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Your Fall River 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 Bristol County sits in New Bedford, at 441 County St., 1st Floor, New Bedford, MA 02740. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
An injury changes the pace of your days. Medical visits, paperwork and worry about money can crowd out everything else. If you were hurt in Fall River because of another person’s actions, this page explains how Massachusetts treats injury claims so you can plan your next step.
NeedAnAttorney.net is a matching service. It does not give legal advice about your case. What follows is general information about Massachusetts injury law, taken from the text of the statutes, so you know which questions to ask. The form at the top of the page connects you with an attorney when you are ready.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In Fall River
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.
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
- 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 Fall River? Get matched with an attorney now.
What Shared Blame Means For You
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.
What An Award Can Include
In Massachusetts, an award follows the medical bills, lost income and the lasting effects of the injury. How fault is assigned can also change the amount. For a car crash claim, you can recover for pain and suffering only if reasonable treatment costs pass $2,000, unless the injury causes death, loses a body member, causes serious and permanent disfigurement or a listed loss of sight or hearing, or is a fracture (M.G.L. c. 231, s. 6D).
Lasting effects and missed work are part of what is proved.
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.
Courts and Hospitals Near Fall River
Bristol County is the county the Census Bureau assigns to Fall River. The Massachusetts court directory lists the superior court for Bristol County in New Bedford, at 441 County St., 1st Floor, New Bedford, MA 02740. In Bristol County, the state list of trauma centers shows Southcoast Hospitals St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford as a Level II trauma center.
In the federal Hospital General Information file, the closest Massachusetts acute care or critical access hospital to Fall River is Southcoast Hospitals Group in Fall River, 2.9 miles, an acute care hospital (363 Highland Avenue, Fall River, MA 02720). After it come Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, 4.2 miles, an acute care hospital; then Brown University Health Morton Hospital in Taunton, 12.5 miles, an acute care hospital. All distances are straight line miles from Fall River.
A straight line is shorter than the drive from Fall River. Ask each provider for your complete records and an itemized bill, and note the date of every appointment.
Further down the same list are Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro (17.7 miles) and Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital in Brockton (25.5 miles). The file lists 2 Massachusetts acute care and critical access hospitals within 10 miles of Fall River, 4 within 25 miles and 28 within 50 miles, all in a straight line.
The nearest places in Massachusetts that this site has pages for, by the same coordinates, are New Bedford (9.2 miles southeast), Taunton (12.3 miles north) and Brockton (24.9 miles north). Boston is 43 miles north of Fall River and Worcester is 52 miles northwest.
Reaching Out For Help In Fall River
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.
Before the first call, collect the basics: the date, the place, names of witnesses, your medical visits and your missed work. A single folder for bills, letters and photographs saves time later.
Frequently Asked Questions
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 maximum award for an injury in Massachusetts?
Pain and suffering is proved by the facts of your case, so ask which rules, if any, apply to your claim. The amount depends on the facts of your claim. Ask an attorney whether any rule reaches your claim.
What is the least insurance a Massachusetts driver can carry?
The least an auto liability policy can provide is $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries, plus $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 Fall River?
In a straight line the nearest Massachusetts acute care or critical access hospital is Southcoast Hospitals Group in Fall River, 2.9 miles, an acute care hospital; Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River is 4.2 miles and Brown University Health Morton Hospital in Taunton is 12.5 miles. Call 911 in an emergency; not every hospital has an emergency room.
What other places near Fall River have their own page here?
New Bedford is 9.2 miles southeast of Fall River, Taunton is 12.3 miles north and Brockton is 24.9 miles north, by straight line from the Census coordinates.
Can I sue a government body for an injury in Massachusetts?
Often with special steps. Special claim or notice steps can apply (M.G.L. c. 258, s. 4). Skipping a required notice step can end a claim. An early start protects your rights.
How do I choose an attorney near Fall River?
Ask each attorney you consider whether they handle cases where you live, how you would meet and how the fee works. Compare more than one before you decide.
Is there a deadline for suing after an accident in Massachusetts?
Generally 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 (M.G.L. c. 229, s. 2).
Injury Attorney Pages For Other Massachusetts Communities
People are hurt in every part of Massachusetts. These pages cover other communities.
