How Serious Does My Injury Have to Be to File a Case?

5/15/2019

Unfortunately, some of our clients have suffered devastating injuries such as amputations, paralysis, and even death. But other incidents leave the victim with relatively minor physical harm when compared to tragedies. At Perrault Law Group, many of our clients tell us that they almost didn’t contact an attorney because they believed their injuries to be minor in nature. Your injury does not need to be life-threatening to file a legal claim.

The Law Does Not Require Catastrophic Injuries

To bring a lawsuit in Massachusetts, you only need to show that you suffered an injury. Examples of some injuries that some of our clients deemed to be minor in nature:

  • Cuts, scrapes, and lacerations
  • Broken bones
  • Pinched nerves
  • Strains
  • Sprains
  • $2,000.00 or more in medical expenses for treatment of your injuries

None of these injuries are life-threatening. However, they might keep you out of work for weeks or months as you try to recover.

Furthermore, some injuries develop slowly. Immediately after a crash, you may feel perfectly fine. It isn’t unusual for back, neck, and shoulder injuries to take days or weeks to develop to the point that medical treatment is necessary.

Not All Injuries are Physical

Some of the most serious injuries are invisible. Crash victims in Massachusetts can receive compensation for emotional distress, under certain circumstances, including:

  • Grief
  • Anger
  • Embarrassment
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Anxiety

Remember to carefully document your emotional distress by keeping a journal in which you note how you are feeling. Also hold onto any prescription drugs if you take them to deal with your emotional distress.

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