Massachusetts Truck Accident Attorney

What Types of Compensation Can I Pursue Based on a Truck Accident?

When you suffer serious injuries in a Massachusetts truck accident, an attorney from one of our co-counsels may be able to seek and secure compensation based on your:

• Medical care needs, medical bills, and related costs
• Therapies and rehabilitation
• Future care for accident injuries
• Income lost due to the injury
• Reduced future earning capacity for lasting injuries
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Personal property damage
• Permanent disability or disfigurement
• Out-of-pocket expenses

In most truck accident cases, the attorney will pursue these damages in a fault-based claim against the liable party or parties. When injuries are minor, the victim may be limited to recovering lost wages and medical care costs under their own no-fault auto insurance policy.

Wrongful Death Damages Available If the Victim Passes Away

When a truck accident victim passes away, the estate executor (personal representative) can file a wrongful death action and seek compensation for the victim’s surviving family. The recoverable damages are intended to compensate these family members for their losses. The recoverable damages could include:

• Loss of income from the decedent
• Loss of services the decedent usually performed
• Loss of companionship, comfort, guidance, and assistance
• Funeral and burial expenses
• Other tangible and intangible losses

Truck Accident Victims Often Suffer Serious Injuries and Require Extensive Care and Support

When a truck hits a smaller vehicle, the occupants of that other vehicle often suffer serious injuries. This is because of the forces involved when something the size and weight of a commercial 18-wheeler strikes a smaller automobile. This is especially true when the vehicles are traveling at highway speeds.

Some of the injuries possible for truck accident victims include:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Spinal cord injuries and potential paralysis
• Broken bones
• Internal injuries
• Severe lacerations and cuts
• Amputations
• Whiplash and neck injuries
• Chest injuries, such as fractured ribs and punctured lungs
• Burns
• Soft tissue injuries
• Psychological trauma, including PTSD

These injuries often require extensive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and ongoing support. Massachusetts has several trauma centers where victims can receive treatment and therapies. This includes:

Level I Trauma Centers

• Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston
• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston
• Boston Medical Center in Boston
• Boston Children’s Hospital in Boston
• Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Boston
• Tufts Medical Center in Boston
• Bayside Medical Center in Springfield
• UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester

Other Specialized Care Facilities:

• Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston
• Shriners Hospitals for Children in Boston

These facilities provide specialized treatment for severe injuries, such as brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, fractures, and burns. Immediate emergency care followed by specialized rehabilitation is often necessary for traumatic injuries sustained in truck accidents. This care can be costly, but these costs can be recoverable.

How Our Team Helps Accident Victims Seek Justice After a Massachusetts Truck Accident

At The Goldwater Law Firm, we connect accident victims from all 50 states with our trusted law firm partners who can handle their cases and provide representation and advocacy. If you suffered serious injuries, our co-counsel near you can manage your case while you heal.

Our firm is an award-winning firm with a reputation for results. We are a widely recognized law firm that works with other large, successful firms to help car accident victims get justice. We form strategic partnerships, so you have someone near you who can provide the resources, support, and care you deserve.

Our co-counsels work based on contingency. You will not need to pay anything upfront for their services or representation. They will manage your case and never ask you to pay until they recover a payout for you.

A Massachusetts Truck Accident Lawyer Understands How These Cases Work

When a truck hits a smaller passenger car, the occupants of the smaller vehicle often suffer serious or catastrophic injuries. Truck drivers can cause collisions by engaging in various negligent or unsafe behaviors, including:

• Distracted driving, like texting or talking on the phone
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Speeding
• Drowsy driving, often related to hours-of-service violations
• Improper lane changes or failing to signal
• Tailgating or following other vehicles too closely
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Improper cargo loading or unsecured loads
• Inadequate vehicle maintenance, often related to tires or brakes
• Running red lights or stop signs
• Driving aggressively

These behaviors can lead to serious accidents.

Liability in a Truck Accident Case

Under a legal doctrine called respondeat superior, trucking companies can be held legally responsible for their drivers’ negligence. This doctrine is rooted in common law and allows truck accident victims to hold the employer vicariously liable in many crash cases.

The trucking company is also typically liable for truck accident injuries that occur because of other acts of negligence, such as negligent hiring, training, and supervision.

If the company failed to maintain the truck properly or violated safety regulations, it may be directly liable for the accident.

How an Attorney Develops a Strong Truck Accident Case for Compensation

When you work with an attorney from one of our law firm partners, they will take the steps necessary to develop a compelling case and seek fair compensation for you based on your injuries and losses. This requires strong evidence that will convince the insurance carrier or a jury that you qualify for compensation based on the facts of the case.

Some of the evidence that might be used to prove a truck accident case includes:

• The police report filed by responding officers
• The trucker’s rest logs
• Data from the truck’s event data recorder
• Truck maintenance records
• The trucker’s training and employment records
• Eyewitness testimony
• Surveillance footage from nearby businesses, traffic cameras, or dashcams
• Photos of the accident scene
• Accident reconstruction reports
• Documentation about cargo and loading
• Relevant medical records
• Expert testimony from accident reconstruction specialists and medical experts

This evidence helps establish fault, liability, and the severity of injuries in a truck accident case. Presenting this evidence as a cohesive case against the at-fault truck driver and holding the trucking company liable is often possible. Trucking companies typically have large liability policies that can cover the significant costs of life-altering accident injuries.

While out-of-court settlements are common in these cases, lawsuits are sometimes necessary. If you need to sue, you have a limited time to do so. You must meet the applicable deadline to protect your right to take your case to court.

This deadline is generally three years after the accident for injuries per Massachusetts General Laws c. 260, § 2A, and three years after the date of death for wrongful death cases under Massachusetts General Laws c. 229, § 2.