What Are the Most Dangerous Highways In Boston?
Boston car accident lawyer explains where collisions occur and why
Boston has some of the busiest highways in the country. In fact, Boston traffic congestion is the second-worst of any city in the country and the fourth-worst in the world, according to an annual traffic study.
With all those vehicles on the road at the same time, it’s no surprise that many Boston car accidents occur on highways in and around the city. When these collisions occur, injuries can often be very serious and may require emergency medical care at Boston Medical Center or another nearby emergency room.
This is why it’s critical that Boston drivers know which highways are the most dangerous and why collisions occur on these busy highways. It’s also important to know what to do in such situations. When in doubt, simply contact The Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone. Our Boston highway accident lawyers can answer your questions and explain your legal options. Schedule a free case evaluation at our Boston office or at any of our locations in Massachusetts.
- What are the most dangerous highways in Boston?
- Why do highway accidents happen?
- What are common highway accidents?
- What are common highway accident injuries?
- What should I do if I’m involved in a highway accident in Boston?
- How much is my highway accident claim worth?
- Why should I hire a Boston highway accident lawyer?
What are the most dangerous highways in Boston?
More than 4,000 car accidents happen each year on average in Boston, according to accident data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Many of these collisions occur on highways in the Greater Boston area. Such dangerous highways include:
- Interstate 93 – This major north-south highway which runs through the heart of downtown Boston has some of the heaviest traffic in the country. I-93 South is the fourth-most congested highway in the country. And three parts of I-93 in and around Boston (I-93 North between Exits 39 and 42, I-93 N between Exit 11B and Exit 13B and I-93 N between Exit 28A and Exit 31) rank in the top 10 statewide for the deadliest roads in the state, according to Money Geek.
- Interstate 95 – Another heavily traveled north-south highway, I-95 has some of the worst traffic and most highway accidents in the state. In particular, the stretch of I-95 North near exit 21 has been consistently ranked the deadliest road in Massachusetts. I-95 N between Exit 7A and Exit 12A and I-95 S from Exit 1 to Exit 2B have also been ranked among the top 10 deadliest roads in the state.
- Interstate 495 – Highway accidents often occur on this 121-mile-long auxiliary route around Boston. I-495 N from Exit 14 to Exit 15 and I-495 S near Exit 70 have both been ranked among the top 10 deadliest roads in Massachusetts. That’s in part because I-495 has some of the worst traffic of any highway in the state.
- Route 1 – Long before there were major highways in Boston, Route 1, also signed as the Boston-Providence Turnpike, served as the major north-south route in the city. Many drivers still use Route 1 in Boston and car accidents often occur on this road.
- Massachusetts Turnpike – Part of Interstate 90, the Mass Pike connects Boston with the rest of the state. The I-495 and Mass Pike interchange in particular has hundreds of car accidents each year on average, making this stretch of road one of the most dangerous highways in the state.
Why do highway accidents happen?
Highway accidents in Boston often occur for three main reasons – drunk driving, speeding and distracted driving.
- An estimated 30 percent of fatal car accidents in Massachusetts involved drunk drivers, according to Money Geek. In Suffolk County, that figure is even higher – roughly 41 percent of car accident fatalities are due to drunk drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
- Speeding drivers played a role in 26 percent of fatal car crashes statewide and 22 percent of car accident fatalities in Suffolk County.
- More than 9 percent of car accident fatalities in Massachusetts occurred due to distracted drivers, including texting while driving. Anyone who has driven on highways in Boston can also confirm that distracted drivers wreak havoc on the city’s highways and often cause serious collisions.
Other common causes of Boston highway accidents include aggressive driving, reckless driving, and falling asleep at the wheel.
What are common highway accidents?
There are several ways a car crash can occur on the highway:
- Rear-end accidents, especially in stop-and-go traffic on busy Boston highways, where drivers need to be alert at all times.
- Lane-changing accidents, which can be especially dangerous if both drivers are traveling at high speeds.
- Chain reaction car accidents, which involve several vehicles crashing into each other at high speed.
- Rollover car accidents, which often involve SUVs and other vehicles traveling at high speed and crashing into each other.
What are common highway accident injuries?
Because of the high speeds often involved in many Boston highway accidents, injuries can be severe and may require surgery and other emergency medical treatment. Such injuries often include:
- Head injuries, including skull fractures, concussions and other traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
- Neck injuries, including neck fractures, pinched nerves, neck sprains and whiplash.
- Back injuries, including fractured vertebra and spinal cord injuries.
- Facial injuries, including facial cuts, lacerations, broken nose, forehead injuries and jaw injuries.
- Broken bones, including broken arms and broken legs.
- Serious internal injuries, including organ damage (ruptured spleen, kidney damage or liver damage) and internal bleeding.
What should I do if I’m involved in a highway accident in Boston?
You need to act fast if you have been involved in a serious highway accident in Boston. Take the following steps:
- Call 911. The dispatcher will likely notify the Massachusetts State Police and send a state trooper from the nearest barracks. There are five MSP barracks in Boston alone.
- Ask the dispatcher to send an ambulance if you or anyone else is seriously injured. That way, you and other injury victims can receive medical treatment right away.
- Highways in Boston can be very dangerous due to drivers traveling at high speeds. Be careful about getting out of your vehicle or staying in your car. Depending on the circumstances of your crash, the safest place to wait for police may vary. Your safety should always come first.
- Once police arrive and it’s safe to move around, if you are healthy enough to do so, take pictures of your crash site, especially before the vehicles are moved off the highway if possible. Such pictures can serve as powerful pieces of evidence in support of your accident claim.
- Many Massachusetts highways have traffic cameras on them. Look to see if you see any cameras near your crash site. If you do, make a note of where the cameras are located and when your crash took place. In most cases, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) monitors these highway traffic cameras and controls them.
- Get the other driver’s personal information, including their name, address, phone number, driver’s license number and insurance information. Give the same information to the other driver.
- After exchanging information with the other driver, don’t talk about your accident. Even saying something as simple as “I’m sorry” could later be used by the at-fault driver’s insurance company to deny your injury claim.
- Get the state trooper’s name and badge number. This way, if you need to talk to the officer later, you will know who to contact. This will also make it easier to get a copy of your official Massachusetts motor vehicle accident report.
- Even if you have already been examined by an EMT or another medical professional after your accident, schedule a follow-up appointment with your doctor. Many car accident injuries have delayed symptoms, including whiplash, concussions and other types of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
- Follow your doctor’s advice. If your doctor tells you to stay home and rest after your collision, take their advice. If you don’t, you might not get better and your injury claim might be denied by an insurance company.
- As soon as possible, call our law firm to learn more about your legal rights. One of our experienced Boston highway accident lawyers can meet with you right away.
How much is my highway accident claim worth?
You might be surprised by how much money your Boston highway accident claim is worth. Insurance companies might tell you that you’re only entitled to receive a few thousand dollars. But that’s often because they only take into account short-term expenses immediately after your accident. Our lawyers take into account all of your expenses, even if they occur years after your car accident, including:
- Medical treatment, including follow-up surgery, long-term medical care and prescription medications, especially if you suffer from chronic pain due to your accident.
- Replacement income if you cannot work after your accident and need time off to recover.
- Lost future income if you cannot return to work due to a permanent disability.
- Pain and suffering in certain circumstances.
- Repairing or replacing your car.
Add all these expenses up and your Boston highway accident might be worth thousands of dollars or much more. The best way to know for sure? Talk to a lawyer at our Boston law firm.
Why should I hire a Boston highway accident lawyer?
You might think you don’t need an attorney if another driver clearly caused your highway accident in Boston. For one thing, your collision is likely being investigated by the Massachusetts State Police and perhaps another local, state or federal agency depending on the circumstances of your accident.
But it’s important to understand the scope of their investigation. Law enforcement agencies are concerned with determining whether any state or federal laws were violated. They’re not focused on whether you should be fairly compensated for your accident-related expenses.
That’s our job. That’s why our Boston car accident lawyers at The Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone want to meet with you as soon as possible. We know how to accurately estimate how much money your accident claim should be worth. As your attorney, we can review your case, answer your questions and explain your legal options.
Get the Boston law firm that gets results. Contact us and schedule a free case evaluation with a Boston highway accident attorney who puts your best interests first. You only have to pay if you receive a financial settlement or verdict. That’s because we work on a contingency fee basis. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Call now. We can help.
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