How Much is a Shoulder Injury Worth in Massachusetts?

Shoulder injuries are painful and can be incredibly disruptive to your daily life and routine. As such, the damages related to a shoulder injury are sometimes very valuable.

Shoulder injuries may occur under many circumstances. How your accident happened might significantly influence how much your case is worth. Accidents, falls, and athletic injuries are common causes of shoulder injuries. Various factors might influence your damages. Medical expenses, lost income, pain, suffering, and other damages may vary depending on the unique circumstances of your case. We must also be mindful of factors that could reduce the value of your claims, such as allegations of contributory negligence from the defendant.

The shoulder is a critical part of your body, and an injury to your shoulder could disrupt your entire life. Shoulder injuries may be very valuable in a lawsuit, and our Massachusetts personal injury lawyers can help you get the compensation you deserve. For a free case review, call the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407.

What Are Damages for Shoulder Injuries Worth in Massachusetts?

The overall value of your shoulder injury in a personal injury lawsuit depends on the various damages you might be able to claim. No two cases are alike, and the damages available to one plaintiff might not be available to another. Even so, some commonly claimed damages apply in most shoulder injury cases that our personal injury lawyers of Boston can investigate.

Medical Bills

After your injury, you should seek immediate medical attention. Many shoulder injuries require serious medical care, including surgery, medications, x-rays, and follow-up visits with doctors. Medical care is notoriously expensive, and your medical bills should be added to your overall damages calculations. The more medical care you receive, the greater your bills are and the more significant your damages. If you require extensive care that will likely last into the future, you can claim anticipated medical costs.

Lost Income and Earning Capacity

Many people have trouble returning to work after an injury. If your shoulder injury is serious, and your job involves heavy lifting or is otherwise physically demanding, you might be unable to return to work for a long time. The income you lose because you cannot return to work should be added to your damages. The more income you lose, the more your case is worth. These damages may be especially high for permanently injured people who can never return to work, as the costs of future lost income may also be considered.

Pain and Suffering

Mental and physical pain and suffering are not exactly things that can be calculated or added up by going over bills and receipts. These damages are more subjective and can vary significantly from case to case. Shoulder pain may radiate down your arm and up into your neck, making shoulder injuries extremely painful. You might also deal with pain related to surgery to fix your shoulder.

Mental suffering must also be considered. If your injury is permanent or you lose your job because of your shoulder injury, it can be incredibly difficult to come to terms with your condition. Our Cambridge personal injury lawyers can help you get the compensation you deserve for everything you have endured.

Factors That Might Reduce the Value of Your Shoulder Injury Claims in Massachusetts

Perhaps the biggest reason plaintiffs have their damages reduced in shoulder accident cases is allegations of contributory negligence. According to Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 231 § 85, the state uses a modified comparative fault rule. Under this rule, your damages are reduced in proportion to your fault for the accident. However, once your share of fault exceeds 50%, you are barred from recovering anything.

Contributory negligence may include anything you allegedly did that might have caused the accident or worsened your injuries. For example, failure to wear a seatbelt might be considered contributory negligence in a car accident, and your overall damages might be reduced. Our Wakefield personal injury lawyers can help you defend yourself against allegations of contributory negligence and hopefully maximize your compensation.

How Shoulder Injuries Might Occur in Massachusetts

Only after an injury do we fully understand how important our shoulders are to our daily life. Shoulder injuries might happen almost anywhere, but there are a few common causes that should always be investigated. Our Massachusetts personal injury attorneys can help you determine how your injury occurred and who should be held responsible.

Car accidents

Even relatively minor accidents may lead to severe shoulder damage. Car accidents are often the result of traffic violations, distracted driving, or aggressive driving. The other driver involved in the crash is often to blame and can be held responsible in a personal injury lawsuit.

A shoulder injury from a car accident may be particularly severe if your car was struck from the side, such as in a T-bone accident, and your shoulder was at the point of impact. Without a seatbelt, you could be thrown from the vehicle, and the injuries to your shoulder might be even worse.

Falls

Falling accidents are another very common cause of shoulder injuries. Perhaps you slipped and fell on a wet floor at the supermarket, or maybe you tripped on some uneven stairs at work. If a person falls and lands on their shoulder, they could dislocate the shoulder, damage joints, and end up with long-lasting injuries and pain.

Even if you break your fall, you might still injure your shoulder. For example, suppose you try to catch your fall by placing your arms in front of you. Even landing on your hands could cause damage to your shoulders. Shoulder injuries from falls can be especially bad if you fall on a very hard surface, like concrete or marble floors.

Athletic Injuries

Athletic injuries might happen during a sports game, at the gym, or when you exercise. Some sports, like football, are high-contact sports, and shoulder injuries are not unusual. Other sports, like soccer and baseball, do not involve contacting or tackling players. The other player might be liable for your shoulder injuries if you were tackled during a game when you should not have been.

Lifting injuries at the gym might also cause serious shoulder injuries. For example, someone performing a bench press or shoulder press exercise might injure their shoulder if the weight is too heavy or the heavy plates fall off the barbell.

Call Our Massachusetts Personal Injury Lawyer for a Free Case Assessment

If you experienced a shoulder injury, our Beverly, MA personal injury attorneys can help you figure out who is to blame and hold them accountable. For a free case review, call the Law Office of John J. Sheehan at (617) 925-6407.