TIME LIMIT EXPANDED TO BRING CHILD SEX ABUSE CASES
This past December, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court approved a statute that expands the time limit to bring lawsuits for child sex abuse. This case arose out of a lawsuit by a woman who had been sexually abused by her uncle for many years when she was a child during the 1970’s. In the late […]
PERSONAL INJURY SETTLEMENTS AND VERDICTS ARE NON-TAXABLE
Our clients often ask whether they will have to pay income taxes on the amounts we recover for them when they have been injured. The answer is no. Personal injury settlements and verdicts based on physical injuries are non-taxable. The idea is that people receiving money from settlements and verdicts are not gaining anything as […]
MAJOR CHANGES TO JURY TRIALS
By Attorney Paul Johnson A new bill signed into law by Governor Patrick this past August will not only permit Massachusetts lawyers to question jurors during the selection process, but also will allow attorneys to suggest a specific dollar amount for the jury’s verdict. When prospective jurors are brought into a court room, they go […]
THE “EGGSHELL SKULL” RULE
Did a new injury make an old condition worse or act up again? Massachusetts law has your back, so to speak. An injured person has the right to be compensated for a new injury, which aggravates a pre-existing condition. Since 1935, the law in Massachusetts has been clear that an injured person has the right […]
ATTORNEY STEVEN BALLIN SPEAKS AT FOXBORO POLICE MEETING
On July 8th, Attorney Steven Ballin spoke at a Foxboro Police Department meeting to a group of officers, advising them of steps to take now to protect themselves for the future in the event of an injury on duty. A few highlights from the short presentation included: laws which provide for additional compensation when injured […]
RECEIVING INJURY-ON-DUTY BENEFITS DOES NOT PROHIBIT POLICE OR FIREFIGHTERS FROM MAKING A CLAIM LIKE ANY OTHER CITIZEN
Like any other employee who is injured while at work, police and firefighters are authorized by the same laws, which provide for injury-on-duty wages, to bring claims for their injuries against the responsible third parties. Public safety officers are usually surprised to learn they can collect tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to compensate […]
We are a community. “Boston Strong” helps us all get through this.
I wanted to share an email I received from our legal assistant, Ronaele Salisbury, in response to our contributions following the Boston Marathon Terrorist attacks. It is overwhelming to know where to start to help all that were injured or lost a loved one. They will have medical bills, loss of income, medical supplies and […]
Have you thanked a police officer today?
The cheers from onlookers as law enforcement officers left Watertown on Friday, April 19th and the many expressions of appreciation bestowed on individual officers and Departments are well deserved. It seems, unfortunately, that it takes a horrifying tragedy like the Boston Marathon Terrorist attack or 9/11 to move us to express our thanks and appreciation […]