New Bedford Car Accident Attorneys

Interstate 195 and several other major roadways run through New Bedford, Massachusetts. Car accidents in this port town often happen on these busy highways.

If you have been hurt in a car crash in New Bedford, you should consult a car accident lawyer to determine if another driver is liable for your injuries. Drivers who are careless or fail to follow Massachusetts traffic laws can, and should, be held responsible for the harm they cause.

Our New Bedford car accident attorneys can help you maximize any financial recovery, including compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering.

Contact our law firm today so we can evaluate your New Bedford car accident case and take action to protect your legal rights. Our law firm charges no fee until you receive a settlement or award. Car accident cases are time-sensitive, so prompt action can increase your chance of a favorable outcome.

New Bedford is in Bristol County, Massachusetts, near Lakeville, Fairhaven, Fall River, and Acushnet, and is about an hour's drive from Boston. As of 2020, New Bedford had a population of 101,000 and was the ninth-largest city in the state. In the 1800s, New Bedford was an important whaling port. At its economic peak, it was the wealthiest city in the world per capita. New Bedford is famous for serving as the setting for Herman Melville's 1851 classic novel, Moby Dick.

Interstate 195 is the main freeway that runs through the center of New Bedford. This 44-mile highway travels from Providence, Rhode Island, to Wareham, Massachusetts. U.S. Route 6 runs east to west through the city toward Cape Cod, over the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge and the Popes Island Bridge. Massachusetts Route 140, which connects to Massachusetts Route 24 in Taunton, has its southern terminus in New Bedford. Massachusetts Route 18, an extension of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, runs through New Bedford's downtown area.

I-195 is one of the more dangerous roads in Massachusetts, especially when it is congested or road conditions are poor. In 2022, a multi-car crash, a wrong-way collision, and a tractor-trailer crash were among the accidents that led to severe and deadly injuries on this highway.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, there were 10,790 car crashes in New Bedford from 2019 to 2021. Of those crashes, 17 resulted in fatal injuries, and 177 resulted in serious injuries. Pedestrians were involved in 247 of the collisions, motorcyclists were involved in 143, and bicyclists were involved in 88.

Today, New Bedford is still one of the nation's top fishing ports. Trucks using New Bedford's highways to transport seafood and other products to Boston and the rest of New England can cause accidents when drivers speed, are overtired, or fail to check their blind spots before passing. Accidents involving tractor-trailers, and other trucks, often result in fatal or catastrophic injuries, especially on highways where vehicles are cruising at a high rate of speed.

Many roads in the New Bedford area are heavily traveled, but drivers face the most significant risk at certain intersections. One report found that from 2017 to 2019, New Bedford had 31 of the 100 most dangerous intersections in southeastern Massachusetts and more than any other city on the list.

Based on MassDOT data, these are the ten intersections in New Bedford where car crashes are most likely to occur:

1. Ashley Boulevard and Coggeshall Street (four-way intersection)
2. John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway and Potomska Street (six-way intersection)
3. Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway (Massachusetts Route 140) and Kempton Street (U.S. Route 6) (five-point intersection)
4. North Sixth Street and Elm Street (four-way intersection)
5. Church Street and Tarkiln Hill Road (four-way intersection)
6. Rockdale Avenue and Allen Street (four-way intersection)
7. U.S. Route 6 and Pleasant Street (seven-point intersection)
8. John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway and the Ramp to JFK Highway northbound to U.S. Route 6 (six-way intersection)
9. County Street and Mill Street (U.S. Route 6) (four-way intersection)
10. Dartmouth Street and Allen Street (four-way intersection)

As this list shows, intersections with five or more points can be complicated for travelers to navigate safely. Unfortunately, any intersection can be dangerous if drivers fail to pay attention or do not follow traffic laws.

There were many different causes of accidents at these intersections, including drivers failing to yield the right-of-way, engaging in unsafe lane departures, speeding, and texting while driving.

If you have been hurt in a car accident in New Bedford and plan to pursue a claim against a negligent driver, you will want to obtain a copy of the accident report.

You can access a copy of your accident report online at LexisNexis Police Reports.

Or you can go in person to the New Bedford Police Department headquarters at 871 Rockdale Avenue and request a copy of the report. The department provides police reports Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

A police report is one piece of evidence that you will need to support a claim for damages. Medical bills, witness statements, and photos of the accident can also be helpful when negotiating with the at-fault driver's insurance company.

Q: How many people die in car accidents in New Bedford each year?

A: According to MassDOT data, on average, six people die in car accidents in New Bedford each year.

Q: What is the most dangerous intersection in New Bedford?

A: The most dangerous intersection in New Bedford is at Ashley Boulevard and Coggeshall Street, as per statistics from MassDOT. Ninety-one accidents reportedly occurred at this intersection from 2017 to 2019.

Q: What are my chances of getting hit by a drunk driver in New Bedford?

A: According to statistics, your chances of getting hit by a drunk driver in New Bedford are less than in many other cities in Massachusetts. New Bedford drivers rank 20 in the state in the number of DUIs per driver, with less than 1% of drivers having a DUI.

This is not to say that drunk driving accidents do not occur in New Bedford. If you have been injured by a drunk or otherwise impaired driver, you need to contact a drunk driving accident lawyer as soon as possible.

Victims of motor vehicle collisions have a right to receive compensation for injuries and losses.

The attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers can help you claim monetary compensation. We have 30 years of experience helping car accident victims in New Bedford, and the surrounding area, receive the best possible settlement for their injuries and pain and suffering.

We will also work to secure your family’s financial future if the car accident leads to the death of a loved one. Surviving family members can bring a wrongful death claim when another driver’s negligence causes a fatal crash.

Schedule your free consultation with the New Bedford car accident attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers LLC at (617) 777-7777 or contact us online.