Fall River Personal Injury Lawyer

Every day, hardworking people across Fall River find their lives upended by car crashes on I-195, slips on waterfront boardwalks, or workplace mishaps at the city’s bustling mill complexes. When someone else’s negligence is to blame, Massachusetts law gives you the right to pursue compensation, but the path from injury to recovery is rarely straightforward. Our Bristol County personal injury team at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers explains how our Fall River personal injury attorneys can protect your rights.

Hiring a lawyer who lives and works where your case will be filed provides strategic advantages:

• Home-court knowledge: We regularly appear before judges and clerks at the Bristol County Superior Court and Fall River District Court, allowing us to understand their scheduling preferences, procedural quirks, and settlement norms.
• Rapid scene investigations: A local team can secure video footage and eyewitness statements before they disappear, whether the crash happened on Route 24 or a construction site near the Braga Bridge.
• Convenient consultations: Our office is conveniently located minutes from South Main Street and is easily accessible by SRTA bus, eliminating the need for long trips to Boston or Providence.
• Community relationships: Decades of trust with area medical providers, accident reconstructionists, and vocational experts help us build stronger damage evidence.
• Jury insights: All River jurors often have blue-collar backgrounds; we tailor themes that resonate with their sense of fairness and accountability.

• There have been auto, truck, and motorcycle collisions on I-195, Route 24, Route 79, and city arterials such as President Avenue.
• Pedestrian and bicycle injuries at busy crossings near Battleship Cove, the Quequechan River Rail Trail, and downtown.
• Premises liability accidents often occur in areas such as apartment stairwells, retail parking lots, or municipal sidewalks, where ice and potholes create hazardous conditions.
• Product liability for defective power tools, automotive parts, or consumer goods distributed through our region’s warehouse hubs.
• Mass governs dog bites. Gen. Laws ch. 140, § 155, a strict-liability statute.
• Construction and industrial accidents in Fall River’s historic mill buildings and ongoing waterfront redevelopment projects.
• Nursing home neglect in long-term care facilities across Bristol County.
• Wrongful death actions allow spouses, parents, or children to recover damages for the loss of a loved one.

• Negligence Elements. To win damages, a plaintiff must prove four elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages. Evidence may include crash data recorders, OSHA reports, security camera footage, and expert testimony.
• Modified Comparative Negligence (51 Percent Rule). Massachusetts follows a modified comparative negligence system: you can recover as long as you are not 51 percent or more at fault. Your percentage of fault reduces any award. 
• Statute of Limitations. In Massachusetts, most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within three years of the accident. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A. Exceptions may apply to minors, latent injuries, or fraudulent concealment cases.
• Auto No-Fault and PIP Thresholds. Massachusetts is a no-fault state. You generally look first to Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits from your insurer for up to $8,000 in medical bills and lost wages. You may step outside the no-fault system and sue the at-fault driver when:
  • Your reasonable medical expenses exceed $2, 000, or
  • You sustain a “serious injury,” such as permanent disfigurement, broken bones, or substantial loss of hearing or sight.

• Economic damages: medical bills, future treatment, lost earnings, vocational retraining, and property damage.
• Non-economic damages: pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of consortium (subject to a $500,000 cap in most medical-malpractice cases).
• Punitive damages: generally unavailable in Massachusetts PI cases except under the wrongful-death statute when the defendant’s conduct was malicious, willful, or reckless.

• Seek immediate medical care. Charlton Memorial Hospital and Saint Anne’s Hospital maintain Level II trauma capabilities.
• Call 911 and obtain a police report. The Fall River Police Department’s Accident Reconstruction Unit creates diagrams that can be powerful exhibits.
• Document the scene. Photos of skid marks on Eastern Avenue or broken handrails on Slade Street may disappear in days.
• Exchange information with all parties and collect contact details of witnesses.
• Notify your insurance company, but avoid recorded statements until you have legal counsel.
• Save evidence. Keep damaged clothing, prescription receipts, and digital correspondence.
• Contact an attorney as soon as your condition is stable.

• Thorough investigation. We partner with retired state troopers, civil engineers, and biomechanical experts to reconstruct accidents.
• Evidence preservation. Letters of spoliation ensure that trucking companies keep electronic-logging data and onboard cameras.
• Medical record review. Our nurse consultants map every symptom to ICD-10 codes and create demonstrative timelines.
• Expert witnesses. Economists quantify lost earning capacity; life-care planners calculate future medical costs.
• Aggressive negotiation. We leverage verdict databases specific to Bristol County to counter lowball offers.
• Litigation and trial readiness. Defendants are aware that we will not hesitate to file a complaint and proceed to jury selection when warranted.

If a settlement cannot be reached, we will file your case at the Bristol County Superior Court,186 S. Main St., Fall River, MA 02720 , or, for claims under $50,000, in theFall RiverDistrict Court. A typical timeline looks like this:

• Complaint and service. We draft a detailed pleading that cites the venue and provides the factual basis for jurisdiction.
• Answer and counterclaims. The defense has 20 days to respond once served.
• Discovery. Interrogatories, depositions, and subpoenas gather sworn evidence. We may inspect vehicles at local impound lots or subpoena surveillance from SouthCoast Marketplace.
• Motion practice. We oppose defense motions for summary judgment or to exclude expert testimony.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Many Bristol County judges refer cases to mediation; we prepare settlement brochures with photos, medical illustrations, and verdict comparisons.
• Trial. If ADR fails, your case will proceed to a jury trial. Trials typically last 3–10 days, depending on their complexity.
• Post-trial motions and appeal. If necessary, our appellate team preserves every issue for review by the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

Q: “How much will this cost?”

We advance all case expenses and work on a contingency fee basis; no fee is charged unless we recover compensation.

Q: “How long will my case take?”

Straightforward claims often resolve within 6–12 months; complex medical malpractice or product liability cases can take several years.

Q: “Will I have to go to court?”

More than 90 percent of personal injury cases settle, but we prepare every file as if a trial is inevitable.

Q: “How do you calculate case value?”

We analyze medical specials, lost wages, liability strength, and comparable jury verdicts.

Q: “What if I was partially at fault?”

You may still recover unless you are 51 percent or more responsible; in that case, your award is reduced proportionally.

Q: “What if the at-fault driver is uninsured?”

We pursue uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) benefits from your policy.

If you or a loved one has been hurt in Fall River, call Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyersat (508) 974-3304 or complete our secure online form. Evening and weekend appointments are available, and we can visit you at home or in the hospital. There are no upfront feesandno obligations, just honest answers about your legal options.

Fall River Office

99 S Main St #350
Fall River, MA 02721
Phone: (508) 974-3304