Cambridge Car Accident Lawyer

Auto accidents are one of the most common causes of significant injuries and deaths in Massachusetts. In 2018, 360 people in Massachusetts lost their lives in traffic accidents. Thousands of others were seriously injured. Many of these victims were pedestrians and bicyclists. Negligent and distracted drivers are often behind car accidents in Massachusetts.

At Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP, we help car crash victims and surviving loved ones fight for justice. Our car accident attorneys in Cambridge represent clients during car insurance claims and personal injury lawsuits. We may be able to help you obtain compensation for your injuries and damages. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more.

Why Choose Our Cambridge Car Accident Lawyer?

• We foster relationships with our clients built on confidence. Our attorneys prioritize personal care and attention with each client.
• We know how to obtain real results. We go the extra mile to secure top results, even if that means holding a defendant accountable at trial.
• We have years of experience handling car accident claims. Our Cambridge personal injury lawyers have more than 100 years of collective experience practicing personal injury law.
• We take Cambridge car accident cases on contingency. You will not pay your car accident lawyer from Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP unless he or she wins your case.

How a Cambridge Car Accident Attorney Can Help

Hiring a car accident lawyer to take over your case can enable you to focus on what really matters: getting better. You can concentrate on your physical recovery while a  lawyer deals with your financial one. A Cambridge accident attorney can explore all potential pathways toward compensation, defending your rights every step of the way. With help from a lawyer, you can feel confident you are settling your case for a fair and reasonable amount. Your lawyer will not let you accept an unfair settlement offer from an insurance company. A lawyer may also be able to take your car accident case to trial if that is what it needs for fair results.

How to Recover After a Car Accident

If you have been in a serious car accident in Cambridge, you are not alone. It is important to know what to do in the aftermath of a wreck if you wish to protect your rights. First, stay calm and call the police. Report any crash to the police in Massachusetts that causes injuries, deaths or expensive property damage. Then, gather information such as photos of the crash, eyewitness names and the insurance information of the other driver.

Go to a hospital right away for medical care, keeping copies of your treatment records. Since Massachusetts is a no-fault state, if you do not have serious injuries, you will file a claim with your own insurance provider after a car accident. If you have broken bones, permanent scarring, disfigurement or a disability, however, you may have grounds for a third-party claim against the person that caused your wreck.

The defendant in your third-party claim could be the other driver if that driver was reckless, careless or negligent behind the wheel. The defendant could also be a different party, such as a product manufacturer or government agent. At Sweeney Merrigan Law, LLP, we can investigate your car accident for signs of fault to help you name the correct defendant. Then, we can help you fight for fair financial recovery from that party.

What Types of Compensation Can Car Accident Victims in Cambridge Recover?

Anyone who has been in a car accident is likely to incur losses. Auto accidents have varying consequences that could cost those involved thousands of dollars in damages. To recover these damages, you may file a claim. However, without guidance from an experienced car accident lawyer, you may inaccurately estimate the value of your claim if you aren’t aware of how much your accident is costing you.

Compensatory Damages

Typically when you file a car accident claim, you pursue compensatory damages from the liable party. These damages encompass your economic and non-economic losses. Your economic losses correlate to an exact dollar amount, while your non-economic losses are difficult to quantify monetarily. 

Common examples of compensation that car accident victims often recover include:

• Wages lost due to time away from work to recover or attend medical appointments
• Future earnings and employment prospects that you can no longer take
• Medical treatments from doctors, prescriptions, and physical therapists
• Pain and suffering from accident-related life changes
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment as a result of the accident
• The cost of vehicle repairs, other property damage, and alternate transportation

The best possible outcome for you is to have all the losses you have incurred from the accident covered by the compensatory damages you are awarded. When attempting to determine the worth of their case, many car accident victims fail to examine all of the ways the event has affected them. With the guidance of an experienced car accident lawyer, you may be able to calculate a value that more closely reflects your actual losses.

Punitive Damages

Accident victims may be eligible to obtain punitive damages, although this is uncommon. Punitive damages are only granted where the liable party has demonstrated particularly dangerous negligence, such as in drunk driving accidents. These damages are awarded to the victims but ultimately serve to punish the defendant and deter similar behavior in the future. 

Contact a Car Accident Lawyer in Cambridge Today

A time limit exists on bringing a car accident lawsuit in Massachusetts. If you do not act within three years of your wreck, you could lose the opportunity to recover compensation. Contact us as soon as possible after a car crash in Cambridge that gives you an injury or takes the life of someone you love. We can help you with every step of the claims process, keeping you informed along the way. Call us at (617) 391-9001 for your free legal consultation.