Needham, MA Car Accident Lawyer
Car crashes often seriously injure victims, leaving them with expensive damages in Needham. To help you recover those damages, our lawyers can bring a claim against the negligent driver responsible for your injuries.
Common types of car accidents in Needham include rear-end, T-bone, sideswipe, and head-on crashes. Typically, T-bone and head-on collisions cause the most serious injuries to victims, like spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and fatal injuries. Regardless of how severe an accident appears, victims should always call 911. By alerting the police and emergency medical services, you can document the accident and get the immediate medical attention you need. Although victims often want compensation quickly, it is important to wait to bring a claim until our lawyers know its full value. Once we know your total incurred damages and anticipated future damages, we can help you file your lawsuit before the three-year deadline in Needham.
You can get a free assessment of your case from our Needham, MA car accident lawyers by calling the Law Office of John J. Sheehan today at (617) 925-6407.
Types of Car Accidents in Needham, MA
Needham sees various types of catastrophic car accidents, including T-bone and head-on accidents. Even seemingly minor accidents, like rear-end collisions, can result in injuries that require compensation.
Rear-End Accidents
Rear-end accidents typically happen when one driver follows another too closely and cannot stop safely. Typically, the rear driver is at fault for these accidents, but that is not always the case. For example, if the driver in front of you checked their brakes to get you to fall back, and you hit them, they might be liable for the accident.
Rear-end accidents, though sometimes minor in comparison to other accidents, can still result in serious injuries to victims, like whiplash.
T-Bone Accidents
T-bone accidents typically occur at intersections in Needham when one driver enters the intersection without having the right of way, hitting the side of another car. T-bone accidents are some of the most serious car accidents and could cause crushing injuries to the sides of victims’ bodies.
Sideswipe Accidents
Sideswipe accidents typically happen when one driver attempts to merge into another driver’s lane but ends up hitting the other car. However, sideswipe accidents can also happen without merging, such as when one driver veers over lane markings, which might happen because of intoxication or drowsiness.
Head-on Accidents
Head-on collisions might cause cars to roll over or flip, leading to catastrophic accidents. These accidents happen when one car moves into the opposing lane of traffic, hitting another car head on. Especially at high speeds, head-on accidents can be fatal. Victims of head-on accidents are at a higher risk of sustaining traumatic brain injuries like concussions.
No-Contact Accidents
Another driver’s negligence might cause you to react, leading to a no-contact accident. For example, suppose a driver recklessly attempted to merge into your lane and, to avoid them, you veered away and hit a telephone pole. Because the driver acted negligently when merging, they could be liable for your damages. Other times, potholes and other road defects cause no-contact accidents, making local municipalities liable.
Calls to Make After a Car Crash in Needham, MA
Although your initial instinct might be to call your friends and family, that is not the first call you should make after an accident in Needham. Instead, you should call 911.
Victims must report car accidents that result in injury in Needham. Do not wait for anyone else to call 911. If you are lodged in your vehicle and cannot safely exit it without causing further injury, ask eyewitnesses or others to call for help.
While you wait for law enforcement to arrive, limit your conversations with the negligent driver. You should not speak to them beyond exchanging the necessary insurance information.
Police officers can record important information in an accident report, which our car accident lawyers can help you obtain in the days following the crash.
When you call 911, ask for emergency medical services to come. When they get there, accept their care and let them take you to the emergency room. If you delay getting medical treatment, even if only for a few hours, you could hurt your claim and have difficulty proving that the accident in question caused your injuries.
When to File Your Car Accident Claim in Needham, MA
Under Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 260, § 2A, victims have three years to file car accident claims. That said, there is more to filing a lawsuit than doing so within the statute of limitations. Our lawyers can help you bring your claim in a timely fashion while ensuring we have sufficient evidence to support your case.
When victims file claims too soon after auto accidents, they risk not having enough evidence to win. For example, within a week or two of a crash, you might not know the full extent of your medical damages and lost wages. If you file and settle your case too soon, you might eventually realize your damages are much greater than you anticipated.
On the other hand, you also should not wait too long to file your lawsuit. If you do, the defense might question why you delayed your case and try to undermine arguments that their negligence caused your injuries. Furthermore, if you wait to initiate the investigation process, certain evidence might get lost, harming your chances of success.
Our lawyers can begin preparing your claim immediately after an accident by investigating the crash and tracking your damages as you incur them. To address the matter of future damages, we can get experts to testify about your anticipated future medical treatment so you can recover compensation for damages not yet incurred.
Call Our Attorneys in Needham, MA to Discuss Your Crash
To get a free case evaluation from the Law Office of John J. Sheehan’s car accident lawyers, call (617) 925-6407.