Plymouth Personal Injury Lawyers
If you have been injured by someone else's negligence in Plymouth, it is in your best interest to contact a lawyer with experience and results handling personal injury cases in Plymouth and on the South Shore.
With more than 100 years combined experience, Breakstone, White & Gluck and our Plymouth personal injury lawyers are committed to achieving the best financial result and providing the highest quality of representation to our clients after car accidents, medical malpractice and other personal injuries. Our attorneys have been consistently recognized, including with selection to the Top 100 New England Super Lawyers and Top 100 Massachusetts Super Lawyers lists, which are published annually in Boston Magazine.
Select Results in Plymouth Cases:
$3.5 million wrongful death settlement for the family of a motorcyclist
$1.1 million settlement for pedestrian who suffered head injuries and leg fractures
Plymouth Car Accident Lawyers
Car accidents are the most common type of personal injury case. Plymouth is the largest community in Plymouth County, with more than 58,000 residents, workers and a bustling tourism industry. It is located near Middleborough, Kingston, Plympton, Duxbury and Carver. Many vehicles also travel through the community and major roads, including Route 495, Route 44 and Route 3/3A, on their way to Boston, Cape Cod or Buzzards Bay.
Traffic comes and goes at all hours in these communities. Car accidents are frequent. In 2016, the Carver Police Department reported one stretch where the community saw three fatal crashes in just six days.
Causes of car accidents often include:
- Speeding
- Aggressive driving
- Failure to stop
- Cell Phone use or distracted driving
- Drunk Driving
Speeding and aggressive driving are the cause of many car accidents. In addition, drivers also neglect the most fundamental of traffic laws at times, failing to stop for pedestrians, stop signs or red lights. Cell phones are involved in many crashes as well. Even after Massachusetts banned handheld cell phone use, drivers continue to pick up phones and the number of distracted driving and cell phone related crashes remains higher than many realize.
Car Accidents in Parking Lots and Near Shopping and Tourist Areas. Car crashes can occur in the shopping areas, in parking lots and roads near Colony Place or Village Landing Marketplace. At the tourist attractions and beaches, the traffic mix often includes large tourist buses, motorcycles and cyclists. When drivers neglect to check, they are more likely to cause pedestrian crashes, backover accidents, intersection accidents and rear-end collisions.
Cell Phone Use in Parking Lots. In addition to cutting across parking areas and other distractions, a National Safety Council poll found drivers are using their cell phones in parking lots. The poll found 66 percent of drivers admitted to making phone calls while driving through parking lots. Another 56 percent said they would text and roughly half said they text, watch videos or use social media while driving through a parking lot.
Car Accidents Near Schools. We should also mention that drivers are often negligent or make mistakes near schools and school parking lots. Drivers should always operate slowly and safely near pedestrians and be prepared to stop for them in crosswalks and other areas.
Plymouth has 14 public schools, including Plymouth North High School and Plymouth South High School. Drivers have a duty to use reasonable care as students arrive and depart for classes and when the public gathers for football games and sporting events. They have a duty to follow school buses and other vehicles at a safe distance. In school parking lots, many drivers are also teens; inexperience contributes to many auto accidents and SUV accidents, even when students are paying attention.
Consult a Plymouth Car Accident Lawyer
After a car accident, the person injured may be entitled to seek compensation from the driver who caused the crash. Under Massachusetts law, all drivers are required to carry a compulsory level of auto insurance. Insurance laws are complex and you should always consult an experience car accident lawyer to determine whether you have a potential claim and whether you may be entitled to seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. For a free legal consultation, contact our attorneys at 800-379-1244 or use our contact form.
Truck crashes are frequently reported in Massachusetts, including in Plymouth. Drivers of both passenger and commercial trucks have a responsibility to use reasonable care. Those who operate commercial trucks, tractor-trailers or delivery vans have a responsibility to be properly trained to operate large vehicles. A truck crash is sudden and devastating for victims. After a crash, you should never attempt to figure out the first steps on your own. Hire an experienced truck accident lawyer to investigate the cause of the crash. In addition to operator error, mechanical failure may have contributed to the crash. At Breakstone, White & Gluck, our attorneys are experienced in thoroughly investigating bus crashes and identifying all liable parties.
Unfortunately, there have been many serious truck crashes in the Plymouth area, including two fatal collisions in 2017. That January, a North Reading man was killed when the freight truck he was traveling in flipped over the median of Route 25. Initially, police reported the truck's tires may have rapidly lost air, creating unsafe conditions, according to the Patriot Ledger newspaper.
In August, an elderly woman died after a tractor trailer accident in nearby Middleborough. The collision threw her Ford Escape on its side, trapping her inside. She was later freed but died while receiving medical treatment.
More recently, in December 2019, a 13-year-old's tragic death in nearby Pembroke saddened many across Massachusetts. A drunk driver crashed his passenger truck into the teen, along with two others. A few months later, the man was indicted on multiple criminal charges, including second-degree murder and motor vehicle manslaughter while under the influence, according to Wicked Local Plymouth.
Meanwhile, the man had worked for Hi-Way Safety Systems, Inc. Authorities allege he had left a party at the home of the company's owner intoxicated that night. He was traveling in the vehicle he operated for work.
Drunk driving is a leading cause of car crashes. In Massachusetts, drivers can be criminally charged for operating under the influence. Drivers who are 21 and older are legally drunk under criminal law if they have a blood alcohol level of .08 or more are legally drunk. The legal limit is .04 for drivers of commercial trucks.
Drunk drivers as well as any establishment which served them can also be held liable in a civil court if they cause you injury. It is important to note that you may have the right to pursue compensation in a civil case even if the driver did not meet the legal limit.
Few law firms have the experience Breakstone, White & Gluck has in investigating drunk driving injuries. Our attorneys are committed to help you identify all liable parties and help you seek maximum financial compensation for your injury.
Plymouth Boating Accident Lawyer
Plymouth is on the water and many people dock boats there. Anyone who consumes alcohol and operates a boat can cause serious personal injury and death. They can be criminally charged and be held liable in a civil court for any injuries they cause.
When someone operates while intoxicated, it is often called, "boating under the influence." They can be criminally prosecuted under M.G.L. c.90B § 8A if they cause personal injury and M.G.L. c.90B § 8B if they cause death. Our personal injury lawyers are experienced in investigating boating crashes and representing clients injured in boat crashes caused by negligence. Recently, there have been two major boating tragedies in Massachusetts:
- In 2015, a 19-year-old woman lost her arm in a boat accident in Boston Harbor, in a boat approaching Spectacle Island. The boat operator - a young Boston lawyer - was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence and negligent operation of a vessel. He was acquitted in June 2017.
- In 2016, a former vice commodore of the Winthrop Yacht Club, was found guilty in Plymouth Superior Court in the death of a passenger of his 24-power boat. Prosecutors said in 2011, the man had been drinking and was not paying attention when he crashed his vessel into a sailboat in Hull Harbor. The victim was thrown overboard and later died of a brain injury.
Plymouth Construction Accidents and Premises Liability Cases
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Plymouth construction accident, the cause may have been someone's negligence. If you were injured on the job, you may have the right to file more than a worker's compensation claim.
In the Plymouth and Cape Cod region, construction and renovations never stop. Companies frequently put workers at serious risk by setting aggressive project deadlines or neglecting to follow OSHA safety regulations.
In February 2017, a worker lost his life in a roofing fall on Powder Point Avenue in Duxbury. In November 2016, a 28-year-old construction worker died near Newtown Way in Duxbury. The worker was underground in a trench, part of a crew which was installing a water line for a new home. He was using a power saw to cut pipe and the saw kicked back at him.
A third construction worker died in Plymouth in June 2015. The worker was trapped inside a bulldozer when about 12 feet of sand came down on him on Hedge's Pond Road.
Premises liability accidents occur when a defect on a property causes someone injury. Landlord negligence is one cause of premises liability claims. When a rental property is not maintained, the tenant and their guests are put in danger. Hazards at year-round and vacation rentals may include unsafe porches, decks and staircases. These may all appear safe, until someone steps down. Old appliances and failing smoke detectors can start fires.
Premises liability accidents may happen on residential or rental property. They can also occur in retail settings and restaurants. Examples are falls on slippery surfaces near store entrances and falling objects.
Contact a Plymouth Personal Injury Lawyer - Free Legal Consultation
Suffering an injury is a frightening and stressful experience. If you have been injured, our Plymouth injury attorneys offer a free legal consultation to help you determine whether you have a potential claim. Contact us today at 800-379-1244 or use our contact form.