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Your Chicopee 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 Hampden County sits in Springfield, at 50 State St., Springfield, MA 01103. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
Getting hurt rarely comes at a convenient time. You may be in pain, missing work and answering calls from an insurance company while trying to learn what you are owed. If your injury in Chicopee was someone else’s doing, start with the basics below and go at your own pace.
We match people with attorneys; we do not advise on cases. Treat what follows as a plain language guide to Massachusetts law drawn from the statutes. When you want to talk to an attorney, the form at the top of this page is the way to start.
Questions To Ask A Chicopee Injury 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).
- Any ceiling. Ask whether any rule restricts the amount you could recover in Massachusetts.
- 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).
- The people. Ask who will be in touch with you and how quickly they return calls.
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
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 Chicopee? Get matched with an attorney now.
Sharing Blame And Your Claim
Whether you can recover in Massachusetts depends on how much of the fault is assigned to you. 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.
The Deadline To Sue
The general time limit for an injury claim in Massachusetts is three years (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 2A). A child may have more time, and a few other limited situations extend the period too (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 7).
A wrongful death claim follows its own rules, so ask which date applies (M.G.L. c. 229, s. 2). If a government body may be responsible, the steps can differ (M.G.L. c. 258, s. 4). The type of claim decides the date, so do not wait.
What Auto Policies Must Cover
Under M.G.L. c. 90, s. 34A and s. 34O, an auto liability policy in Massachusetts must provide 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.
Those figures are floors, and a serious injury can cost more than the other driver’s policy pays. They are minimums, not a measure of what your claim is worth.
The Court and Hospitals Behind a Chicopee Claim
The Census Bureau places Chicopee in Hampden County. Hampden County’s superior court is listed in Springfield, at 50 State St., Springfield, MA 01103. In Hampden County, the state list of trauma centers shows Baystate Medical Center in Springfield as a Level I trauma center.
The three hospitals nearest Chicopee in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital General Information file, measured in a straight line from the town’s coordinates, are Holyoke Medical Center in Holyoke, 3.3 miles, an acute care hospital; Mercy Medical Ctr in Springfield, 4.4 miles, an acute care hospital; and Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, 4.4 miles, an acute care hospital. The street address of Holyoke Medical Center is 575 Beech Street, Holyoke, MA 01040.
These figures are straight line distances, so the drive from Chicopee is longer. Whichever provider treated you, request your complete records and an itemized bill, and keep a list of every appointment.
Further down the same list are Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield (10.5 miles) and Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc,the in Northampton (11.6 miles). The file lists 3 hospitals within 10 miles of Chicopee, 6 within 25 miles and 17 within 50 miles, all in a straight line.
The nearest places in Massachusetts that this site has pages for, by the same coordinates, are Springfield (4.6 miles south), Westfield (9.9 miles west) and Holden (38.2 miles east). From Chicopee, Worcester lies 40 miles east and Boston 80 miles east.
Starting Your Claim Review In Chicopee
Start with the form at the top. It asks a few questions about the injury. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Massachusetts. Using it is free, and it does not create an attorney client relationship.
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
Where would a lawsuit about my injury be heard?
The answer turns on the people involved and the amount in dispute. Your attorney can confirm the right court for your claim. The courts named in the section above are the ones listed by the state judiciary for this area.
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). Photographs and witness names help show where the fault lies. Do not guess about fault when you talk to an insurer.
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.
What are the minimum auto insurance limits in Massachusetts?
$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $30,000 for property damage (M.G.L. c. 90, s. 34A and s. 34O). Several policies can apply to one crash. Before you accept a payment, check for every policy that may apply.
Which hospital is closest to Chicopee?
Holyoke Medical Center in Holyoke is closest on the federal hospital list, 3.3 miles away in a straight line, an acute care hospital. Mercy Medical Ctr in Springfield is 4.4 miles away and Baystate Medical Center in Springfield is 4.4 miles away. In an emergency call 911 first; not every hospital has an emergency room.
What other places near Chicopee have their own page here?
Springfield is 4.6 miles south of Chicopee, Westfield is 9.9 miles west and Holden is 38.2 miles east, by straight line from the Census coordinates.
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.
Help Elsewhere in Massachusetts
People are hurt in every part of Massachusetts. These pages cover other communities.
