Personal Injury Lawyers in Medford

Everyday activities in Medford, Massachusetts, like driving your car, shopping at a nearby store, or doing your job, can unexpectedly and suddenly involve an accident that leaves you or a loved one with significant injuries. The pain of these injuries can be devastating—and can hurt all the more with knowing that the accident was caused by someone else’s negligence.

In such unfortunate situations, you may be eligible to receive compensation for those injuries from the party that harmed you.

But how do you get that compensation? The recommended way to get the money you need and deserve is with the help of a personal injury lawyer in Medford, MA, from Morgan & Morgan. 

As the country’s largest personal injury law firm, we’ve used the advantage of our size and resources to help victims move forward with their lives after tragedy strikes. In fact, we have helped our clients recover over $20 billion in damages—and our local Massachusetts offices could help you, too. 

And don’t worry about upfront expenses, we work on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t pay a dime unless we win your case. To learn more, contact Morgan & Morgan for free case evaluation today.

How a Personal Injury Lawyer in Medford, MA, Can Prove You Suffered a Personal Injury

A personal injury refers to an injury where you have been harmed due to the negligent or reckless acts of another party. To get you money, a personal injury attorney needs to prove the following factors.

The Other Party Had a Duty of Care

Another important legal concept is “duty of care.” When someone has a duty of care to another, that means they are required to take appropriate actions to protect that person from harm. A nurse at a retirement home, for example, has a duty of care toward the residents she works with.

Lots of people have a duty of care toward others. Some examples are:

• The owner of a business has a duty of care toward their patrons
• An employer has a duty of care toward their employees
• Daycare workers have a duty of care toward the children they care for
• Drivers have a duty of care toward other drivers on the road

Typically, this duty is limited in scope. A driver’s duty of care is limited to driving their vehicle safely. They aren’t required to protect other drivers from any other danger.

The Duty of Care Was Violated

The next element your personal injury lawyer in Medford, MA, will have to prove is that the other party violated their duty of care. In simpler terms, this means that their actions created an unsafe situation.

Typically, when this happens, it is due to negligence. The other person knew they should have acted differently, but they were careless. Most people are careless regularly. But when that carelessness results in someone else getting harmed, then it becomes negligence.

Occasionally, the harmful act was intentional. When this is the case, the individual was reckless. The difference usually won’t matter much, but if the defendant in your case was reckless, it could result in you getting higher compensation.

You Were Harmed by the Breach of Duty of Care

Just because someone violated their duty of care toward you, that doesn’t mean the negligent action caused you harm. Your attorney can examine the evidence and use it to prove that your harm was a direct result of a violation of that duty.

You Incurred Significant Damages

Finally, your personal injury lawyer in Medford, MA, needs to prove that you suffered significant financial harm. In most cases, this means that your injuries are serious enough to require medical attention. And those medical bills represent your damages.

But not all harm is physical. You can also suffer emotional harm or harm to your reputation. And both of these can also cost you significant money, especially if they result in lifelong consequences.

Types of Personal Injuries

There are many types of personal injury cases that we handle at Morgan and Morgan. Some of the more common types are:

• Car accidents
• Slip and falls
• Dog bites
• Sexual abuse or assault
• Amusement park accidents
• Wrongful death
• Slander or libel

If you have suffered harm in any of these types of situations, you should consult with a personal injury lawyer in Medford, MA, immediately.

What to Do After Suffering a Personal Injury

Assuming the injury is physical, the first thing you should do is contact 911 and get medical attention. Your safety needs to be your priority after any type of injury. And medical professionals are the best prepared to evaluate and treat your injuries.

In addition to ensuring your safety, there is another reason you should get immediate medical attention. When you get evaluated, that creates a medical record, and this can be critical evidence that your attorney will need to prove one of the elements of a personal injury case.

Once you have been medically treated, contact a personal injury attorney at Morgan & Morgan. The earlier we become aware of your case, the easier it will be to collect evidence, get your fresh retelling of the incident, and file a claim in a timely manner before the statute of limitations expires.

Imagine, for example, that you were slandered in public. Typically, we would interview the witnesses to determine exactly what was said. Unfortunately, most people don’t have a great memory. If we have to wait a week to do those interviews, we will get much worse evidence than if we can complete them within 24 hours of the incident.

Dealing With Insurance Companies

Another possible element to a personal injury case is insurance companies. If you are hurt at a business, for example, while the owner may be responsible for your injuries, their insurance policy will typically pay for any damages.

Insurance companies are a mixed blessing. When the actor is covered by insurance, they effectively have access to the appropriate supply of money to cover any damages. This can be important if you suffered serious injuries that require hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars of compensation. The average person can’t pay that kind of money on their own.

However, insurance companies also complicate the process. Even if the negligent party accepts their guilt, the insurance company may try to limit the compensation you receive.

The insurance company may do this because it wants to minimize its loss. The less money it has to pay you, the less money the insurer loses. And it has several options for underpaying a claim or even denying one.

One of the main duties of a personal injury lawyer in Medford, MA, is dealing with insurance companies. Our attorneys understand the claim process and have decades of experience interacting with these companies. Typically, we can negotiate a fair settlement that ensures you get the money you deserve.

While insurance companies may try to undervalue the claim of the average person, they are much less likely to do that when the victim is represented by a personal injury attorney. Insurers know that lawyers understand these types of cases and won’t accept a lesser settlement.

Furthermore, when you are represented by an attorney, that can act as a warning sign to the insurance company that you are willing to go to court if necessary. Court cases are extremely expensive for insurers, and they often settle rather than risk paying for legal fees and then still lose at trial.