Melrose, MA Personal Injury Lawyer
When negligence leads to a personal injury in Melrose, a victim can file a lawsuit in court to hold the at-fault party liable for their various damages.
Some damages from personal injuries are immediate, while others are incurred as time passes. For example, property damage is immediate, but the full scope of a victim’s lost wages might take time to determine, as might their psychological damages from the accident. Other long-term damages from personal injuries include home modifications and medical rehabilitation costs. Our attorneys can keep track of all of your damages so we can calculate your deserved compensation and support this request with documentation of your losses. Furthermore, we can file your claim before the deadline so you do not lose your chance to sue for personal injuries in Melrose.
Call our Melrose, MA personal injury lawyers at (617) 925-6407 to get a free case analysis from the Law Office of John J. Sheehan today.
Immediate Damages Due to Personal Injuries in Melrose, MA
Immediately after an incident in Melrose, you might incur certain damages. Documenting these damages at the scene will be important, so talk to the police and take photos.
For example, if a negligent driver hits your vehicle, there might be property damage to your car. Photograph that damage right away, in addition to damage to the other car and debris on the road.
Personal injuries also result in immediate medical damages. Victims often need to go to the emergency room after accidents, which can be costly. Do your best to keep all bills from your initial treatment so our lawyers can factor them into your total damages in Melrose.
If you call the police to the accident scene, report any immediate damages to them. Tell law enforcement what happened to the best of your ability. We can obtain the incident report from the police in the days following the accident.
Long-Term Damages Due to Personal Injuries in Melrose, MA
Long-term damages from personal injuries tend to be the most challenging for victims to overcome unless they file lawsuits. These damages might be extremely costly, and documenting them will be necessary for your claim to succeed.
Home Modifications
Depending on your injury, you might need to modify your home to improve your quality of life. For example, you might need to add wheelchair ramps to your property, widen doorways to accommodate a wheelchair, make your bathroom more accessible, or install an elevator or chair lift in your home. Because these home modifications are necessary due to the defendant’s negligence, they might have to pay for these costs in your claim.
Lost Income
Serious injuries might prevent victims from returning to work for a long time. Our personal injury lawyers can review your employment records and wage history to calculate your lost wages due to an injury. If you sustained a permanent injury that reduces your earning capacity for the rest of your life, we will aim to recover compensation for future lost wages not yet incurred.
Rehabilitation Costs
Rehabilitation costs typically comprise the bulk of injury victims’ damages in Melrose. For example, suppose you sustained a back injury in a car accident. Upon further examination, doctors advise you to get surgery. Your lawsuit should cover the cost of that surgery since it is necessary because of the defendant’s negligence. Generally, victims can get damages for all necessary medical costs related to an injury, including surgeries, prescription medications, physical therapy, and other treatments.
Many victims need medical care even after their lawsuits end. Because of this, our attorneys may enlist medical experts to assess certain aspects of your case and provide statements regarding your anticipated future medical treatment and its cost.
Psychological Damages
Other long-term damages from personal injuries include the psychological effects traumatic accidents have on victims’ lives. A chaotic car accident could cause a victim to develop anxiety or depression, as could a workplace accident that leaves a victim severely injured.
Fortunately, Massachusetts lets many injury victims file claims for non-financial damages in Melrose. If you are injured in a car accident, whether you can sue for non-financial damages will depend on your injuries or medical expenses, according to Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 231, § 6D.
Massachusetts does not cap compensation for non-financial damages in general personal injury claims. However, it caps them at $500,000 in medical malpractice claims, according to Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 231, § 60H.
To track your psychological damages from an accident, consider keeping a journal. You can also talk to a mental health professional, which might be necessary if you are struggling with your emotional or mental well-being following an accident in Melrose.
Deadline to Sue for Damages Due to Personal Injuries in Melrose, MA
You will not have unlimited time to sue for an injury in Melrose. The statute of limitations sets the filing deadline for these lawsuits, which you must heed to recover damages.
Immediately after an accident, you should start preparing your case. Although Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 260, § 2A gives victims three years to file injury lawsuits, time goes quickly when victims are in and out of hospitals dealing with injuries and other stressors.
Waiting until the last moment to file your claim is inadvisable. As time passes, certain evidence might become irretrievable, hurting your chances of recovery. When our lawyers can investigate an incident right away, we can get helpful witness statements and other evidence, like surveillance footage, before it becomes inaccessible.
If you ignore the filing deadline for your claim, the court could dismiss your case. When that happens, victims are barred from recovery in Melrose. While there are some exceptions to the filing deadline, victims should not rely on them or intentionally delay their cases, as doing so could leave them without compensation for far too long.
Call Us to Discuss Your Injury Claim in Melrose, MA
Call (617) 925-6407 to have the personal injury lawyers of the Law Office of John J. Sheehan review your case for free today.
