Boston Personal Injury Lawyers

Boston personal injury lawyers handle claims for people hurt by someone else’s carelessness, from car crashes and icy falls to dog attacks. Most injury suits run on a three-year deadline under Chapter 260, Section 2A, but some claims move faster, and snow and ice cases in particular can require prompt written notice to the property owner. After a crash, Massachusetts no-fault coverage pays the first medical bills and lost wages regardless of who was at fault, though suing the other driver for pain and suffering depends on meeting the tort threshold in Chapter 231, Section 6D. Even when fault is shared, an injured person can still recover, as long as they are not more than half to blame, under the modified comparative negligence rule in Chapter 231, Section 85.

At Neumann Law Group, our Boston personal injury lawyers work with clients across the city and the surrounding suburbs after car crashes, falls, and dog bites, and we help Massachusetts residents pursue Social Security Disability benefits. The firm’s Boston office is on Newbury Street in the Back Bay, and our attorneys bring more than 200 years of combined experience, backed by a trial network that reaches well beyond Massachusetts. If you are not sure whether you have a case, a free consultation is a low-stakes way to find out where you stand and which deadlines are already running.

How Does Massachusetts No-Fault Insurance Affect a Boston Car Accident Claim?

Massachusetts is a no-fault state. After a crash, an injured person’s own auto policy pays Personal Injury Protection benefits of up to 8,000 dollars for medical bills, lost wages, and replacement services under Chapter 90, Section 34M, regardless of fault. Suing the at-fault driver for pain and suffering is allowed only when the case meets the tort threshold in Chapter 231, Section 6D.

The tort threshold is the gatekeeper of a Massachusetts car accident lawsuit. Under Chapter 231, Section 6D, an injured person may step outside the no-fault system and recover pain and suffering damages when reasonable and necessary medical expenses exceed 2,000 dollars, or when the injury involves death, loss of a body member, permanent and serious disfigurement, loss of sight or hearing, or a fracture. The dollar threshold is low by design, and a single emergency room visit or a diagnostic scan can meet it, which is why early and complete medical documentation often shapes whether a claim can proceed.

Because the threshold rewards thorough records, the firm’s Boston car accident attorneys document treatment carefully from the start. Massachusetts logged more than 134,000 motor vehicle crashes in 2023, according to the MassDOT IMPACT Crash Data Portal. Many of the most serious happen on corridors like Interstate 93, the Southeast Expressway, and Storrow Drive, where higher speeds produce the fractures and other injuries that clear Chapter 231, Section 6D.

Who Is Responsible for a Boston Slip and Fall?

Massachusetts changed its snow and ice law in 2010. In Papadopoulos v. Target Corp., the Supreme Judicial Court abolished the old rule that shielded owners from liability for natural accumulations and held that property owners owe the same duty of reasonable care for snow and ice as for any other hazard. A separate requirement applies to these cases: an injured person must give the owner written notice within 30 days under Chapter 84, Section 21.

Massachusetts also follows modified comparative negligence under Chapter 231, Section 85. A jury assigns each party a share of fault, and the injured person’s damages are reduced by their percentage. Recovery remains available to a plaintiff who is 50 percent or less at fault, but a plaintiff found 51 percent or more at fault recovers nothing.

Identifying the responsible owner and preserving evidence come first in these cases. The firm’s Boston slip and fall lawyers work to document the hazard and to send the required notice before the 30-day window closes, since a late letter can end a claim the facts would otherwise support.

What Are Your Rights After a Dog Bite in Massachusetts?

Massachusetts is a strict liability state for dog bites. Under Chapter 140, Section 155, the owner or keeper of a dog is liable for the injuries it causes, whether or not the dog had ever shown aggression and whether or not the owner was careful. The main exceptions apply when the injured person was trespassing, committing another tort, or teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog. A child under the age of seven is presumed to have done none of those things.

That standard is far more favorable to victims than the one-bite rules in many states. The firm’s Boston dog bite attorneys focus on proving ownership or keeping and the extent of the injury, since an owner usually cannot avoid liability by claiming the dog had never bitten anyone before.

Filing for Social Security Disability in Boston

Social Security Disability claims follow a federal five-step evaluation under 20 CFR Section 404.1520 that asks whether a claimant is working, has a severe medically determinable impairment, meets a listed condition, can perform past work, or can adjust to other work. Most applicants are denied at first and must appeal within 60 days at each stage, from reconsideration to a hearing before an administrative law judge. Boston hearings are held at the Office of Hearings Operations at One Bowdoin Square.

The firm prepares its Boston disability clients for that hearing, which usually decides the case, by assembling the medical records and functional findings an administrative law judge needs to approve benefits. Representation matters most at this stage, where the evidence and the way limitations are presented often shape the result.

How Neumann Law Group Approaches Boston Injury and Disability Cases

Neumann Law Group pairs a Back Bay presence with the resources of a national firm that maintains offices across the country and is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, New York, California, and Michigan. The firm brings more than 200 years of combined attorney experience to injury and disability work and has secured multimillion-dollar recoveries in personal injury matters, including settlements exceeding 9 million dollars and 3.8 million dollars. Those figures reflect past case history and do not predict the outcome of any future matter. Attorneys at the firm have been recognized by The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and named among the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys 10 Best. Consultations are free, the firm is available 24 hours a day, and it will travel to clients whose injuries limit their mobility.

Building a Boston injury or disability claim starts with understanding which deadlines apply and what proof your case will need. A member of the firm’s team can review what happened at no cost and explain your options. Call (800) 525-6386 to speak with a Boston personal injury lawyer.

Frequently Asked Questions About Boston Injury and Disability Claims

What Is the Deadline to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Massachusetts?

Most Massachusetts personal injury lawsuits must be filed within three years of the injury under Chapter 260, Section 2A. Shorter deadlines apply in specific situations. A snow or ice injury claim requires written notice to the property owner within 30 days under Chapter 84, Section 21, and claims against a city or town carry their own notice requirements. Missing these deadlines usually ends the claim.

Can You Sue for Pain and Suffering After a Massachusetts Car Accident?

Only if the case meets the tort threshold. Under Chapter 231, Section 6D, pain and suffering damages are available when reasonable and necessary medical expenses exceed 2,000 dollars, or when the injury involves death, loss of a body member, permanent and serious disfigurement, loss of sight or hearing, or a fracture. Below that threshold, recovery is limited to no-fault benefits.

Who Pays the Medical Bills After a Boston Car Accident?

Massachusetts no-fault Personal Injury Protection pays first. An injured person’s own auto policy covers up to 8,000 dollars in medical expenses, lost wages, and replacement services under Chapter 90, Section 34M, regardless of who caused the crash. When costs exceed that amount and the case meets the tort threshold, the at-fault driver may be pursued for the remaining damages.

Is Massachusetts a Strict Liability State for Dog Bites?

Yes. Under Chapter 140, Section 155, the owner or keeper of a dog is strictly liable for the injuries it causes, even if the dog had never bitten anyone before and even if the owner took precautions. The main exceptions apply when the injured person was trespassing, committing another tort, or teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Boston Personal Injury Lawyer?

At Neumann Law Group, the initial consultation is free, and personal injury cases are typically handled on a contingency basis, meaning attorney fees come out of a recovery rather than being paid up front. This allows injured Massachusetts residents to pursue a claim without paying hourly fees while the case is ongoing.

Talk to a Boston Personal Injury Lawyer

If you were injured in a car accident or a fall, bitten by a dog, or denied Social Security Disability benefits, the next step is a straightforward conversation about your options. At Neumann Law Group, our Boston personal injury lawyers offer free consultations, are available 24 hours a day, and will travel to clients whose injuries make it hard to come to the office. Call (800) 525-6386 or contact our Boston office to discuss what happened.