In any given year, more than 300 fatalities occur as a result of car accidents in Massachusetts. Further, thousands of individuals suffer injuries ranging from mild to life-altering after experiencing a Raynham car accident.
Have you recently found yourself in this type of situation?
If so, then it’s important to get in touch with a quality car accident lawyer as soon as possible. The right lawyer will help inform you about your legal options, collect the evidence you need, and pursue the rightful financial compensation you deserve. Learn everything you need to know after experiencing a serious car accident Raynham MA and how our top-tier attorneys can help you navigate the situation right here.
What You Need to Know About Personal Injury Protection (PIP) in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, the law requires every driver to purchase a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance policy. This car insurance policy is designed to help provide financial recourse for individuals who get injured in a car accident. The good news is that this policy operates regardless of which driver is at fault. PIP policies typically cover injuries for:
- You and your family members if you get struck by an uninsured driver
- Anyone who is in your vehicle when an accident occurs
- Any pedestrian you strike with your vehicle
- Any pedestrian you strike outside of Massachusetts
These eligible parties can claim PIP coverage for their medical bills, lost wages, and replacement services.
What You Need to Know About Comparative Negligence Laws in Massachusetts
Of course, the total amount of compensation you can collect after a car accident does hinge on your own behavior, too. That’s because Massachusetts courtrooms operate on a comparative negligence standard. That means the overall compensation you’re entitled to can be reduced based on the percentage of fault you contributed to the accident.
For instance, if you’re eligible for $100,000 in compensation but you were 25% at fault for the accident, then the other party will only be held liable for $75,000 worth of damages. If you were more than 51% responsible for the accident, though, then you won’t be eligible to recover compensation from the other party.
Common Types of Injuries After a Car Accident in Raynham MA
Since car accidents happen so often, too many people assume that they’re usually not that serious. Nothing could be further from the truth. When you get involved in a collision, your body goes from going the speed of the vehicle to a complete stop. At the very least, this causes your body to jolt forward and stop suddenly. This will likely cause some minor pain in areas like your neck, your chest where your seatbelt sits, and other extremities that get hit.
Other common types of injuries include:
- Whiplash
- Neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Fractures, sprains, and strains
- Cuts, bruises, and scrapes
While you’d think some of the more serious injuries would be recognizable right away, many of these injuries have delayed symptoms. For that reason, it’s important to seek out medical care after your incident.
Common Causes of Car Accidents
Have you ever attempted to drive along the haunted RT 44 sections at night? According to legend, doing so could result in picking up a ghostly passenger. The bad news is that ghosts aren’t the only cause of car accidents along this haunted stretch of road or the rest of Massachusetts.
The most common cause of car accidents overall is driving while distracting. Attempting to multitask while driving splits your attention and makes a crash more likely. That’s why you should avoid texting, eating, smoking, and other activities while you’re driving.
Other common causes of car accidents include:
- Driving while under the influence
- Reckless driving
- Fatigued driving
- Poor infrastructure
- Poor road lighting
- Bad weather
- Aggressive driving
- Faulty car parts
- Failure to maintain a vehicle
In a nutshell, human error causes the vast majority of car collisions. You can help prevent accidents by doing your best to remain vigilant at all times while you’re behind the wheel. While this won’t prevent all accidents, it can prevent most of them.
Types of Car Accidents
Accidents happen for a wide range of reasons, but most of them happen when one driver loses control or focus on the road. This can lead to several types of situations.
Head-on collisions are among the most common types of accidents. These happen when cars that are going in opposite directions collide with each other head-on. Vehicle rollover accidents occur when a car actually gets flipped over.
T-Bone accidents often happen in intersections, and they’re very dangerous. Often, the driver’s side gets hit by the front of another vehicle. Side-impact crashes are similar. They happen when one vehicle is hit in the side by another driver’s front end.
Rollover accidents can be caused by a number of factors, but they’re often the result of speeding or distracted driving. These accidents can cause serious injuries and even death.
Rear-end collision: If you get hit from the rear, it’s known as a rear-end collision. This is one of the most common types of car accidents, and they often happen when a driver following another vehicle gets distracted or doesn’t allow enough space between the two vehicles.
Fender benders are the most minor type of car accident, and they often happen in parking lots or other low-speed areas. These usually result in little to no damage and no injuries.
Sideswipe accidents are also pretty common and often happen when two vehicles are driving next to each other and sideswipe each other. These can also occur when a vehicle is trying to change lanes and hits another vehicle that’s in its blind spot.
Multivehicle accidents involve three or more vehicles and can cause a major pileup. These accidents often happen on highways when traffic is heavy.
Single car accidents happen when one driver gets into an accident but doesn’t strike any other vehicles.
What Kind of Compensation Can You Collect For Your Injury?
Following your accident, you may wonder whether seeking out a lawsuit is really in your best interests. To make that decision, you’ll want to know what kind of compensation is available in your situation. Every car accident claim is unique, but the damages collected often fall into specific categories. Among the most common losses that can get recovered in court include:
- The costs of medical care
- The costs of future medical care
- Property damage to your vehicle
- Lost wages
- The costs of replacement services that you can no longer complete due to the injury
- Pain and suffering
If the other party was extremely reckless, then it might also be possible to collect punitive damages. Courtrooms only award these additional damages in unique situations, though, so it’s best to speak with a lawyer about the value of your claim before making a decision to pursue a legal claim.
How Can a Raynham Car Accident Lawyer Help You?
Not only can a good lawyer help you value your claim, but they’ll also help you determine whether seeking out a claim is right in your situation. A good lawyer won’t want you to seek out a frivolous or losing claim. Doing so would only waste everyone’s time and money. Instead, they’ll provide solid legal advice that you can rely on.
If you do have a case, a good Raynham car accident attorney will help you collect evidence, identify potentially liable parties, negotiate with those parties, and guide you through the entire process of a claim. In the best situations, they’ll ensure that you get every dime of compensation that you’re entitled to under Massachusetts law.
Are You Looking for the Best Car Accident Lawyer Raynham MA Has to Offer?
Any type of car crash that results in serious injuries can be considered a traumatic experience. Not only will you need to recover emotionally and physically from the ordeal, but you’ll also likely suffer from significant financial losses, too. The bad news is that it’s often up to you to fight the uphill battle required to get the compensation that you’re rightfully owed. That’s because insurance companies, the other driver, and other involved parties all have an incentive not to pay you what you deserve.
The best way to ensure that you don’t close your case short-handed is to hire a quality car accident attorney that will fight for you. A good lawyer will help you navigate your claim from start to finish, and they’ll even represent you in court if your case goes to trial. While most cases will settle outside of court, the possibility of going to trial is always present.
So, how can you find a lawyer you can rely on and trust? The good news is that you won’t have to go far. Our firm strives to remain sharp, skilled, personable, and professional throughout all our claims. We have extensive experience representing individuals injured in car accidents in Raynham, and we hope you will become our next success story! Contact us now to discuss your accident in more detail with one of our best attorneys.
Free Consultation – No Fee, If No Recovery
Raynham has a population of roughly 11,700 and is located less than 24 miles south of Boston. Easton, Norton, Taunton, Bridgewater and Middleborough border Raynham. Routes 138, 104, 44, 24 and 495 also weave their way through and around the town.
The Mass Highway Department consistently ranks the following intersections in Raynham among the most dangerous intersections in the state:
- Route 44 and Orchard Street
- Broadway (Route 138) and Carver Street
The accident lawyers at The Law Offices of Gerald J. Noonan handle all sorts of traffic and vehicle related accidents including: head-on, front-end collisions, rear-end accidents, car accidents with pedestrians, pedestrians in crosswalk accidents, automobile accidents with bicycles, delivery truck accidents, car accidents involving uninsured drivers, automobile accidents at dangerous intersections, simple fender benders resulting in soft tissue whiplash and severe accidents resulting in paralysis or even death.
Raynham Personal Injury & Car Accident Victim Attorney
Free Consultation
The circumstances surrounding every car accident are different from almost any other accident and every car accident is unique as a result. Our Raynham car accident lawyers approach each case in this light. Our injury lawyers will visit the scene of the accident, collect and analyze the police reports, track-down and interview the witnesses, gather and review the physical evidence. Our Raynham accident lawyers will work relentlessly to make sure you receive the greatest amount of compensation for your pain and suffering, loss of consortium, medical expenses and the cost of any future long-term rehabilitative medical services.
We will also deal with your insurance company and the responsible party’s insurance company to address your property damage and to make arrangements for substitute transportation if your policy contains a rental car provision.
Our Raynham accident injury lawyers have clients that have been in accidents in similar circumstances. As a result, our Raynham automobile accident attorneys know the steps to take in order to insure the parties responsible are held accountable for the personal injuries they have caused.
Email our law offices, or call our Taunton, Brockton or Quincy office today to schedule a free consultation.
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