Do I Need a Lawyer After a Trench Collapse in Boston?

Knowing what to do when you get injured at work can be confusing. However, Morgan & Morgan is only a call away. We can determine whether you have a case and what your next best steps are.  Moving forward, we could help you get the medical treatments you need and fight for the benefits and settlement you deserve. We could help you recover workers’ compensation benefits and damages from the party responsible for causing your accident and injuries.

Having the largest personal injury firm in the country by your side can give you peace of mind. We have the resources and tenacity to handle even tough cases from beginning to end. Morgan & Morgan’s lawyers never settle for less and always fight for maximum recovery. Importantly, we want to make sure you are not left out of pocket in the future and fight hard for a settlement that covers your medical bills and expenses for the rest of your life.

Since every construction accident case is unique, generalizing about a settlement amount is problematic. However, you could potentially receive awards for the following damages, among others: 

• Healthcare costs and future medical expenses
• Lost wages and future lost earning capacity
• Out-of-pocket expenses
• Pain and anguish 
• Emotional distress
• Loss of a limb or a sense
• Reduced life quality
• Permanent disability

Occasionally, victims in construction accidents can recover punitive damages if the defendant acted particularly maliciously in causing an accident.

According to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 260, Section 2A, injured victims generally have three years to bring a personal injury lawsuit. If you miss this deadline, you may not be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. 

On the other hand, filing too soon could also work against you. It is generally recommended to wait with filing a lawsuit until recovery is complete or the victim has reached maximum recovery. Your medical providers may have a hard time estimating future medical treatments if the full consequences of your injuries are not yet clear. 

Since the timing of a lawsuit can be tricky yet vitally important for recovering what you need, consider speaking to a personal injury attorney who can advise you comprehensively.

You could potentially file a wrongful death case if your spouse or close relative tragically died in a construction accident. Wrongful death can cause unprecedented financial hardship for the entire family. If someone else is responsible for the accident and death of your loved one, you could be entitled to:

• Funeral and burial expenses
• Medical bills before death
• Awards for pain and suffering
• Awards for loss of companionship
• Loss of income from the deceased
• Loss of service and benefits from the decedent

You could also recover other damages. Our compassionate attorneys can be here for you if you suffer the loss of a loved one in a work accident.

Even if you have a fault in your work accident, you would still be entitled to workers’ compensation as benefits are based on a no-fault system. Injured workers do not have to prove another’s fault to qualify for the program. This means that even if you are partially or wholly to blame for an accident, you could still collect workers’ comp. 

However, in Massachusetts, the amount of compensation you can recover in a lawsuit could be reduced according to your degree of fault. As long as your degree of fault is 50 percent or less, you could receive some compensation from the at-fault party. However, if your degree of fault is 51 percent or more, you cannot recover compensation. Since the percentage of fault can be somewhat subjective, having an attorney by your side can be critical for protecting your rights. 

Seeking legal advice promptly can be crucial if you have some fault in the accident. The other party, their insurance company, and attorneys may try to blame you for the work accident unfairly. Moreover, a jury or judge will determine your degree of fault in a trial. A personal injury lawyer at Morgan & Morgan can be by your side and ensure your degree of fault is assessed fairly.

Morgan & Morgan understands that injury victims and their families have a lot on their plates. You may be dealing with life-altering injuries, steep medical bills, loss of income, and other issues. Filing a lawsuit on top of everything else can seem overwhelming. 

However, you are not alone. Our determined and experienced personal injury lawyers are ready to fight vigorously for what you and your family deserve. The sooner you start the process of getting justice, the sooner you could receive a settlement check that can help with paying your bills and moving on with your life after getting injured in a trench collapse in Boston. The fee is free unless we win and you receive compensation. Contact us today for free legal advice.