Articles Posted in Massachusetts Personal Injury Trials

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What Is Negligence?

Negligence in Massachusetts, and in all states, means failing to act reasonably in a situation and causing injury to a person(s) as a direct result.  As a Boston accident lawyer, negligence is the lynchpin of each case my office handles. Whether it be a Massachusetts car accident, slip and fall, or any other type of personal injury case, the injury victim must prove the following elements in order to win a negligence case against a defendant:

1) The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care.  This means that the one who caused the injuries had a legal duty to act in a reasonable manner toward the victim.  An example of a duty of care is that we all have a duty while driving not to drive into the rear of the car in front of us.

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Massachusetts Personal Injury Cases and Settlement Funding

This is a topic I deal with quite frequently when representing personal injury victims. Often, my clients will call me and tell me the accident they were involved in has financially harmed them so much, they are willing to take a loan out.  For example, suppose the client was riding a bicycle and was hit by a car.  The person may be really injured, racking up medical bills, and maybe lost wages, too.  Sometimes the client will see an ad on television from companies that provide funding to people injured in an accident and that have an open case pending with an insurance company.

The loan is typically financed by a pre-settlement funding company. When my clients ask me about this option, I try very hard to persuade them not to take out such a loan, because the interest rates can be very daunting.  Basically, the way it works is this: the pre-settlement funding company will closely analyze the client’s case, and loan application, and then decide whether or not the case is strong enough to guarantee the company will recoup their money, once the case settles.

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Massachusetts Personal Injury Deposition Tips for Plaintiffs

If you were injured due to negligence, you may find yourself involved in a lawsuit.  If it is you (or your attorney) that filed the lawsuit then you are referred to as the plaintiff and the party you sued is the defendant.

A deposition is a part of the lawsuit process which you may be required to undergo.  Whether it be a car accident case or other type of injury claim, most depositions work the same way.  Note if your case is a workers’ compensation case you will not be expected to go to a deposition.

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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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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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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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I found a great answer to this question over at the Texas Injury Law Blog.  Here it is:

If you have been injured in an accident, you may benefit greatly from the services of a personal injury lawyer. First and foremost, a personal injury lawyer can determine whether or not you have a case. Your attorney will be able to determine who was at fault for your accident and inform you of whether you have a strong basis for a personal injury lawsuit.

A personal injury attorney can help ensure that you do not lose your right to bring your claim by making sure you file your personal injury lawsuit before the statute of limitations has run. Your lawyer will be an expert on Texas’s personal injury law and can make certain that you do not lose your legal right to compensation because of a procedural error.

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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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– Get the names, telephone numbers and addresses of all parties;

– Get the names, telephone and addresses of all witnesses;

– Call an ambulance and the police, if necessary;

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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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