Methuen Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal injury lawsuits compensate people who have been hurt because of other parties’ negligence. These cases can take anywhere from weeks to months to years to complete. Usually, cases involving more severe injuries will take longer to resolve.
There are several types of monetary damages available to plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits. However, defendants are often represented by insurance companies who will hire teams of people to refute victims’ arguments. Accordingly, competent legal representation is highly valuable to injured parties when navigating the complex path to recovery.
After suffering a personal injury in Methuen, MA, seek guidance from our experienced personal injury attorneys by calling the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407.
Time Window to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Methuen, MA
The deadline for filing a personal injury claim has been set forth by Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 260, § 2A. Typically, you will have three years from the date of your injury to bring your personal injury lawsuit to court. If you do not file your case on time, then the defendant will likely move to have your claim dismissed.
Even though you may have three years from the date of your injury to file your case, you should still get in touch with our personal injury attorneys quickly after your accident. In order for your case to prevail, you must gather evidence that proves the defendant is at fault. However, as time goes on, important evidence can become difficult to collect and preserve. The sooner you reach out to our firm, the more efficiently we can procure the evidence you need to win your lawsuit.
Common Causes of Personal Injuries for Victims in Methuen, MA
The source of your personal injury can play a major role in determining the legal strategies used in your case. The following are all common causes of personal injuries in Methuen:
Motor Vehicle Collisions
Motor vehicle collisions are a very common cause of personal injuries. Two of the more common types of accidents that occur are car accidents and motorcycle accidents. These types of collisions often happen because of drivers’ negligence. For instance, motorists are often struck because other drivers are travelling too fast, driving distracted, or violating traffic laws. In these cases, victims may be able to seek compensation by filing lawsuits against the drivers who hit them.
Truck accidents are another common type of motor vehicle collision that happens in Methuen. These accidents can also happen because of drivers’ negligence. However, many truck crashes also occur because of negligent conduct exhibited by trucking companies. For instance, a trucking company may cause an accident by improperly loading cargo or by failing to perform maintenance on their vehicles. If you were hit by a large truck, you may be able to sue the company who owns the vehicle if they played a role in causing your accident.
Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents are another common source of personal injuries. In many cases, when pedestrians are struck by negligent drivers, catastrophic injuries occur. These accidents often occur at intersections, in parking lots, and in crowded urban areas. Fortunately, after a negligent driver strikes a pedestrian, there is a wide range of evidence that may be used to prove they are at fault.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Furthermore, many people suffer personal injuries as the result of slip and fall accidents. In many cases, these accidents happen because owners fail to perform proper maintenance on their properties. When a property owner does not properly maintain their premises for the safety of visitors, they can be held liable for slip and falls that occur.
There are many types of dangerous hazards that can cause slip and fall accidents. For instance, victims may slip and fall because of slippery floors, loose mats, ice accumulation, and dim lighting. If you slipped and fell because of a hazard on someone else’s property, then you may be entitled to payment for the harm you suffered.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice happens when patients are hurt because their physicians did not act in accordance with accepted standards of care. For instance, a doctor may commit medical malpractice by diagnosing a patient with heartburn when it would have been clear to a competent doctor that the patient at issue was actually having a heart attack. Furthermore, a surgeon may commit malpractice by operating on the wrong body part or leaving a medical instrument inside of their patient.
In order for medical malpractice to have occurred, the patient at issue must have suffered more than a negative outcome from their treatment. Rather, the patient must have been hurt because their doctor did not act as other doctors in their field would under similar circumstances. Furthermore, expert witness testimony is usually required to support a claim for medical malpractice.
Examples of Evidence Used to Prove Fault for a Personal Injury in Methuen, MA
For your personal injury case to prevail, you have to gather evidence that proves your accident was caused by the defendant’s negligent behavior. There are several forms of evidence that can be used to accomplish this task. For instance, witness statements are often one of the most valuable forms of evidence used to prove fault in personal injury lawsuits. Eyewitnesses can help juries understand how or why certain accidents occurred. Accordingly, after suffering a personal injury, you should always attempt to acquire contact information from potential eyewitnesses to your accident if you can.
Evidence from the scene of an accident can also be used to prove fault for a personal injury. For example, photos of a wet spot on the floor can be used to show the hazard that contributed to a victim’s slip and fall. Furthermore, broken pieces of a headlight from the scene of a car accident can be matched with someone’s vehicle to identify them as the at-fault driver.
Finally, private security camera footage is another common form of evidence used to prove fault for personal injuries. Like witness testimony, surveillance footage can help explain what happened before, during, and after specific accidents.
If You Need to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Methuen, MA, Call Our Law Firm for Assistance
Seek help from our experienced personal injury lawyers at the Law Office of John J. Sheehan by calling (617) 925-6407.
