Road Departure Crashes in MA
Boston Attorneys Handling Motor Vehicle Accident Claims
Many of us have seen a car suddenly swerve off a highway or a city street. Road departure accidents can cause some of the most catastrophic injuries because they happen quickly and violently. When a vehicle departs suddenly, it may cause head-on collisions, side swipe collisions, or roll over accidents. If you have been harmed in a road departure crash, the Boston car accident lawyers at Breakstone, White & Gluck are ready to help you fight for your right to compensation.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim in Massachusetts
In general, a road departure crash covers situations in which a vehicle travels over the center line or moves off the edge of the roadway onto a shoulder, sidewalk, or other area. If you were injured in a road departure accident, Massachusetts provides you with the right to request compensation for your injuries and damages from the person who caused the crash. This compensation will cover a variety of items like medical bills, lost income from missed work, emotional distress, and pain and suffering.
Before you can receive this compensation, however, your attorney must prove that the other driver acted negligently at the time of the crash. For cases involving a road departure, the driver may have temporarily lost control because they were engaged in distracted driving. This includes texting behind the wheel, eating, talking with passengers, or talking on the phone. Speeding is another common cause of road departures. If a driver is traveling at an unsafe speed, they may not be able to react appropriately to sudden changes in traffic or to unexpected road hazards. One of the most useful ways to determine the cause of a road departure is to obtain a copy of a police report related to the collision. It may contain information about what the at-fault driver was doing at the time of the crash or immediately beforehand.
Advancing Your Right to Damages
After proving that the other driver operated their vehicle negligently, you must prove that this was the cause of the injuries that you suffered. If the other driver can prove that another factor was the substantial cause of your injuries, you may be barred from recovering compensation. Common examples of these so-called supervening causes include severe weather or the plaintiff’s own negligence. According to Massachusetts law, if the defendant can show that the plaintiff was more than 50% at fault for the crash, the defendant will not be required to pay compensation to the plaintiff.
After establishing causation, the plaintiff will be allowed to submit evidence showing the amount of damages that they suffered as a result of the accident. This requires you to maintain diligent records of your medical expenses, lost wages, and any other damages that are associated with the crash. A seasoned personal injury lawyer can help you ensure that you make a claim for the full amount of compensation that you deserve.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Boston Lawyer
Car accidents are stressful and terrifying events. They can cause a serious disruption in a victim’s life, even when the injuries are moderate and will heal over time. Moreover, road departure accidents can result in catastrophic injuries, especially when pedestrians and bicyclists are involved. It is critical that victims receive the full amount of compensation that they deserve to cope with the consequences of the accident. At Breakstone, White & Gluck, our attorneys have fought vigorously on behalf of injured people in Boston, Dedham, Norwood, Brookline, Attleboro, Barnstable, Brockton, Cambridge, Waltham, Lowell, Newton, Somerville, Quincy, Plymouth, Worcester, Lawrence, and Springfield, among other cities. To schedule a free consultation, call us now at 1-800-379-1244 or contact us online.