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Lowell Bicycle Accidents Law Firm
If a car hit you on a bike in Lowell, the at-fault driver's auto policy pays your first $8,000 of medical bills and lost wages through PIP regardless of fault (M.G.L. c. 90, sec. 34A), and you can claim pain and suffering once your medical bills pass $2,000 or you have a fracture, a permanent injury or a disfigurement (c. 231, sec. 6D).
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Lowell: the short answer
Massachusetts bicyclists struck by a motor vehicle are eligible for Personal Injury Protection benefits from the at-fault driver's auto policy under M.G.L. c. 90 sec. 34A, which generally pays the first $8,000 of medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault. A claim for pain and suffering against the at-fault driver follows the standard tort threshold under M.G.L. c. 231 sec. 6D: at least $2,000 in reasonable and necessary medical expenses, or a permanent injury, disfigurement, fracture, or substantial loss of hearing or sight. Cyclists have the same right to the roadway as motor vehicles under M.G.L. c. 85 sec. 11B, and a motorist who opens a door into the path of a cyclist is subject to M.G.L. c. 90 sec. 14. Adult riders are not required by Massachusetts law to wear a helmet, though riders sixteen years of age and younger must under M.G.L. c. 85 sec. 11B½. Comparative negligence under M.G.L. c. 231 sec. 85 reduces a recovery by the rider's share of fault and bars recovery if the rider is more than 50 percent at fault. Jim Glaser Law evaluates Massachusetts bicycle matters at no cost. Bicycle matters are accepted on contingency, meaning no attorney's fee unless and until the matter resolves with a recovery to the client; case-related costs and expenses are addressed in the written fee agreement.
The full Massachusetts rules, statutes and typical timeline are on the bicycle accidents page; this page covers what is specific to Lowell.
What the state's crash records show for Lowell
Massachusetts publishes every reported crash through the MassDOT IMPACT open data system. Across 2022 to 2024, Lowell recorded 7,781 reported crashes, of which 1,765 involved an injury and 10 were fatal. That places Lowell number 6 of 349 Massachusetts cities and towns by total reported crashes. Lowell alone accounts for 1.9 percent of every crash reported in the commonwealth over those three years.
Of those, 99 involved a bicycle and 179 involved a pedestrian. Lowell ranks number 7 in Massachusetts for reported bicycle crashes.
Manner of collision is how the vehicles first came together, as the reporting officer recorded it, and by that measure the most common crash in Lowell is the angle collision. Rear-end collisions, where one vehicle runs into the back of another, were 24.5 percent of Lowell's reported crashes; angle collisions, where vehicles meet because their paths cross, 34.0 percent; and single vehicle crashes, which involve one motor vehicle, 8.9 percent, against 28.1, 23.9 and 22.9 percent statewide. How that mix varies across Massachusetts, and why it moves the injury and fatal rates, is in what kind of crash is most common in each Massachusetts town.
The roads carrying the most reported crashes in Lowell in the most recent year of data:
- Middlesex Street46 crashes
- Bridge Street41 crashes
- Rogers Street39 crashes
These figures are reported crashes, not claims or lawsuits, and a crash appearing in the state record says nothing about who was at fault. Fault in Massachusetts is decided under the comparative negligence rule of M.G.L. c. 231, sec. 85. Full figures for every Massachusetts community are in the Lowell crash report and the statewide Massachusetts crash report.
Source: MassDOT IMPACT open crash data, 2022 to 2024. Updated monthly.
Courts that serve Lowell for bicycle accidents matters
Under M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1, Lowell is in the judicial district of the District Court of Lowell, which also covers Billerica, Tewksbury, Dracut, Chelmsford and Tyngsborough. Lowell is in Middlesex County, so a Superior Court case brought by a Lowell resident goes to the Middlesex Superior Court.
A District Court civil case can be filed in the district where any party lives or has a usual place of business, or in an adjoining district (M.G.L. c. 223, sec. 2). Where the event happened does not decide it.
| Court | What it hears | District or address |
|---|---|---|
| District Court of Lowell | Civil claims up to $50,000 | Lowell, Billerica, Tewksbury, Dracut, Chelmsford and Tyngsborough |
| Middlesex Superior Court | Civil claims over $50,000 | 200 Trade Center, Woburn, MA 01801 |
First steps
- Get medical care and keep every record. Lowell General Hospital is among the hospitals listed for Lowell, and the firm requests the records itself once you sign an authorization.
- If a vehicle was involved, file the operator's crash report within five days when anyone was hurt or damage passed $1,000 (M.G.L. c. 90, sec. 26), and keep the police report number.
- Know the court: the District Court of Lowell hears claims up to $50,000 and the Middlesex Superior Court hears larger ones.
- Call (617) JIM-WINS before you file or appear, so the deadline and the right court are checked against your facts.
Key terms
- Judicial district
- The towns one District Court division serves, as listed in M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1. The District Court of Lowell serves Lowell, Billerica, Tewksbury, Dracut, Chelmsford and Tyngsborough.
- Venue
- The county or district where a case may be filed. Massachusetts sets it by where the parties live or work (M.G.L. c. 223, secs. 1 and 2).
Lowell hospitals where treatment records often originate
If you were seen at one of these facilities, the firm requests your treatment records as part of building the documentary record. You do not need to retrieve them yourself; a signed medical authorization at intake gives the firm the access it needs.
- Lowell General Hospital 295 Varnum Ave, Lowell, MA 01854
The firm requests records from any Massachusetts provider on the medical chain, listed here or not.
Talk to the firm about your bicycle accident matter
Call us 24/7 for a free case review. Or send us your details and we will reach out to you within one business day.
Results as published by Jim Glaser Law on jimglaserlaw.com. Results vary and depend on the facts of each case. See all results
What clients sayClient reviews as published on jimglaserlaw.com.
“Jim and his team were fast, professional, understanding, and thorough. Jim made us feel at ease from the start, and was with us through the whole experience. I would recommend his firm to anyone.”
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Frequently asked from Lowell
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Which District Court covers Lowell?
Under M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1, Lowell is in the judicial district of the District Court of Lowell, which also covers Billerica, Tewksbury, Dracut, Chelmsford and Tyngsborough.
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Where does a Superior Court case go from here?
A Superior Court case is filed in the county where one of the parties lives or has a usual place of business (M.G.L. c. 223, sec. 1). For someone who lives in Lowell, that is Middlesex County, and the Middlesex Superior Court sits at 200 Trade Center, Woburn, MA 01801.
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How many crashes does the state record here?
MassDOT's open crash records list 7,781 reported crashes in Lowell across 2022 to 2024, of which 1,765 involved an injury and 10 were fatal. A reported crash says nothing about fault, which is decided under M.G.L. c. 231, sec. 85.
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This page is legal information for $Lowell, Massachusetts readers, not legal advice for any particular matter. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Attorney advertising under Mass. R. Prof. C. 7.1 to 7.5. Responsible attorney: Jim Glaser, Massachusetts.