Framingham, MA Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal injuries can severely impact victims’ lives. Those who suffer personal injuries may face many hardships. The physical pain, emotional distress, and financial losses caused by personal injuries may be difficult to bear.
Those who have been injured because of other peoples’ negligence may seek financial compensation for their losses. Some injuries may never fully heal. Still, the monetary damages recovered in a personal injury lawsuit can provide immense support to victims.
Call the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407 for a free case review with our personal injury lawyers.
Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Framingham, MA
Plaintiffs in Framingham personal injury lawsuits will generally have three years from the date of their accidents to file a case. There are numerous requirements plaintiffs must comply with when filing a personal injury lawsuit. For instance, plaintiffs must file their case in the correct court, pay any necessary court fees, serve defendants, attach supporting documents, and avoid filing a frivolous claim.
Failure to adhere to any of the aforementioned requirements could force you to re-file your case. Furthermore, pertinent evidence can become more difficult to collect over time. You should not delay filing your personal injury lawsuit.
Typical Cases That Our Personal Injury Lawyers Handle in Framingham, MA
If you have suffered injuries on account of another person’s actions in Framingham, our personal injury attorneys are here to help, regardless of how you were injured. We are dedicated to supporting you through any kind of personal injury lawsuit you might be pursuing and have a proven track record of success in representing clients in a variety of cases. Each case presents its own challenges that can be difficult to comprehend without the experience that our firm possesses. Some of the most common types of lawsuits we handle in Framingham include the following:
Car Accident Cases
Our team has expertise in handling personal injury cases related to car accidents in Framingham. We handle cases related to rear-end collisions and accidents caused by distracted driving. The severity of car accidents can vary from minor injuries to fatalities. To receive compensation for your damages, it is crucial to take legal action against the responsible driver. It is possible that multiple drivers might be liable for your injuries, and each one can be held responsible for their portion in causing the accident in a lawsuit.
Medical Malpractice Cases
Suffering from medical malpractice can lead to life-altering consequences, such as permanent disability or, worse, death. Our team is dedicated to assisting you in gathering evidence to seek compensation for your injuries, even in complex cases. It is not uncommon for victims to take years to discover their injuries. Fortunately, if you only become aware of the malpractice later on, you might have a longer window to file a medical malpractice lawsuit, as opposed to the strict time frame for personal injury cases.
Premises Liability Cases
When an individual gets injured on someone else’s property due to negligence or lack of reasonable care, premises liability lawsuits are usually filed. Such incidents can include slip and fall accidents or dog bites resulting from inadequate pet restrictions. If you have sustained injuries due to unsafe conditions on another person’s property, there might be several parties that you can hold accountable for your injuries, providing you with more options to seek compensation.
Products Liability Cases
When a product is poorly designed or made with faulty materials, it can lead to injury and result in defective product cases. This can be applicable to a range of products, such as car parts, children’s toys, and medications. For example, if you purchase a car with defective brakes that cause an accident, you have the option to sue the product’s designer or manufacturer. However, identifying the stage of production where the defect occurred can be difficult without legal assistance. Additionally, inadequate or missing instructions can also lead to product liability cases.
Rideshare Accident Cases
Ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft have gained popularity in recent years. Nonetheless, accidents involving these drivers have also risen. Seeking compensation for such accidents can be difficult as Uber and Lyft classify their drivers as independent contractors. Therefore, these ride-sharing companies are usually not liable for any accidents resulting from their drivers’ negligence. However, their insurance coverage usually provides substantial financial assistance to injured drivers and passengers who get hurt while using their services.
Types of Evidence Used in Framingham, MA Personal Injury Lawsuits
There is a wide array of evidence that can be used in personal injury lawsuits. Evidence is typically presented in order to prove fault or establish damages. However, collecting the evidence required to support your claims can be difficult. Our Framingham personal injury lawyers can help when gathering any of the following types of evidence:
Medical Records
Medical records can be used to show the harm a victim suffered because of an accident. Proper documentation of your injuries is required to recover compensation. Therefore, you should not wait to let injuries heal on their own. Personal injury victims should seek medical attention as soon as possible after an accident.
Additionally, medical bills can be used to establish damages related to your injuries. Victims can be compensated for all types of medical expenses stemming from their injuries.
Witness Statements
Statements from witnesses can be highly valuable to our Framingham personal injury lawyers when proving fault in your case. Witnesses can help explain the events that unfolded before, during, or after an incident. For example, statements from an eyewitness can be used to establish that a defendant driver ran a red light before causing a car crash. Accordingly, personal injury victims should attempt to collect contact information for any witnesses to their accidents.
Physical Evidence
Physical evidence from the scene of an accident can also be used to prove fault in your personal injury case. Physical evidence can be used in many ways. For example, in a products liability case centered around a defective children’s toy, the toy may be brought into court to demonstrate its danger. On the other hand, in a motorcycle accident case, a crushed helmet can be brought in to show that a driver was travelling at high speeds when they caused a crash.
Accordingly, physical evidence can be very useful to your claim. However, some forms of evidence are unable to be brought into court. In such cases, other forms of documentation can be utilized.
Photographic Evidence
Photographic evidence from the scene of an accident is another type of evidence used to prove fault in personal injury lawsuits. For example, photos of a dimly lit hallway can be used to show that a property owner or manager contributed to a slip and fall accident. Furthermore, photos can be used to establish circumstances that may have contributed to a car crash such as weather and road conditions. Therefore, personal injury victims should attempt to take photos and videos of their accident scene if possible.
Photographic evidence can also be used to establish damages in personal injury lawsuits. For example, defendants in auto accident cases may attempt to allege that certain property damage occurred after a crash. Photos of a vehicle from the scene of an accident can be used to show that certain property damage was caused by the crash at issue. Our experienced Framingham personal injury lawyers can help determine if photographic evidence will be valuable when establishing damages in your case.
Expert Witness Statements
Additionally, expert witness statements are another form of evidence that can be used to determine fault in your personal injury lawsuit. Expert witnesses are considered experts in a particular field because of their education, training, and experience. Such witnesses can be used to explain complex topics in simplistic terms.
The use of expert witnesses is common in defective product cases. For instance, in such cases, engineering experts can be called to identify and explain a flaw in a product’s design or manufacturing. Furthermore, accident reconstruction experts can be called in auto accident cases to help determine why a crash occurred.
Other Financial Documents
Besides medical bills, other financial documents are regularly used in personal injury lawsuits to establish damages. Many personal injury victims are forced to miss work because of their injuries. Accordingly, plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits may pursue damages for lost income incurred because of their injuries.
Lost wages are typically calculated using a plaintiff’s average weekly income. Accordingly, financial documents such as pay stubs and tax returns can be helpful to our Framingham personal injury lawyers when seeking damages for lost wages.
Furthermore, plaintiffs may recover damages for out-of-pocket expenses sustained because of their injuries. For example, victims may be compensated for the cost of travel to and from their medical appointments. Therefore, you should keep receipts for any out-of-pocket expenses suffered because of an accident. Receipts are another type of financial document that can help establish damages in your case.
How Our Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help Your Case in Framingham, MA
If you have sustained injuries in an accident in Framingham, you might be questioning whether you have a legitimate personal injury case. In case you are uncertain about how to pursue compensation for your injuries or require assistance in acquiring the compensation you are entitled to, our personal injury attorneys are prepared to aid you. We provide a range of services to support your personal injury claim and make sure that you receive the compensation you deserve. Here are a few examples of the services we offer which can provide a solid foundation for your case:
Determining Fault
We understand that victims might feel uneasy about confronting the individual responsible for their injuries in a lawsuit. But worry not, as our team is here to assist you every step of the way. We will take charge of negotiating with the insurance company and interrogating the guilty party to prove their liability. You will only have to face the defendant in court if the case proceeds to trial, and even then, our lawyers will do the questioning while presenting your case.
Negotiating with Insurance Companies
Our firm takes pride in our assertive yet cooperative approach to handling cases with insurance companies. We understand that trials can be stressful and lengthy, which is why we strive to settle cases out of court whenever possible. In fact, many of our clients’ cases are resolved with minimal effort on their part, even before reaching trial. Our attorneys will handle the negotiation process with the insurance company, allowing you to focus on your recovery.
Gather Evidence
When it comes to personal injury lawsuits, proving damages is essential. This typically involves gathering crucial evidence. Our team can provide you with the necessary assistance to obtain the evidence required. Medical records, police reports, contracts, and other documents are all significant types of evidence to collect, and our attorneys are experienced in obtaining evidence from any source. For instance, if you were injured due to someone else’s negligence on their property, we can gather leases, tenant contracts, and employment records to establish liability.
Take Your Case to Court
Our top priority is to ensure that you are satisfied with the outcome of your case. However, we will never advise you to accept an offer that undervalues the worth of your case. If the insurance company fails to compensate you adequately for your injuries, we are fully prepared to take legal action. While accepting a settlement might provide prompt compensation, pursuing your case in court could lead to a much larger payout. The evidence we gather to negotiate your settlement will also be presented in court when we file your lawsuit. In the event that negotiations fall through, the insurance company will be aware that we are willing to go to court, which might encourage them to avoid legal action.
If You Were Injured Because of Another Person’s Negligent Actions in Framingham, MA Our Lawyers Can Help
For a free case evaluation with our personal injury lawyers, call the Law Office of John J. Sheehan today at (617) 925-6407.
