New York Personal Injury Lawyers / Boston Personal Injury Lawyers

Boston Personal Injury Attorney

Unfortunately, accidents happen all the time throughout Boston. Thankfully, most of these accidents usually only result in minor bruises and bumps and no need for significant medical intervention.

However, what happens when these accidents result in more dire consequences? What if these accidents cause devastating injuries, crippling pain, and extensive medical expenses that turn your life upside down? Worse yet, what if these accidents are due to the wrongful actions of another individual?

If you have been injured in one of these terrifying accidents, you should not have to deal with these debilitating repercussions on your own. Instead, you deserve legal help to get you through this horrific time in your life and fight for the justice you deserve. That is why the Boston personal injury lawyers at Jacoby & Meyers LLP are here for you, ready to stand by your side and help you pursue the financial recovery you deserve.

Jacoby & Meyers LLP—About Our Legal Team

The law firm of Jacoby & Meyers LLP was founded in 1972 to provide legal help to all those who needed it. Today, the firm continues doing just that plus so much more, including providing clients with unsurpassed legal representation while preserving their dignity and privacy.

If you work with Jacoby & Meyers LLP, you can expect:

• Free visits to your home or even the hospital
• Free answers to all the questions you have
• Free and 100 percent secure online access to your case files through our website
• No legal fees unless we are successful in recovering money for your claims

As a result of our legal team’s dedication, drive, and resources, we have won millions of dollars in settlement awards and jury verdicts on our client’s behalf.

While only past results and no guarantee of outcome in any particular case, some of our most recent successes include:

• $8,323,000 settlement for a medical malpractice incident
• $5,700,000 jury verdict for a runaway bus accident
• $5,032,281 verdict for nursing home abuse
• $5,000,000 settlement for a multiple vehicle collision
• $4,200,000 settlement for an injury due to unsafe conditions
• $3,250,000 settlement for a death resulting from a fire

Common Types of Personal Injury Accidents in Boston

Personal injury is a broad field of law that includes a variety of unique types of accidents and injuries. Yet, even though almost any kind of accident can result in a personal injury claim, certain types of personal injury accidents are more common than others. They include the following:

Motor Vehicle Crashes

Vehicle collisions usually occur when another motorist collides with another vehicle, animal, debris, stationary obstruction, or pedestrians. These accidents can result in serious injuries, devastating property damage, and even death. Common motor vehicle accidents in boston include:

• car accidents
• truck accidents
• pedestrian accidents
• motorcycle accidents
• Uber accidents

Although they can occur for several reasons, in Boston, these accidents most often result because of:

• Excessive speeding
• Poor weather conditions, especially during Boston’s winter months from December to February. During this time, Boston is known for its inclement weather that often causes dangerous and slick road conditions due to snow, ice, and sleet that increase the chance of significant car accidents
• Distracted driving such as texting and driving or eating and driving
• Driving while intoxicated
• Motor vehicle defects
• Dangerous intersections, such as the intersection of Frontage Road and Massachusetts Avenue Connector, Harvard Street and Morton Street, and Gallivan Boulevard & Adams Street

Product Liability Accidents

These types of accidents often occur when a manufacturer or a seller places a defective product into the hands of consumers. If the consumer is injured due to this product, the seller or manufacturers can be held responsible for the injuries that result. In fact, you can hold everyone in the distribution chain accountable for your harm and damages.

Slip and Fall Accidents

A slip and fall is a personal injury accident that is based on a person slipping on someone else’s property and suffering an injury from the fall.

Although these accidents can occur for many reasons, they often result from:

• Torn carpeting
• Changes in flooring
• Narrow stairs
• Wet floors due to spills
• Poor lighting
• Uneven ground
• Cracked sidewalks
• Broken staircases
• Icy or wet roads and sidewalks
• Potholes

Medical Malpractice Incidents

Generally, medical malpractice cases deal with the harm that occurs from a health care professional’s inappropriate medical treatment or negligence. Usually, these cases result because a health care professional owed a patient a duty of care, the health care professional breached this duty, the breach caused the patient’s injury, and the injury resulted in the patient having to suffer substantial damages.

Wrongful Death Claim

Wrongful death claims occur when a person dies because of another person’s negligent, wrongful, or intentional actions. Consequently, when this death occurs, the deceased’s family members or estate can file a lawsuit against those at fault for their loved one’s death and pursue the appropriate damages.

Workplace Accidents

If an individual is killed or injured while working, they typically cannot bring a personal injury lawsuit against their employer. Instead, the injured employee needs to file a workers’ compensation claim.

Workers’ compensation helps those who have been harmed on the job pay for any necessary medical care they need because of their work-related illness or injury. This form of insurance also helps partially compensate employees for lost wages.

Other Types of Claims

Personal injury claims also include dog bite accidents, nursing home abuse, birth injuries, boating accidents, catastrophic accidents, and even burn injury accidents.

That is why if you have been harmed because of another person’s wrongful, intentional, or negligent actions, the best way to determine if you have a viable personal injury case is to reach out to an experienced Boston personal injury firm like Jacoby & Meyers LLP, as soon as possible. These lawyers can review your accident, figure out if you have a viable claim, and work out what legal options you can pursue.

Common Types of Injuries Resulting From a Boston Personal Injury Accident

Personal injury accidents are known to cause devastating injuries to virtually any part of the body.

However, some of the more common injuries that often result from a Boston personal injury accident include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord damage
• Neck injuries
• Broken bones
• Facial trauma
• Internal organ damage
• Lacerations
• Soft tissue injuries
• Severe burns
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Wrongful death

Actions to Take After Suffering Harm in a Boston Personal Injury Accident

Following a Boston personal injury accident, you must take action. Although this may be the last thing on your mind at this point, you need to realize that the steps you take after this horrific incident are not only important at protecting your health and safety but your legal rights as well. These actions include:

Call 911 Immediately After the Accident

After any personal injury accident, you should contact 911 immediately. Not only is this the fastest way to notify the emergency medical crew that you or someone at the scene needs medical help, but it is also the quickest way to get your incident on record.

Once the police arrive, they can investigate your accident and document their findings in their police report. If you want to pursue a personal injury claim after your accident, this report can provide you with valuable evidence regarding what happened.

Collect Evidence From the Scene

If you can, try to collect as much evidence from the accident scene as you can. This means try to take as many pictures and videos of your visible injuries, the accident’s location, any vehicles involved in the accident, any dangerous conditions that caused your harm, the weather conditions at the time of the incident, and any other details that can help show what happened.

Get Information From Others At the Scene

Try to get information from those involved in the accident. For instance, if you were involved in a car crash, make sure you exchange details with the other drivers, including names, contact information, license plate numbers, and insurance information.

Obtain Witness Statements

If there were people at the scene who saw what happened, try to get their name and contact information. These witness statements can provide valuable details regarding the accident and help back up your claims.

However, if these individuals seem apprehensive about providing you their personal information, do not try to force them into giving you this information. Once you retain an experienced Boston personal injury lawyer, these attorneys can go after this information for you.

Be Careful What You Say to Others

At the scene, you need to be careful what you say. This means you need to avoid making any definitive statements, taking the blame for anything that happened, or apologizing for the incident. These statements can come back later and hurt your claim and the amount of money you can receive.

See Your Doctor as Soon as Possible

Following a Boston personal injury accident, even if you do not think you require emergency medical treatment, you still need to get looked over by your doctor. This is because many serious injuries, such as spinal cord damage or brain trauma, can take weeks to manifest.

Yet, the longer you wait to get proper treatment, the more severe and fatal the injuries can become. That is why it is best not to wait and instead get checked over by a healthcare professional as soon as possible following your accident.

Besides, getting this prompt medical attention is also valuable for your legal claim. Insurance companies often look for any evidence they can to deny your claim or justify paying you less than you deserve. If you do not see your doctor shortly after the accident, these insurance companies will often argue that your injuries were not that serious or resulted from a subsequent event.

Fortunately, if you visit your doctor shortly after your accident, these health care professionals can jot down notes regarding your injuries in their medical reports. As a result, this report can provide you with evidence of a direct link between the injuries you sustained and the accident.

Contact an Experienced Boston Personal Injury Lawyer

Following a personal injury accident in Boston, you should speak with an experienced personal injury accident lawyer like those at Jacoby & Meyers LLP as quickly as possible. These attorneys are there to help you determine the best legal options you can pursue while preserving your privacy and dignity.

The Statute of Limitations in Boston for Personal Injury Claims

The statute of limitations is a regulation that dictates the maximum amount of time a victim has to bring a lawsuit following an alleged offense. If they do not bring this claim within that allotted time, they can be barred from pursuing compensation for their losses and damages.

In Massachusetts, the statute of limitations to file a personal injury claim is three years from the date of the accident. If the victim dies, their personal representatives will also only have three years to file a wrongful death claim from the date of the victim’s death.

However, when it comes to the statute of limitations, numerous exceptions, and even exceptions to the exceptions, can shorten or lengthen the time you have to file your case.

That is why it is best not to wait to get legal help. Rather, you should contact the experienced Boston personal injury attorneys at Jacoby & Meyers LLP as soon as you can. These attorneys can not only figure out the maximum amount of time you have to file your claim, but they can also ensure your legal motions are prepared correctly and filed before the statute of limitations expires.

It is also important to note that just because you may have years to file a case, it is not in your best interest to wait that long. Over time, there is a higher chance of evidence disappearing, witnesses no longer being able to testify, and memories of the incident fading. These factors can harm your claim and your chance of success.

Boston Personal injury FAQs

After a Boston personal injury accident, many victims are often left clueless when it comes to the steps they need to take next or the legal remedies they can pursue. That is why to clear up some of this confusion, the law firm of Jacoby & Meyers LLP has prepared answers to the following commonly asked questions our clients often have after suffering an injury in a Boston personal injury accident.

With this information, we hope we provide you with a better understanding of the legal options you can pursue.

1. How Do I Know if I Have a Valid Injury Claim Following My Boston Personal Injury Accident?

Typically, several questions go into figuring out whether a victim has a valid injury claim following a personal injury accident.

Many times, these questions include the following:

• Was the victim injured in the accident?
• What is the extent of the injuries?
• Is there insurance available to compensate the victim for their injuries?
• Has the statute of limitations passed, or is it still possible to bring a personal injury claim in Boston?

Consequently, the best way to determine if you have a potential legal claim is to speak to the legal professionals. That is why following your Boston personal injury accident, you should reach out to a knowledgeable Boston personal injury attorney. These attorneys can help you determine not only whether you have a viable personal injury claim but they can also figure out which legal options you should pursue.

2. How Much Is My Boston Personal Injury Case Worth?

No attorney can tell you exactly how much your Boston personal injury case is worth. Too many factors can affect the value of your claim.

These factors often include:

• The severity and the extent of the injuries that resulted, such as whether they included minor bruising and lacerations or a traumatic brain injury
• Your ability to work following the accident
• The types of medical treatment you will need now and in the future
• The amount of lost wages that you incurred because of the accident
• Whether your injury resulted in a disability
• Whether you require replacement at-home services
• The credibility of the evidence presented
• The defendant’s culpability
• Whether the injury caused you to suffer disruptions in your daily life or miss significant milestones and life events

Even though our attorneys at Jacoby & Meyers LLP cannot tell you precisely how much your case may be worth. If you work with our experienced personal injury accident legal team, we can assure you that we can fight hard to prepare the strongest case in response to these factors and pursue the maximum damages you deserve.

3. What Types of Damages Am I Entitled To In a Boston Personal Injury Accident Lawsuit?

If you have been injured in a Boston personal injury accident, you may be entitled to certain types of damages. In Massachusetts, these damages, typically, include:

Economic Damages: These damages generally refer to the actual and verifiable losses resulting from a personal injury accident.

They include:

• Medical bills, such as your past, present, and future medical expenses, including doctor visits, hospital stay, emergency room visits, medical devices, surgeries, and prescription medications,
• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity
• Personal property damages
• At-home nursing care
• Replacement services such as cleaning services and grocery shopping services
• Other out-of-pocket expenses

Non-economic Damages: These damages refer to the subjective losses that occur because of an accident.

These losses are usually not easy to measure and tend to include:

• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Disfigurement
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of reputation
• Loss of a limb
• Scarring

Punitive Damages: Unlike the other damages (economic and non-economic), which compensate the victim for their losses, punitive damages punish the defendant for their egregious actions and deter others from committing this act again.

However, Massachusetts does not allow these unless a person or corporation’s gross negligence or willful or wanton conduct causes the death.

4. How Is Fault Determined in a Boston Personal Injury Case?

The majority of personal injury claims in Boston arise because a party acted negligently and caused another individual harm. Typically, negligence is defined as conduct that falls below the standard of care that is expected of a reasonable person, and this conduct hurts another individual.

Generally, to prove that a party was negligent, the victim’s attorney needs to show:

• The defendant owed a legal duty to the victim.
• The defendant breached this legal duty.
• The defendant’s breach caused the victim to suffer harm and injuries.
• The victim incurred actual monetary damages as a result of the injuries.

However, it is also important to note that not all injury claims involve negligence.

A victim can still prove fault by establishing intentional conduct, showing that strict liability governs the case, or proving negligence per se.

• Intentional conduct involves actions done voluntarily by an individual and with a purpose or significant certainty of the consequences. Typically, personal injury cases that arise from a battery or assault can give rise to an intentional conduct case.
• Negligence per se usually applies when there is an unexcused violation of a statute, and as a result, the proof of such a violation establishes a rebuttable presumption that the defendant was negligent. However, to prove negligence per se, the victim’s injury must be a type of injury the statute was intended to prevent, and the victim belongs to the class of people the statute was designed to protect. Yet, in Massachusetts, negligence per se can be problematic. Courts in the state have established that a plaintiff in a negligence lawsuit can refer to the defendant’s statutory violation, but evidence of such a violation is only evidence of negligence and does not lead to a presumption of negligence.
• Strict liability cases often mean that the victim does not need to prove the defendant’s negligence to recover compensation for their damages. Generally, strict liability is a standard of liability under which an individual is legally responsible for the consequences of an activity, regardless of their fault or intent. The most common claims that involve strict liability are product liability cases or accidents dealing with abnormally dangerous activities or possession of wild animals.

As you can see, proving fault can become a rather complicated process. For these reasons, following a Boston personal injury accident, you should reach out to an experienced Boston personal injury attorney as quickly as possible.

These lawyers can investigate your case, determine what happened, who was at fault, and figure out what evidence they need to present to show that the other party was responsible for your harm and damages.

5. How Long Will It Take to Settle My Boston Personal Injury Accident Case?

Unfortunately, personal injury claims do not have specific timelines that dictate the amount of time it will take for a case to settle. Generally, a skilled personal injury attorney can give you a general idea of how long it may take for your case to resolve based on the issues at hand.

However, when it comes to specifics, many factors can affect the duration of your claim, such as:

• Your Injuries: If you suffered a severe injury from the accident and this injury caused you to become disabled, the value of your claim can rise significantly. In these instances, the insurance company may try to take more time investigating your accident or make it harder for you to collect the money you need.
• Your Improvements: Typically, it is recommended that you wait to proceed with settlement negotiations until you see maximum medical improvements. At this point, your attorney can better determine the total amount of your medical expenses, whether ongoing medical treatments will be needed, and your lost wages. Ultimately, this information can help give them a better idea of the total amount of compensation they need to fight for.
• Disputes with the Insurance Company: In instances where the insurance company is unwilling to work with you during the settlement negotiation process, your attorney may decide to take your case to trial. If this happens, your personal injury claim can take anywhere from a few months to even years to resolve.

6. If The Insurance Company Offered Me a Settlement Amount Following My Boston Personal Injury Accident, What Should I Do?

After a personal injury accident, the insurance company may offer you a settlement amount. However, before you accept this amount, you need to understand that it may not be in your best interest.

You need to remember that insurance companies are not your friends, and they are not here to help you get money. In truth, the less money the insurer pays you following an accident, the more money they make. That is why insurance adjusters will try to do anything they can to deny your claim or to get you to settle for less than you deserve.

For these reasons, if the insurance company offers you a settlement amount, you need to be careful. This amount is often a meager pay-out that will barely cover any of your current expenses, let alone your future bills. Worse yet, if you accept this amount and discover later you need more money for your medical expenses, you cannot ask for more compensation from the insurance company down the road.

Consequently, if you receive a settlement offer from the insurance company, before you take any action, you should first speak to an experienced Boston personal injury accident lawyer like the team at Jacoby & Meyers LLP. These lawyers can investigate this offer for you and determine if it is fair to you. If it is not, they can pursue negotiations and fight for a settlement amount that is.

7. Following My Boston Personal Injury Accident, Why Should I Contact Jacoby & Meyers LLP?

At Jacoby & Meyers LLP, we understand that no amount of money can get you back to the life you once had before your personal injury accident. However, we also know that obtaining compensation for your injuries can help you start rebuilding your life after this horrific incident. That is why, if you have been harmed in a Boston personal injury accident because of another person’s wrongful actions, you should reach out to us as soon as possible.

Once you retain our law firm, our skilled personal injury attorneys can take on this challenging legal battle for you and provide you with the following legal help:

• Go over your accident in detail, determine if you have a viable legal claim, and discuss the legal remedies you can pursue.
• Answer all of your questions and concerns, and provide you with the legal support you need during this difficult time.
• Investigate your Boston personal injury accident and secure the evidence needed to show fault and damages.
• Bring in experts such as doctors, economists, accident reconstructionists, and engineers to substantiate your claims.
• Ensure that legal motions and documents are filed before time expires.
• Handle all the negotiations and discussions with the other side and fight for the compensation you need.
• Take your case to trial, if required, and work tirelessly to get you the maximum damages you deserve.

Call Our Boston Personal Injury Lawyers Today

If a Boston personal injury accident disrupted your life or the life of a loved one, do not wait any longer to get the legal help you need. Instead, reach out to the law firm of Jacoby & Meyers LLP today for a free case review. You can also call us at (877) 472-3061 or start a live webchat with one of our representatives. Let our experienced Boston personal injury attorneys show you how we can fight for your rights and achieve the compensation and justice you deserve.

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