Massachusetts Truck Accident Lawyer

Often several parties share responsibility. Along with the driver, we look at the motor carrier that employed and dispatched them, the broker who arranged the load, the shipper responsible for loading and securing cargo, the contractor responsible for maintenance, and the manufacturer of any component that failed. Each may carry separate insurance, which matters when injuries are catastrophic and one policy is not enough.

The police officer’s opinion on fault is not the final determination in a civil claim. We conduct our own independent investigation, often using accident reconstruction experts, to challenge the report’s conclusion and prove the other driver’s true negligence.

Massachusetts uses a modified comparative negligence rule under M.G.L. c. 231, § 85. You can recover compensation as long as you are not more than 50% at fault, and your award is reduced by your share of the blame. If you are found 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. That threshold is exactly why trucking insurers work so hard to shift blame onto you, and why we build the fault case early.

We pursue evidence of distracted driving (like cell phone records) to prove negligence. Distracted driving is a significant breach of the duty of care and often leads to higher compensation awards because it demonstrates a blatant disregard for safety.

If a poorly maintained public road caused your crash, the claim runs against the city, town, or state responsible for that road, and Massachusetts imposes strict limits. You must give written notice within 30 days under M.G.L. c. 84, § 18, and recovery against a municipality for a road defect is capped at $5,000 under § 15. Those deadlines are unforgiving, so contact us immediately if a road defect played any part in your crash.

Quickly. A modern tractor is a rolling data recorder: the engine control module captures speed and braking in the seconds before impact, and electronic logging devices track hours of service. Carriers are only required to retain some of these records for limited periods, and routine use can overwrite them. The sooner we send a preservation letter, the more likely that evidence still exists when your case needs it.

Yes. We work with medical and financial experts to calculate the total cost of your lifetime care, including future surgeries, chronic pain management, and long-term rehabilitation. This is a crucial component of any catastrophic injury settlement.

In Massachusetts the statute of limitations for personal injury is generally three years from the date of the crash, under M.G.L. c. 260, § 2A. Claims against a public entity carry much shorter notice deadlines. Do not wait: electronic truck data, surveillance video, and witness memory all fade quickly.