Burlington, MA Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal injury lawyers can help recover compensation if you have been injured because of another person’s negligence. Personal injury lawsuits can come in many forms and involve various types of injuries. However, similar legal strategies will apply to all personal injury claims in Burlington.
Personal injury victims may suffer intense physical pain, emotional anguish, and economic hardship. The financial compensation recovered in a personal injury lawsuit can help ease victims’ distress. Also, personal injury lawsuits serve to hold parties accountable for their careless or reckless behavior.
If you were injured because of another person’s negligent conduct, get help recovering the monetary damages available to you. Contact experienced Burlington, MA personal injury lawyers by calling the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407 for a free case review.
Damages Available in a Burlington Personal Injury Case
There are multiple categories of damages available to plaintiffs in Burlington personal injury lawsuits. The type of damages awarded with depend on the type of injuries suffered in your case. Our Burlington personal injury lawyers can help determine which of the following types of damages may be available in your case:
Economic Damages
Economic damages are financial losses that are easily ascertainable. Economic damages are not based on conjecture or speculation. These damages account for specific losses that have been incurred or will be incurred because of a personal injury such as medical expenses and lost wages. Such losses are typically proven through evidence such as medical records, bills and pay stubs.
Non-economic Damages
Noneconomic damages seek to compensate victims for the physical pain and emotional suffering endured because of a personal injury. Non-economic damages can be less precise and are open to interpretation. Insurance companies will likely have different ideas than yours regarding how much your pain and suffering are worth. Our Burlington, MA personal injury lawyers can help fight for non-economic damages in your case.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are only awarded in cases where a defendant’s behavior was especially negligent. Punitive damages serve to punish a defendant and discourage similar behavior. The state of Massachusetts places a cap on how much can be awarded in punitive damages in some cases. For instance, in cases of medical malpractice, punitive damages are capped at $500,000.
Evidence Frequently Used in Burlington Personal Injury Lawsuits
In most personal injury claims, victims must prove that their injuries were caused by another person’s negligent acts. Additionally, plaintiffs must show that they suffered damages because of their injuries. Our Burlington personal injury lawyers can help gather and preserve evidence in your case. The following forms of evidence may be used to support your claim:
Evidence from the Scene of the Accident
Evidence from the scene of an accident can be used to determine which party caused or contributed to the injuries at issue. First, photographic evidence may be used to establish contributing factors after a personal injury. For example, photos of a slippery floor can be used to establish fault in a slip and fall case. Furthermore, photographic evidence from the scene of an accident can also be used to establish damages. In an auto-accident case, some defendants may allege that certain property damage was not caused by a crash. Photo evidence may be used to show that damage occurred because of a particular accident.
Also, physical evidence from the scene may also be used. For example, an open bottle of alcohol recovered at the scene of a car crash may be used to prove that a driver was driving drunk. Our Burlington personal injury lawyers can help recover physical evidence that may be relevant in your case.
Lastly, accident reports can also be very helpful when proving fault. In car crash cases, a police officer should visit the scene to draft in accident report. Furthermore, for most workplace accidents, an employer will have to create an accident report describing how an injury occurred. Such reports can be very valuable when establishing fault.
Witness Testimony
Eyewitness testimony is also frequently used to prove negligence in personal injury cases. For example, a bystander who observed a car crash may offer an opinion regarding who caused the accident. Contact information for witnesses to any personal injury should be collected. Our Burlington personal injury lawyers can use witness testimony to support your case.
Expert Witness Testimony
An expert witness is someone who, by virtue of their education, training, and experience, is considered an expert in their field. Expert testimony is used to substantiate many personal injury claims. For example, in medical malpractice cases, expert testimony may be used to prove that a negligent healthcare professional deviated from the accepted standards of care.
Another common type of expert witness called in personal injury claims is engineering experts. Engineering experts can help our Burlington personal injury lawyers prove that certain infrastructure was not up to code. For example, in slip and fall cases, engineering experts may be called to prove that a staircase was too narrow or too steep.
Lastly, expert witness testimony is often used in personal injury cases centered around defective products. Some personal injuries occur because a manufacturer or seller acted negligently in the design, manufacturing, or marketing of a product. In such cases, a manufacturing expert may be called to prove that a seller or manufacturer acted negligently.
Documentation of Injuries
A doctor will need to provide official documentation of your injuries in order for you to recover compensation in a personal injury case. Therefore, after suffering a personal injury, you should not delay seeking treatment. A delay in treatment may be used to complicate the settlement process. Our Burlington personal injury lawyers can help refer the right doctors to treat your injuries.
Documentation of injuries can include both medical records and medical bills. Medical records can be used to prove the harm suffered while bills can be used to justify the amount of damages being sought.
If You Were Injured Because of Another Person’s Negligent Actions in Burlington, MA, Our Lawyers Can Help
If you were injured because of another person’s negligent conduct, seek assistance from experienced Burlington personal injury lawyers by calling the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407 for a free case review.
