Author: Paul Santos

May 3, 2016

Motorcycle Accident Rates on the Rise

Just this month, several motorcycle accidents have occurred in Massachusetts. A 21-year-old man from Brockton was killed after losing control of his bike and crashing into a guardrail, another 21-year-old man was killed after being hit by a Honda Accord, and yet another motorcyclist died in a multi-car crash. With warmer weather on the horizon, many riders will take to the roads, creating more opportunities for collisions. With little protection on a motorcycle, riders are more vulnerable than most vehicle passengers in the event of a collision. Motorcycle Accident Rates on the Rise, read more below to form your opinion.

April 26, 2016

Massachusetts State Trooper Killed in Car Crash

Massachusetts State Trooper Killed in Car Crash. Car collisions account for more than 30,000 deaths per year in the United States, with at least 300 of those occurring in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, even those who work to protect citizens from the risks of car crashes are not safe. Early this year, Massachusetts State Trooper Thomas Clardy died as a result of a car crash with a speeding vehicle while working an “accident incident reduction shift” designed to prevent car crashes. Clardy was pulled over on the side of the road around noon on Wednesday, March 16 for a routine traffic stop when another car crashed into his vehicle.

April 22, 2016

Understanding “Res Ipsa Loquitur”

Understanding “Res Ipsa Loquitur” In many personal injury cases, determining whether a party is liable for another’s injuries because of negligence can be difficult. In some cases, it may not be clear exactly how the injury was caused, or perhaps the injured party may have contributed to the accident, which can make determining liability even harder. When two parties are at fault, the fine line of who is more at fault is a blurry one at best. In some situations, however, the cause of the injury is so clear that there can be no mistake that someone’s negligence caused the accident. This is when the doctrine of “res ipsa loquitur” comes into play.

April 12, 2016

Is a Criminal Arrest on Your Record Forever?

If you were ever arrested and charged with a crime, you might believe that these events from years ago won’t come back to haunt you, but that may not be the case. Past arrests, even if they did not result in convictions or formal charges, remain available on your criminal offender record information (CORI) and visible unless you actively seek to have them removed. This can have lasting impacts on your life, ranging from lost employment opportunities to an inability to receive financial aid. The only way to ensure that a record, however minor, does not affect you indefinitely is to request that your files be sealed or expunged by the office of the commissioner of probation.

April 4, 2016

Do you have a personal injury claim?

Do you have a personal injury claim? Accidents happen every day, from auto accidents to injuries from unsafe products. You may be able to receive compensation for your injuries for many of these events, but some may not be suitable for filing a lawsuit. How do you know if your injury equals a personal injury claim?

What Is a “Personal Injury” Case?

Unlike a criminal case, which is prosecuted by the State, a personal injury case is between two private parties and is filed in civil court. Many different types of injuries fall under “personal injury” types of lawsuits. The most common types of personal injury claims are:

· Auto accidents
· Work accidents – many of these would fall under worker’s compensation, but significant injuries could still fall under negligence-based personal injury claims
· Slip and fall accidents
· Assaults
· Product liability injuries
· Medical malpractice injuries

In many of these cases, someone is at fault, but in some cases, at least legally speaking, there may be no one at fault. The primary requirement to file a personal injury claim is that someone was negligent or intentionally malicious, and those actions caused the injury.

March 28, 2016

Slip and Fall Accidents

In Massachusetts, winter and even spring months can be a wonderland of snow and ice. After winter storm Jonas and several other blizzards this year, walkway conditions have been dangerous for many East Coast residents. Slip and fall accidents most often occur as a result of improperly maintained common areas, especially when conditions are icy, resulting in over 1 million hospital visits per year.

March 21, 2016

Dog attacks child

Dog attacks child Dogs can be wonderful pets, and many dog owners take responsibility for training and attending to their dogs in public settings. However, dogs are still animals and they can be unpredictable, if a dog attacks a child unprovoked the owners may be held responsible for the actions of their pets.

Dog bites are a serious crime that can cause traumatic personal injuries to the victim and their families.

Earlier this year, an eighteen-month old child from Saugus, Massachusetts was attacked by a dog inside the city’s town hall.

According to reports, the dog was licensed, vaccinated, and, surprisingly, on a leash at the time of the attack.

This goes to show how unpredictable animals can be; even a leashed animal that appears safe can act out of character and harm a human being. This story is not uncommon, as thousands of dog bite cases occur every year. In fact, nearly 1,000 people are hospitalized for dog bites in the U.S. every single day.

March 14, 2016

Running Injuries On the Road

With the Boston Marathon just around the corner and spring temperatures on the rise, many runners will take to the streets to continue their training in the next several months. Running Injuries on the Road, this post, you’ll learn why things happen and how to take precautions.

Unfortunately, the combination of runners and drivers on the road is not always a harmonious one. Recently, a Hanover woman was struck and killed by a driver while jogging. Amanda Russell, a nurse at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, was training for the Boston Marathon in December, and was hit by a car while on a training run two days before Christmas.

March 7, 2016

Jury Trials for Juveniles

Fourteen year-old Philip Chism is on trial for the murder of his math teacher, Colleen Ritzer. Jury Trials for juveniles interesting facts.

As a Massachusetts jury weighs Chism’s insanity defense, his case brings to mind a strange anomaly in our criminal justice system:

juveniles are not entitled to a jury trial under the federal Constitution.

February 29, 2016

Landlords Rights a Guide to Evictions

While everyone may have the best intentions when renting a property, sometimes these situations do not work out. Here in this post- Landlords Rights a Guide to Evictions you can learn how these discrepancies come about. Maybe your tenant has stopped paying rent or damaged the apartment beyond normal wear-and-tear, and you are left with no choice but to evict the tenant. Unfortunately, evictions are likely to be a source of aggravation and unanticipated expenses for landlords. Massachusetts law generally favors tenants rights, so it is extremely important to know your rights as a landlord if you find yourself in a situation where eviction has become necessary.

What Is a “Personal Injury” Case?

When Is It Okay to Evict a Tenant?