In a recent case, resulting in a $300,000 settlement, the parents of a 17 year old high school student were found liable under social host law, for injuries that occurred at a party on their property. The aforementioned party was unsupervised, and alcohol was present. Two boys began wrestling during the party and as a result, one suffered a burst fracture. Although the parents were not present, nor directly responsible for the incident that transpired,

A worker’s compensation claim will cover the cost of any medical bills and lost wages incurred from any injuries that have occurred while in the course of employment. If you have a worker’s compensation claim, there is a strong possibility that you also have a claim against a 3rd party. This third party can be anyone who may have contracted your employer, such as a separate company or a private property owner. There are a

If you are planning on renting a car during your travels this summer, you are certainly familiar with the multitude of extra costs that can be tacked on. You may be asking yourself the particular question: do I need insurance for this rental car? While a rental company may tell you that their insurance is necessary, this is not always the case. First, let’s talk about what happens when you get in an accident in

In Massachusetts, you have three years from the date of the accident to bring a claim for your injuries.  This is called the Statute of Limitations (SOL).  The public policy reason behind a SOL is it would be inherently unfair to have a lawsuit come out of thin air years after an accident when all of the evidence and documentation is lost.  In order to preserve your rights to bring a claim, you must file

If you are hit by a motor vehicle while riding your bicycle, you may not be able to recover for your personal injuries if you are not following the “rules of the road”.  Bicyclists are required to ride with the traffic; that means in the same direction.  If you are struck by a motor vehicle while riding against traffic, you are likely to be found more than 50% at fault for the accident.  I always

Under Massachusetts law, “Contributory Negligence” states that if the injured party is found to be more negligent than the responsible party, the injured cannot recover compensation. Plaintiffs can recover compensation if they are under 51% responsible for the incident. However, if it is found that the Plaintiff was negligent, they cannot be awarded damages. In a recent case out of Middlesex Superior Court, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle while on a crosswalk. She