Instantly Connect For Your Personal Injury Consultation When Filling Out Form
Your Billerica Personal Injury Attorney
The short answer. In Massachusetts most injury claims must be filed within three years (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 2A). A child, or a person whose mental illness left them incapacitated when the claim arose, may have more time (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 7). The trial court for Middlesex County sits in Woburn, at 200 Tradecenter Drive, 2nd Floor, Woburn, MA 01801. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
Nobody plans for the call that follows an accident. Whether you were hurt in a crash, a fall or something else in Billerica, the weeks afterward bring decisions that feel bigger than they should. Here is what Massachusetts law says, in plain terms, so you can ask better questions.
A quick note on what this page is: general information about Massachusetts injury law, written from the statutes, from a matching service that does not practice law. It is meant to help you ask good questions, not to decide your case.
Before You Hire: Questions For A Billerica Attorney
Bring these to your first call, whoever it is with:
- The deadline. Ask the attorney to name the exact last day to file for your claim. The general limit for injury claims in Massachusetts is three years (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 2A).
- If you were partly to blame. Ask what happens to your award if a jury finds you share the blame (M.G.L. c. 231, s. 85).
- Any ceiling. Ask whether any rule restricts the amount you could recover in Massachusetts.
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
Personal Injury Types of Cases
Premises Liability
Many premises liability claims are from a property owner’s duty to maintain a property in the way that does not endanger others. There are may ways a property owner can violate this duty.
- Broken Stairs
- Unlit alleyways
- Slippery Floors
- Surfaces that are uneven
- Places to receive burns
- Places to receive chemical exposure
- Dog bites
- and other dangerous conditions
Work Place Accidents
These types of personal injury lawsuits involve more that just a employee and employer. If you feel like your place of employment was negligent in some way, you might have a claim for compensation. These types of accidents can include.
- Slip and Fall
- Unsafe working conditions
- Unmaintained equipment
- Auto Accidents
- Death
- Electrical Hazards
- Occupational illnesses like COPD, contagious diseases, and asbestosis
- personal injuries at work
Motor Vehicle Accidents
As long as the person that was operating the vehicle that injured you was negligent in some way, you can could have a claim for compensation. This can include.
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- 18 wheeler Accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Drunk Driving
- Distracted Driving
- Aggressive Driving
- and other types of motor vehicle accidents
Wrongful Death
When negligence leads to fatal injuries, a wrongful death suit can help the surviving family members hold the negligent company, persons, and or person accountable for what was done. A wrongful death case can involve different types of compensation from other personal injury claims. After a fatal accident, family members can ask an attorney to review what compensation the surviving loved ones may have a right to. These types of accidents can include.
- Auto Accident
- Maritime Accident
- Drowning
- Electrocution
- Falls
- Helicopter Accident
- Fire
- Firearm
- and other types of wrongful deaths
Injured in Billerica? Get matched with an attorney now.
When You Were Partly At Fault
A person who is fifty percent at fault or less can still recover in Massachusetts. M.G.L. c. 231, s. 85 sets the rule.
You can recover if your share of the fault is 50 percent or less, and your award is reduced by your share; above 50 percent the claim is barred (M.G.L. c. 231, s. 85). Photographs, witness names and medical records help show where the fault lies.
Time Limits To Know
A lawsuit for most injuries in Massachusetts must be started within three years (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 2A). Extra time can be available for a child and in some other limited situations (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 7).
A claim against a government body usually has its own claim or notice steps that must be followed before you sue, so ask early (M.G.L. c. 258, s. 4). If someone died, a separate set of rules can apply (M.G.L. c. 229, s. 2). Ask in your first conversation which date applies to your claim.
The Court and Hospitals Behind a Billerica Claim
The Census Bureau places Billerica in Middlesex County. Middlesex County’s superior court is listed in Woburn, at 200 Tradecenter Drive, 2nd Floor, Woburn, MA 01801. The state list of trauma centers names Lowell General Hospital in Lowell, in Middlesex County as well, as a Level III trauma center.
In the federal Hospital General Information file, the closest Massachusetts acute care or critical access hospital to Billerica is Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, 5.8 miles, an acute care hospital (41 & 45 Mall Road, Burlington, MA 01803). After it come Lowell General Hospital in Lowell, 7.3 miles, an acute care hospital; then Emerson Hospital in West Concord, 9.5 miles, an acute care hospital. All distances are straight line miles from Billerica.
A straight line is shorter than the drive from Billerica. Ask each provider for your complete records and an itemized bill, and note the date of every appointment.
Fourth and fifth on the list are Winchester Hospital in Winchester, 9.6 miles, and Merrimack Health Lawrence Hospital in Lawrence, 11.8 miles. Within 10, 25 and 50 miles of Billerica the file shows 4, 25 and 38 Massachusetts acute care and critical access hospitals, by straight line.
The nearest places in Massachusetts that this site has pages for, by the same coordinates, are Tewksbury (4.0 miles northeast), Lowell (6.3 miles northwest) and Woburn (7.3 miles southeast). Boston is 20 miles southeast of Billerica and Worcester is 34 miles southwest.
What To Do Once You Are Ready To Talk In Billerica
Use the form at the top of the page to tell us what happened. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Massachusetts. There is no charge to submit it, and submitting it does not hire anyone.
Meanwhile, jot down the facts while they are fresh: date, time, place, who was there, what care you have had and what work you have missed. Save every bill and every message from an insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the other driver’s policy enough to cover my injuries?
At least $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injury to two or more people in one accident and $30,000 for property damage (M.G.L. c. 90, s. 34A and s. 34O). A crash with several injured people can use up limits quickly. It helps to learn early what other coverage may exist.
How far is the closest hospital from Billerica?
In a straight line the nearest Massachusetts acute care or critical access hospital is Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, 5.8 miles, an acute care hospital; Lowell General Hospital in Lowell is 7.3 miles and Emerson Hospital in West Concord is 9.5 miles. Call 911 in an emergency; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which other places near Billerica does this site cover?
By Census coordinates the nearest are Tewksbury, 4.0 miles northeast; Lowell, 6.3 miles northwest; and Woburn, 7.3 miles southeast, all in a straight line from Billerica.
Do I have to give notice before suing a government body?
Special rules may apply. Special claim or notice steps can apply (M.G.L. c. 258, s. 4). The notice steps can differ from those for other claims. Write down the date and place of the injury.
Which court would hear an injury case from Billerica?
The court is chosen by the type and size of the case and where the injury happened. Ask your attorney to confirm it. The court listing described above names the local court locations.
When must an injury lawsuit be filed in Massachusetts?
Within three years for most injury claims (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 2A). The period can be longer for a child, and a few other situations extend it too (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 7). An early start protects the evidence.
Can I still recover if the accident was partly my fault?
Under Massachusetts law, you can recover if your share of the fault is 50 percent or less, and your award is reduced by your share; above 50 percent the claim is barred (M.G.L. c. 231, s. 85). Ask how the rule would be argued in your case. Raise it early with any attorney you speak with.
Does Massachusetts put a ceiling on pain and suffering?
It depends on the bills, the missed work and the lasting effects, and an attorney can tell you whether any rule limits the amount. The amount depends on the facts of your claim. Ask an attorney whether any rule reaches your claim.
Help Elsewhere in Massachusetts
People are hurt in every part of Massachusetts. These pages cover other communities.
