Woman dies in accident on I-291 in western Massachusetts

A three-vehicle accident has claimed the life of a 34-year-old woman in western Massachusetts. She was a front-seat passenger in a vehicle driven by a 41-year-old man. He apparently did not suffer a serious injury in the fatal accident, and two minors in the rear seat were said to have escaped injury.

The fatal accident occurred westbound on I-291 at the on-ramp to the southbound travel lanes of Interstate 91. No information about the mid-afternoon collision was initially disclosed beyond the fact that three vehicles were involved. The name of the victim was withheld so that authorities could formally notify her next of kin.

The crash was said to be under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police as well as the office of the local district attorney. There were no reports of any arrests in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. As more information is available, the parties will be in a better position to assess their rights and responsibilities under state law.

One thing appears certain: a woman has lost her life for doing little more than riding as a passenger in a car. Her surviving family likely has more questions than answers as each member struggles to come to terms with what happened. While they await the results of the official investigations, they retain their right to turn to our state courts to pursue wrongful death claims against any party or parties alleged to have been negligent in a way that caused or contributed to the fatal accident. A successful claim will not undo the events which occurred but could help avoid adding a financial tragedy to their already immeasurable grief.

Source: The Boston Globe, “One woman dead in three-car crash in Springfield,” Jaclyn Reiss, Aug. 5, 2012