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Your Woburn 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.
After an injury, ordinary life gets heavy. There are appointments to keep, bills arriving, and a claim that nobody explained to you. If another person’s carelessness hurt you in Woburn, it is reasonable to want a clear picture before you decide 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.
What To Ask Before You Choose An Attorney In Woburn
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).
- Any ceiling. Ask whether any rule restricts the amount you could recover in Massachusetts.
- Your share of fault. Ask how a finding that you were partly responsible would change the numbers (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.
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
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 Woburn? Get matched with an attorney now.
What Shared Blame Means For You
Fault is divided by percentage in Massachusetts, and the dividing line sits at fifty percent. 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
What an injured person can recover in Massachusetts is shown by the records and the medical proof. What you can recover turns on the bills, the missed work and the lasting effects. 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.
When The Clock Starts And Stops
A lawsuit for most injuries in Massachusetts must be started within three years (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). Records fade and witnesses move, so an early start helps even well inside the limit.
Courts and Hospitals Near Woburn
Middlesex County is the county the Census Bureau assigns to Woburn. The Massachusetts court directory lists the superior court for Middlesex County in Woburn, at 200 Tradecenter Drive, 2nd Floor, Woburn, MA 01801. Another facility on the state list of trauma centers, Lowell General Hospital in Lowell, is also in Middlesex County; it is listed as a Level III trauma center.
Measured in a straight line from Woburn, the nearest Massachusetts acute care and critical access hospitals in the federal Hospital General Information file are Winchester Hospital in Winchester, 2.3 miles, an acute care hospital, then Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, 2.6 miles, an acute care hospital, then MelroseWakefield Healthcare in Melrose, 5.1 miles, an acute care hospital. Winchester Hospital is at 41 Highland Avenue, Winchester, MA 01890.
Road distance from Woburn 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 Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, 7.9 miles, and Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge, 8.3 miles. Within 10, 25 and 50 miles of Woburn the file shows 8, 26 and 38 Massachusetts acute care and critical access hospitals, by straight line.
Other places this site covers near Woburn: Arlington at 4.9 miles south, Malden at 6.4 miles southeast, Lynnfield at 6.7 miles northeast. The reference cities are 12 miles southeast (Boston) and 37 miles southwest (Worcester).
How To Take The First Step In Woburn
Fill in the form at the top of this page. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Massachusetts. The form is free to use, and sending it does not mean you have hired anyone.
Meanwhile, jot down the facts while they are fresh: date, time, place, who was there, what care you have had and what work you have missed. Save every bill and every message from an insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
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 Woburn?
On the federal list the nearest Massachusetts acute care or critical access hospital is Winchester Hospital in Winchester (2.3 miles, straight line), then Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington (2.6 miles) and MelroseWakefield Healthcare in Melrose (5.1 miles). In an emergency call 911; not every hospital has an emergency room.
What other places near Woburn have their own page here?
Arlington is 4.9 miles south of Woburn, Malden is 6.4 miles southeast and Lynnfield is 6.7 miles northeast, by straight line from the Census coordinates.
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). The notice steps can differ from those for other claims. Write down the date and place of the injury.
Which court hears injury cases in my area?
The answer turns on the people involved and the amount in dispute. Ask your attorney to confirm it. The court listing described above names the local court locations.
How much time do I have to bring an injury claim in Woburn?
Most injury claims must be filed within three years (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 2A). The period can be longer for a child, and a few other situations extend it too (M.G.L. c. 260, s. 7). An early start protects the evidence.
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.
How much can I recover for pain and suffering in Massachusetts?
Pain and suffering is proved by the facts of your case, so ask which rules, if any, apply to your claim. Special rules can apply to particular kinds of claims. Keep every bill, because the economic part of a claim is proved by records.
Help Elsewhere in Massachusetts
If your injury happened outside Woburn, one of these pages may fit better.
