Lawrence, MA Car Accident Lawyers

A car accident can turn your life upside down. There is the practical matter of dealing with the damage to your car, but more importantly, a car accident can take a physical and emotional toll, especially if you’ve been involved in a serious or catastrophic collision. In the blink of an eye, your world can change.

There’s the stack of bills for your hospital stay, doctors’ appointments, prescriptions and ongoing physical therapy. You haven’t been at work for weeks. You’re not sure when, or if, you’ll be well enough to perform your job duties. This combination of mounting, exorbitant medical bills coupled with lost wages can be a stressful situation for you and your family.

How can you make sure that you’re fully compensated for your injuries? The Lawrence, MA 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 motor vehicle accident, it’s important for you as a car accident victim to hire experienced and aggressive legal representation in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

As a safe and experienced driver with a clean driving record, you might think you’re not at risk for being involved in a motor vehicle accident, let alone a serious one. You might have read about some studies that show that fatal car accidents are on the decline, thanks in part to safety technology installed in newer motor vehicles.

But, before you dismiss the possibility of becoming injured in a car accident, you should know that other studies show that motor vehicle accidents in general are on the uptick because of distracted driving. Distracted driving occurs when a person is driving while simultaneously performing another activity that takes his or her attention away from the act of driving. Some common driving distractions include the use of cellphones and other technology as well as eating and drinking.

According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every day in the United States, approximately nine people are killed and more than 1,000 are injured in motor vehicle crashes that involve a distracted driver.

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

The city of Lawrence is in Essex County and located on the Merrimack River. It’s bordered by the cities of Methuen, Andover, North Andover and Lowell. The population of Lawrence was estimated at 80,376 in 2018. Products manufactured in Lawrence include computers and electronics equipment, textiles, footwear, paper products and food items. The famous poet Robert Frost lived in Lawrence and his early essays and poems were published in the Lawrence High School newspaper.

Lawrence is located along Interstate 495, which passes through the eastern part of the city. Major roads that lead to Lawrence include Route 28, which passes from south to north through the city, and Route 110, which passes from east to west through the northern half of the city. In addition, Route 114 begins at Route 28 in Lawrence. Car accidents in and around Lawrence are likely to occur on these busy roads. The brutal New England winters, which bring large amounts of snow and ice to Lawrence and the rest of the region, can cause and contribute to car accidents.

A number of roads and a railroad cross over the Merrimack River in Lawrence via bridges including the O'Leary Bridge, the Casey Bridge, the Duck Bridge and the double-decked O'Reilly Bridge. Bridges are frequent sites for motor vehicle accidents for various reasons, especially when there is heavy traffic and congestion. Some bridges do not have shoulders, and this creates a danger when a driver needs to pull over. Bridges also freeze before other road surfaces and can become slippery before a driver is aware of the danger.

The city’s main hospital is Lawrence General Hospital with nearby hospitals in Methuen, Haverhill and Lowell. If you’re injured in a car accident in Lawrence, Massachusetts, it’s likely that you will be taken to and treated at one of these hospitals.

In 2018, the Lawrence Police Department responded to 2,856 auto accidents calls and 1,376 hit and run calls, according to the department’s 2018 annual report.

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
• Post-traumatic stress disorder

The type and severity of car accident injuries are affected by numerous factors such as seat belt usage, airbag deployment, age of the accident victim, type of vehicles involved, collision speed and type of collision (head-on crash, rear-end crash or sideswipe or side crash).

Car accident injuries can 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 later.

A Lawrence, MA 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 Lawrence, MA 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 Lawrence, MA the Lawrence Police Department advises you to:

• Immediately stop at the accident scene or as close as possible without blocking or interfering with other traffic. Leaving the scene of an accident is a serious crime.
• Render aid by providing “reasonable” aid to any injured parties. Remember, an injured person should never be moved in a careless manner, and in many cases, an injured person should not be moved at all until an ambulance or someone trained in administering first aid arrives at the scene.
• Exchange information with the other driver, passengers in the vehicle or any other injured parties such as pedestrians. Provide your name, address, driver’s license number, license plate number and insurance information.

Within five days of the accident, you must file a Commonwealth of Massachusetts Operator's Accident Report when the accident:

• results in personal injury or death,
• when property damage exceeds $1,000,
• when one of the vehicles involved has fled the scene, or
• when you have any doubt regarding the above.

An Operator's Report can be picked up at the Lawrence Police Department.

It’s also a good idea to document the accident scene to the best of your ability by taking cellphone pictures and making detailed notes. You might not remember all of the details after leaving the scene, especially when taking into consideration the stress of the situation.

After receiving medical treatment, your next step is to speak with an experienced Lawrence, MA car accident lawyer. It is important that you contact an attorney as soon as possible. A personal injury attorney in Lawrence, MA will help you understand your rights under the law and review your options.

A personal injury lawyer in Lawrence, MA 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 in a fair manner and are fully compensated 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. Again, an attorney will help you make that determination.

A traffic accident lawyer should be aggressive, skilled at negotiations and experienced in dealing with auto insurance companies. Car accident claims can be complicated, especially if the injuries are serious or catastrophic.

The Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers has successfully handled all types of car accident claims on behalf of individuals in Lawrence, Massachusetts, as well as the surrounding cities of Methuen, Andover, North Andover and Lowell and other areas of Massachusetts.