Published on: August 23, 2023

Qué hacer en un accidente de motocicleta en Massachusetts

Qué hacer en un accidente de motocicleta en Massachusetts
Los accidentes de motocicleta pueden ser experiencias aterradoras y traumáticas. Las secuelas inmediatas de un accidente de motocicleta pueden ser caóticas, pero saber qué pasos seguir puede ayudar a proteger sus derechos, garantizar su seguridad y facilitar el proceso de reclamos. Si sufre un accidente de motocicleta en Massachusetts, a continuación encontrará una guía paso a paso sobre lo que debe hacer:

Garantizar la seguridad ante todo

Después de un accidente, la seguridad de todos los involucrados debe ser su máxima prioridad. Si es posible, trasládese con su motocicleta a un lugar seguro, alejado del tráfico. Si estás herido o no puedes moverte, intenta permanecer lo más visible posible y pide ayuda.

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Published on: June 6, 2012

Don’t Have a Lawyer and the Insurance Company is Contacting You?

By Christopher Earley

Don’t Have a Lawyer and the Insurance Company is Contacting You?

Each and every day Massachusetts auto insurance companies, upon learning of an auto accident in which they may have to pay out money damages, will contact you. They will send an insurance adjuster to the home of the injured party and attempt to have him/her sign a release. The insurance adjuster shows up, big smile, and explains there is no need to get a lawyer. Then, as is very common, the adjuster will offer some small money, maybe $500, maybe $1000, to the injury victim in order to settle the case as quickly as possible.

This scenario gets me upset – and I see it all the time – because most people, after an accident, don’t know their rights, unless he/she first speaks with an auto accident attorney. The insurance adjuster know this, and capitalizes on it, in order to save the insurance company money (better for the insurance company to get rid of case fast before it has to pay out much more money when an attorney becomes involved in the case). By signing a release without first speaking with an attorney basically guarantees that you are severely limiting your rights and potential compensation.

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Published on: May 4, 2012

Factors that Help Determine if a Massachusetts Personal Injury Settlement Offer is Fair

By Christopher Earley

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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Published on: December 7, 2011

Defenses Used By Insurance Companies When Fighting a Auto Accident Claim

By Christopher Earley

I found the following over at the Taradash Law Firm web site which lists 72 common defenses used by insurance companies to avoid paying money to those injured in motor vehicle accidents. A big thank you is in order to the Taradash Law Firm – an Illinois law firm dedicated to representing injury victims – for compiling such an exhaustive and impressive list. Here are the common insurance defenses in connection with motor vehicle accident claims:

1. Plaintiff vehicle not equipped with headrest. seat belts, rearview mirror. or other safety device and it is plaintiff’s responsibility to provide his vehicle with such devices.

2. Seat belts or other safety devices available in vehicle but not used by plaintiff.

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Published on: November 26, 2011

‘If I Fell In a Store, Do They Have to Give Me a Copy of the Surveillance Video?’

By Christopher Earley

If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident at a retail store, the store does not have a legal duty to provide you with a copy of the video. The only real way to obtain the video of your fall is by suing the store for your injuries. At that time, during discovery, the store is required to provide you, or your attorney, with a copy of the video. Regardless of whether or not the case is in suit, my office always sends a 'spoilation letter' advising the store to preserve the video, as it is evidence that can be introduced at trial. The failure of a store to preserve the video can result in serious sanctions and penalties by the court.

Published on: September 2, 2011

What is Negligence?

By Christopher Earley

Negligence is one of three prongs of tort law (the two others being strict liability and intentional wrongs, but more on these in future posts). Negligence is defined by Black's Law Dictionary (Second Ed.) as "The failure to exercise the standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would have exercised in a similar situation; any conduct that falls below the legal standard established to protect others against unreasonable risk of harm." But what does that really mean?

The word refers to conduct that is considered objectively unreasonable. For example, if you slipped and fell on ice in front of a store, and the store-owner had notice that the gutter above his store was leaking water onto the sidewalk and that this water would freeze in the winter, then that store-owner may have acted unreasonably, or negligently, in failing to correct the problem. It was foreseeable – on the part of the store-owner – that someone would slip and fall on the ice (or maybe he or she even knew of slips and falls in the past and did nothing to correct it).

Or, let's take the example of an automobile accident. If a driver is driving erratically and ends up injuring someone, that driver may have been operating his automobile negligently, because he or she could have reasonably foreseen that someone would be injured as a result of his or her unreasonable conduct.

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Published on: September 2, 2011

What is Negligence?

By Christopher Earley

Negligence is one of three prongs of tort law (the two others being strict liability and intentional wrongs, but more on these in future posts). Negligence is defined by Black's Law Dictionary (Second Ed.) as "The failure to exercise the standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would have exercised in a similar situation; any conduct that falls below the legal standard established to protect others against unreasonable risk of harm." But what does that really mean?

The word refers to conduct that is considered objectively unreasonable. For example, if you slipped and fell on ice in front of a store, and the store-owner had notice that the gutter above his store was leaking water onto the sidewalk and that this water would freeze in the winter, then that store-owner may have acted unreasonably, or negligently, in failing to correct the problem. It was foreseeable – on the part of the store-owner – that someone would slip and fall on the ice (or maybe he or she even knew of slips and falls in the past and did nothing to correct it).

Or, let's take the example of an automobile accident. If a driver is driving erratically and ends up injuring someone, that driver may have been operating his automobile negligently, because he or she could have reasonably foreseen that someone would be injured as a result of his or her unreasonable conduct.

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Published on: September 2, 2011

What is Negligence?

By Christopher Earley

Negligence is one of three prongs of tort law (the two others being strict liability and intentional wrongs, but more on these in future posts). Negligence is defined by Black's Law Dictionary (Second Ed.) as "The failure to exercise the standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would have exercised in a similar situation; any conduct that falls below the legal standard established to protect others against unreasonable risk of harm." But what does that really mean?

The word refers to conduct that is considered objectively unreasonable. For example, if you slipped and fell on ice in front of a store, and the store-owner had notice that the gutter above his store was leaking water onto the sidewalk and that this water would freeze in the winter, then that store-owner may have acted unreasonably, or negligently, in failing to correct the problem. It was foreseeable – on the part of the store-owner – that someone would slip and fall on the ice (or maybe he or she even knew of slips and falls in the past and did nothing to correct it).

Or, let's take the example of an automobile accident. If a driver is driving erratically and ends up injuring someone, that driver may have been operating his automobile negligently, because he or she could have reasonably foreseen that someone would be injured as a result of his or her unreasonable conduct.

Continue reading →

Published on: April 12, 2011

Massachusetts Slip And Fall Lawyer

By Christopher Earley

Massachusetts Slip And Fall Lawyer

As a Massachusetts slip and fall lawyer, I have learned these cases are hard to win in Massachusetts. These cases can lose at trial for a number of reasons. Usually, these cases are difficult because it is assumed the person that was injured was not being careful enough about watching where he/she was going. In order to defeat these assumptions, evidence must be presented to show that the property owner – or whomever was responsible for keeping the area safe – was in fact negligent.

Photographs showing the area of the fall can be very helpful evidence to show negligence. Good, clear photographs that were taken at the time of, or soon after the accident happened can be very helpful in showing that a property owner was not reasonable in maintaining the property. In fact, quality photographs can help with all types of personal injury cases. Also, a professional photographer can oftentimes help to professionally present the accident scene, or the injuries suffered by the victim.

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Published on: November 16, 2009

Boston Supermarket Slip And Fall Lawyer

By Christopher Earley

Boston Supermarket Slip And Fall Lawyer

Many businesses fail to adequately protects its customers from slipping and falling on their premises. In fact, OSHA recently gave 6,000 citations to businesses for not complying with fall protection standards.

Supermarkets are a common place for slips and falls. If you suffered one of these accidents, it is important to take certain steps. I am a Boston, MA supermarket slip and fall lawyer that can help you.

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