Instantly Connect For Your Personal Injury Consultation When Filling Out Form
Your Franklin 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 Norfolk County sits in Dedham, at 650 High Street, Dedham, MA 02026. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
If you are reading this after an accident in Franklin, you are probably tired, sore and unsure whom to trust. That is normal. A few rules learned early can keep you from making choices that are hard to undo.
This page is general information, not legal advice. NeedAnAttorney.net matches people with attorneys and does not represent anyone. The legal points below come from Massachusetts’s statutes, and the form at the top of the page is how you reach an attorney.
Before You Hire: Questions For A Franklin Attorney
A short list of questions can sort out who is right for you:
- 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).
- Your share of fault. Ask how a finding that you were partly responsible would change the numbers (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.
- 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 Franklin? Get matched with an attorney now.
When You Were Partly At Fault
Shared blame matters in Massachusetts, because it can reduce an award or end it. 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.
Is There A Ceiling On The Award
In an ordinary injury claim in Massachusetts, the amount depends on the facts of the claim. Special rules can apply to particular kinds of claims, so ask about yours. 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).
Keep every bill and record, because they carry the claim.
Filing Deadlines For Injury Claims
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). Missing the date usually ends the case, so ask any attorney to name the exact last day for yours.
The Court and Hospitals Behind a Franklin Claim
Norfolk County is the county the Census Bureau assigns to Franklin. Norfolk County’s superior court is listed in Dedham, at 650 High Street, Dedham, MA 02026. The state list of trauma centers names South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, in Norfolk County as well, as a Level II trauma center.
Measured in a straight line from Franklin, the nearest Massachusetts acute care and critical access hospitals in the federal Hospital General Information file are Milford Regional Medical Center in Milford, 7.1 miles, an acute care hospital, then Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, 12.0 miles, an acute care hospital, then MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, 13.8 miles, an acute care hospital. Milford Regional Medical Center is at 14 Prospect Street, Milford, MA 01757. Milford Regional Medical Center is in Worcester County, outside Norfolk County.
Road distance from Franklin is longer than a straight line. Wherever you were treated, ask for the full records and an itemized bill, and keep a list of every visit.
Fourth and fifth on the list are Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital (Needham) in Needham, 16.0 miles, and Boston Medical Center-South in Brockton, 17.7 miles. Within 10, 25 and 50 miles of Franklin the file shows 1, 20 and 41 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 Ashland (12.4 miles north), Westwood (13.6 miles northeast) and Natick (14.2 miles north). From Franklin, Worcester lies 24 miles northwest and Boston 27 miles northeast.
How The Intake Process Works In Franklin
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.
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 is the nearest hospital to Franklin?
On the federal list the nearest Massachusetts acute care or critical access hospital is Milford Regional Medical Center in Milford (7.1 miles, straight line), then Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro (12.0 miles) and MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham (13.8 miles). In an emergency call 911; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which nearby places does this site cover besides Franklin?
Closest by straight line are Ashland (12.4 miles north), Westwood (13.6 miles northeast) and Natick (14.2 miles north).
Is a claim against a government entity different in Massachusetts?
It can be. 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.
Where do I start after an injury?
Seek medical attention before anything else. Report what happened to the police or the property owner as appropriate. Photograph the scene and your injuries, and write down what happened while you remember it.
When must an injury lawsuit be filed in Massachusetts?
Within three years for most injury claims (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 2A). Children and some other limited situations can have more time (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 7). A claim against a government body has its own notice step (M.G.L. c. 258, s. 4).
If I was partly responsible, can I still recover something?
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.
Are there limits on an injury award in Massachusetts?
The amount is shown by the medical records and the proof of your losses; ask an attorney whether any limit applies to your facts. The bills, the missed work and the lasting effects drive the amount. The facts of your claim drive the amount.
What coverage must a driver near Franklin have?
Liability coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries (M.G.L. c. 90, s. 34A and s. 34O). A serious injury can cost more than the other driver’s policy pays. Keep the other driver’s insurance details from the day of the crash.
Injury Attorney Pages For Other Massachusetts Communities
People are hurt in every part of Massachusetts. These pages cover other communities.
