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Your Salem 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 Essex County sits in Salem, at 56 Federal St., Salem, MA 01970. 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 Salem, you are allowed to take your time understanding your options before you sign or say anything.
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.
Questions Worth Asking In Salem
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).
- 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.
- 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 Salem? Get matched with an attorney now.
How Fault Is Divided
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.
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 Salem Claim
Salem lies in Essex County, according to Census Bureau place and county names. The Massachusetts court directory lists the superior court for Essex County in Salem, at 56 Federal St., Salem, MA 01970. Salem Hospital in Salem appears on the state list of trauma centers as a Level III trauma center.
The three Massachusetts acute care and critical access hospitals nearest Salem in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital General Information file, measured in a straight line from the town’s coordinates, are North Shore Medical Center in Salem, 1.0 miles, an acute care hospital; Northeast Hospital Corporation in Beverly, 4.7 miles, an acute care hospital; and MelroseWakefield Healthcare in Melrose, 8.8 miles, an acute care hospital. The street address of North Shore Medical Center is 81 Highland Avenue, Salem, MA 01970.
These figures are straight line distances, so the drive from Salem is longer. Whichever provider treated you, request your complete records and an itemized bill, and keep a list of every appointment.
Fourth and fifth on the list are Winchester Hospital in Winchester, 11.6 miles, and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, 12.9 miles. Within 10, 25 and 50 miles of Salem the file shows 3, 25 and 37 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 Lynn (3.7 miles southwest), Peabody (4.4 miles northwest) and Danvers (5.8 miles northwest). The reference cities are 13 miles southwest (Boston) and 49 miles west (Worcester).
What Happens When You Send The Form From Salem
The form at the top of this page is the starting point. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Massachusetts. It costs nothing to use and does not commit you to anything.
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 other places near Salem have their own page here?
Lynn is 3.7 miles southwest of Salem, Peabody is 4.4 miles northwest and Danvers is 5.8 miles northwest, by straight line from the Census coordinates.
Is there a limit on damages for an injury in Massachusetts?
It depends on the bills, the missed work and the lasting effects, and an attorney can tell you whether any rule limits the amount. Special rules can apply to particular kinds of claims. Keep every bill, because the economic part of a claim is proved by records.
What if the other driver has only the minimum coverage?
$25,000 per person, $50,000 per 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.
Which hospital is closest to Salem?
North Shore Medical Center in Salem is the closest Massachusetts acute care or critical access hospital on the federal hospital list, 1.0 miles away in a straight line, an acute care hospital. Northeast Hospital Corporation in Beverly is 4.7 miles away and MelroseWakefield Healthcare in Melrose is 8.8 miles away. In an emergency call 911 first; not every hospital has an emergency room.
What if the other insurer calls me?
You can decline a recorded statement until you have advice. You can ask for questions in writing. An attorney can speak to the insurer for you.
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). Different entities can have different steps. Keep every letter you receive from a public agency.
What should I ask when choosing an attorney for Salem?
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). 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).
Injury Attorney Pages For Other Massachusetts Communities
The same matching service covers more of Massachusetts. Pick the community closest to where it happened.
