Category Archives: Uncategorized

Every so often Congress and the states legislatures consider tort reform. One of the worst ideas, I submit, is proposing to adopt the English Rule which forces the loser of a law suit to pay the winner’s legal fees. I do not expect to lose cases and, frankly, contingent fee lawyers typically take cases which […]

Let’s take a closer look at the anti-consumer proposal of the Manhattan Institute on the payment of legal fees in civil cases, including personal injury cases. As reported in the Legal Times many years ago, anecdotal evidence from England reflects the harshness of their rule. A widow, suing as a result of her husband’s death […]

Personal injury law in most circumstances is the law determined by a state’s courts and its legislature. A first year torts’ textbook will have very few, if any, United States Supreme Court decisions. Rather, the decisions it includes will be those of the state appellate courts. In the case of Massachusetts, it is the decisions […]

For a couple of decades, Massachusetts personal injury lawyers have had the benefit of taking expert witness depositions by audio-visual means. These videos are then shown to the jury and the scheduling nightmares that are often involved in having experts testify in court are no longer a problem. This key component of the plaintiff’s case […]

A frequent issue that arises when personal injury cases are about to settle is whether the plaintiff should take the payment in the form of a structured settlement. Structured settlements are payouts over time rather than payment in one lump sum. As usual, the best course of action depends on the specific situation. In this […]

Clients are forever amazed that the Internal Revenue Code exempts from the definition of income personal injury awards. Believe it or not, thus has ever been the case. We are not accustomed to benefits such as this flowing to our personal injury clients. This great advantage somehow eludes many experienced lawyers. I am often called […]

There are several key areas to any law firm’s successful handling of these cases: Thorough understanding of insurance law including an ability to process and “coordinate” automobile insurance with health insurance. Thorough understanding of Medicare, Medicaid, and the rights of private health insurers to be repaid. You do not want a case resolved only to […]

A weapon in Massachusetts personal injury cases is our Consumer Protection Statute, 93A. Passed in the late 1970’s, this is a tool that may have originally been designed to aid the consumer in his/her fight against the retailer for unfair and deceptive acts or practices in commerce. Over the years, it has also been used […]

Pricing personal injury cases is not easy. Having said that, experienced attorneys will often put a value on cases in amazingly similar amounts. Lawyers will also ask other lawyers who they respect to “price” their case. Sort of a blind taste test if you will. The difference in assessments is often not great. The most […]

The recent tragedy involving Natasha Richardson has brought to light the science of head injuries, particularly with respect to epidural hematomas and skull fractures. Fortunately, the vast majority of such injuries do not have such a terrible outcome. Nevertheless, her sad case should cause insurers to concede the seriousness of these accidents, even if the […]