Dracut, MA Car Accident Lawyer
Car accidents are often physically and emotionally traumatic for victims in Dracut, leaving them with various detrimental damages. By holding negligent drivers accountable in lawsuits, victims can recover those damages.
After a car cash in Dracut, call the police, photograph the site, and get the negligent driver’s information. If your injuries allow you to, speak to eyewitnesses as well. We can interview them to confirm whether or not they saw anything that could help your claim. From the accident site, go directly to the hospital. Because Massachusetts is a no-fault state, victims must prove serious injury or damages to recover non-economic damages. Continue getting medical care for as long as necessary so that we have ample records confirming your injuries. As you incur losses from the accident, inform our lawyers so that we can accurately calculate your economic and non-economic damages.
To set up a free and confidential case review from our Dracut, MA car accident lawyers, call the Law Office of John J. Sheehan today at (617) 925-6407.
Evidence to Collect After a Car Accident in Dracut, MA
Victims can prioritize collecting certain evidence in the minutes after a car crash. This is when evidence is typically most readily available, so do not lose your opportunity to collect it.
For example, you must get the negligent driver’s information. First responders can do this on your behalf if you cannot talk to them because of your injuries.
Furthermore, victims should always call 911. Under Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 90, § 26, all collisions resulting in injury or death must be reported to the authorities in Dracut. Officers can make an accident report, which our car accident lawyers can obtain and review for additional information that might help your case.
While you are still at the accident site, photograph any property damage to your vehicle and the physical injuries you sustained. Photos of property damage can indicate which direction each car was traveling in at the time of impact, how fast they were driving, and who acted negligently. Do your best to photograph the entire scene so that you record all the necessary information.
Victims can also talk to any eyewitnesses and ask if they saw what happened. We can interview eyewitnesses to get their statements in support of your compensation claim in Dracut.
As our investigation progresses, our lawyers will seek to gather additional evidence to use against the defendant, like expert witness testimony and surveillance footage.
Medical Evidence in Dracut, MA Car Accident Claims
Since Massachusetts is a no-fault state for auto accidents, victims must prove serious injury to sue for certain damages under Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 231, § 6D. Because of this, you must have plenty records of your injuries and treatment.
To start a medical record for your injuries, go to the hospital immediately after a motor vehicle accident. Latent injuries, or injuries that do not appear for some time after a crash, are common, so victims should get treatment even if they seem uninjured at first.
There are two ways for victims to overcome the pain and suffering threshold for auto accidents in Massachusetts. They can either have an excess of $2,000 in medical bills or sustain a serious injury that causes death, loss of limb, permanent and serious disfigurement, hearing loss, sight loss, or fractures.
Many car accident injuries are expensive to treat, putting victims above the threshold to sue for non-economic damages in Dracut. Our attorneys can present proof of your medical damages and injuries to establish your eligibility to bring a car accident lawsuit.
Avoid having any gaps in your medical treatment, as they could hurt your case. For example, suppose you went to the hospital immediately after a crash but then delayed further treatment. That gap between your first and next visit could give the defendant room to question the severity of your injuries.
Calculating Damages Due to a Car Accident in Dracut, MA
Before filing your car accident lawsuit in Dracut, you should know how much it is worth. We can gather and organize proof of damages as you incur them to calculate your deserved recovery.
Economic Damages
To calculate your economic damages due to injury, our attorneys will compile and add up all losses from the accident in Dracut. For example, if you had to get surgery to set a broken bone sustained in a crash, the negligent driver may be liable for the cost of that surgery.
In addition to medical expenses, victims can also recover compensation for lost wages. To calculate lost income due to injury, our lawyers will refer to employment records and financial information like past paystubs and tax returns.
We can also include other out-of-pocket expenses in your request for economic damages. For example, if you incurred transportation costs from repeatedly going to and from the hospital for treatment, we can factor those costs into your total economic damages.
Non-Economic Damages
Unlike economic damages, non-economic damages are subjective. They are based on a victim’s pain and suffering, which does not come with a price tag. Calculating non-economic damages requires different methods, like the per diem or multiplier methods.
To use the per diem method to calculate non-economic losses, we will assign a dollar amount to your pain and suffering and multiply that by the number of days you expect to experience emotional distress because of the accident. To use the multiplier method, we will multiply a number between 1.5 and 5 by your total economic damages.
To support your request for non-economic damages, our lawyers may submit medical records showing the severity of your injuries, testimony from medical experts explaining the likely impact on your life, and additional evidence.
Call Our Accident Lawyers in Dracut, MA About Your Car Crash Today
Call the car accident lawyers of the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407 to get a free case assessment.
