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Boston, MA Motorcycle Accidents Attorney
If another driver hit you on a motorcycle in Boston, you can claim pain and suffering without first clearing the $2,000 medical-bill threshold, because motorcycle policies give the rider no PIP (Murphy v. Bohn, 377 Mass. 544 (1979)), and riding without a helmet is evidence of negligence, not a bar to recovery (M.G.L. c. 231, sec. 85).
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The short answer for Boston
Massachusetts motorcycle policies do not provide PIP to the rider, so under Murphy v. Bohn, 377 Mass. 544 (1979), a Massachusetts rider injured by another driver does not need to clear the $2,000 medical-bill tort threshold to bring a claim for pain and suffering. Recoverable damages include medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. Massachusetts requires helmets for every rider and passenger under M.G.L. c. 90, sec. 7; under M.G.L. c. 231, sec. 85 a violation is evidence of negligence rather than a bar to recovery. Jim Glaser Law evaluates Massachusetts motorcycle matters at no cost. Motorcycle matters are accepted on contingency.
The full Massachusetts rules, statutes and typical timeline are on the motorcycle accidents page; this page covers what is specific to Boston.
What the state's crash records show for Boston
Massachusetts publishes every reported crash through the MassDOT IMPACT open data system. Across 2022 to 2024, Boston recorded 17,408 reported crashes, of which 4,533 involved an injury and 65 were fatal. That places Boston first of 349 Massachusetts cities and towns by total reported crashes. Boston alone accounts for 4.3 percent of every crash reported in the commonwealth over those three years.
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 Boston is the rear-end collision. Rear-end collisions, where one vehicle runs into the back of another, were 32.3 percent of Boston's reported crashes; angle collisions, where vehicles meet because their paths cross, 15.1 percent; and single vehicle crashes, which involve one motor vehicle, 16.2 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 Boston in the most recent year of data:
- Interstate 93219 crashes
- Interstate 93198 crashes
- Storrow Drive95 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 Boston crash report and the statewide Massachusetts crash report.
Source: MassDOT IMPACT open crash data, 2022 to 2024. Updated monthly.
Courts that serve Boston for motorcycle accidents matters
Boston is served by the Boston Municipal Court, which M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1 divides into eight divisions (Brighton, Central, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Roxbury, South Boston and West Roxbury), each covering a set of Boston wards, so which division hears a case depends on the neighborhood. Boston is in Suffolk County, so a Superior Court case brought by a Boston resident goes to the Suffolk County 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Municipal Court | Civil claims up to $50,000 | divisions by Boston neighborhood |
| Suffolk County Superior Court | Civil claims over $50,000 | 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108 |
First steps
- Get medical care and keep every record. Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital are among the hospitals listed for Boston, 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 Boston Municipal Court hears claims up to $50,000 and the Suffolk County 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. For Boston, the divisions follow the city wards.
- 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).
Boston 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.
- Massachusetts General Hospital 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114 Trauma Level I
- Brigham and Women's Hospital 75 Francis St, Boston, MA 02115 Trauma Level I
- Boston Medical Center 1 Boston Medical Center Pl, Boston, MA 02118 Trauma Level I
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215 Trauma Level I
The firm requests records from any Massachusetts provider on the medical chain, listed here or not.
Talk to the firm about your motorcycle accident matter
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Common questions from Boston
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Which District Court covers Boston?
Boston is served by the Boston Municipal Court, which M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1 divides into eight divisions (Brighton, Central, Charlestown, Dorchester, East Boston, Roxbury, South Boston and West Roxbury), each covering a set of Boston wards, so which division hears a case depends on the neighborhood.
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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 Boston, that is Suffolk County, and the Suffolk County Superior Court sits at 3 Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108.
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How many crashes does the state record here?
MassDOT's open crash records list 17,408 reported crashes in Boston across 2022 to 2024, of which 4,533 involved an injury and 65 were fatal. A reported crash says nothing about fault, which is decided under M.G.L. c. 231, sec. 85.
Related Massachusetts legal answers
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Browse every question in the Massachusetts legal answers library.
This sub-entry constitutes legal information, not legal advice. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Attorney advertising under Mass. R. Prof. C. 7.1 to 7.5. Responsible attorney: Jim Glaser, Massachusetts.