A walk near the Boston Common or through the narrow streets of the North End should not end in a trip to the emergency room. One distracted driver looking at a phone or racing to beat a red light on Boylston Street can change your life in a single second.
While you deal with physical pain and a stack of medical bills, a billion-dollar insurance corporation starts building a defense to protect its profits. They view you as a claim number that they want to solve as cheaply as possible.
You need a Boston Pedestrian Accident Lawyer who views you as a human being and fights back with relentless aggression. At Altman-Nussbaum-Shunnarah Trial Attorneys, we take on the insurance companies that try to bully injured people into accepting lowball offers.
Why Choose Altman-Nussbaum-Shunnarah Trial Attorneys for a Boston Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Selecting the right legal team defines the future of your recovery and your financial stability after a pedestrian accident. Our firm brings a massive level of strength to every battle because we recognize that insurance companies have armies of lawyers working to defeat you.
We have recovered more than $1,000,000,000 for our clients by refusing to take the easy path of a quick settlement. We treat every case as if it will go before a jury at the Moakley Courthouse because that is the only way to force an insurance company to be fair.
- Our attorneys have served over 100,000 clients, giving us the knowledge to identify insurance company traps designed to devalue your claim.
- We offer free consultations where we review the facts of your injury at no cost to you, so you can hear about your legal options.
- Our firm operates on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay us nothing in attorney fees unless we recover money for you.
- We maintain a nationwide presence with referring lawyers in all 50 states to support our aggressive advocacy and provide massive resources.
- Our trial-ready approach forces insurance companies to offer more money because they know we will sue them in a court of law.
We stand up to the bullies of the insurance world and demand justice for the people of Boston. Our track record shows that we possess the strength and the will to stay in the fight until the very end. We refuse to let our clients receive treatment like a simple settlement number.
This dedication to aggressive representation defines who we are and how we win for you. We provide the fierce advocacy you need to hold negligent parties accountable.
Holding Reckless Drivers Accountable in Massachusetts
Liability refers to the legal responsibility a person or company has for the harm they caused you. When we take your case, we identify every party that contributed to your injuries and hold them accountable.
The law defines negligence as the failure of a person to act with the care that a reasonable person would use in the same situation. Our team gathers the proof to show exactly how the defendant failed you and your family.
We stand in your corner and act as your voice when the insurance adjusters try to ignore your needs. Massachusetts sets a strict deadline for filing a lawsuit, which lawyers call the statute of limitations. For most pedestrian injury claims, Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 260 Section 2A gives you only three years from the date of the injury to take legal action.
Missing this date results in the court dismissing your case regardless of how much evidence you have. We start working on your claim immediately to meet every deadline and preserve the facts of the incident before they vanish.
- Our investigators secure video footage from traffic cameras and local businesses near landmarks like Faneuil Hall.
- We speak with witnesses while their memories of the accident remain fresh and clear.
- We obtain police reports and medical records to build a foundation of facts for your claim.
Moving fast prevents the insurance company from controlling the story of the accident. We use these facts to put the opposition on the defensive from the very beginning.
Defeating the Blame-Shifting Tactics of Insurance Adjusters
Insurance companies use every trick to avoid paying what they owe to pedestrians. One common tactic is to claim you were jaywalking, which is crossing the street outside a crosswalk or against a signal.
Massachusetts follows a rule called modified comparative negligence under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 231 Section 85. This law says you can only recover money if your share of the fault is 50 percent or less.
- Adjusters twist your words during phone calls to make it sound like you admitted fault for the collision.
- We manage all communication with the insurance company to prevent them from using these traps against you.
- Our team uses accident reconstruction to prove that the driver’s speed or inattention was the primary cause of your suffering.
Findings of fault reduce your final check by that specific percentage. If a jury awards you $100,000 but finds you 20 percent at fault, you receive $80,000. We fight to keep your percentage of fault at zero.
We know the city streets, and we use that knowledge to show exactly why the driver is the one who must pay for your losses when determining what your pedestrian accident case worth may be.
Aggressive Advocacy for Squeeze Accidents and Crosswalk Crashes
A driver turning onto a narrow street in the Back Bay might fail to look for people in the crosswalk. We call these squeeze accidents when a large vehicle pins a pedestrian against a curb or another car.
Drivers have a heightened duty of care under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90 Section 14 to slow down and protect pedestrians at intersections.
- Truck drivers often claim they had a blind spot, but the law requires them to clear their path before moving.
- We investigate whether a driver was distracted by a phone or a GPS device right before they hit you.
- Our lawyers hold trucking companies responsible for sending massive vehicles into tight neighborhoods where they cannot safely operate.
Driver excuses do not stand up in a court of law when our team presents the facts. We focus on the driver’s failure to maintain a safe lookout and follow the rules of the road. We demand that they take responsibility for the physical and financial damage they caused.
Viewing Pedestrian Injuries Through a Legal Lens
Pedestrian accidents often result in life-altering injuries because you have no protection against heavy vehicles. We look at these injuries to see how they impact the legal value of your case and the accountability of the defendant while also investigating the causes of pedestrian accidents.
The more an injury changes your life, the more money we pursue to hold the insurance company accountable.
- Crushing injuries and broken bones require expensive surgeries and physical therapy that the defendant must pay for.
- Traumatic brain injuries from the impact of a car often lead to permanent impairments that increase the value of your case.
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement from road contact provide proof of the physical pain you endured.
Insurance adjusters will try to claim your injuries are not as severe as your doctors suggest. We crush those arguments with testimony from medical professionals and factual proof of your limitations. We make certain the jury recognizes the true weight of the suffering the defendant caused you.
Handling Claims Against the City and the MBTA
If a city-owned vehicle or an MBTA bus hits you, you face a different set of legal rules. Suing a government agency requires a process called presentment under the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act.
You must send a formal notice to the correct government official within two years of the date of the injury. This is a shorter deadline than the standard three-year rule for private individuals.
- Government lawyers are aggressive in using comparative negligence to protect their money.
- We handle the complex presentment process to ensure your claim remains valid.
- Our team manages the specific paperwork and legal requirements needed to sue the city or the state.
Missing a government deadline ends your case immediately. We identify the correct officials at City Hall or the MBTA headquarters to receive your notice. We provide the strength and the knowledge needed to take on government agencies and win.
FAQ
What happens if the driver who hit me fled the scene?
A hit and run is a serious crime, and it complicates your personal injury claim. You can often recover money through the uninsured motorist portion of your own auto insurance policy or the policy of a family member you live with. We work with local law enforcement to try and find the fleeing driver while also pursuing your own insurance carrier to pay what they owe.
Can I still sue if I was not in a crosswalk when the car hit me?
Walking outside of a crosswalk does not give a driver a license to hit you. Drivers must always exercise caution to avoid colliding with pedestrians. While the insurance company will use your position to argue for comparative negligence, we can still win by proving the driver was speeding or distracted. We fight to show the driver’s negligence was the major factor in the accident.
How long will my pedestrian accident case take to finish?
The timeline for a case depends on the severity of your injuries and how long it takes for you to reach maximum medical improvement. We do not rush cases because we want to know the total cost of your future care before we agree to a settlement. Some cases settle in a few months, while complex cases that go to a jury trial can take a year or longer.
Who pays my medical bills if the driver has no insurance?
If the driver lacks insurance, we look to your own auto insurance policy for uninsured motorist coverage. If you do not own a car, we look for policies held by relatives in your household. We also investigate if a third party, such as a bar that over-served a drunk driver, bears any liability for the crash. We explore every possible source of recovery for you.
What is the 30-day notice rule for sidewalk injuries?
If you fell or were hurt because of a defect in a city sidewalk or ice on public property, you must follow a very strict rule. You must provide a formal written notice to the city within 30 days of the injury.
Missing this tiny window bars you from suing the city forever. We recommend contacting our team immediately after any injury on public property.
Force the Insurance Company to Take Responsibility
The insurance company already has a team working to pay you as little as possible, and you need a team that fights back with even more aggression. At Altman-Nussbaum-Shunnarah Trial Attorneys, we take pride in being the firm that insurance companies fear because they know we do not settle cheap, and our attorneys are prepared to fight relentlessly for the compensation you deserve.
We have the resources, the track record, and the will to take your case all the way to a jury verdict if that is what it takes to get justice.
Contact Our Boston Trial Attorneys for a Free Case Evaluation
Stop letting the insurance adjusters dictate your future and your health. Take control by putting a fierce advocate in your corner who handles the billion-dollar companies for you. We are ready to start building your case today and demand the accountability you need to move forward with your life.
Reach out to Altman-Nussbaum-Shunnarah Trial Attorneys now to schedule your free consultation with a team that never backs down from a fight. Your recovery is our priority, and we will not stop until we hold the negligent parties responsible for the harm they caused you.
