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Springfield · Hampden County

Bicycle Accidents Attorneys Serving Springfield Residents

If a car hit you on a bike in Springfield, 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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The short answer for Springfield

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 Springfield.

What the state's crash records show for Springfield

Massachusetts publishes every reported crash through the MassDOT IMPACT open data system. Across 2022 to 2024, Springfield recorded 11,110 reported crashes, of which 3,785 involved an injury and 44 were fatal. That places Springfield number 3 of 349 Massachusetts cities and towns by total reported crashes. Springfield alone accounts for 2.7 percent of every crash reported in the commonwealth over those three years.

Of those, 128 involved a bicycle and 214 involved a pedestrian. Springfield ranks number 4 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 Springfield is the angle collision. Rear-end collisions, where one vehicle runs into the back of another, were 27.1 percent of Springfield's reported crashes; angle collisions, where vehicles meet because their paths cross, 31.2 percent; and single vehicle crashes, which involve one motor vehicle, 17.7 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 Springfield in the most recent year of data:

  • Boston Road48 crashes
  • Page Boulevard36 crashes
  • Liberty Street35 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 Springfield crash report and the statewide Massachusetts crash report.

Source: MassDOT IMPACT open crash data, 2022 to 2024. Updated monthly.

Courts that serve Springfield for bicycle accidents matters

Under M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1, Springfield is in the judicial district of the District Court of Springfield, which also covers West Springfield and Longmeadow. Springfield is in Hampden County, so a Superior Court case brought by a Springfield resident goes to the Hampden 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.

CourtWhat it hearsDistrict or address
District Court of SpringfieldCivil claims up to $50,000Springfield, West Springfield and Longmeadow
Hampden Superior CourtCivil claims over $50,00050 State Street, Springfield, MA 01103

First steps

  1. Get medical care and keep every record. Baystate Medical Center and Mercy Medical Center are among the hospitals listed for Springfield, and the firm requests the records itself once you sign an authorization.
  2. 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.
  3. Know the court: the District Court of Springfield hears claims up to $50,000 and the Hampden Superior Court hears larger ones.
  4. 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 Springfield serves Springfield, West Springfield and Longmeadow.
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).

Springfield 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.

  • Baystate Medical Center 759 Chestnut St, Springfield, MA 01199 Trauma Level I
  • Mercy Medical Center 271 Carew St, Springfield, MA 01104

The firm requests records from any Massachusetts provider on the medical chain, listed here or not.

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Common questions from Springfield

  • Which District Court covers Springfield?

    Under M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1, Springfield is in the judicial district of the District Court of Springfield, which also covers West Springfield and Longmeadow.

  • 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 Springfield, that is Hampden County, and the Hampden Superior Court sits at 50 State Street, Springfield, MA 01103.

  • How many crashes does the state record here?

    MassDOT's open crash records list 11,110 reported crashes in Springfield across 2022 to 2024, of which 3,785 involved an injury and 44 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 $Springfield, 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.

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