Cambridge, MA Car Accident Lawyers

A car accident can wreak havoc on your life. Certainly, there’s the practical matter of dealing with the damage to your car. Can it be repaired? How are you going to get around?

But more importantly, being a victim of another driver’s negligence can take a physical and emotional toll, especially if you’re involved in a serious or catastrophic collision.

First, there’s the pile of bills for medical care. Then there’s work. You’re not well enough to perform your job duties. The combination of medical bills coupled with lost wages is devastating and a huge stressor on you and your family. How can you make sure that you’re fully compensated for your injuries?

The Cambridge, Massachusetts, car accident lawyers at the Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers understand the challenges of dealing with all types of motor vehicle accidents, including:

• Drunk-driving accidents
• Hit-and-run accidents
• High speed collisions
• Head-on collisions
• Rear-end collisions
• Side-impact and sideswipe collisions
• Chain reaction accidents
• Multiple vehicle accidents
• Taxi, Uber or Lyft accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Truck accidents
• Distracted driving accidents, including accidents involving cellphones

Regardless of the specifics of your accident involving a motor vehicle, it’s critical for you as a car accident victim to hire experienced and aggressive legal representation in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

If you think you’re not at risk for being involved in a car accident or other motor vehicle accident, think again.

Some studies indicate that fatal car accidents are in the decline, thanks in part to safety technology installed in newer motor vehicles.

However, certain studies also show that motor vehicle accidents in general are on the rise because of distracted driving related, in part, to drivers using cellphones and other technology while behind the wheel.

According to statistics from consumer safety group SaferAmerica, more than 143 million Americans commute on a daily basis. With tens of millions of people on the country’s roadways, accidents are bound to happen.

Cambridge is located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and is a part of the Boston metropolitan area. Cambridge is bordered by these cities: Boston, Arlington, Belmont and Watertown. According to data collected in 2014, it is the fifth most populous city in the state. The 2010 Census listed the city's population at 105,162.

Major roads that lead to Cambridge include Route 2, Route 16 and the McGrath Highway (Route 28). Car accidents in Cambridge are likely to occur on these busy and well-traveled roads.

Cambridge was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England. World renowned universities such as Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are located in Cambridge. Both Harvard and MIT are the city’s top two employers.

The Insurance Information Institute reported these crash statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 2018:

• Nearly 37,000 people died in motor vehicle traffic crashes in the United States.
• Vehicle miles traveled increased by about 12.2 billon miles, which is about a 0.4% increase from the previous year.
• The fatality rate equaled 1.14 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled.
• There was a total of 360 motor vehicle deaths in Massachusetts during this time period.

Here are the various types of driving behaviors reported for car and motorcycle drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2017:

• Driving too fast
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Failure to stay in proper lane
• Failure to yield the right-of-way
• Distracted driving, including driving while using a cellphone or other technology
• Careless driving
• Failure to obey traffic signs or signals
• Vision obscured by rain, snow, lights, buildings or other conditions
• Asleep at the wheel
• Driving on wrong side of road

Driving too fast for road conditions or in excess of posted speed limits was the number one reported behavior and was reported in 17% of all fatal crashes in 2017. Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs was reported in 10% of crashes, followed by failure to keep in the proper lane and failure to yield the right of way, both of which were reported in 7% of crashes.

(NHTSA statistics as reported by the III)

Some common injuries that people suffer in car accidents include:

• Traumatic brain injuries, including concussions
• Back injuries, including spinal cord damage and herniated discs
• Neck injuries, including whiplash
• Soft tissue injuries
• Broken bones
• Burns
• Emotional distress
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

The type and severity of car accident injuries are affected by numerous factors such as seat belt usage, airbag deployment, types of vehicles involved, speed of the collision and whether the vehicle was hit head-on or from the rear or side.

One common car accident injury is whiplash. Whiplash is a neck injury caused by the fast and forceful back-and-forth movement of the neck. Imagine the neck as a whip that is being cracked. Whiplash most often occurs in rear-end motor vehicle accidents but can also result from sports accidents or physical abuse. Common signs and symptoms include neck pain, stiffness and headaches. Generally, individuals with whiplash get better in a few weeks with pain medication and special exercises. In other cases, whiplash can lead to chronic neck pain and other lengthy or even lifelong complications.

Many car accident injuries will appear to be minor in nature immediately after an accident. However, the true severity of an injury might not be discovered until weeks or even months after an accident. What was believed to be a minor injury can have a major impact on a person’s life and result in chronic pain and other long-lasting conditions.

A Cambridge, Massachusetts, car accident lawyer will help you properly evaluate the severity and impact of your injury and prevent you from prematurely settling your claim for less than you deserve.

• Medical expenses
• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental anguish and emotional suffering
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Loss of consortium brought by a spouse or children
• Property damage

After conducting a thorough investigation of your accident, these are the damages that a car accident attorney in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will negotiate on your behalf. A skilled car accident attorney will maximize the amount of damages that you recover.

If you’ve been involved in a car accident in Cambridge, MA or elsewhere in Massachusetts, obtain prompt medical treatment.

Collect contact information for the parties involved and any witnesses at the scene. Document the accident scene to the best of your ability by taking cellphone pictures and making detailed notes.

Next, speak with an experienced Cambridge, MA car accident lawyer about the steps you should take to make yourself whole. It’s imperative that you contact an attorney as soon as possible. A personal injury attorney in Cambridge, MA will help you understand your rights under the law and review all of your options.

Importantly, a personal injury lawyer will perform a thorough investigation of the accident and work to gather evidence of the other driver’s negligence. A lawyer will also explore whether anyone else is legally responsible for your injuries.

Your personal injury attorney will work with the other driver’s auto insurer on your behalf to make sure you’re being treated fairly and that you receive full compensation for your injuries. If the other driver’s insurance policy doesn’t provide enough coverage to reimburse you for your injuries, you might be able to recover under your own insurance policy. An attorney will help you make that determination and protect your rights.

If an insurance company contacts you, refer the insurer to your Cambridge, MA car accident lawyer and refrain from making any other statement.

A traffic accident lawyer should be aggressive, skilled at negotiations and experienced in dealing with auto insurance companies. Insurance companies are infamous for using strategies to delay or dodge their payment obligations, and a seasoned lawyer can help you cut through insurance company red tape and get you the compensation you’re owed.

Keep in mind that car accident claims can be complicated, especially if the injuries are serious or catastrophic, multiple vehicles are involved or there are special circumstances such as issues involving distracted or otherwise impaired driving or uninsured/underinsured motorists.

The Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers has successfully handled all types of car accident claims on behalf of individuals in Cambridge, MA as well as the surrounding areas of Boston, Arlington, Belmont, Watertown, Lawrence and many other areas in the state of Massachusetts.