A single-vehicle car accident this afternoon in Holyoke left two people injured. The accident occurred on Route 5 and the injuries are reported as being severe with one victim in critical condition.
According to the Holyoke Police, the operator of the motor vehicle could not keep control of it and rammed into a tree. The truck accident could be seen at the intersection of Nothampton Street (Route 5) and Lincoln Street. The impact happened at about 3 p.m.
Emergency first responders had to saw the truck in two in order to remove the driver and the passenger. It took the Holyoke Fire crew a quarter of an hour to compelte the rescue. They took the hood off the top of the truck. When the car was separated in two, they still had to remove the front dash off the body of the driver.
The victims remained at the Baystate Medical Center through the late evening. The scene of the accident was shut down for hours to allow for an investigation to take place. It was opened again to the flow of traffic at almost 8 p.m.
When a single–vehicle accident happens, the driver who sustained severe injuries can file a claim with his or her insurance. The driver may also, in some cases, pursue a Massachusetts personal injury lawsuit if a road defect, a poor vehicle design or other factors were the reason for the crash.
In many of these cases, the driver is the one responsible for the single-car accident. Anyone who sustained harm, such as another occupant of the vehicle, can make a legal claim against the driver. This is also known as a personal injury lawsuit.
When an injury is severe enough that a lawsuit can be filed, the victim desiring compensation has to show that the driver was negligent or reckless. Occupants of the accident vehicle, pedestrians, and other motorists harmed by the accident can all file lawsuits against the driver of a vehicle in a single-car accident, provided the driver was negligent in a way that led to the accident.
If you have been injured in a single-vehicle car crash call the attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeffrey S. Glassman at (617) 367-2900 to tell us your story.