Massachusetts motor vehicle accident: Autistic teen on bike hit

A Massachusetts family beset by tragedy 4 years ago is confronting it once again. A 13-year-old bicycle riding boy who suffers from autism was struck in a motor vehicle accident near Cape Cod. The boy was seriously injured in Fall River and airlifted to Tufts University Hospital in Boston following the collision. Though the specific nature of his injuries was not detailed, it was subsequently reported that his condition was listed as fair at the University’s Floating Hospital for Children.

The crash occurred when a small truck owned by a landscaping company turned onto a local roadway from another street. The truck was towing landscaping equipment, and the crash was said to have happened opposite a local housing complex. The bicycle ended up underneath the right front portion of the truck.

Authorities are investigating. Although several equipment violations were issued to the driver and landscaping company, no citations have as yet been issued concerning the motor vehicle accident itself. The 29-year-old truck driver is a local resident as well. Both the Massachusetts State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit and the Foxboro police were investigating the incident.

The family suffered the death of the father in their home 4 years ago, and the community was said to have come together to offer its support. As the family struggles to accept what has happened this time, a personal injury claim may be appropriate under state law. If the evidence documents that the driver was negligent in a manner that caused or contributed to the motor vehicle accident, a claim for monetary damages occasioned by the injuries sustained may be proper. A successful claim would address expenses incurred and to be incurred for medical and other costs as well as pain and suffering endured by the tragic incident.

Source: The Sun Chronicle, “Foxboro boy struck by truck listed in fair condition,” Aug. 29, 2012