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Fall River Personal Injury Law Firm
If you were hurt in Fall River 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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Injured? Jimmy Wins, Or It's Free! No attorney fees unless we win your case.
What should Fall River readers know first?
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 Fall River.
What the state's crash records show for Fall River
Massachusetts publishes every reported crash through the MassDOT IMPACT open data system. Across 2022 to 2024, Fall River recorded 9,045 reported crashes, of which 2,286 involved an injury and 11 were fatal. That places Fall River number 5 of 349 Massachusetts cities and towns by total reported crashes. Fall River alone accounts for 2.2 percent of every crash reported in the commonwealth over those three years.
The same records count 213 crashes involving a pedestrian and 65 involving a bicycle in Fall River 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 Fall River is the angle collision. Rear-end collisions, where one vehicle runs into the back of another, were 23.6 percent of Fall River's reported crashes; angle collisions, where vehicles meet because their paths cross, 31.6 percent; and single vehicle crashes, which involve one motor vehicle, 15.5 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 Fall River in the most recent year of data:
- Pleasant Street117 crashes
- Plymouth Avenue114 crashes
- North Main Street109 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 Fall River crash report and the statewide Massachusetts crash report.
Source: MassDOT IMPACT open crash data, 2022 to 2024. Updated monthly.
Courts that serve Fall River for personal injury matters
Under M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1, Fall River is in the judicial district of the Second District Court of Bristol, which also covers Somerset, Swansea, Freetown and Westport. Fall River is in Bristol County, so a Superior Court case brought by a Fall River 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Second District Court of Bristol | Civil claims up to $50,000 | Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Freetown and Westport |
| Bristol Superior Court | Civil claims over $50,000 | 9 Court Street, Taunton, MA 02780 |
First steps
- Get medical care and keep every record. Charlton Memorial Hospital (Southcoast) is among the hospitals listed for Fall River, 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 Second 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 Second District Court of Bristol serves Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Freetown and Westport.
- 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).
Fall River 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.
- Charlton Memorial Hospital (Southcoast) 363 Highland Ave, Fall River, MA 02720
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.
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.
Lead Carpenter Injured in Fall From Ladder
A lead carpenter in his early 60s fell roughly seven feet from a ladder while on the job, landing on his back, neck, and head on a concrete floor. He reported the injury to his employer right away and, after a single day off, tried to keep working. About two weeks later he could no longer continue, and he sought hospital treatment shortly afterward.
Client reviews as published on jimglaserlaw.com.
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What questions do Fall River readers ask most?
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Which District Court covers Fall River?
Under M.G.L. c. 218, sec. 1, Fall River is in the judicial district of the Second District Court of Bristol, which also covers Somerset, Swansea, Freetown and Westport.
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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 Fall River, 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 9,045 reported crashes in Fall River across 2022 to 2024, of which 2,286 involved an injury and 11 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 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.