Posts Tagged ‘attorney’
Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates Bicycle Helmets to Tierney Learning Center in South Boston
Breakstone, White & Gluck recently donated bicycle helmets to the kids in the afterschool programs at the Tierney Learning Center in South Boston. The learning center and the Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward program invited us to spend Friday afternoon at the center. Attorney David W. White fit the children for helmets while Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward staff checked bikes and shared information about bike repairs.
Breakstone, White & Gluck donated the bicycle helmets as part of our Project KidSafe campaign, which we began in 2013. Our goal is to provide children who need one with a safe bicycle helmet. This year, we have donated 3,500 helmets to children in Watertown, Somerville, Dedham, Worcester and other communities.
The Tierney Learning Center is a hub in the South Boston community, providing early childhood programming, year-round youth programs, adult education and a technology center.
Programs include ABCD Head Start, an afterschool program with the Boys and Girls Club, language support classes, adult computer workshops with one-on-one assistance, counseling and career training programs. It also hosts holiday parties, community gatherings and job fairs. The center serves 150 children and families per day. Nearly 60 percent of these households are non-native English speakers while 90 percent are single-parent households.
Boston Bikes is operated by the City of Boston. Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward collects, repairs and distributes bikes to low-income Boston residents who might not otherwise have access to a bike. The program also provides bike safety education with a goal of promoting a healthier lifestyle of increased physical activity and fewer trips by car. The program plans to donate 1,000 bicycles this year, on top of the 3,800 helmets donated in past years.
Breakstone, White & Gluck is proud to have supported the program since 2013, by donating bicycle helmets for children who receive a refurbished bike.
Learn more about the Tierney Learning Center and Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward.
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Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates Bicycle Helmets to Waltham Police
Attorney David White delivered bicycle helmets to the Waltham Police Department this morning. Breakstone, White & Gluck donated the helmets for police to give to children who need one in the community. We are very excited about this partnership because Waltham Police are actively working on bicycle safety in many ways.
Many thanks to @bwglawboston for the gracious donation of nearly 100 helmets for children of Waltham. pic.twitter.com/LDuztOgoDL
— Waltham MA Police (@WalthamMAPolice) September 18, 2015
Related:
The Waltham Patch wrote about our bicycle helmet donations in Waltham and other communities. Please check out the article: http://tinyurl.com/oozwpa4.
Check Your Child’s Passenger Safety Seat
Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of injury and death for children. A properly installed child safety seat reduces the risk of injury by approximately 80 percent and of death by 28 percent, compared to children in seat belts alone.
Child safety seats are required in Massachusetts and every other state. They are one of the first steps a parent takes to protect a child when they leave the hospital and get in the car. But they are hard to use and many parents struggle even as children get older.
Nearly 3 out of 4 children are not properly fastened in their car seats, according to a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) survey. If a child safety seat is not properly installed, it cannot fully protect a child in a car accident.
Child Passenger Safety Week
Child Passenger Safety Seat Week, sponsored by the NHTSA, began last weekend and runs through next Saturday, Sept. 19th, which is also National Seat Check Saturday. We encourage parents to have your child safety seat checked. Check your local newspaper or social media for car seat check events near you. Here are other resources:
Websites for Parents to Visit
Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Events
Child Passenger Safety Seat Inspection Sites
Child Passenger Safety Week is also a good reminder to check if your child safety seat has been recalled and for parents to prepare for changes in routine. If someone else picks your child up at school or daycare, you must have a child safety seat available.
Massachusetts’ Child Passenger Safety Seat Law
In Massachusetts, children must be secured in child safety seats for the first few years, then booster seats until they are eight years old or over 57 inches tall. Children should always be seated in the back seat of the car, as it is the safest place for them in case of an accident.
Infants. All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car seat until they are 2 years old or reach the weight and height limit set by the car seat manufacturer.
Toddlers/Preschoolers. At this age, children should use a forward-facing car seat with a harness until they reach the height and weight limits set by the car seat manufacturer.
School-aged Children. The next step is a booster seat. Children must sit in a booster seat in the back-seat until he or she is 8 years old or over 57 inches tall.
Seatbelts. Children can then move into a seat belt in the backseat if they are big enough. They should use both lap and shoulder seat belts.
To learn more, visit this guide on child safety seats in Massachusetts.
About Breakstone, White & Gluck
The Boston personal injury attorneys of Breakstone, White & Gluck have over 100 years combined experience representing clients who have been seriously injured in motor vehicle accidents, truck accidents and motorcycle accidents. If you have been injured, it is important to learn your rights. For a free legal consultation, contact us at 800-379-1244 or 617-723-7676 or use our contact form.
Back to School is Time for a Family Talk About Texting While Driving and Distracted Driving
As students head back to classes, this is a good time for families to talk about cell phones and distracted driving.
Each day, nine people are killed in the U.S. in crashes involving distracted driving behaviors, such as using a cell phone, texting while driving or eating. More than 1,100 are injured.
There are now 46 states which ban texting while driving, including Massachusetts, which banned the practice in 2010. Junior operators are not allowed to use cell phones at all in Massachusetts.
For Parents
No Cell Phone Rule. Lead by example. Put your cell phone away while driving your children to school. Tell them to put theirs away too because it creates a distraction for you on the roads. Make this a rule for school drop-offs and pick-ups. If you can, extend it to other travel times.
Drop-Off Zone. After you drop your child off at school, resist the urge to immediately check your cell phone in the drop-off zone. Drive away and check later.
Children and Teens
No Cell Phone Use While Commuting. Keep telling your children the cell phone is not for use while commuting to school. Even if they are young and many years away from driving, they can learn now how distracting any cell phone use can be in the car.
Children should not use cell phones while walking or riding bikes to school, either. They can check in with social media, e-mail and text messages at home. If they must, tell them to step several feet off the sidewalk. Make it clear it is not safe to stop in a parking lot.
School Bus. Encourage your child to keep their cell phone packed on the ride so they can be aware of what is going on around them.
Reward Your Child For Not Using a Cell Phone. When your children do as you ask and leave the cell phone packed up, let them know you noticed.
Teen Drivers
Talk to Your Teen Drivers. Take some time to remind them not to use their cell phone behind the wheel. They could seriously injure someone or be stopped by police and face fines and a temporary loss of license.
No Passengers. Do not allow them to carry other teenage passengers with them until they become experienced drivers, and even then they should limit the number of passengers in their cars. Your teenager needs all their energy to focus on the roads and avoid car accidents.
Your teenager may not be happy with your rules, but younger drivers under 25 are two to three times more likely to text or e-mail while driving than others, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. You want to protect your teenager and help them develop safe habits.
Share Safety Materials. Do not be your teen’s only source of information. Occasionally share safety campaign information or news articles about texting while driving with them. One resource is the AT&T It Can Wait campaign.
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Supporting the Boston Bikes’ Get Biking Challenge for School Children
As part of our Project KidSafe campaign, Breakstone, White & Gluck recently supported the Boston Bikes’ Get Biking Challenge, a city-wide biking competition for children in the Boston Public Schools. Boston Bikes, which is part of the City of Boston, hosted this first-time event in May to celebrate National Bike Month. Students were challenged to ride their bicycles every day of the month and track how many minutes they rode.
Boston Bikes had strong results. Eleven city schools accepted the challenge, which meant more than 3,500 students were invited to participate. Nearly 1,400 students rode their bikes in May. On average, students rode 12 days of the month.
More results:
- Students biked more than 597,760 minutes combined
- Some 766 students biked more than 4 hours throughout the month
- They covered 79,700 miles, or the equivalent of traveling around the Earth’s equator three times
Read more about the Boston Bikes’ Get Biking Challenge.
About Breakstone, White & Gluck and Project KidSafe
The Boston personal injury law firm of Breakstone, White & Gluck launched Project KidSafe in 2013 and has donated 8,000 bicycle helmets to children who need one in eastern and central Massachusetts. Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward was one of our first partners and we continue to donate to the program, which fixes up used bikes and donates them to children who need one in Boston.
Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Project KidSafe Donates 400 Bicycle Helmets to Somerville Public Schools
Breakstone, White & Gluck recently joined the fifth graders at West Somerville Neighborhood School as they graduated from the CYCLE Kids program. Our firm was proud to donate 400 bicycle helmets this year to Somerville elementary school students participating in CYCLE Kids. We made the donations as part of our Project KidSafe campaign.
Attorney Ronald Gluck handed out new bicycle helmets to the 34 students who received certificates of completion at the West Somerville school. The certificates were handed out by Somerville Community Police Officer Marianne Manfra and physical education teacher Neil Holloway, who coordinate the program.
Photo: Attorney Ronald Gluck hands a helmet to a fifth grader who completed the CYCLE Kids program at the West Somerville Neighborhood School.
Photo: A hand-written message from a fifth grader at the West Somerville Neighborhood School, where Breakstone, White & Gluck donated bicycle helmets
Photo: A Thank You from the fifth graders at the West Somerville Neighborhood School. Breakstone, White & Gluck donated bicycle helmets to the children for completing the CYCLE Kids program.
Photo: Another note from a student at the West Somerville Neighborhood School.
CYCLE Kids is a curriculum which teaches children about bicycle safety, literacy and nutrition. It is developed by the non-profit CYCLE Kids organization, based in Cambridge. In Somerville, the curriculum is offered to fifth graders as part of physical education class.
Students are taught how to ride a bicycle, use hand signals and that they must always wear a bicycle helmet while riding. For many students, it is their first experience riding a bicycle. They learn in class and through essay writing and take-home activities. Here is an excerpt from one student’s essay:
“At first, I didn’t have confidence but after talking with my friends in my homeroom with Ms. Carafotes, they all encouraged me to have confidence. That was the most important lesson because in the beginning I was afraid that I might fall. I fell twice but I just got right back up again and tried until I didn’t fall anymore. That would be my advice to anyone learning is to have confidence in yourself because if you don’t, you won’t accomplish your dreams.”
This student ended his essay with this note: “The best part of this program was getting a free Helmet at the end of our experience. I hope this continues every year for kids who don’t know how to ride a bike.”
About Breakstone, White & Gluck and Project KidSafe
Breakstone, White & Gluck is a personal injury law firm. We have partnered with the CYCLE Kids program for three years, proving bicycle helmets in the Cambridge Public Schools in 2013 and the Somerville Public Schools in 2014 and 2015.
Our Project KidSafe campaign works to keep children safe and encourage safe bicycle riding. Since 2013, we have donated over 4,500 bicycle helmets to children who need one in eastern Massachusetts and worked with organizations such as Boston Bikes’ Roll It Forward, the Somerville Kiwanis Club, Massachusetts Safe Routes to School, Bikes Not Bombs and local bicycle committees.
Photo: Students reading their essays about learning to ride a bicycle in the CYCLE Kids program. Breakstone, White & Gluck donated 400 bicycle helmets to the Somerville public schools for fifth-graders who completed the CYCLE Kids program.
Photo: Students at the West Somerville Neighborhood School with their certificates of completion for the CYCLE Kids program, which provides instruction on how to ride a bicycle safely.
Photo: A student wearing a Project KidSafe bicycle helmet. For the second year, Breakstone, White & Gluck partnered with CYCLE Kids and the Somerville Public Schools and donated these helmets for students.
Photo: Community Police Officer Marianne Manfra, Attorney Ronald Gluck and students who completed the CYCLE Kids program at West Somerville Neighborhood School.
Attorney Marc L. Breakstone Says Clients Feel Former New England Patriots Player Brandon Spikes “Got Off Lightly” With Probation
Click here to view the interview on WCVB.
Former New England Patriots player Brandon Spikes pled guilty yesterday to criminal charges in the hit-and-run car crash which injured a family of three on I-495 in Foxborough. He was sentenced to one year probation and loss of license.
Attorney Marc L. Breakstone of Breakstone, White & Gluck represents the family.
“They feel that he got off lightly for engaging in conduct that could have killed them frankly,” Breakstone told WCVB.
Early on June 7, Spikes was driving his Mercedes-Benz Maybach on I-495 in Foxborough and struck the Nissan Murano carrying Breakstone’s clients. He was traveling without headlights and hit the family’s car at a high-speed, but never stopped.
They were treated at a local hospital. Police found his vehicle abandoned nearby, after his on-board navigation company reported the driver stated he had hit a deer. Spikes, who had just returned to the New England Patriots a month earlier, was released by the team shortly later.
Yesterday in Wrentham District Court, Spikes was found responsible for speeding and a marked lanes violation as well. He also admitted prosecutors had sufficient facts to convict him on charges of negligent operation and driving an uninsured vehicle. Those charges were continued without a finding for one year and Spikes could avoid conviction if he stays out of trouble.
Breakstone told The Boston Herald his clients are, “very lucky not to have been killed. They’re still traumatized by this incident. This guy, hopefully, learned a lesson that will change his behavior going forward.”
Driving without auto insurance is against the law in Massachusetts and punishable by a fine or up to one year in a house of correction.
“This is a trifecta of irresponsibility; no insurance, reckless driving, leaving the scene in a cowardly fashion,” Breakstone told Fox 25 TV.
Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston
Coverage: The Boston Herald, The Boston Globe, WCVB, Fox 25 TV Boston and WHDH.
Attorney Marc Breakstone Speaks for Clients in Hit and Run Accident With Possible Link to Former Patriot Player’s Mercedes
Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston
As State Police investigate a weekend hit-and-run car crash in Foxborough, attorney Marc L. Breakstone spoke on behalf of his clients who were injured. Breakstone told The Boston Globe there is “overwhelming evidence” that his clients’ vehicle was struck by the Mercedes-Benz Mabach registered to ex-New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes.
Breakstone, a personal injury attorney at Breakstone, White & Gluck in Boston, is representing the Billerica family who was struck in the early Sunday morning crash. The parents and child were taken to the hospital with minor injuries after their Nissan Murano was struck suddenly.
Breakstone said the car that struck his clients was likely traveling at least 80 to 85 miles per hour and that his clients never saw any headlights.
“It is an extraordinary act of negligence for one vehicle to strike another vehicle that’s traveling 60 miles an hour on the highway,” Breakstone told the Globe. “I suspect that whatever that driver was under the influence of is the reason that the driver left the scene.”
Around the same time, State Police were notified the 2011 Mercedes-Benz Maybach registered to Spikes had been abandoned nearby in the median strip of Interstate 495 in Foxborough. A Mercedes roadside assistance service operator contacted State Police, telling them the driver of the vehicle reported hitting a deer.
State Police say the investigation is ongoing and they have not established who was driving the Mercedes-Benz Maybach or whether the Maybach hit the other car.
Spikes was released by the Patriots on Monday. He played for the Patriots from 2010 through 2013, then joined the Buffalo Bills for the 2014 season. He had recently returned to the Patriots on a one-year deal which would have been worth up to $2 million.
Breakstone told the Globe his clients are working to move past the hit-and-run accident.
“They want their normal lives back,” he said. “They want their good health and their comfortable state of mind. … They’re alarmed, first, that they could have been killed. They’re alarmed that it may have been an NFL player behind the wheel, and they would just [prefer to] not be in the spotlight and just have a return to normalcy.”
Related Coverage:
Accident Blindsided Family, Lawyer Says, The Boston Herald.
Patriots release Brandon Spikes amid crash investigation, WCVB.
Police probing whether ex-Patriots linebacker Spikes’ car hit Billerica family’s, The Lowell Sun.
Three Bike Helmet Donation Events from Our Project KidSafe Campaign
Wearing a bicycle helmet is the most effective way to prevent a serious head injury on a bicycle. It is most important for young children who are still in development and building their strength.
Breakstone, White & Gluck is continuing its commitment to bicycle safety by donating children’s bicycle helmets through our Project KidSafe campaign. Here are a few recent and upcoming events:
Kiwanis Club of Somerville. For the third year, we partnered with the Kiwanis Club of Somerville at Bike Safety Day on May 16th. Each year, the Kiwanis holds the event in a different neighborhood; this year’s event was held at the Dr. Albert F. Argenziano School at Lincoln Park. There was a great turnout and the Kiwanis and Attorney David W. White donated nearly 120 bicycle helmets. Children were also offered free bike inspections, reflectors, safety information and the chance to test out their skills on bicycle obstacle courses. Read more about the Kiwanis Club of Somerville.
Worcester Earn-a-Bike. This community bicycle shop teaches local residents the basics of bicycle maintenance while letting them work to earn a free bicycle. If you are under 17 years old, you must volunteer for 5 hours to receive a free bicycle and anyone over age 17 must volunteer for 10 hours.
Worcester Earn-a-Bike is also known for its popular annual Kids Bike Sale. This year’s event will be held on June 6th. This is a fun event because every child’s bicycle is on sale for just $5. Breakstone, White & Gluck participates by donating free bicycle helmets to children who need one. This is the second year we have partnered up with Worcester Earn-a-Bike. Read more about Worcester Earn-a-Bike.
Friends of Lexington Bikeways. The Friends of Lexington Bikeways donated bicycle helmets from Project KidSafe to children at Discovery Day on May 23. The group showed children how to properly fit the helmets and spoke about safety with parents and children. This is the second year we have partnered up with the Friends of the Lexington Bikeways, which is active in promoting and supporting safe cycling and development of bike routes. Read more about the Friends of Lexington Bikeways.
Photo: A volunteer helps a child adjust a bicycle helmet at Discovery Day in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Bay State Bike Week is Here: Breakstone, White & Gluck to Donate Children’s Bicycle Helmets in Somerville
For cyclists, this is one of the best weeks of the year: Bay State Bike Week. It started Saturday and runs through next Sunday, May 17th.
May is National Bike Month and Bay State Bike Week is how we celebrate in Massachusetts. This is a truly statewide event, with groups organizing gatherings, rides and photo exhibits throughout Massachusetts. These events are a great way to learn about cycling in Massachusetts, as well as safety. There are some groups working hard to prevent bicycle accidents in our state and this is the time to see their work.
Bay State Bike Week is a partnership between the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), MassBike and MassRides. If you are a cyclist, check out the list of events.
Here are a few events of note. Watch for us! We may be participating in a few.
A few events to watch:
Cambridge. This will be a busy week in Cambridge, with a wide range of events, from pancake breakfasts to lunches with the Cambridge Police Department and city planning staff, where cyclists can ask questions. On Saturday, cyclists gather for a two-hour ride in honor of the late talk host Tom Magliozzi of Cambridge, who was best known for hosting Car Talk on NPR alongside his brother.
There are also bicycle maintenance workshops throughout the week, where cyclists can take home a few tips for free.
Waltham. Waltham is hosting its Second Annual City of Waltham Bicycle Update on Wednesday at 6 p.m., at the Government Center Auditorium on School Street. With more than 60,000 residents, large employers and colleges, the city is looking to encourage safe cycling as an alternative form of transportation.
Lexington. Free bike safety checks will be offered throughout the week. On Friday, a light breakfast is free on the Minuteman Bikeway, near the Lexington Depot. Then Richard Fries, executive director of Mass Bike Director, will lead a bicycle convoy from Lexington to Boston City Hall.
Bike Friday at Boston City Hall. On Friday, the commuters will ride in from all over for Bike Friday, where they are rewarded with a free breakfast. This is a popular event organized by Boston Bikes. It is held once a month in the summer and will be one of the last events of Bay State Bike Week. Attorney David W. White will be out with our Project KidSafe tent as the cyclists pull in.
Somerville Bike Day. For the third year, we will join the Somerville Kiwanis at the city’s annual Bike Day at Argenziano School on Washington Street. We will donate 120 new helmets and help fit the helmets for the children. Children will receive a free bicycle inspection, reflectors, and safety pamphlets and get to test their skills on a bicycle obstacle course. The Somerville Police Department will be on hand to register bikes for children.
Western Massachusetts Events. There will be commuter breakfasts, mayor’s rides and photo exhibits in Westfield, Amherst, Springfield and Northampton.
Cape Cod Events. There are several rides and interesting events in Cape Cod this week, but one of note is the Cape Cod Summer Citizens – Bike Safety Outreach Program. Each year, thousands of international students arrive on Cape Cod to arrive in work and travel programs. They primarily have to travel on bicycles and this program starts this week. This program provides education to all cyclists throughout the busy tourist season.
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