Articles Posted in Massachusetts Medical Malpractice

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Millions of Americans have Medicare health insurance coverage.  Oftentimes however, when a Medicare beneficiary is involved in a personal injury event, dealing with Medicare can be a tedious and interminable process.

By law, Medicare has an automatic lien for any medical bills they paid out on your behalf in connection with medical treatment you received stemming from a personal injury case.  There is no way to avoid such a lien, and myself, and thousands of personal injury attorneys throughout America deal with the Medicare behemoth daily.

Therefore, if you have been injured in an accident in Massachusetts, or any other state, and you are a Medicare beneficiary, your attorney (or yourself if you are pro se) will have to work with Medicare to see to it that their lien is satisfied out of any settlement or verdict proceeds.  Because even if a case is concluded, Medicare can still pursue the beneficiary, and even the attorney, if Medicare discovers their lien was not satisfied.

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Absolutely.  The attorney/client relationship is based on a mutual and voluntary contractual relationship.  The client can exit the relationship at any time.  In fact, you are allowed to fire your Massachusetts personal lawyer at any time and you don't even need a reason for doing so.

I find that many people who call me and are interested in changing lawyers are doing so because they feel their lawyer is not communicating with them.  If your lawyer is not calling you back and/or not keeping you updated on your case, you have the right to change lawyers.  You may, however, be responsible for paying the lawyer back the expenses the lawyer put into the case. 

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Here is a great article I came across written by Maryland personal injury lawyer Ronald Miller regarding how the issue of defense costs affects an insurer's willingness to settle a personal injury case.  Here is the article:

Can I Expect the Insurance Company to Settle to Avoid the Costs of Litigation?

by Ron Miller on July 13, 2012

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1) It compensates for the medical treatment the injury victim had to endure;

2) It covers the medical bills and liens that must be paid out of the settlement;

3) It adequately compensates the injury victim for lost wages, and if applicable, future lost wages or impairment of earning capacity;

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Someone Injured Me But I Can’t Afford To Hire An Attorney!

Not to worry.  One of the hallmarks of personal injury law is that the injury victim does not get billed an hourly rate.  Rather, the legal fee is a percentage of the gross amount recovered for the client.

Nearly all Massachusetts personal injury lawyers – as well as personal injury lawyers in other states –  take motor vehicle accident cases on a contingency fee basis.  What that means is that your attorney will take 33 1/3% (or possibly more if your case goes into suit) of any settlement or judgment amount as his/her legal fee at the conclusion of the case.  If your attorney advances any costs in prosecuting your claim, it is you that is ultimately responsible for any such costs.  Massachusetts workers’ compensation cases are also handled by contingency basis, and the amounts are set by law.

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Injured As A Tourist In Boston?

According to USA Today roughly 19 million visitors pass through Boston each year. It is no surprise given all that Boston has to offer. With such a huge number of visitors, it is no wonder that many are injured. Many visitors are injured in car accidents, slip and falls, and other types of accident cases. Visitors are sometimes more prone to accidents given their lack of familiarity with Boston. However, the fact that you do not live in Massachusetts does not mean you cannot hire a Massachusetts lawyer to represent you.

My office has represented out-of-state clients injured in motor vehicle accidents, hotels, stores, trains, on escalators, etc. If you or someone you know has been injured while a visitor in Boston, feel free to call my office. We would be happy to provide a no-obligation phone consultation.

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Helpful Tips for Those Going Through the Insurance Claims Process

The aftermath of an auto accident, slip and fall, injury at work, or any other injury causing event can cause great stress to not only the injury victim, but also to his or her family.  Oftentimes, the experience of going through the personal injury claim process can be just as anguishing as the personal injury event that lead to the claim.

In order to make the aftermath just a little easier for you, here are my tips to those who have an attorney and are going through the typically frustrating and lengthy personal injury claim process:

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Boston.com has a great article out today about the alarming numbers which suggest the vast majority of doctors can expect to have  a claim filed against he/she over the course of a career.  Here is the article:

Over career, most doctors in US will face lawsuit

By Chelsea Conaboy Globe Staff / August 18, 2011

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Through the years I have noticed there are some common questions that most clients ask at the beginning of their case.  Here are some answers to these common questions, which hopefully are of assistance to you if you have been injured by the fault of someone else:

1) Do I have a case?

This depends on a number of factors.  Were you injured?  Did someone else's fault cause you to be injured?  Is there insurance?  Has the statute of limitations passed?  Basically, this question does not have a standard response, but rather is dependent on a number of factors.

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If a minor is injured in an accident and has a valid personal injury claim, it is the usually the mother or father of the minor that is the one bringing the claim. I represent minors who have been injured in accidents and when I meet with them for the first time, it is the parent or “next friend” whose name is actually listed on the contingency fee agreement, as well as any other paperwork that is signed.
Also, in Massachusetts, upon settling a personal injury claim for a minor, a prudent lawyer always seeks to obtain court approval for the settlement. Many judges today want to be sure that the settlement proceeds that belong to the minor will not be spent by the parents. Judges usually like to see a structured settlement or other similar vehicle that protects the minor’ s money until the child reaches the age of majority. Without such safeguard to protect the child’s money, many judges will refuse to approve the settlement.
Also, if a minor lives in Massachusetts, but has been injured outside of Massachusetts, a claim can still be brought as well.

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