197 Portland Street

Phone: (617) 227-8118

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(Waltham) (781) 893-8118
(Woburn) (781) 937-8118
(Malden) (781) 662-8118
Fax: (617) 523-1345
Email: Steven R. Whitman

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Personal Injury

• Auto Accidents
• Premises Liability
• Construction Accidents
• Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

Auto Accidents

Automobile accident law encompasses all injured individuals who have been injured or hurt in an automobile accident. You may be the driver or passenger in an automobile accident and be eligible for compensation. The accident could involve a bus, truck, train, commercial vehicle or passenger vehicle. In Massachusetts, a person may bring a claim for personal injuries if they meet one of three criteria. You must have either a broken bone, permanent scar or disfigurement, or obtain a minimum of $2000.00 in accident-related charges. The vast majority of people fall into the latter category. Generally, the Massachusetts statute of limitations is three years for bringing a claim for monetary compensation due to a personal injury from an automobile accident. There may be exceptions to this role and one example is claims against the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (M.B.T.A) which is only a two year statute of limitations.

Premises Liability

Slip and Falls

The term "slip and fall" is a generic term which encompasses any type of fall to an individual which causes injury or harm. For instance, a fall could be due to a defect or pothole in a public way, a defective stair or railing on a stairway, a slip due to an unnatural accumulation of ice or snow, and a fall in a grocery or department store due to improper maintenance. In these types of cases it is critical to obtain photographs and/or witnesses as soon as possible after the accident.

Stairway Accidents

Stairway accidents can sometimes be the most devastating of injuries. Oftentimes, stairway accident injuries can take the form of severely broken legs, ankles and wrists. The cause of these types of accidents can be a poorly maintained stairway, stairways in disrepair, or improperly built stairways. A stairway or railing (or lack thereof) may not conform to municipal building codes which can help prove a claim against the stairway owner. We represent victims whether the stairway is outside, in a common building hallway or within a residence or office. It is critical to obtain photographs of the stairway and contact the appropriate municipal authorities to determine if code violations are present as soon as possible after the injury or accident.

Construction Accidents

Construction site accidents are common industrial accidents. Typically, such accidents involve serious injury, due to the nature of the work duties, the heavy equipment and the hazardous job sites.

There are generally two avenues to seek recovery for construction site injuries. First, if the injured person is a worker on the site, the Massachusetts workers compensation laws govern the recovery against one's own employer. This usually involves payment of medical expenses, lost wage replacement and some specific compensation for permanent injuries and scarring. The employer enjoys immunity from lawsuits from its employees, if the employer participates in the workers compensation program.

Second, and often overlooked, is the potential recovery from other persons and business entities on the job site, such as subcontractors, general contractors, architects and property owners. This recovery is in addition to and separate from the very limited workers compensation benefits and often offers the employee the chance to be fully compensated for his or her injury. The injured party in this situation seeks to hold these parties other than their employer liable for their failure to keep a construction site safe, or their liability for the injuries sustained by the employee. Given that most parties on a job site are required to be well insured against accident claims arising from a construction site injury, there is a better chance of the injured worker being adequately compensated for his or her injury.

The Law Offices of Steven R. Whitman handles all aspects of construction site accidents, from workers compensation to third party liability, to investigation and trial.

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death

The term personal injury is an all encompassing term. As it relates to our practice, it includes all physical and mental injuries that may befall an injured victim. This could happen by way of an automobile accident, spinal injury, bus accident, slip and fall, stairway accident, animal bite, injury by a product or machinery, injury at work, railroad accident, or construction site accident. There are an infinite number of possibilities of how a person may be eligible for monetary compensation for an injury.

Animal Bites

The most common type of injury from an animal bite is by a dog. Dog bites are governed by statute in Massachusetts. In essence, a dog owner will be liable for dog bite injuries so long as the victim was not trespassing or teasing, tormenting or abusing such dog. Unfortunately, these types of injuries are inflicted on small children who receive facial scars from an attack. The homeowner's insurance of the dog owner usually will provide insurance coverage for the injury.

Wrongful Death

There are several unfortunate ways an injury can result in death. A loss of this nature is devastating to the victim's family and loved ones. Potential claims are available for the wife, parents, children and estate of the deceased victim.

Railroad Accidents

Injuries from railroad accident can occur from collisions or sudden stops. Often, there are several injured victims from a railroad or train accident. It is important to have your name registered with the train personnel to validate your injuries and presence at the accident scene.

If you are in need of a personal injury lawyer in Greater Boston, Massachusetts or surrounding areas including Boston, Brockton, Waltham, Burlington, Woburn, Lynn, Lowell, Malden, Medford, Watertown, Worcester, please do not hesitate to call, or e-mail us using the “Contact Us” page. We look forward to hearing from you.