If you were hurt in a car accident on McGrath Highway, crossing near Union Square, or biking along Somerville Avenue, you already know how fast a quiet block can turn dangerous. Scalli Murphy Law, P.C. is a personal injury firm based in nearby Everett, minutes from Somerville, with more than 30 years of experience fighting for injured people across Middlesex County. We are not a call center or a billboard mill. When you call, you speak with our office and work directly with a lawyer. There is no fee unless we recover for you, and your first consultation is free.
Why injury cases in Somerville are different
Somerville is one of the densest cities in New England, and its streets reflect that. Crashes here rarely happen in open space; they happen where cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and buses share tight, fast corridors. The locations we see again and again include:
- McGrath Highway (Route 28) and the Mystic Avenue junction: the city’s highest-crash corridor, where wide lanes and highway-style speeds meet pedestrian crosswalks.
- Somerville Avenue and Beacon Street: heavily traveled cycling routes where a large share of the city’s bicycle collisions occur, often involving turning vehicles and opening car doors.
- Broadway and Washington Street: busy commercial streets carrying fast traffic off McGrath Highway, both part of the city’s high-injury network.
- The squares, including Union Square, Davis Square, and Assembly Square: congested intersections packed with foot traffic, delivery vehicles, and turning cars.
Somerville carries some of the heaviest pedestrian and cyclist volume in the region, and that changes how a case is built. We know these corridors, the intersections the city has flagged for safety redesign, and how local traffic patterns and sight lines affect fault. That local knowledge helps us reconstruct what actually happened instead of accepting an insurer’s version.
Where your Somerville case is heard
Where your claim is filed depends on the type of case and the amount in dispute:
- Somerville District Court handles smaller civil claims and many local matters. It serves both Somerville and Medford.
- Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn hears larger civil claims, generally those seeking more than $25,000. This court moved from Cambridge to the TradeCenter campus in Woburn and now serves all of Middlesex County.
Massachusetts gives most injury victims three years from the date of the crash or injury to file suit, under G.L. c. 260, section 2A. If a city, the state, or another public entity is involved, the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act, G.L. c. 258, adds a shorter presentment deadline, often just two years, before you can sue at all. Evidence fades fast: skid marks disappear, video is overwritten, and witnesses move. The sooner we start, the more we can preserve.
Where Somerville crash victims are treated
One detail catches many residents off guard: Somerville does not have a full emergency room inside the city. The former Somerville Hospital emergency department closed in 2020, and that location, now the CHA Somerville Campus, operates as an urgent care center rather than a 24-hour ER. For a serious injury, most Somerville patients are taken to the nearest full emergency rooms at CHA Cambridge Hospital, Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, or Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
Wherever you are treated, get medical care right away and follow through with every recommended visit, referral, and course of treatment. We gather your complete records, from the first ambulance run sheet through follow-up care and therapy, and tie them to what happened. Gaps in treatment are the first thing an insurer uses to argue you were not really hurt, so consistent care protects both your health and your claim.
Personal injury cases we handle for Somerville residents
- Car accidents and other motor vehicle collisions: car, motorcycle, commercial truck, pedestrian, and bicycle crashes.
- Slip and fall and premises liability: icy walkways, unsafe stairs, and negligent property maintenance.
- Wrongful death: for families who have lost a loved one to another party’s negligence.
- Medical malpractice: serious harm caused by medical error.
- Workplace injuries: including claims beyond workers’ compensation.
How we handle your Somerville claim
You work directly with an attorney and a paralegal, not a rotating case manager. We investigate early and preserve evidence before it disappears, including photographs, video, and witness accounts. We deal with the insurance companies so you do not have to, and we advise you never to give a recorded statement without counsel. We document your injuries, treatment, and losses in full, then present a thorough demand backed by the records. If an insurer refuses to pay fair value, we litigate rather than accept a lowball offer. You approve every major decision, and settlement is always your call.
What to do after a car accident in Somerville
- Get medical care first, even if you feel only shaken; some injuries surface hours or days later.
- Photograph the vehicles, the scene, road conditions, and any visible injuries, and collect names and numbers for every witness.
- Request the crash report from the Somerville Police Department, which documents the official account of the collision.
- Do not give a recorded statement to any insurer before you speak with a lawyer.
- Call us early, while evidence is fresh and deadlines are still well ahead of you.
Frequently asked questions
Which court will handle my Somerville injury case?
Smaller claims are typically heard in Somerville District Court, which serves Somerville and Medford. Larger claims, generally those over $25,000, are filed in Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn. We determine the right court based on your damages and the parties involved.
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in Massachusetts?
You generally have three years from the date of injury under G.L. c. 260, section 2A. If a public entity such as the city or the Commonwealth is involved, the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act, G.L. c. 258, requires an earlier written presentment, so you should contact a lawyer as soon as possible.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
Massachusetts follows a modified comparative negligence rule under G.L. c. 231, section 85. You can still recover as long as you were not more than 50 percent at fault, though your compensation is reduced by your share of the blame. Do not assume you have no case because you think you were partly responsible.
Are certain Somerville roads more prone to serious car accidents?
Yes. McGrath Highway and the Mystic Avenue junction see the city’s highest crash volume, and busy squares like Union Square and Davis Square generate frequent collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists. Crashes in these dense corridors often involve disputed fault, which is exactly where our investigation and local knowledge matter.
What does it cost to hire your firm?
We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee, which means there is no upfront charge and no fee at all unless we recover for you. The initial consultation is free, so there is no risk in learning where you stand.
Should I talk to the insurance company myself?
Be careful. Insurers often ask for a recorded statement early, before you understand your injuries, and use it later to reduce or deny your claim. You are not required to give one. Let us communicate with the insurer so your words are not used against you.
Talk to a Somerville car accident and personal injury lawyer today. Scalli Murphy Law, P.C. serves Somerville from nearby Everett. Call (617) 387-7000 or request a free case review. No fee unless we recover for you.
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