Massachusetts personal injury laws

Not all personal injury attorneys in Massachusetts are Massachusetts-based law firms.  Should that matter to you if you are still researching and have not yet made your final attorney selection?  Absolutely!  A national law firm that has not proven its mettle right here in Massachusetts does not have a comparable breadth and depth of legal expertise regarding the specifics of personal injury laws in Massachusetts. That deep knowledge—or lack of it—can make the difference between winning or losing your lawsuit.

Massachusetts personal injury law firms

A long-standing Massachusetts law firm, like Whitman Law, will have the familiarity with municipal, county, and Massachusetts laws that affect a personal injury lawsuit.  Since 1986, our experienced Massachusetts accident attorneys have provided legal help to thousands of Massachusetts personal injury clients and recovered millions in damages.

Examples of Massachusetts injury law

Comparative negligence law

This Massachusetts law permits you to recover monetarily against another person or entity even if you were partially at fault—if the other person is determined to be more negligent than you.  The amount of your recovery in the suit is reduced by the percentage of your fault in the accident or event that caused your injury.

Product liability laws

If you are injured while using a consumer product, the manufacturer or retailer of the product may be held responsible under a Massachusetts' product liability laws, if the product is deemed to be unsafe for use.  To invoke this law though, you must prove that the product had a defect or lacked adequate warnings, that the defect or lack of warnings caused your injury, and that you suffered damages from this defect or as a result of the inadequate warnings.

Statute of limitations

The statute of limitations varies from state to state.  In Massachusetts, you just have three years to file a lawsuit against the person (or company) that injured you.

New laws specific to suits against MBTA

Your attorney must not only be versed in state laws, but also in changes to personal injury law in Massachusetts. For example, recent changes to the laws that govern claims against the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) put a cap on liability in lawsuits against the MBTA.   No settlement or lawsuit won against the MBTA can go above $100,000, except when there is a serious bodily injury, defined as an injury which results in a permanent disfigurement, or loss or impairment of a bodily function, limb, or organ.  Another new MBTA-specific law—the statute of limitations for claims against the MBTA—previously just two years—is now three years.

Hire a personal injury attorney in Massachusetts

The above examples of Massachusetts personal injury law are but a tiny fraction of the differences between our state laws and that of other states.  If you or a loved one was the victim of a serious personal injury accident in Massachusetts, we provide you with the legal help you need. Please submit a simple, free and confidential legal consultation form now.  Protect your legal rights. Get the Whitman Advantage today.