How Long Do You Have to Report a Car Accident Injury in Massachusetts?
The aftermath of a car accident injury can be difficult to navigate. Victims typically have to report their injury to the police, to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), to their insurer, and to the courts. Different deadlines exist for filing these reports.
You should report your injury to the police immediately following your accident. Furthermore, you will have five days after an accident to submit a crash report to the RMV. Next, you should report your injury to your insurer as soon as possible. Different insurers will have varying deadlines for filing claims. Lastly, you generally will have three years from the date of your crash to bring a car accident lawsuit to court.
If you were injured because of a car accident in Massachusetts, get help submitting the necessary reports. Contact our experienced Beverly car accident lawyers by calling the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407 for a free case review.
How Long Do You Have to Report a Car Accident Injury to the Police in Massachusetts?
You should report your injury to the police as soon as possible after your car accident injury. After each crash, an officer should visit the scene to draft an official police report. An officer’s accident report will contain important information regarding the circumstances of your accident. The following information may be included:
- The date, time, and location of the accident
- Contact information for all parties involved
- Insurance information for all drivers involved
- Contact information for potential eyewitnesses
- A diagram of the crash
- An assessment of weather and road conditions
- An assessment of damage to vehicles involved in the crash
- Statements from parties involved in the accident
- Statements from witnesses
- Opinions regarding the cause of the accident
The contents of police reports can be very important to victims when establishing fault for their accidents. After reporting a car accident injury, the police report is typically one of the first pieces of information investigated by an insurance company. If a police report indicates that you were at fault, you may have difficulty recovering compensation in a claim against a defendant’s insurer.
Furthermore, police reports can be important when seeking compensation through car accident lawsuits. While such reports may not be admitted into court, police reports can be a valuable tool when entering into settlement negotiations with other parties before trial.
Therefore, victims should not forget to call the police as soon as possible after an accident. A police report will be necessary when seeking compensation related to your car accident injuries. After your crash, you can contact our Boston car accident lawyers for help recovering and reviewing your police report.
How Long Do You Have to Report a Car Accident Injury to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles?
Under Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 90, § 26, victims have to fill out a Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report form and submit it to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) within five days if they are involved in a crash that results in either of the following:
- An injury or death
- Property damage that exceeds $1,000
After completing your report, you must send a copy to the police department that has jurisdiction where your accident occurred. There is a wide range of information that must be provided. You can contact our experienced Massachusetts car accident lawyers for guidance and support when filling out your RMV crash report.
How Long Do You Have to Report a Car Accident Injury to your Insurer in Massachusetts?
Next, you should also report your car accident injury to your insurer as soon as possible after your accident. Massachusetts uses a no-fault car insurance system. This means that after most accidents, you will have to seek compensation through your own insurance company.
Insurance companies have varying deadlines for filing a claim, so check your insurance policy for details. In any case, you should never wait to submit an insurance claim. Waiting to submit a claim could cause you to miss out on compensation. Contact your Cambridge car accident lawyers and file your claim as soon as you can.
How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Injury Lawsuit in Massachusetts?
Car accident victims who suffered serious injuries or incurred at least $2,000 in medical expenses may file lawsuits against at-fault drivers in Massachusetts. Time limits to file car accident lawsuits are set my states’ statutes of limitations.
Under Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 260, § 2A, potential plaintiffs will usually have three years from the date of a crash to file a car accident injury lawsuit. Missing this deadline could force you to refile your case.
However, you should attempt to file your case as soon as possible after an accident. There are many other requirements that must be satisfied when filing your case. For example, you must file your case in the right court, pay any necessary filing fees, attach supporting documents, serve all named defendants, and avoid filing an invalid claim. Failure to adhere to any of these requirements could force you to re-file your case. By attempting to file early, you can afford yourself time to re-file if necessary.
A different statute of limitations exists for minor children injured because of car accidents in Massachusetts. Parents may file car accident injury lawsuits on behalf of their children at any point until they turn 18. Additionally, according to Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 260, § 7, victims will have three years after turning 18 to file lawsuits related to injuries that occurred while they were minors.
Victims can contact our experienced Danvers personal injury lawyers for help determining how the statute of limitations applies to their case.
If You Were Injured Because of a Car Accident in Massachusetts, Our Lawyers Can Help
If you were injured because of a car accident, seek assistance from our experienced Malden car accident lawyers by calling the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407 for a free case review.