1A is the main access road to Boston Logan International Airport as well as towns north of Boston.

It has also been reported another accident occurred when a car crashed into the downed power equipment. An alleged drunk driver was arrested for driving his white pickup truck without a license, and operating a motor vehicle under the influence (OUI) of intoxicating liquor or drugs, and is scheduled to be arraigned at the East Boston District Court.
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January 19, 2015

DUI Suspect “Plays Chicken” With Massachusetts Police

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

It should come as no surprise people do things while drunk they would not ordinarily do while sober. However, being intoxicated is not a defense to their negligent actions. In fact, it is the very basis for establishing negligence in drunk driving accident lawsuits.
According to a recent news article from the Boston Herald, one alleged intoxicated driver is said to have “played chicken” with police during his drunk driving arrest. Authorities say a 42-year-old defendant was recently arrested on his fifth drunk driving charge.

Defendant is alleged to have crashed his truck into two parked cars. When police first found defendant around 1:30 a.m., he allegedly rammed one of the responding officer’s police cruisers with his truck and tried to drive away. Police chased defendant to Malden, Massachusetts, where officers say he aimed his truck at second police cruiser.

At this point, defendant is said to have tried to crash into the police car, but the officer managed to swerve to avoid a collision. When the police officer swerved his car, he crashed into a curb and blew a tire. Defendant is then alleged to have driven away on bare rims, as he had four flat tires and did not stop until driving into the Malden River. Once the car was in a few feet of water, defendant got out of the car and was wading in the water until being caught by police. He was taken to a local hospital.
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