Boston Car Accident Lawyers
Dedicated advocacy when a car crash changes everything
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A car accident can change your life in seconds, leaving you with injuries and emotional harm that take years to heal, if they ever do. When someone else causes those injuries, they are forcing you to face the consequences, such as hospital stays, missed work, trauma, and rehabilitation. If you or your loved one is facing this situation, you need a true advocate who will stand at your side and fight for you to the end.
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How Santoro & Gray can help you
- Why choose Santoro & Gray after a serious Boston car accident?
- Rideshare accidents: Crashes and assaults involving Uber and Lyft
- Delivery Truck and Commercial Vehicle Crashes (Amazon, FedEx, UPS)
- Common causes of serious car crashes in Boston
- What Massachusetts law says about car accident claims
- Serious injuries we commonly see in car accident cases
- How Santoro & Gray builds a strong car accident case
- Frequently asked questions
- Do you have a Boston car accident attorney near me?
Why choose Santoro & Gray after a serious Boston car accident?
Our attorneys listen. We offer trauma-informed advocacy for our clients because we know you’re so much more than a case–you’re a survivor with a story that matters. Our team focuses on life-altering crashes that result in catastrophic injuries — spinal cord injury, TBI, amputation, and wrongful death. We understand the complexity of these cases, and our attorneys dedicate attention and care to each case we handle. Whether it’s dealing with rideshare companies, commercial insurance policies, or multiple defendants, we’re prepared to take on your adversaries with strength and dedication. If we take on your case, we’re fighting for you, all the way to trial if we need to. We’ve got the track record to prove it.
Rideshare accidents: Crashes and assaults involving Uber and Lyft
Boston is a busy city full of college students, tourists, and commuters who regularly rely on rideshare services like Uber and Lyft. Unfortunately, few consider the possible risks they’re taking when they enter a stranger’s car. Crashes involving Uber or Lyft may leave you with severe injuries and complicated and confusing layers of liability and insurance. Passengers, pedestrians, and occupants in other vehicles may all be treated differently. Not to mention, these companies have large legal teams working to reduce their liability. Despite Massachusetts's rideshare regulations, things go wrong quite often–and not just car crashes. Assault cases involving Uber or Lyft drivers are another possible incident that riders face, and that no one should have to face alone. We’ve achieved multi-million dollar settlements in cases involving rideshare companies in the past. While we can’t predict outcomes in future claims, our record shows we’re ready to take on these large companies and fight for real results.
Delivery Truck and Commercial Vehicle Crashes (Amazon, FedEx, UPS)
The number of delivery vehicles on Boston’s roads is massive. A single driver for Amazon can deliver up to 300 packages a day, meaning that seeing these vehicles on the road is a common occurrence. Sadly, sometimes these drivers are overworked or face unrealistic workloads that result in them driving while fatigued, stressed, or tired. Add that to the fact that they are attempting to drive large, cumbersome vehicles on Boston’s narrow and often congested streets, and the risk of crashes rises even more.
When a delivery driver is involved in a crash or pedestrian accident, things can quickly become complicated. If a driver is an employee, for example, the company is responsible for their actions and liable to anyone they negligently injure. Many companies hire third-party contractors to fulfill deliveries, and they may try to use that arrangement to avoid liability. However, Massachusetts courts can still hold them responsible depending on how much control they exercise over the contractor’s actions. We have experience handling cases involving commercial delivery vehicles and know how to approach claims against companies like FedEx, Amazon, and UPS.
Common causes of serious car crashes in Boston
There are many common causes of car crashes. Many of the collisions we’ve seen involve one of these factors:
- Distracted driving and cell phone use: Cell phone use while driving is banned under Massachusetts’s hands-free law, but that doesn’t stop drivers from engaging in this hazardous behavior.
- Speeding, reckless driving, and aggression: Rush hour traffic and being late for work may cause stress, but there’s no excuse for driving aggressively.
- Fatigue, especially among long-haul truck drivers: Trucking companies may set unreasonable schedules for drivers, who in turn end up overtired, overworked, and sleep deprived. Driving while fatigued can be comparable to driving drunk.
- Weather, road conditions: Boston suffers its fair share of bad weather, which can, and often does, increase crash risks.
- Heavy traffic areas and patterns: Stressful merging patterns, unsafe intersections, such as Perkins Square, and heavily trafficked roads like L Street can increase dangers for motorists, especially during rush hour.
- Construction zones: Construction sites, which are common near Seaport and Fenway, can create more confusing traffic patterns, leading to possible collisions.
- "Storrowing": Truck drivers often underestimate the height of their vehicles and attempt to travel under some of Boston’s particularly low bridges. As a result, they peel away the top of their vehicles in a crash now referred to as “Storrowing.” This can create risks for them and the drivers around them.
Other classic causes of crashes, such as drunk driving, remain a problem on Boston’s roads, even as many partiers opt to use Ubers or Lyfts during their nights out.
What Massachusetts law says about car accident claims
Car crash litigation varies from state to state due to local laws and insurance practices. Here are some of the Massachusetts-specific laws that might influence a case.
Massachusetts is a “no-fault” state
Perhaps you’re familiar with the term “no-fault” as it applies to car insurance and vehicle collisions in Massachusetts. The idea behind this policy is to speed up the resolution of certain car crash claims and reduce the resulting costs and conflict from lawsuits. Under Massachusetts’ Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance, your own provider will cover costs up to $8,000, regardless of who is at fault. If you are the cause of your own injuries, for instance, you should still be able to recover under this policy. If someone else is at fault, it might make you wonder whether you can file a claim against them. In many cases, the answer is yes.
When you can file a lawsuit
While “no-fault” policies might step in if your crash led to minor injuries, in more serious crashes, you can pursue a claim. In order to have a valid lawsuit, you might either have a minimum of $2,000 in medical bills or permanent/serious disfigurement, loss of function, fracture, or death resulting from the crash. The truth is, it doesn’t take much for your medical bills to exceed $2,000. Once you can prove your case qualifies, you can file a claim against the negligent person or company and pursue damages for your losses, including your pain and suffering.
Comparative negligence in Massachusetts car accident cases
One typical response to a car crash claim is to blame the injured person. Sometimes, there is no real way to shift fault onto that person, but other times, the cause of the collision can be a little murky. Maybe one person was speeding, and the other rolled through a stop sign. The critical thing to remember is that in Massachusetts, you can recover damages as long as you're less than 51% at fault. The court will reduce your compensation based on your share of liability as long as you are under that 51% threshold. For instance, if you are 40% at fault, you would recover 60% of your damages, which may still be a sizable amount.
Statute of limitations for car accident claims
In Massachusetts, you typically have three years to file a lawsuit for personal injury or wrongful death, though there may be other critically important and shorter deadlines so it is essential to speak with an attorney as soon as possible. Even if you have a completely valid claim, the statute of limitations will restrict you from filing after that time has passed (with minimal exceptions). Another important thing to note is that while you typically have three years to file, the last thing you want to do is wait to contact an attorney. Collecting evidence and getting in touch with witnesses becomes more challenging as time passes. Additionally, once your lawyer is working on your case, they can handle many of the stressful interactions–like insurance company negotiations–for you. By contacting us sooner, you can focus on healing and let us serve as your advocate from the start.
Serious injuries we commonly see in car accident cases
Car crashes, especially those involving large commercial vehicles, can result in some of the most severe personal injuries imaginable. We’ve seen many of these injuries result from car and truck accidents:
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Amputation or crush injuries
- Severe burns (airbags, vehicle fires)
- Psychological trauma and PTSD
- Wrongful death
The emotional toll of these life-altering injuries is enormous, but so is the financial burden. If you or your loved one suffered a catastrophic injury because of someone else’s negligence, you need someone who will listen to you and help you fight to protect your future.
How Santoro & Gray builds a strong car accident case
At Santoro & Gray, we are litigators, which means from the moment we take a case, we are thinking about building a strong case strategy. Here are some of the steps we take to help our clients recover for their injuries.
Investigating the scene and preserving evidence
This is one reason it’s essential to reach out to your attorney early on. Evidence starts to become more difficult to find and preserve as the days turn into weeks, months, and years. Were there skid marks? Is there traffic camera footage? Did the crash involve a truck that has black box data we can access? Was there a rideshare or delivery driver involved who may have app data logs? We need to start collecting this evidence to build a strong case.
Identifying all liable parties
More than one driver can be at fault in a crash, but in the case of commercial or rideshare drivers, liability becomes even more complex. You might not even be aware of the possible involved parties–from product manufacturers to maintenance companies. We can help you identify anyone who might bear responsibility for your losses.
Valuing long-term losses
How much did your injuries really cost you? You might not even realize the extent of financial harm you suffered. We can work with you to determine damages like your future lost wages, the cost of home modifications, and ongoing care like physical therapy. Of course, not all of your losses can lead to a financial estimate. The court allows you to recover for your pain and suffering as well. This is where our storytelling approach allows us to really highlight the impact of devastating injuries on our clients. We listen to you and tell your story in a way that allows jurors to feel the real human toll, rather than just tallying the medical expenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have questions, your best course of action is to give us a call so we can answer them directly. However, here are answers to a few questions we often hear from potential clients.
How much is my car accident case worth?
It’s impossible to give a real number as an answer to this question. In general, if you have more serious injuries and higher medical expenses, your recovery should be higher. However, there are so many other factors that might impact the outcome. For instance, were you partly at fault? This might reduce your compensation. What are your lost wages? If you can no longer work, how many years of employment did you have in front of you? With so many variables involved, you need to discuss your case with a lawyer so that they can come up with an amount to demand that genuinely reflects your losses.
What if the other driver was uninsured?
While an uninsured driver may complicate things, you could still have options. In many cases, your uninsured motorist coverage could kick in and provide compensation for your injuries. It is important to look at your own auto policy to ensure that you have substantial underinsured/uninsured coverage.
Can I sue if I was partially at fault?
Yes, you can often still sue and recover for your injuries if you share fault for the accident. Massachusetts’ modified comparative fault policy will allow you to recover as long as you aren’t more at fault than the other party or parties.
Will my health insurer expect reimbursement from a settlement?
Yes, your health insurer may have a right to reimbursement from your settlement through a lien, particularly if they covered accident-related care. The specifics can depend on your health insurance policy.
Do I need to go to court?
The truth is, most cases settle without a trial. However, your best approach is to be willing, or at least appear willing, to go to trial. Insurance companies don’t want to pay out significant awards. Sadly, this means that the most severely injured people may face some of the most aggressive push-back from insurers that want to protect their bottom line. If you hire a lawyer with a trial record, who has proven themselves in a courtroom, the insurer will see that you’re willing to take your case in front of a jury. They will often be more inclined to offer a fair settlement if they know the alternative is a possible trial by jury, with a lawyer who is ready to tell your story effectively in front of those who get to make a final decision on what you are entitled to. If your case is one of the few that goes to trial, don’t worry. We’re with you every step of the way and will answer your questions so that you are fully prepared.
Do you have a Boston car accident attorney near me?
Yes. Our office is located at 131 Dartmouth Street, 3rd Floor, Suite 35, Boston, MA 02116. Santoro & Gray is proud to represent clients across the city and surrounding areas. Our experienced team is always just a phone call away. If you can’t travel to our office, we can often arrange a phone or zoom consultation or come to you. Remember that our initial case evaluations are always free.
Contact a Boston car accident lawyer who truly listens
Santoro & Gray is dedicated to a client-first philosophy. We’re here to listen to you and to fight for others to hear what you have to say. Our trauma-informed team knows just how vital it is to offer support and compassion to survivors and families who have lost someone in a car accident. We also know how important it is to have someone standing up for you, who is there to be your strength and fight for you, so that you can focus on healing. If you’re ready to talk, we’re here. Contact us today.