Instantly Connect For Your Personal Injury Consultation When Filling Out Form
Your Westfield 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.
Recovering from an injury is hard enough without legal confusion on top of it. If someone else’s carelessness hurt you in Westfield, you are allowed to take your time understanding your options before you sign or say anything.
A quick note on what this page is: general information about Massachusetts injury law, written from the statutes, from a matching service that does not practice law. It is meant to help you ask good questions, not to decide your case.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In Westfield
Bring these to your first call, whoever it is with:
- 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.
- 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).
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
- Fees and costs. Ask what the fee is, when it is paid, and which expenses are deducted from a settlement.
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 Westfield? Get matched with an attorney now.
How Fault Is Divided
A person who is fifty percent at fault or less can still recover in Massachusetts. 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.
How Damages Are Measured
In an ordinary injury claim in Massachusetts, the amount depends on the facts of the claim. 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).
Ask an attorney which rules, if any, reach your case.
The Deadline To Sue
Most injury claims in Massachusetts must be filed within 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). Write down the date of the injury now so the count is never in doubt.
The Court and Hospitals Behind a Westfield Claim
Westfield lies in Hampden County, according to Census Bureau place and county names. For Hampden County, the Massachusetts court directory shows the superior court in Springfield, at 50 State St., Springfield, MA 01103. Another facility on the state list of trauma centers, Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, is also in Hampden County; it is listed as a Level I trauma center.
Measured in a straight line from Westfield, the nearest hospitals in the federal Hospital General Information file are Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield, 1.5 miles, an acute care hospital, then Holyoke Medical Center in Holyoke, 7.7 miles, an acute care hospital, then Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, 7.9 miles, an acute care hospital. Baystate Noble Hospital is at 115 West Silver Street, Westfield, MA 01086.
Road distance from Westfield 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.
Further down the same list are Mercy Medical Ctr in Springfield (8.4 miles) and Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc,the in Northampton (14.3 miles). The file lists 4 hospitals within 10 miles of Westfield, 6 within 25 miles and 13 within 50 miles, all in a straight line.
Closest to Westfield among the places this site covers are Chicopee, 9.9 miles east; Springfield, 11.2 miles east; and Holden, 48.1 miles east. Boston is 90 miles east of Westfield and Worcester is 49 miles east.
Getting Started With Your Claim In Westfield
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
How much time do I have to bring an injury claim in Westfield?
Most injury claims must be filed within three years (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 2A). A child can have extra time, and so can a few other limited situations (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 7). Write down the date of the injury now.
Does it matter that I was partly to 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 blame is assigned matters. Keep notes about how the injury happened.
Is the amount of an injury award limited 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. 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). A crash with several injured people can use up limits quickly. It helps to learn early what other coverage may exist.
What is the nearest hospital to Westfield?
On the federal list the nearest hospital is Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield (1.5 miles, straight line), then Holyoke Medical Center in Holyoke (7.7 miles) and Baystate Medical Center in Springfield (7.9 miles). In an emergency call 911; not every hospital has an emergency room.
What other places near Westfield have their own page here?
Chicopee is 9.9 miles east of Westfield, Springfield is 11.2 miles east and Holden is 48.1 miles east, by straight line from the Census coordinates.
Do I have to give notice before suing a government body?
Special rules may apply. 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.
What comes first after an injury?
Seek medical attention before anything else. Report the accident in the way that fits where it happened. Then keep every bill and record together.
If You Were Hurt Somewhere Else In Massachusetts
If your injury happened outside Westfield, one of these pages may fit better.
