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Cambridge, MA Personal Injury Attorney
If you were hurt in Cambridge because of someone else's carelessness, you generally have three years from the injury to file suit (M.G.L. c. 260, sec. 2A), and you can recover medical expenses, lost income and pain and suffering, reduced by your own share of fault and barred above 50 percent (c. 231, sec. 85).
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The short answer for Cambridge
Massachusetts personal injury claims must generally be filed within three years of the injury under M.G.L. c. 260, sec. 2A. Recoverable damages include medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. Comparative negligence applies, meaning your recovery is reduced by your share of fault and barred entirely if you are more than 50 percent at fault. Jim Glaser Law evaluates your case at no cost. Personal-injury matters are accepted on contingency.
The full Massachusetts rules, statutes and typical timeline are on the personal injury page; this page covers what is specific to Cambridge.
What the state's crash records show for Cambridge
Massachusetts publishes every reported crash through the MassDOT IMPACT open data system. Across 2022 to 2024, Cambridge recorded 4,774 reported crashes, of which 1,098 involved an injury and 7 were fatal. That places Cambridge number 15 of 349 Massachusetts cities and towns by total reported crashes. Cambridge alone accounts for 1.2 percent of every crash reported in the commonwealth over those three years.
The same records count 220 crashes involving a pedestrian and 384 involving a bicycle in Cambridge over that period.
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 Cambridge is the same-direction sideswipe. Rear-end collisions, where one vehicle runs into the back of another, were 16.7 percent of Cambridge's reported crashes; angle collisions, where vehicles meet because their paths cross, 27.0 percent; and single vehicle crashes, which involve one motor vehicle, 12.5 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 Cambridge in the most recent year of data:
- Massachusetts Avenue20 crashes
- Massachusetts Avenue17 crashes
- Cambridge Street12 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 Cambridge crash report and the statewide Massachusetts crash report.
Source: MassDOT IMPACT open crash data, 2022 to 2024. Updated monthly.
Courts that serve Cambridge for personal injury matters
Under M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1, Cambridge is in the judicial district of the Third District Court of Eastern Middlesex, which also covers Arlington and Belmont. Cambridge is in Middlesex County, so a Superior Court case brought by a Cambridge 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Third District Court of Eastern Middlesex | Civil claims up to $50,000 | Cambridge, Arlington and Belmont |
| Middlesex Superior Court | Civil claims over $50,000 | 200 Trade Center, Woburn, MA 01801 |
First steps
- Get medical care and keep every record. Cambridge Hospital (CHA) and Mount Auburn Hospital are among the hospitals listed for Cambridge, 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 Third District Court of Eastern Middlesex 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 Third District Court of Eastern Middlesex serves Cambridge, Arlington and Belmont.
- 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).
Cambridge 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.
- Cambridge Hospital (CHA) 1493 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139
- Mount Auburn Hospital 330 Mt Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138
The firm requests records from any Massachusetts provider on the medical chain, listed here or not.
Talk to the firm about your personal injury 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
Recent settlementsSettlement summaries from Jim Glaser Law's own case files, without client names.
Plumber Hurt in Hit-and-Run While Driving Company Van
A plumber was driving a company van in the course of his work when another vehicle struck the van from behind and left the scene. Dash-camera footage from the van allowed police to identify the other vehicle, and its owner was cited after repeated attempts to reach him went unanswered. The plumber was injured in the collision.
Veteran Electrician Injured in Ladder Fall
An electrician with more than three decades at the same company fell from a ladder while stapling wires and injured his right knee. He reported the fall, sought treatment immediately, and kept working. When conservative care did not help, he underwent arthroscopic surgery on the meniscus and went out of work. He returned to the job after surgery, but the pain eventually became so severe that he was advised to stop working again.
Client reviews as published on jimglaserlaw.com.
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Robert L.
“What can I say, Attorney Glaser and his team are the best! Was able to assist with all of my needs and get me the best results! I highly recommend these guys! Thank you Attorney Glaser.”
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Common questions from Cambridge
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Which District Court covers Cambridge?
Under M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1, Cambridge is in the judicial district of the Third District Court of Eastern Middlesex, which also covers Arlington and Belmont.
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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 Cambridge, 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 4,774 reported crashes in Cambridge across 2022 to 2024, of which 1,098 involved an injury and 7 were fatal. A reported crash says nothing about fault, which is decided under M.G.L. c. 231, sec. 85.
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Browse every question in the Massachusetts legal answers library.
This page is legal information for $Cambridge, 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.