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Motorcycle Accidents Attorneys Serving Taunton Residents
If another driver hit you on a motorcycle in Taunton, 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 Taunton
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 Taunton.
What the state's crash records show for Taunton
Massachusetts publishes every reported crash through the MassDOT IMPACT open data system. Across 2022 to 2024, Taunton recorded 6,645 reported crashes, of which 1,275 involved an injury and 12 were fatal. That places Taunton number 8 of 349 Massachusetts cities and towns by total reported crashes. Taunton alone accounts for 1.6 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 Taunton is the rear-end collision. Rear-end collisions, where one vehicle runs into the back of another, were 27.2 percent of Taunton's reported crashes; angle collisions, where vehicles meet because their paths cross, 25.4 percent; and single vehicle crashes, which involve one motor vehicle, 18.5 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 Taunton in the most recent year of data:
- County Street118 crashes
- Broadway82 crashes
- Bay Street81 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 Taunton crash report and the statewide Massachusetts crash report.
Source: MassDOT IMPACT open crash data, 2022 to 2024. Updated monthly.
Courts that serve Taunton for motorcycle accidents matters
Under M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1, Taunton is in the judicial district of the First District Court of Bristol, which also covers Rehoboth, Berkley, Dighton, Seekonk, Easton and Raynham. Taunton is in Bristol County, so a Superior Court case brought by a Taunton resident goes to the Bristol 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 |
|---|---|---|
| First District Court of Bristol | Civil claims up to $50,000 | Taunton, Rehoboth, Berkley, Dighton, Seekonk, Easton and Raynham |
| Bristol Superior Court | Civil claims over $50,000 | 9 Court Street, Taunton, MA 02780 |
First steps
- Get medical care and keep every record. Morton Hospital is among the hospitals listed for Taunton, 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 First District Court of Bristol hears claims up to $50,000 and the Bristol 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 First District Court of Bristol serves Taunton, Rehoboth, Berkley, Dighton, Seekonk, Easton and Raynham.
- 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).
Taunton 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.
- Morton Hospital 88 Washington St, Taunton, MA 02780
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
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
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Common questions from Taunton
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Which District Court covers Taunton?
Under M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1, Taunton is in the judicial district of the First District Court of Bristol, which also covers Rehoboth, Berkley, Dighton, Seekonk, Easton and Raynham.
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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 Taunton, that is Bristol County, and the Bristol Superior Court sits at 9 Court Street, Taunton, MA 02780.
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How many crashes does the state record here?
MassDOT's open crash records list 6,645 reported crashes in Taunton across 2022 to 2024, of which 1,275 involved an injury and 12 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 page is legal information for $Taunton, 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.