Bicycle Accidents
Our Attorneys Support Bikes Not Bombs Through Our Project KidSafe Campaign
Breakstone, White & Gluck and our Project KidSafe campaign donated new bicycle helmets to students participating in Bikes Not Bombs’ Earn-a-Bike class. This is the sixth year we have made this donation and these riders certainly deserve them. Through the class, the students learned how to fix up these used bikes and are now riding them. Photo credit: Bikes Not Bombs on Instagram.
For the past six years, Breakstone, White & Gluck has donated bicycle helmets to the Earn-a-Bike program at Bikes Not Bombs in Jamaica Plain. And the teens who participate definitely “earn” their helmets. During the class, each cyclist is taught how to fix up a used bike and participates in bike safety rides.
Breakstone, White & Gluck donates 160 bicycle helmets each year, part of our Project KidSafe campaign, encouraging children and teens to wear helmets EVERY time they ride. But our support for Bike Not Bombs goes back many more years. Our attorneys represented a cyclist connected to Bikes Not Bombs. During this time, we learned that Bikes Not Bombs reclaims thousands of used bikes across New England each year, distributing them to young adults and teens – locally and around the world. The organization works to teach job skills and provide workers with a sustainable means of transportation.
Bikes Not Bombs’ International Program works in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. In Jamaica Plain, it is well-known for its youth programming and retail bike shop, where you can buy some of the bikes refurbished in Earn-a-Bike and other programs.
Donate a Used Bike
You can support Bikes Not Bombs by donating an old bike or supplies for programs. You can drop bikes off at The Hub at Bikes Not Bombs’ headquarters, located at 284 Amory Street in Jamaica Plain or at The Shop at 18 Bartlett Square nearby. Many people donate at community bike drives, which are coming up in Dedham, Arlington, Pembroke, Dover, Billerica, Belmont and Northampton in October and November. See the full list of bike donation events on the Bikes Not Bombs’ website.
About Breakstone, White & Gluck: Project KidSafe and Our Law Firm’s Work Protecting Cyclists After Bicycle Accidents
Our Boston personal injury lawyers are committed to protecting cyclists from serious head injuries. After years of representing injured cyclists, we know that traumatic brain injuries and head injuries are a risk to all cyclists, even those who wear helmets. But a helmet is the most effective way to protect yourself. Through our Project KidSafe, we hope to encourage children to wear helmets throughout their lives.
When one cyclist wears a helmet, they have a positive impact on other cyclists. According to one study, children wore helmets 90 percent of the time when adults did. Just 38 percent of children wore helmets when adults rode without one. Children in states which require youth to wear bicycle helmets – such as Massachusetts – were also more likely to wear helmets. In Massachusetts, the law states cyclists age 16 and younger must wear helmets.
Contact Our Attorneys
Visit our website to learn more about our attorneys. If you have been injured in a bicycle accident or a dooring accident, we are here to help. Our attorneys have represented cyclists after catastrophic accidents, in Boston, Cambridge and across the state of Massachusetts. Our clients call us the best personal injury lawyers in Boston and we have been recognized by Top 100 New England Super Lawyers, Top 100 Massachusetts Super Lawyers and by The Best Lawyers in America© 2019. For a free legal consultation, contact our attorneys at 800-379-1244 or 617-723-7676, or send us a message through our contact form.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates Bicycle Helmets to Children at Tierney Learning Center for the 4th Year
If summer must end, we like to squeeze in some last fun at the Tierney Learning Center’s Back to School BBQ. The Tierney Learning Center is a resource for many in South Boston, working to help low-income families achieve their goals for education, finances and health and well being. And it hosts one of the best summer BBQs in Boston, with good food, games, music and the opportunity to see friends.
For the fourth year, Breakstone, White & Gluck was pleased to donate bicycle helmets for the children and teens as part of our Project KidSafe campaign. Attorney David W. White fit the helmets and as you can see, he had a great time. It was nice to spend time with the kids before they head back to school. We have met some of the families at past events, so it was a pleasure to see them again.
Boston Law Firm of Breakstone, White & Gluck Helping Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Protect Children from Head Injuries This Summer
Breakstone, White & Gluck is proud to support Massachusetts Safe Routes to School each year. For the fourth year, Breakstone, White & Gluck donated 400 bicycle helmets from our Project KidSafe campaign and Massachusetts Safe Routes to School distributed the helmets to children who needed one and participated in their bicycle safety training. This is our largest donation each year and one we are proud to make. From Boston to Western Massachusetts, Massachusetts Safe Routes teaches elementary and middle school students skills to walk and bike to school safely. The bicycle safety training focuses on the fundamentals of traffic laws, the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet and for many, how to balance on their first ride. The program is also well known for its bike rodeos, a fun way for students to practice their new-found skills.
Massachusetts Safe Routes offers programming in over 800 schools in 200+ communities in Massachusetts. The staff tells us our Project KidSafe helmets went to children at these events:
Holyoke Roll n’ Stroll
Newburyport Bike Rode
Lawrence SALSA, Ciclovia
Longmeadow Bike Rodeo
Northeastern University Police Bike Rodeo-Boston
Stoughton Bike Rodeo
BCYF Mattahunt-Super Teens-Boston
Lawrence Learns Block Party
Pittsfield’s Mayor’s Fitness Challenge Kickoff
Springfield Complete Streets Celebration
Milford Fun and Fuel Summer Meals Program
National Night Out-North Adams
Longmeadow’s Bike Rodeo
Groveland’s Bike Rodeo
Young cyclists at the Lawrence Ciclovia (August 2018). Massachusetts Safe Routes to School distributed free bicycle helmets from Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Project KidSafe campaign to prevent head injuries. Courtesy Photo: Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Facebook page.
Lawrence Ciclovia (August 2018). Massachusetts Safe Routes to School distributed free bicycle helmets from Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Project KidSafe campaign to prevent head injuries. Courtesy Photo: Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Facebook page.
Massachusetts Safe Routes to School distributed free bicycle helmets from Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Project KidSafe campaign at Boston Center for Youth & Families Mattahunt Super Teens. Courtesy Photo: Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Facebook page.
In addition to donating bicycle helmets, Breakstone, White & Gluck was pleased to participate in a few Safe Routes events in 2018. First, Attorney Marc L. Breakstone spoke to students at Peirce Elementary School in Arlington about the importance of wearing bicycle helmets, then helped hand the helmets out. Meanwhile, Attorney David W. White attended the annual Safe Routes to School Awards at the Massachusetts State House. The event recognizes students, schools and teachers who are going above and beyond in the work of protecting children on bikes and when walking to school.
Launched in 2000, Massachusetts Safe Routes to School was one of two pilot programs launched in the U.S. The goal was to help children learn the skills they needed to walk and bike to school safely. Today, the program is a federally-funded initiative managed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and has grown by leaps and bounds to meet the needs of communities and schools which want to keep kids safe.
We are very proud of our partnership with Massachusetts Safe Routes because the programming is effective and provides encouragement to schools and communities. Children remember what they learn and remember it for years to come. As they move through the curriculum, students get valuable practice time at community bike rodeos (which, in our experience, are a lot of fun). Whether it’s walking or biking, the program works best when children, teachers and communities are all involved in the safety lessons. One of the first lessons is that walking and biking safely are lifelong skills.
About Breakstone, White & Gluck and Our Project KidSafe Campaign
The Project KidSafe campaign was founded by the Boston personal injury law firm of Breakstone, White & Gluck. Through our Project KidSafe campaign, our attorneys have donated over 20,000 bicycle helmets to children across Massachusetts. Most of the donations are in the Boston area and eastern Massachusetts. All our donations are made through programs, such as Massachusetts Safe Routes, and community partners which distribute the helmets to children one at a time, as part of educational programming or at community events.
How did we get started? In 2013, the firm’s partners – Marc L. Breakstone, David W. White and Ronald E. Gluck – set out to protect children and families on bikes from head injuries. The attorneys have long represented those who have been injured by head injuries on bikes and in car accidents, as a result of someone else’s negligence. These are devastating injuries which can change lives. Responsibility falls with drivers not to speed or operate recklessly, but cyclists must also obey traffic laws and we urge riders of all ages to wear helmets. This is an key step to protect yourself and limit the risk of head injuries should you ever fall on your bike or be injured in a bicycle crash. Please wear your helmet every time you ride, no matter how short the trip.
Quincy Police Department and Breakstone, White & Gluck Giveaway Free Bicycle Helmets at Quincy DARE Camp and Norfolk DA’s Basketball Camp
Quincy Police Officer Hartnett fits bicycle helmets at the city’s DARE camp. Breakstone, White & Gluck and our Project KidSafe campaign donated helmets for the 106 students. Photo: Quincy Police Department.
For the second year, Breakstone, White & Gluck has teamed up with the Quincy Police Department to help children ride safely on bikes. Our lawyers donated 200 bicycle helmets to the Quincy Police Department as part of our 2018 Project KidSafe campaign. Officers been distributing helmets across the city.
More than 100 helmets went to fifth graders at the Quincy Police Dare camp. Another 35 helmets went to students from the Germantown Neighborhood Center, who participated in Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s Basketball Camp. This camp was held in partnership with the South Shore YMCA.
DARE Camp. Quincy Police offer this camp each year for 5th graders across the city. Students are treated to summer’s best: day trips to amusement parks, summer games and meet-and-greet sessions with Quincy police officers of all ranks, from the marine patrol, to detectives to the chief. The Quincy Police bike patrol leads one of the most popular sessions. Officers answer questions on a wide range of topics, from bike locks to safety vests, riding with friends and other topics. This year, much of the session focused on the wearing bicycle helmets to prevent concussions and head injuries. After the talk, students each received a free bicycle helmet from Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Project KidSafe campaign. Quincy police officers showed them how to fit the helmets and stressed the importance of always wearing one.
Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s Basketball Camp
Children from the Germantown Neighborhood Center visited the South Shore YMCA for the basketball camp. The camp teaches basketball, but many lessons focus on good decision making off the court. One lesson focused on fire safety and prevention, with a visit from the Quincy and Weymouth fire departments, along with a Norfolk County deputy sheriff. The Quincy Police Department’s bike patrol brought the lesson on safe riding, then gave away free bicycle helmets from our Project KidSafe campaign. Read this article in the The Patriot Ledger.
The Importance of Wearing Bicycle Helmets
In a few weeks, students will be pulling out backpacks and getting ready for a new school year. In Quincy, students who live within a mile of their school must generally be dropped off by parents, walk or ride a bicycle. Many of them will ride. We hope the good efforts of the Quincy Police Department, combined with the bicycle helmets donated by Breakstone, White & Gluck and our Project KidSafe campaign, will help steer students toward a safe school year.
Breakstone, White & Gluck, a Boston personal injury law firm, represents cyclists, pedestrians and others who have been injured in car and truck accidents. Over the years, our attorneys have seen cyclists who have suffered devastating head injuries.
With the number of cyclists growing in Boston and other communities, our firm set out to reduce the risk of concussions and head injuries. We began with children; by teaching children to wear helmets early, we hope to develop a life-long habit. This takes more than a free bicycle helmet. It takes positive reinforcement on all fronts, from parents, other students and respected community members such as police officers and teachers.
Research supports this view. In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics reported children are less likely to wear helmets when they ride with other unhelmeted children. But children were twice as likely to wear bicycle helmets when other children wore them or other adults wore them.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Supports Mattapan on Wheels 2018
Photo courtesy: Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition/Mattapan on Wheels Facebook page.
We were pleased to hear cyclists came out strong for the 8th annual Mattapan on Wheels Bike-a-thon last weekend. Breakstone, White & Gluck was a supporter, donating 130 bicycle helmets from our Project KidSafe campaign for cyclists who needed one. This year, 165 cyclists came out and explored Mattapan and the Neponset Greenway Trail, which offers some spectacular views of Boston. This was record participation for the event.
The Mattapan on Wheels Bike-a-thon is organized by the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition Vigorous Youth (MFFC Vigorous Youth). The goal is participation; to encourage residents of all ages to come out, enjoy the bike trail and learn more about cycling for transportation, health and recreation. This is a lot of fun because cyclists get to meet up with other cyclists, families and the Boston Police Department, which provided a bike patrol escort.
Cyclists can ride free of charge or raise funds. Businesses can also make donations. This year’s event brought in more than $8,000, which will be re-invested back into cycling in Mattapan. With these funds, Mattapan on Wheels plans to send a few students to a youth bike summit and organize bike activities and workshops.
“…We have seen an increase of bikers in the Mattapan community. This motivates us to continue on with Mattapan on Wheels and our biking efforts in Mattapan,” Mattapan on Wheels wrote in an e-mail to supporters this week.
Breakstone, White & Gluck regrets that we were unable to participate in Mattapan on Wheels this year. But our attorneys want to thank the volunteers who organized Mattapan on Wheels and specifically everyone who took time to fit our Project KidSafe helmets for children and other riders. Your enthusiasm, energy and patience makes a big difference in helping someone get started wearing a helmet, which is the first step of safety on a bike.
Our Thanks to:
Mattapan on Wheels Coordinator
Shavel’le Olivier
Thanks to the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition and Mattapan on Wheels for letting us show their excellent photos. See more photos on their Facebook page.
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- Photos of Mattapan on Wheels 2018. Courtesy: Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition and Mattapan on Wheels.
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- Photos of Mattapan on Wheels 2018. Courtesy: Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition and Mattapan on Wheels.
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- Photos of Mattapan on Wheels 2018. Courtesy: Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition and Mattapan on Wheels.
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- Photos of Mattapan on Wheels 2018. Courtesy: Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition and Mattapan on Wheels.
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- Photos of Mattapan on Wheels 2018. Courtesy: Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition and Mattapan on Wheels.
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- Photos of Mattapan on Wheels 2018. Courtesy: Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition and Mattapan on Wheels.
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- Photos of Mattapan on Wheels 2018. Courtesy: Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition and Mattapan on Wheels.
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- Photos of Mattapan on Wheels 2018. Courtesy: Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition and Mattapan on Wheels.
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- Photos of Mattapan on Wheels 2018. Courtesy: Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition and Mattapan on Wheels.
About Breakstone, White & Gluck
Breakstone, White & Gluck is a Boston personal injury law firm. Our partners, Marc L. Breakstone, David W. White and Ronald E. Gluck, founded our Project KidSafe campaign in 2013 to encourage children to wear bicycle helmets and protect themselves from head injuries. We are proud to donate bicycle helmets to children in Boston through a number of organizations, including Mattapan on Wheels, Boston Bikes, the Boston Police Department, the Tierney Learning Center, Bikes Not Bombs and The Home for Little Wanderers. We also support the advocacy of the Boston Cyclists Union.
Cyclists: Are You Lighting Up the Road?
Cyclist on vacation in Massachusetts wearing a helmet but not using bike lights
Fireworks are lighting up spectacular skies this week. All the color makes us think about bike lights. If you are a cyclist, are you lighting up the road this summer? Are you using bike lights and wearing bright colors to stay visible to drivers?
Whether you are commuting to work or enjoying a leisurely ride on vacation, bike lights are essential to preventing bicycle accidents. And many cyclists don’t realize this, but bike lights are required by law in Massachusetts.
We encourage you to buy yourself bike lights as soon as possible. If you already have lights, please check to make sure they are working properly. Bicycle accidents have risen in the U.S., reaching a 25-year high in 2016, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The majority of accidents happened between 6 and 9 p.m. The second peak time was 9 p.m. to midnight.
Massachusetts Law
Under Massachusetts law, cyclists are required to use bike lights if they ride after dark. The law is M.G.L c.85 § 11B.
Bicycles must be equipped with a white light facing forward and a red light facing backward. These lights must be in use from thirty minutes after sunset until thirty minutes before sunrise. The white light must be visible from at least five hundred feet away. The red light on the back must be visible for at least six hundred feet. Reflectors on both pedals facing front and back are also required. If a cyclist has no reflectors, they can wear reflective material around their ankles.
Plan
If you have your own bike, buy your own lights now. You can buy them online or at a local store for a few dollars. For everyone else, if there is a chance you may ride, purchase some small bike lights. They pack neatly in your work bag or travel luggage.
There are many different types of lights available. When you purchase lights, take note of the size, battery type and battery life and if they are designed for day or night use. Remember that lights are required for the front and back of your bike. Attaching lights to your helmet or other parts of your bike are helpful for safety, but are considered extra under the law. Here is an article about bike lights to help you get started.
There is good news for Boston commuters. There are built-in lights on the rental Blue Bikes in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline.
Stay Visible
Don’t stop at bike lights. Purchase a neon reflective safety vest, tape and any other clothing to help drivers see you. Amazon is full of ideas.
Know Your Bike Route
Before you ride at night, plan your route. Choose areas which are well lit and have clearly marked bike lanes. Travel the route during the day before you go at night.
Stay Informed
Monitor social media accounts for local police departments and bike committees which serve the area. Sign up for the newsletters offered by bike committees. Cyclists write these newsletters specifically for other cyclists and their experience is invaluable, especially when riding and making decisions at night.
Honoring Schools for Teaching Safe Walking and Biking
Breakstone, White & Gluck was pleased to celebrate the Massachusetts Safe Routes to School Partnership today. Attorney David W. White joined a gathering at the State House which recognized schools for outstanding work in teaching children critical skills, how to walk and bike to school safely. The ceremony was a nice opportunity to learn about Safe Routes’ work over the past year and get a preview of what’s ahead.
Breakstone, White & Gluck and our Project KidSafe campaign have supported Safe Routes’ work for the past four years. Wearing a bicycle helmet is one of the first lessons Safe Routes teaches children. We donate 400 bicycle helmets each year to help Safe Routes reach as many children as possible.
We make the donation, but Safe Routes’ coordinators choose which communities receive helmets, based on their unique knowledge of the communities. The program’s coordinators work all over the state, from Boston and Cambridge to Martha’s Vineyard to Western Massachusetts. In some cases, helmets are given to an entire class. In other cases, a Safe Routes coordinator will send a few helmets as needed.
Safe Routes programming is offered in all 50 states. In Massachusetts, the pilot program was first launched in 2000. With federal funding, the program was restructured in 2006 and became an initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and MassRIDES. More than a decade later, the program continues strong and is now offered in more than 800 schools in 206 communities in Massachusetts. Each program works to implement the Five E’s: Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, Evaluation and Engineering.
Students learn safety skills in school programs, special events and community events and rodeos. School programming includes Massachusetts Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day and the winter version, Winter Walk and Roll to School Day.
Diane Hanson, Mass Rides program director, spoke to start the ceremony. Keynote speaker was Jonathan Gulliver, the MassDOT Highway Commissioner. Pat Kelsey, outreach supervisor for MassRIDES, announced the school awards.
Attorney David W. White with Jennifer Ford, principal at Cambridge’s Peabody School, which received some of the Project KidSafe bicycle helmets.
Group photo on the Grand Staircase.
Attorney David W. White with Tom Francis, interim executive director of MassBike.
Attorney David W. White with Pat Kelsey, outreach supervisor for Mass Rides.
About Project KidSafe
Breakstone, White & Gluck founded Project KidSafe in 2013 and we have donated over 20,000 bicycle helmets to children. In addition to Safe Routes, we have partnered with over 40 schools, police departments, bicycle committees and community organizations mostly in the Boston area.
Why bicycle helmets? With decades of experience representing cyclists and those injured in motor vehicle crashes, our personal injury attorneys have seen the devastation caused by head injuries first hand. Young cyclists who are 16 and younger must wear bicycle helmets under Massachusetts law, but many ride without any protection. There are many reasons: helmets are expensive, hard to fit and cyclists (young and old) often say they are uncomfortable to wear. But through Project KidSafe, Breakstone, White & Gluck is committed to limiting and preventing head injuries in Massachusetts, and encouraging children to understand the importance of bicycle helmets early on.
Learn more about Breakstone, White & Gluck.
Learn more about Project KidSafe.
Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates Bicycle Helmets for Arlington Housing Authority Residents
We want to mention the volunteers from Highrock Church in Arlington, Grace Chapel in Lexington and the East Arlington Livable Streets Alliance, which recently organized a bike safety day in partnership with the Arlington Housing Authority. Volunteers gathered in early June, tuning up 65 bikes to help residents from Menotomy Manor ride safely.
The law firm of Breakstone, White & Gluck and our Project KidSafe campaign sent along 25 helmets for children who participated.
The Patriot Ledger Newspaper: Breakstone, White & Gluck Donates 200 Bicycle Helmets to the Quincy Police Department
Attorney David W. White with members of the Quincy Police Department Bike Patrol: Officer White, Officer Whedbee and Lieutenant Bina.
Attorney David W. White and Lieutenant Bina of the Quincy Police Department.
As part of our Project KidSafe campaign, Breakstone, White & Gluck was pleased to make a donation of 200 bicycle helmets to the Quincy Police Department this year. Attorney David W. White visited Quincy Police Department headquarters on June 14th and had a nice opportunity to speak to members of the Quincy Police bike patrol.
Read more about the donation in the Patriot Ledger newspaper (June 19, 2018).
Learn more about our attorneys and our Project KidSafe campaign.
Our Law Firm’s Commitment to Bicycle Safety for Somerville 5th Graders and Somerville Public Schools
For the fifth year, Somerville 5th graders have met our challenge. Our lawyers are pleased to send 370 students into summer with a free bicycle helmet from Project KidSafe, our campaign to encourage safe cycling and prevent head injuries.
The students earned the helmets by completing the CYCLE Kids curriculum, which teaches bicycle safety fundamentals. CYCLE Kids is offered as part of physical education classes at Somerville public schools. Through CYCLE Kids, some students in Somerville learn how to ride a bicycle for the first time. Others gain valuable experience or take other cycling firsts – such as riding with friends for the first time or their first ride on the Somerville Community Path.
“It’s all about your brain. Your brain is going to take you through life,” Attorney Ron Gluck told 5th graders at the Benjamin G. Brown School on Monday. “So protect your brain and it’s our pleasure to give you these helmets. You earned them, through your good work in learning about safety and bicycles.”
“It’s all about safety, but it’s also the law,” Somerville Police Officer Marianne Manfra added. In Massachusetts, cyclists who are 16 years old and younger are required to wear helmets. We urge all cyclists to wear helmets.
Shawn Maguire, principal of the Benjamin G. Brown School, Sharyn Von Trapp, the 5th grade physical education teacher and Steve Simolaris, supervisor of health and physical education at the Somerville public schools, all attended the gathering to recognize students for completing CYCLE Kids. Von Trapp handed students certificates of completion, while Attorney Gluck and Officer Manfra gave students their helmets (and we are pleased to report the students already knew how to fit their own helmets and some knew enough to help friends).
About Breakstone, White & Gluck and Project KidSafe
Attorneys Marc L. Breakstone, David W. White and Ronald E. Gluck founded our law firm in 1992. Breakstone, White & Gluck is a personal injury law firm and as part of our practice, our attorneys have long represented cyclists. We know wearing a bicycle helmet can make every difference in preventing head injuries and saving lives. Wearing a helmet is also a simple step anyone can take. We founded our Project KidSafe campaign in 2013 to encourage helmet use.
Over six years, our attorneys have given away more than 20,000 bicycle helmets to children in Massachusetts. Each year, we partner with CYCLE Kids and Somerville public schools, along with the Kiwanis Club of Somerville on its annual Bicycle Safety Day. One hundred cyclists turned out this year to learn cycling skills. The event was held last weekend at the East Somerville Community School.
We also partner with Groundwork Somerville, which gives our helmets to students who participate in summer programming and rely on their bikes for transportation throughout the day.
About Breakstone, White & Gluck
The Boston personal injury lawyers of Breakstone, White & Gluck have over 100 years combined experience representing those who have been injured by the negligence or wrongdoing of others. To learn more about our attorneys, visit our website. For a free legal consultation, contact us at 800-379-1244 or 617-723-7676 or use our contact form.