Salem Car Accident Lawyer
A car crash can change your life in seconds: medical bills, missed work, a damaged vehicle, and calls from insurance adjusters who want a quick statement. Muggeo & Associates represents people injured in car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian, and rideshare crashes in Salem and across the North Shore. We deal with the insurers so you can focus on getting better.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Salem
- Call 911 and get medical attention, even if you feel fine. Some injuries, including concussions and soft-tissue injuries, take hours or days to appear.
- Exchange names, license, registration, and insurance information with every driver involved.
- Photograph the vehicles, the road, skid marks, traffic signals, and your injuries.
- Get the names and phone numbers of witnesses.
- File a Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report within five days if anyone was hurt or damage exceeds $1,000.
- Notify your own insurer, but avoid recorded statements to the other driver’s insurer before speaking with a lawyer.
- Keep every medical record, bill, receipt, and note from your employer about missed time.
How Massachusetts No-Fault Insurance Works
Massachusetts is a no-fault state. After most crashes, your own auto policy’s Personal Injury Protection (PIP) pays the first part of your medical bills and lost wages, regardless of who caused the crash. PIP generally provides up to $8,000 in benefits per person. If you have private health insurance, the rules for which policy pays first can be different. PIP claims have their own forms and deadlines, so it helps to have them handled correctly from the start.
When You Can Sue the At-Fault Driver
Massachusetts limits lawsuits for pain and suffering after a car accident. You can generally bring a claim against the at-fault driver if your reasonable medical expenses exceed $2,000, or if your injuries include a broken bone, permanent and serious disfigurement, loss of sight or hearing, or death. Many injury claims meet this threshold once all treatment is counted.
What If I Was Partly at Fault?
Massachusetts follows modified comparative negligence. You can recover damages as long as you were not more at fault than the other parties combined, but your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurers often try to shift blame to the injured person, which is why early evidence matters.
How Long Do I Have to File?
In most Massachusetts car accident cases, a lawsuit must be filed within three years of the crash. Claims involving a city, town, or state vehicle can carry additional notice requirements that must be met much sooner. Do not wait until the deadline is close.
Crashes on Salem and North Shore Roads
We regularly see crashes on Route 114, Route 1A and Bridge Street, North Street, Route 107, Route 1, and Route 128. October brings heavy pedestrian and tourist traffic to downtown Salem, and with it more pedestrian and parking-area collisions. Narrow historic streets, rotaries, and winter road conditions add to the risk.
Damages You May Recover
- Medical expenses, past and future
- Lost wages and loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Wrongful death damages for families who have lost a loved one
Pedestrian, Bicycle, Truck, and Rideshare Crashes
Pedestrians and cyclists are often seriously hurt even at low speeds. Truck crashes can involve federal safety rules and multiple companies. Uber and Lyft crashes involve layered insurance policies that depend on whether the driver was logged in and carrying a passenger. Each of these claims has its own issues, and we handle all of them.
How We Help
We gather police reports, photos, video, and witness statements; work with your doctors to document your injuries; handle PIP and property damage paperwork; and negotiate with the insurers. If a fair settlement is not offered, we are prepared to take your case to court. Learn more about our personal injury practice.
Talk to a Lawyer Today
Call Muggeo & Associates at (978) 741-1177, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or send us a message. Our office is at 133 Washington Street in downtown Salem.
This page provides general information only and is not legal advice. Laws and deadlines change and depend on the facts of each case. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.