Instantly Connect For Your Personal Injury Consultation When Filling Out Form
Your Chelsea 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 Suffolk County sits in Boston, at Suffolk County Courthouse, 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
Recovering from an injury is hard enough without legal confusion on top of it. If someone else’s carelessness hurt you in Chelsea, you are allowed to take your time understanding your options before you sign or say anything.
Nothing on this page is legal advice, and NeedAnAttorney.net is not a law firm. It is a service that connects injured people with attorneys. The rules described here are quoted or summarized from Massachusetts’s own statutes so that you can check them yourself.
Questions Worth Asking In Chelsea
Bring these to your first call, whoever it is with:
- The date. Ask for the specific last day to file in your case. The general rule 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).
- Limits on damages. Ask whether any rule restricts the amount you could recover in Massachusetts.
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
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 Chelsea? Get matched with an attorney now.
Sharing Blame And Your Claim
Massachusetts lets you recover while your share of the fault is not greater than the other side’s. The source is M.G.L. c. 231, s. 85.
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). Insurers often press this point first, so keep notes about how the injury happened.
When The Clock Starts And Stops
Massachusetts allows three years to file most injury claims (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 Chelsea Claim
The Census Bureau places Chelsea in Suffolk County. The Massachusetts court directory lists the superior court for Suffolk County in Boston, at Suffolk County Courthouse, 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108. The state list of trauma centers names Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, West Campus in Boston, in Suffolk County, as a Level I trauma center. Boston Medical Center Menino Pavilion in Boston, also in Suffolk County, is listed as a Level I trauma center. In Suffolk County, that list shows Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston as a Level I trauma center.
Measured in a straight line from Chelsea, the two nearest Massachusetts acute care and critical access hospitals in the federal Hospital General Information file, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, are about equally close, both 3.1 miles away. Third is Tufts Medical Center in Boston, 3.6 miles, an acute care hospital. Massachusetts General Hospital is at 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114.
A straight line is shorter than the drive from Chelsea. Ask each provider for your complete records and an itemized bill, and note the date of every appointment.
The file also lists Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge at 4.0 miles and MelroseWakefield Healthcare in Melrose at 4.7 miles. Counting Massachusetts acute care and critical access hospitals in a straight line from Chelsea: 13 within 10 miles, 27 within 25 miles, 39 within 50 miles.
The nearest places in Massachusetts that this site has pages for, by the same coordinates, are Everett (1.3 miles northwest), Malden (2.6 miles northwest) and Revere (2.7 miles northeast). From Chelsea, Worcester lies 41 miles west and Boston 4 miles south.
How To Begin Your Chelsea Claim
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.
Until someone calls, make a simple record: what happened, the date and time, names of anyone who saw it, the treatment you have had, and the days you missed from work. Keep every bill and letter in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the injury happened on public property?
There are special steps. Special claim or notice steps can apply (M.G.L. c. 258, s. 4). The rules for public bodies differ from the rules for private parties. Do not wait to ask.
Can I expect a quick settlement?
There is no fixed time. Many claims wait until treatment has finished so the full cost is known. A lawsuit takes longer than a settlement.
How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Massachusetts?
For most injury claims, 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). Do not wait to ask.
Does Massachusetts bar me from recovering if I share the blame?
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). How the facts are described matters from the start. Details from the day of the accident can matter.
Is there a ceiling on what I can recover for pain and suffering?
The amount is shown by the medical records and the proof of your losses; ask an attorney whether any limit applies to your facts. Medical bills and lost income are handled separately from pain and suffering. An attorney can tell you which rules apply to your facts.
How much insurance does the other driver have to have?
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). Those figures are floors, not a measure of what a claim is worth. Ask an attorney to check every policy that may apply.
How far is the closest hospital from Chelsea?
Among the Massachusetts acute care and critical access hospitals on the federal hospital list, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston are about equally close, both 3.1 miles away in a straight line. Tufts Medical Center in Boston is 3.6 miles away. In an emergency call 911 first; not every hospital has an emergency room.
What other places near Chelsea have their own page here?
Everett is 1.3 miles northwest of Chelsea, Malden is 2.6 miles northwest and Revere is 2.7 miles northeast, by straight line from the Census coordinates.
Help Elsewhere in Massachusetts
If your injury happened outside Chelsea, one of these pages may fit better.
