Springfield Personal Injury Lawyer

Springfield is the economic and cultural hub of Western Massachusetts, a city where Interstate 91, the Massachusetts Turnpike, and busy local roads converge. Unfortunately, the increased traffic, combined with thriving construction, manufacturing, and recreational venues such as the MassMutual Center, poses a higher risk of accidents. When careless conduct causes injury, Massachusetts law gives victims the right to pursue compensation. Our Springfield personal injury lawyers explain how claims work, outline the legal standards that govern them, and answer the questions we often hear from our neighbors in Springfield.

Personal injury law, or “tort law”, allows an injured person to recover monetary damages from the person or corporation whose negligence caused the harm. In Massachusetts, most personal injury claims are governed by common-law negligence principles, but statutes such as M.G.L. c. 231 §§ 85–85Q, c. 90 §§ 34A 34M (no-fault auto insurance), and c. 93A (unfair or deceptive practices) may also apply.

• Negligence refers to the failure to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances.
• The injured party (the “plaintiff”) bears the burden of proving four elements:
  • duty,
  • breach,
  • causation,
  • and damages.

• Massachusetts follows a modified comparative negligence rule in M.G.L. c. 231 § 85. If you are 50 percent or less at fault, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of responsibility; if you are more than 50 percent at fault, you recover nothing.

Because every injury scenario is unique, your lawyer’s experience across multiple case types matters. Our Springfield office routinely represents clients in:

• Motor-Vehicle Collisions: car, motorcycle, rideshare, trucking, and pedestrian crashes on I-91, State Street, Boston Road, and other area arteries.
• Premises Liability: slip-and-fall or trip-and-fall accidents in retail stores, apartment complexes, and public spaces such as Forest Park and MGM Springfield.
• Construction and Industrial Accidents: injuries on job sites in Springfield’s South End, West Springfield’s “Gasoline Alley,” and the Knowledge Corridor.
• Product Liability: dangerous consumer products or industrial machinery manufactured or sold in Massachusetts.
• Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse: protecting vulnerable residents in facilities like Vibra Hospital of Western Massachusetts.
• Wrongful Death: Fatal accidents where Massachusetts law allows close family members to recover for the loss of a loved one.

Each category raises factual and legal issues, insurance coverage, OSHA regulations, and land-owner duties that seasoned counsel must recognize and navigate.

Timing can make or break a personal injury claim. Under M.G.L. c. 260 § 2A, you generally have three years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit for negligence. Wrongful-death actions carry the same three-year limit under M.G.L. c. 229 § 2. Special rules shorten or toll these periods:

• Claims against a Massachusetts city, town, or public agency must be presented in writing within two years and a lawsuit filed within three years (see M.G.L. c. 258).
• If the injured person is a minor or mentally incapacitated, the clock may pause (“toll”) until the disability ends or the person reaches the age of 18.
• In medical malpractice cases, the discovery rule can extend the deadline until the injury should reasonably have been discovered, but never beyond seven years from the date of the injury.

Missing a statutory deadline almost always bars recovery. Contacting an attorney early preserves evidence, such as traffic camera footage, 911 recordings, or surveillance video, that might otherwise disappear within days or weeks.

Proving liability requires a meticulous investigation. Our firm deploys a network of resources:

• Scene Investigations: photographs, measurements, skid-mark analysis, and roadway design records obtained through public-records requests from the Springfield Department of Public Works.
• Expert Witnesses: accident reconstruction engineers, biomechanical experts, trucking industry safety consultants, life-care planners, and economists.
• Digital evidence: electronic logging device (ELD) data from commercial trucks, event data recorders (“black boxes”) from passenger vehicles, and subpoenaed cellphone records.
• Medical Documentation: complete records from Baystate Medical Center, Mercy Medical Center, and treating specialists, along with independent medical opinions.

Compensatory damages aim to make you whole. Depending on the facts, you may be entitled to:

• Economic Damages:
  • past and future medical expenses,
  • rehabilitation and assistive devices,
  • lost wages and loss of future earning capacity,
  • property damage.
• Non-Economic Damages:
  • pain and suffering,
  • emotional distress,
  • loss of consortium for spouses,
  • Loss of enjoyment of life.
• Punitive Damages: available only in wrongful-death cases where the defendant’s conduct was malicious, willful, wanton, or reckless.

Massachusetts does not impose a general cap on non-economic damages, such as those resulting from personal injury. However, there is a $500,000 cap on non-economic damages in most medical-malpractice cases (M.G.L. c. 231 § 60H), subject to exceptions for substantial or catastrophic injuries.

If you were injured in a motor-vehicle collision, Massachusetts’s no-fault law requires your insurer to pay certain losses regardless of fault through Personal Injury Protection (PIP):

• Up to $8,000 in reasonable and necessary medical expenses and lost wages.
• PIP applies only to motor-vehicle accidents; it does not cover motorcycles.
• You must exhaust PIP before the at-fault driver’s carrier pays bodily injury liability benefits.
• To sue for pain and suffering, your medical bills must exceed $2,000, or you must have sustained specific serious injuries (fracture, permanent disfigurement, or Death).

Understanding insurance coverage is crucial:

• Bodily Injury to Others: minimum $20,000 per person / $40,000 per accident.
• Uninsured Motorist: The minimum limits are the same as those for bodily injury.
• Property Damage: $5,000 per accident.

While these minimums satisfy state law, they often fail to cover serious injuries. Skilled attorneys pursue additional sources, umbrella policies, employer liability coverage, or excess policies.

Choosing legal representation is more than a business decision; it entrusts your health and financial future to a team. When you retain us, you get:

• Free, No-Obligation Consultation. Whether in our Springfield meeting space, in your hospital room, or via secure video conference.
• Contingency-Fee Representation. You pay no upfront fees; we advance litigation costs and collect our fee only if we obtain a successful outcome.
• Client-Centered Communication. Regular updates, 24/7 access, and an online portal to review documents.
• Aggressive Negotiation and Trial Readiness. Our attorneys prepare every case as if it will be tried before a Hampden County jury, enhancing settlement leverage.
• Resource Depth. Decades of combined experience, relationships with local experts, and the financial resources to battle large insurers.

Personal injury lawsuits arising in Springfield are typically filed in:

• Hampden County Superior Court. Civil damages exceeding $50,000.
• Springfield District Court. Claims up to $50,000, though the Superior Court may be preferable for complex cases.
• S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts(Springfield session). Federal jurisdiction is required when parties are diverse, damages exceed $75,000, or federal questions are involved.

Our attorneys are admitted to practice in state and federal courts and are familiar with local rules, clerks, and judicial preferences, which gives us procedural advantages.

Q: “How long will my case take?”

Simple claims may be resolved within a few months; complex or catastrophic injury cases can take years, especially if a trial or appeal is necessary.

Q: “Will I have to go to court?”

Most cases settle, but we prepare every file for trial to maximize your recovery.

Q: “What if the other driver is uninsured?”

Your uninsured-motorist coverage stands in; we also explore potential third-party claims.

Q: “Can I afford a lawyer?”

Yes. Our contingency fee ensures you owe nothing unless we win.

Why Prompt Legal Action Matters

Delays can undermine your claim:

• Witness memories fade, and physical evidence degrades.
• Surveillance footage from businesses along State Street or the Basketball Hall of Fame may be overwritten within days.
• Insurance adjusters move quickly to gather statements they can later use to dispute liability.

Early legal involvement safeguards your interests from day one.

Since our founding, Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers has championed the rights of injured people across Massachusetts. With offices serving Springfield and the Pioneer Valley, we combine big-city resources with hometown commitment. Our record includes multi-million-dollar recoveries in auto collisions, premises liability, and defective product cases.

Suppose someone else’s negligence has hurt you or a loved one. Call (413) 278-0645 or complete our online form for a free consultation. We are ready to fight for the compensation and accountability you deserve.

Springfield Office

1500 Main St, 8th floor
Springfield, MA 01115
Phone: (413) 278-0645