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Your Waltham 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 Middlesex County sits in Woburn, at 200 Tradecenter Drive, 2nd Floor, Woburn, MA 01801. 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 Waltham was someone else’s doing, start with the basics below and go at your own pace.
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 To Ask A Waltham Injury Attorney
Ask these in any first conversation:
- 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 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).
- 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 Waltham? 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.
Time Limits To Know
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
The least liability coverage an auto policy in Massachusetts can provide is $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, 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.
Local Courts and Hospitals in Waltham
The Census Bureau places Waltham in Middlesex County. Middlesex County’s superior court is listed in Woburn, at 200 Tradecenter Drive, 2nd Floor, Woburn, MA 01801. The state list of trauma centers names Lowell General Hospital in Lowell, in Middlesex County as well, as a Level III trauma center.
The three Massachusetts acute care and critical access hospitals nearest Waltham in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital General Information file, measured in a straight line from the town’s coordinates, are Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, 4.0 miles, an acute care hospital; Boston Medical Center-Brighton in Brighton, 5.5 miles, an acute care hospital; and Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, 5.7 miles, an acute care hospital. The street address of Newton-Wellesley Hospital is 2014 Washington Street, Newton, MA 02462.
These figures are straight line distances, so the drive from Waltham 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 Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington (7.0 miles) and Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge (7.2 miles). The file lists 16 Massachusetts acute care and critical access hospitals within 10 miles of Waltham, 29 within 25 miles and 41 within 50 miles, all in a straight line.
Other places this site covers near Waltham: Newton at 4.3 miles southeast, Arlington at 4.5 miles northeast, Cambridge at 6.4 miles east. Boston is 12 miles east of Waltham and Worcester is 30 miles west.
Getting Started With Your Claim In Waltham
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
Are there special steps for claims against the government?
There are 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 soon can an injury claim settle?
That depends on the injury and how the insurer responds. Many claims wait until treatment has finished so the full cost is known. A lawsuit takes longer than a settlement.
How many years do I have to sue after an injury in Massachusetts?
Most injury claims must be filed within 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).
How does shared fault change what I can recover in Massachusetts?
Short answer: 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 blame is assigned matters. Keep notes about how the injury happened.
Does Massachusetts put a ceiling on pain and suffering?
It depends on the facts of your claim, so ask an attorney whether any rule limits it in your case. Special rules can apply to particular kinds of claims. Keep every bill, because the economic part of a claim is proved by records.
Does Massachusetts require drivers to carry liability insurance?
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). 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 Waltham?
Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton is the closest Massachusetts acute care or critical access hospital on the federal hospital list, 4.0 miles away in a straight line, an acute care hospital. Boston Medical Center-Brighton in Brighton is 5.5 miles away and Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge is 5.7 miles away. In an emergency call 911 first; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which nearby places does this site cover besides Waltham?
Closest by straight line are Newton (4.3 miles southeast), Arlington (4.5 miles northeast) and Cambridge (6.4 miles east).
If You Were Hurt Somewhere Else In Massachusetts
The same matching service covers more of Massachusetts. Pick the community closest to where it happened.
