Quincy Personal Injury Lawyers

In many cases, the accident and resulting injuries leading to a personal injury claim can entirely change one’s life. The physical and mental harm may be harder to bear when caused by someone else’s negligence and carelessness.

Some of the most common accidents involving negligence include car accidents, motorcycle, and bicycle accidents, and slip-and-falls caused by wet or icy surfaces. As with other states, Massachusetts has laws to ensure the negligent party is held accountable and the injured person compensated.

As Quincy personal injury attorneys, we help victims of accidents and their families pursue and obtain compensation for damages. Our main goal is to ensure the victim is fairly compensated for their injuries, which may include seeking punitive damages from the negligent party if permitted by statute.

Types of Personal Injury cases handled in Quincy

Most personal injury lawsuits in Quincy, MA, involve claims of physical or bodily harm. However, an individual is also entitled to compensation for the psychological and mental health issues resulting from an accident caused by another’s negligence.

Injuries that are the subject of personal injury claims are often catastrophic and severe. The injuries tend to have long-term consequences on both the victim’s well-being and finances. Some of these injuries include:

  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Head trauma and brain injuries
  • Amputations
  • Whiplash
  • Torn ligaments
  • Broken bones
  • Burns
  • Scarring
  • Permanent loss of function

The Basics of Quincy, Massachusetts Personal Injury Lawsuits

In Quincy Massachusetts, most civil lawsuits stem from personal injury claims. A large majority of the claims involve injuries resulting from car accidents and other road accidents including motorcycle and bicycle accidents, wrongful death, slip and fall injuries, dog bites, and fire accidents.

The civil lawsuits may also include product liability, premise liability, workers’ compensation, and workplace sexual harassment. As with other states, most of the laws that govern accidents and injuries in Massachusetts are based on common law. However, to prevail on a personal injury lawsuit in Quincy, there are some basics you need to consider, including the statute of limitations, comparative faults, and other negligence laws.

Statute of Limitations

There is a time limit for when an injured person can file a personal injury lawsuit after an accident. The time limit or deadline is what is referred to as the civil statute of limitation. The deadlines may vary depending on state laws and the nature of the civil claim.

Quincy, Massachusetts law gives plaintiffs three years to file most personal injury lawsuits with a few exceptions, including worker compensation, which has a time limit of four years. However, there are a few instances where the law may extend the statute of limitations beyond the 3-to-4 year’s deadline.

We at Riccio Law assist you in filing your Quincy personal injury lawsuit on time.

Comparative Fault

There are some accidents where the injured person is partly to blame for their injuries. Legally, this is referred to as comparative fault. In some states, the injured person may be denied their compensation if they share some level of fault.

In Quincy, Massachusetts, the law allows the plaintiff to recover damages as long as they are not more at fault than the defendant. However, the plaintiff’s share of fault reduces their compensation accordingly. The law eliminates or bar recovery for a plaintiff who is more at fault than the defendant.

We help you determine your degree of fault and the strength of your lawsuit as we guide you on how to maximize compensation.

Other Negligence Laws

Some accident and injury laws are specific to some states. For instance, Massachusetts applies the ‘no-fault’ laws for auto insurance and car accidents. Essentially, the law permits those injured in car accidents to seek compensation under their own coverage regardless of fault in what’s commonly referred to as PIP coverage.

Another negligence law applicable in Massachusetts is the strict liability for dog bites or attack cases. Essentially, a dog owner is ‘strictly liable’ or responsible for personal injuries caused by their dog regardless of its past behavior. This is unlike in some states where the dog owner might not be liable for injuries from a first-time dog bite.

Another law involves states limiting or ‘capping’ the amount an injured person can receive as damages in some instances. In Quincy, Massachusetts, a plaintiff cannot receive more than $500,000 in non-economic damages in a medical malpractice claim unless the plaintiff meets some specific exemption conditions.

We help you understand the laws specific to your case and how they affect compensation even as we seek the best possible outcome for your case.

Compensation in a Quincy Personal Injury Lawsuit

While there are many situations where another’s negligence and carelessness might leave a person with a compensable injury, not every injury lawsuit is settled in court. Most cases settle out of court.

However, to receive the compensation you deserve, there is still a need for legal representation. We will help you get fair compensation whether your case goes to trial or settles out of court.

If your case goes to trial, we will fight to prove that the defendant owed you a duty of care and that your injuries and damages resulted from a breach of that duty. If your case settles before trial, we will negotiate with the insurance companies and lawyers for the compensation you deserve.

Conclusion

In a ‘no-fault’ state such as Massachusetts, personal injury claims can be complicated. You may spend months seeking compensation for damages. However, if you are in Quincy, MA, you do not need to worry as we have the experience and skills to help you get the compensation you need and deserve.

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