Side Impact Accidents
A side impact accident is a car crash in which the side of your vehicle is struck by another object, often another vehicle. Side impact accidents come in a variety of forms, including
- T-bone accidents, also known as broadside collisions
- Sideswipe accidents
- Angled collisions
- Secondary side impacts caused by an initial crash
In Massachusetts, side impact car crashes frequently occur at intersections, during lane changes, or when a driver simply loses control of their vehicle. Higher speed side impact crashes are especially dangerous. Because the sides of vehicles offer less protection than the front or rear, side impact crashes can often result in serious injuries to both drivers and passengers. Side impact accidents are especially dangerous for those in a sedan which is struck in the side by a larger truck or SUV.
Side Impact Accident Attorney Tracy Paulsen advocates for those injured in collisions throughout Massachusetts, including in Bristol County, the Boston area, Norfolk County, and Plymouth County. She is the managing attorney of personal injury law firm Rightful Legal, where we Fight for Your Rights in the painful aftermath of your side impact car accident. We have years of experience in ensuring that our clients receive the maximum possible compensation for the injuries they have suffered, both physical and psychological. We know how to handle negligent drivers and their insurance companies, fighting to win in negotiations and in court when necessary.
We offer potential clients a free, confidential consultation. This consultation does not obligate you, and we do not get paid unless we win your case.
If you have suffered injuries (such as a spinal injury, paralysis, soft tissue injuries, emotional trauma, or broken bones) as the result of a side impact accident caused by someone else’s negligence, Tracy Paulsen and her dedicated team at Rightful Legal are ready to assist you in recovering the maximum possible compensation.
What Kinds of Damages Do We Help Clients Recover in a Side Impact Personal Injury Lawsuit?
It is important to have appropriate legal guidance when assessing your damages in the wake of a side impact collision. Calculating your damages can be complex, and if you attempt to calculate them on your own, it is easy for your claim to be undervalued.
In particular, damages linked to losses like psychological injuries, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life require experience to value accurately. A skilled Massachusetts personal injury lawyer can guide you in identifying all of your damages and collecting appropriate documentation of them. An accurate, verifiable valuation is key in helping an insurance adjuster or a court to understand your claim and compensate you for the full scope of your injuries and losses.
Every case is unique, and the damages available to you will depend on many factors. Some relevant factors in determining damages for your side impact accident injuries include your income prior to the crash, your future earning potential after the crash, the severity of your injuries, your age, your expected recovery from your injuries, and the extent to which you were at fault in the accident.
Some types of side impact accident damages that we may be able to help you recover, if they fit your circumstances, include:
- Wrongful death
- Medical expenses (past and future)
- Lost income (past and future)
- Permanent disability
- Psychological trauma
- Cognitive damage
- Disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of ability to enjoy your life and relationships
Injured or Lost a Loved One in a Side Impact Accident?
Rightful Legal attorneys are here for you.
Call us at 617-821-5856
Or
What Are Massachusetts Car Insurance Policies Required to Cover?
When seeking damages for personal injuries caused by a side impact accident, clients usually seek payment from the insurance company of the negligent driver who caused the accident. In Massachusetts, car insurance is mandatory. A driver must purchase automobile insurance in order to register a vehicle in the commonwealth.
Certain types of coverage are required for Massachusetts car insurance policies. These are:
- Bodily injury coverage for if the driver causes the accidental injury or death of someone not in their car. Drivers must carry coverage of at least $25,000 for injuries to one person and $50,000 for injuries to more than one person.
- Personal injury protection covering the policyholder and other specified individuals up to $8,000 for reasonable and necessary medical expenses, lost wages, and reasonable expenses incurred in paying nonfamily members for the “ordinary and necessary services” that the injured person would have otherwise performed “for the benefit of himself and/or members of his household.”
- Bodily injury caused by uninsured auto coverage protecting the policyholder, anyone they allow to drive their vehicle, and their passengers for losses caused by a driver who is unidentified (as in a hit and run accident) or illegally uninsured. Minimum coverage is $25,000 per injured person and $50,000 total.
- Property damage coverage for accidental damage caused to someone else’s property. The coverage must have a limit of at least $30,000.
Drivers in Massachusetts may choose to carry insurance with higher limits or with additional coverages.
Car Accident Attorney Tracy Paulsen helps clients from Bristol County, Boston, and the surrounding areas understand the insurance policies of the drivers who have injured them and recover as much compensation as possible for their injuries.
You should not give a statement to any insurance company, including your own, before you have had the opportunity to consult with a lawyer regarding your legal rights and options following an accident.
How Much Time Are You Allowed to Bring a Side Impact Accident Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Massachusetts has a strict rule regarding how much time people have to bring personal injury claims. For all personal injuries, including those caused by side impact car accidents, the time limit to bring a lawsuit is three years from the date your “cause of action accrues.” This is a legal phrase essentially meaning the date your injuries are discovered, usually the day of your side impact accident.
If you have questions about the date your cause of action accrued, our experienced personal injury attorneys can help answer them.
It is important that you do not delay seeking legal help and bringing your side impact accident claim. Once the time limit runs out, Massachusetts law states that you have no legal recourse. You only have one opportunity to seek compensation from the negligent driver who has injured you. If you wait, it can be lost forever, leaving you alone with the financial burden of injuries caused by someone else.
Hurt in a Side Impact Crash with Another Vehicle?
Contact Rightful Legal NOW for a No-Obligation, No-Cost Consultation
Call 617-821-5856
or
Why Is Rightful Legal the Right Choice to Represent You in Your Side Impact Accident Case?
If you have been injured in a side impact accident in which someone else was wholly or partially at fault, you may be eligible to bring a personal injury lawsuit. You may also be eligible to bring a wrongful death claim if you lost a loved one in a side impact accident in which someone else was wholly or partially at fault.
Whatever your side impact accident situation, our Rightful Legal team is here to help you. Our skilled attorneys are passionate about fighting for justice for our clients in the wake of their accidents.
At Rightful Legal,our team is close-knit, experienced, and ready to take on the big insurance companies for you. As a local firm based in Bristol County, we have the resources to give each of our clients from Boston, Attleboro, and the surrounding areas of Massachusetts the individual time and attention they deserve. Our attorneys know how overwhelming and frustrating injuries from a side impact accident can be. We also know that insurance adjusters frequently try to underestimate your injuries and minimize what they pay, ignoring the real losses you and your family have suffered as the result of someone else’s negligence.
Side impact accident and other multi-vehicle collision cases can be complicated, particularly in terms of demonstrating fault and proving how severely you are injured. We fight passionately to obtain justice for each individual client, and we provide you with the ongoing legal support and advocacy you deserve. Attorney Paulsen has years of experience representing clients in personal injury claims. She and her team are ready to provide you individualized, comprehensive legal support from the beginning of your case to its resolution, whether that is a negotiated settlement or a trial. We do not get paid if we do not win your case.
We want to hear about your side impact accident, and we make it easy to reach out. Rightful Legal offers potential clients a cost-free, obligation-free consultation, which we keep totally private. We are here to listen and to help you understand your options so that you can make the best choice for you and your family about your side impact accident case.
Text or Call Our Rightful Legal Team Today at 617-821-5856 or contact our passionate Massachusetts Side Impact Accident Victim Attorney Online Right Away.