Massachusetts Personal Injury Lawyer
Massachusetts injury law has rules that catch many people off guard. After a car crash, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) pays first, no matter who caused it. You generally can’t recover for pain and suffering unless your medical expenses top $2,000 or you have a serious injury such as a fracture. And if you’re found more at fault than the people you’re suing, you recover nothing.
Jon Olsson has been licensed to practice law in Massachusetts since 2017 and spent six years at a leading international law firm in Massachusetts. He represents people hurt in car accidents, falls, and other injuries across Massachusetts, including Plymouth, Fall River, Quincy, and Cape Cod. The consultation is free, and there is no attorney’s fee unless you recover compensation. Request a free case review.
Massachusetts injury claims at a glance
- Deadline to sue: generally three years from the injury (G.L. c. 260, § 2A). For wrongful death, generally three years from the death (G.L. c. 229, § 2).
- Claims against a city, town, or the state: a written claim generally must be presented within two years (G.L. c. 258, § 4). For a pothole or other defect in a public road, notice is due within 30 days (G.L. c. 84, § 18).
- Partial fault: your recovery is reduced by your share of fault, and barred if your fault is greater than that of the people you’re suing (G.L. c. 231, § 85).
- Pain and suffering after a car accident: generally available only if your reasonable medical expenses exceed $2,000, or the injury is a fracture, permanent and serious disfigurement, or another listed serious injury (G.L. c. 231, § 6D).
- Cost: free consultation, and no attorney’s fee unless you recover.
Why Jon’s defense experience helps your Massachusetts claim
Jon spent the early part of his career on the other side of injury cases, so he knows how insurers and their lawyers will size up your claim. Before founding Olsson Law, he spent six years at a leading international law firm in Massachusetts, defending major corporations in complex, high-stakes litigation, including serious injury and product liability matters. He then joined a Los Angeles personal injury firm, where he represented injured people in motor vehicle collisions, dangerous property conditions, public entity cases, and disputed liability matters. That background tells him what evidence moves a defense lawyer, and what they look for to justify paying less.
Jon stays directly involved from your first consultation through the resolution of your case, and works to reduce medical bills and liens so more of any settlement goes to you.
- Education: Georgetown University Law Center
- Bar admissions: Massachusetts, California, and Texas
Prior results
- $3.85 million: wrongful death settlement
- $700,000: car accident, back and neck injuries
- $400,000: slip and fall, knee injury
These results include matters personally handled by Jon Olsson at prior law firms and matters in which he participated as part of a legal team. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Read more about Jon Olsson, our approach, and prior results.
How Massachusetts car accident claims work
Massachusetts is a no-fault state for the first layer of benefits. A crash claim usually moves through three stages.
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP) pays first. PIP covers medical expenses, up to 75% of lost wages, and replacement services, up to $8,000, no matter who caused the crash. It covers you, anyone you let drive your car, people in your household, passengers in your vehicle, and pedestrians. Make the PIP claim as soon as practicable after the crash (G.L. c. 90, § 34M).
- Then a claim against the at-fault driver. For losses beyond PIP, you claim against the driver who caused the crash. Since July 1, 2025, Massachusetts drivers must carry at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury coverage.
- If the at-fault driver is uninsured or can’t be identified, your own uninsured motorist coverage. Every Massachusetts policy includes at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries caused by an uninsured or unidentified (“hit and run”) driver.
The $2,000 threshold for pain and suffering
In a claim arising from a motor vehicle crash, you can recover for pain and suffering only if your reasonable and necessary medical expenses are more than $2,000. The threshold doesn’t apply if the injury caused death, the loss of a body part, permanent and serious disfigurement, loss of sight or hearing as the statute defines it, or a fracture (G.L. c. 231, § 6D). That’s why consistent, documented medical treatment matters so much in a Massachusetts crash claim.
The 51% rule for partial fault
Massachusetts uses modified comparative negligence. Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you recover nothing if your fault is greater than the combined fault of the people you’re suing (G.L. c. 231, § 85). At 50% or less, you can still recover; at 51% or more, you can’t. The law presumes you were careful, so the other side has to prove your share of fault.
Claims against a Massachusetts city, town, or the state
Government claims have their own rules, and they are stricter than claims against a private driver or business.
| Type of claim | Rule | Deadline and limits |
|---|---|---|
| Pothole or other defect in a city or town road | The city or town can be liable if it had, or should have had, reasonable notice of the defect (G.L. c. 84, § 15) | Written notice within 30 days, stating the time, place, and cause of the injury (§ 18). Recovery is capped at $5,000. |
| Defect in a state highway | Claim against the Commonwealth | Claims should be made within 30 days. Personal injury recovery is limited to $4,000. |
| Other negligence by a public employee, such as a crash with a city vehicle | Massachusetts Tort Claims Act (G.L. c. 258, § 4) | Written claim to the public employer’s executive officer within two years, and suit within three years. Recovery is generally capped at $100,000, with no punitive damages (§ 2). |
Those caps make it important to find every responsible party, such as a contractor that left a hazard or another driver who shares the blame.
Massachusetts accident cases we handle
Massachusetts car accident lawyer
We represent drivers, passengers, and pedestrians hurt in rear-end, intersection, highway, and parking-lot crashes, including hit-and-runs and crashes with uninsured drivers.
Massachusetts truck accident lawyer
If the truck driver was working, the trucking company may be responsible too, and its commercial policy may be available. Ask early for the driver’s records and any dash camera or tracking data to be saved.
Massachusetts Uber and Lyft accident lawyer
Rideshare drivers must carry $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident in bodily injury coverage while logged in and waiting for a request, and $1,000,000 from accepting a request through the end of the trip.
Massachusetts motorcycle, pedestrian, and bicycle accident lawyer
Motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists can be seriously hurt even in low-speed crashes, and insurers may try to shift the blame to them. Under Massachusetts’ 51% rule, that fight over fault can decide whether you recover at all.
Massachusetts slip and fall lawyer
Stores, restaurants, landlords, and other property owners can be responsible for hazards they knew about or should have found and fixed.
Massachusetts dog bite lawyer
A dog’s owner or keeper is liable for injuries the dog causes, unless the injured person was trespassing, committing another wrong, or teasing, tormenting, or abusing the dog. A child under seven is presumed not to have done any of those things (G.L. c. 140, § 155).
Massachusetts brain injury lawyer
We also represent clients living with brain injuries, from concussions to more serious traumatic brain injuries.
Massachusetts wrongful death lawyer
In Massachusetts, the claim is brought by the executor or administrator of the person’s estate on behalf of the family. Damages can include lost income and the loss of the person’s services, care, companionship, comfort, guidance, and advice, plus funeral costs. Punitive damages of at least $5,000 are available when the death was caused by gross negligence or by malicious, willful, wanton, or reckless conduct (G.L. c. 229, § 2).
What should I do after an accident in Massachusetts?
- Get medical care right away, and keep every appointment. In a car accident claim, your medical bills and records are what show you’ve passed the $2,000 threshold.
- File a crash report within five days if anyone was hurt or killed, or there was more than $1,000 in damage to any one vehicle or other property. Copies go to the RMV, the local or state police where the crash happened, and your insurer.
- If a road defect caused it, give written notice within 30 days. Photograph the defect before it’s repaired.
- Open your PIP claim with your own insurer, even if the other driver was at fault.
- Collect evidence: photos, witnesses’ names and phone numbers, and any nearby security or doorbell video before it’s recorded over.
- Talk to a lawyer before giving the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement or signing a release.
Where are Massachusetts injury lawsuits filed?
A Massachusetts injury lawsuit goes to the District Court if there’s no reasonable likelihood the recovery will exceed $50,000, and to the Superior Court if there’s no reasonable likelihood it will be $50,000 or less. Each town page below lists the courthouses that serve that area.
Massachusetts communities we serve
- Plymouth and nearby Kingston, Carver, Plympton, Duxbury, and Wareham
- Fall River and nearby Somerset, Swansea, Westport, and Freetown
- Quincy and nearby Braintree, Milton, Weymouth, and Randolph
- Cape Cod, including Barnstable and Hyannis, Falmouth, and the Cape’s other towns
Massachusetts personal injury FAQs
Is Massachusetts a no-fault state?
For the first $8,000 of benefits, yes. Your own PIP coverage pays medical bills, part of your lost wages, and replacement services regardless of fault. Beyond PIP, you can bring a claim against the at-fault driver, and pain and suffering is available once you meet the $2,000 medical expense threshold or have a qualifying serious injury.
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Massachusetts?
Generally three years from the injury (G.L. c. 260, § 2A). Shorter deadlines can apply before then: 30 days for notice of a road defect, and two years to present a claim against a city, town, or the state.
Can I still recover if I was partly at fault?
Yes, as long as your fault isn’t greater than that of the people you’re suing. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage. If you’re found 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing.
Is Jon Olsson licensed in Massachusetts?
Yes. Jon has been admitted to practice law in Massachusetts since 2017. He is also admitted in California and Texas.
How much does a Massachusetts personal injury lawyer cost?
Nothing up front. Olsson Law works on contingency: our fee is a percentage of what we recover for you, and if there’s no recovery, you don’t owe an attorney’s fee. In Massachusetts, a contingent fee agreement must be in writing and signed by both the lawyer and the client (Mass. R. Prof. C. 1.5(c)).
Talk to a Massachusetts personal injury lawyer today
The sooner Jon sees your case, the more evidence there is to work with, and some Massachusetts deadlines are as short as 30 days. Call Jon Olsson at (508) 659-5235 or contact us online for a free case review. There is no fee unless you recover.
This page provides general information about personal injury claims in Massachusetts. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines and rules can change and may depend on the facts of your case.