Decades of Experience Successfully Battling Insurance Companies
There are about 6 million car crashes each year in the United States. Car, truck, pedestrian, bicycle and motorcycle crashes often cause injuries to multiple areas of the body and many can be life threatening, require lengthy rehabilitation or even post-accident surgery. Bodily injury from a car accident is life altering. While accidents often cause immediate pain, it is common to have some delayed symptoms like headaches, neck, back, knee and shoulder pain that begin hours or several days later. Even with front impact, side impact and dashboard airbags deployed, the force of colliding and crashing vehicles is transferred to the operator and passenger. Accidents often require a visit to the emergency department, an urgent care facility and primary physician’s office. When you are doing everything right to get better after being injured in a car accident, the last thing you need is the frustration and stress of dealing with insurance companies when you want to be focusing on your rehabilitation.
Attorney Shute is an experienced local attorney who has handled numerous successful auto accident cases from beginning to end. Each client’s injury story is personal to Attorney Shute and it deserves the commitment of personal attention. You get one-on-one representation from Attorney Shute because your case is never handed off to an assistant. Call for a free case evaluation and to have your questions answered. 413-592-0999
Attorney Shute’s fee is on a “contingency” basis. You don’t pay a dime until your case is won and when you receive money for your pain and suffering.
Call Any Time
(413) 592-0999
According to CDC statistics, the leading cause of traumatic brain injury hospitalizations for ages 15 to 44 is motor vehicle crashes. In the United States, more than 30,000 people are killed in vehicle crashes every year and motor vehicle crashes are a top 10 cause of death up to age 53.
Pedestrians and Bicyclists are especially vulnerable to reckless driving. The CDC reported that there were 476,000 bicycle-related injuries per year. In Massachusetts, crash-related deaths result in 5 Million Dollars in medical costs and 433 million dollars in work loss costs each year.
The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reported in 2020 that the number of pedestrian deaths increased more than 50% over the past decade. There has been an 81% increase in pedestrian deaths from being struck by an SUV.
The force of vehicles crashing easily can cause concussions. The multiple symptoms of concussions include headache, nausea, vomiting, balance problems, dizziness, visual problems with sensitivity to light, sensitivity to noise, feeling mentally foggy, feeling slowed down, difficulty concentrating, difficulty remembering, trouble falling asleep, sleeping more than usual or sleeping less than usual. Pedestrians are vulnerable to distracted and drowsy drivers and they often sustain two impacts – one with the vehicle and another with the ground.
Pedestrians and Bicyclists are Vulnerable
Pedestrians are particularly vulnerable to distracted, drowsy and under the influence of alcohol drivers. If you own a vehicle, it is wise to have “underinsured” motorist coverage for your own car so that you are not relying solely on the at-fault driver’s insurance coverage when you are a pedestrian. When a driver is carelessly looking left while turning right, they are not looking where they are going and can miss seeing the bicyclist or pedestrian. This often happens when a driver is turning right on a red light looking at oncoming traffic and turning down a street where a pedestrian is crossing in the crosswalk. Bicyclists and pedestrians are vulnerable to closed head injuries, skull fractures and traumatic brain injury. Attorney Shute is here to help when you are the victim of someone’s negligent or reckless driving.
Examples of Causes of Pedestrian and Car Accidents
- Driving above the speed limit and running red lights. These reckless acts cause multiple types of accidents including rear end collisions, side impact collisions and front-end collisions. If the rear end collision impact forces a car to be pushed into the car in front of it, the middle car is sandwiched between the two vehicles getting impacted both at the rear end of the vehicle and at the front end of the vehicle. The result for a rear seat passenger is that their head hits the rear seat head-rest from the first impact and then is flung forward against the back of the front seat. It can be a devastating injury when someone is driving recklessly and speeding and decides he or she can make it through an intersection before the light turns red. All they are thinking about is getting where they want to go in a big hurry. The time one spends sitting at a red light waiting his or her turn is a tiny fraction of the time compared to the time spent in rehabilitation for a car crash injury.
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that every day almost 30 people in the United States die in drunk driving crashes, which is one person every 50 minutes. Some prescription medications state not to drive while taking the medication. We all know the horrible results of drunk driving. Whether it’s a head-on collision, T-bone collision or rollover, drunk driving causes violent harm to innocent victims.
- Distracted Driving. We know that it is important to “keep your eyes on the road ahead”, but with electronic devices, smart phones with smart phone apps for maps and finding destinations there have been more cases of distracted driving. The National Highway Safety Administration states that of 2,841 lives lost from distracted driving, 1730 were drivers, 400 were pedestrians and 77 were bicyclists.
- Driving While Drowsy. People often are forced to work longer hours or even more than one job. Sleep deprivation is an epidemic and those with little sleep are driving to work, to the gym, to the grocery store or even taking their children to after school activities. According to the GHSA, there are 83.6 million sleep-deprived people driving on the road. A “drowsy driver” means impaired judgment, slowed reaction time, and increased risk of causing a crash.
- Unsafe Driving – drifting over the solid yellow line, illegal U turns, cutting vehicles off, not yielding right of way when turning left into oncoming traffic and turning right while looking left. The Rules of the Road exist to prevent car crashes and to protect bicyclists and pedestrians. When drivers are not paying attention, or are distracted, fatigued, drowsy, or in a hurry to get somewhere on time, accidents often are the result- the result of bad decision-making.
Some Examples of Injuries Sustained in Motor Vehicle Crash Cases
- Neck injuries including herniated discs, bulging discs and whiplash
- Spinal injuries and back injuries, upper and lower back or thoracic spine and lumbar spine
- Shoulder injuries
- Head Injuries
- Posttraumatic headaches
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Fractures or broken bones
- Hip injuries
- Knee injuries
- Concussion
- Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, vision problems or photophobia
- Pain in neck and back and muscle spasms
- Dental and jaw injuries
- Wrist injuries
- Cervical Radiculopathy
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Burns
- Objects coming through windshield glass from unsecured loads on pickup trucks
- Cuts and abrasions from broken glass
- Emotional aftereffects including Stress, PTSD, Car Crash Anxiety
- Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome
- Death
Statute of Limitations
In Massachusetts there is a time limit for filing a claim for a motor vehicle crashes. The legal term for the time limit is the “Statute of Limitations.”
Call Immediately for a free consultation so that the statute of limitations and other time limits imposed by insurance companies do not expire. Atty. Robert W. Shute 413-592-0999
Free Case Evaluation
Learn Your Options
If you have been hurt or if you’re suffering financial consequences that are not your fault, you might be wondering what your options are. Fill out the form on the right for a free case evaluation.