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Somerville Personal Injury Lawyer Serving Residents Across Every Neighborhood

If you have been injured in an accident in Somerville, Massachusetts, you need an experienced personal injury lawyer who knows the city, knows the courts, and knows how to fight for full compensation. Scalli Murphy Law has offices at 537 Broadway in Everett and 1 Webb Street in Danvers, serving clients across Greater Boston and the North Shore. Our Everett office is literally right across the Somerville city line, sitting on the same Broadway corridor that runs directly through Somerville, making us one of the closest personal injury firms to every Somerville neighborhood from East Somerville to Davis Square.

Managing Partner Christopher Murphy, Esq. has spent more than 25 years representing injured clients throughout the greater Boston area, including hundreds of Somerville residents. We handle car accidents, pedestrian and bicycle accidents, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death claims, and every other type of personal injury case on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

Call 617-387-7000 or 1-833-933-HELP for a free consultation about your Somerville accident case.

Why Somerville Residents Choose Scalli Murphy Law

Choosing the right personal injury attorney after an accident is one of the most important decisions you will make. Somerville residents choose Scalli Murphy Law because of our proximity, our experience, and our results.

Our offices are right next door and across the region. Our Everett office at 537 Broadway is right across the Somerville city line along Broadway. It is less than two miles from East Somerville, less than three miles from Union Square, and easily accessible from every Somerville neighborhood. We also have an office at 1 Webb Street in Danvers for added convenience. When you need to meet with your attorney, drop off documents, or discuss your case in person, you do not have to fight downtown Boston traffic or pay for expensive parking. We are right in your backyard.

We handle cases in Middlesex County courts. Somerville is in Middlesex County, and personal injury lawsuits involving Somerville accidents are filed in Middlesex County Superior Court in Woburn or Cambridge, or in Somerville District Court. Our attorneys appear in these courts regularly and are familiar with the judges, the court staff, and the local procedures that can affect the outcome of your case.

25+ years of personal injury experience. Attorney Christopher Murphy has been representing personal injury victims since 1999 and has been recognized as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer. He has handled cases involving collisions on McGrath Highway, pedestrian crashes in Davis Square, slip and fall injuries on Somerville’s aging sidewalks, and construction injuries at Assembly Row. He understands the specific hazards that Somerville residents face every day.

Contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront and owe no attorney fees unless we win your case. We advance all costs of investigation, medical records, expert witnesses, and litigation. Our fee structure means there is zero financial risk to you.

Proven track record with Somerville cases. Scalli Murphy Law already has a documented presence in Somerville personal injury cases. We have represented victims of pedestrian hit-and-run crashes on McGrath Highway, one of the most dangerous corridors in the city, and we continue to fight for Somerville residents who are injured by negligent drivers, property owners, and businesses.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Somerville

Somerville is one of the most densely populated cities in New England, with approximately 81,000 residents packed into just over four square miles. That density, combined with aging infrastructure, heavy traffic, active construction, and one of the most bike-friendly cultures in the state, creates conditions that lead to a wide range of personal injury cases. We handle all of them.

Car Accidents

Somerville’s road network is a patchwork of narrow residential streets, busy commercial corridors, and highway on-ramps that funnels tens of thousands of vehicles through the city every day. Car accidents are the most common source of personal injury claims in Somerville, and they happen on roads like McGrath Highway (Route 28), Broadway, Mystic Avenue, Highland Avenue, Somerville Avenue, and the I-93 interchange ramps near Assembly Square.

McGrath Highway alone is one of the most dangerous roads in the Boston metro area. The elevated highway and its at-grade sections create confusing lane patterns, poor sightlines, and high-speed traffic that runs directly through residential neighborhoods. The City of Somerville and MassDOT have been planning a redesign of McGrath Highway for years, but the corridor remains hazardous to this day.

If you have been in a car accident anywhere in Somerville, we can help you pursue compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and vehicle damage. Learn more about what to do after a car accident in Massachusetts.

Pedestrian Accidents

Somerville is a walking city. Davis Square, Union Square, Ball Square, Magoun Square, and Teele Square are all dense, walkable commercial centers where pedestrians share tight spaces with vehicle traffic. The city has installed raised crosswalks, continental crosswalk markings, and rapid-flashing beacons at many locations, but pedestrian accidents remain a serious concern.

Turning vehicles at busy intersections, drivers failing to yield in crosswalks, and distracted driving all contribute to pedestrian crashes in Somerville. The opening of the Green Line Extension in 2022 has increased foot traffic around the new Union Square and East Somerville stations, creating new pedestrian conflict points that drivers are still adjusting to.

We have direct experience with Somerville pedestrian cases, including a hit-and-run pedestrian crash on McGrath Highway that we handled for a Somerville victim.

Bicycle Accidents

Somerville has one of the highest cycling rates of any city in Massachusetts. The Somerville Community Path, which connects Davis Square to the Minuteman Bikeway, is used by thousands of cyclists and pedestrians daily. The city has invested heavily in protected bike lanes, bike boxes at intersections, and cycling infrastructure that earned it recognition as a bicycle-friendly community.

Despite these improvements, bicycle accidents remain common. Dooring crashes, right-hook collisions at intersections, and conflicts between cyclists and turning vehicles account for many of the bicycle injury cases we handle. Broadway, Somerville Avenue, Beacon Street, and Highland Avenue are particular trouble spots for cycling injuries.

MBTA and Green Line Extension Accidents

The MBTA Green Line Extension, which opened in 2022, brought new light rail service to Somerville with stations at Union Square and East Somerville (now Brickbottom). While the GLX has been a major benefit for Somerville, it has also introduced new accident risks. Pedestrians crossing tracks, vehicles conflicting with light rail at grade crossings, and MBTA-related injuries on platforms and in stations are all potential sources of personal injury claims. The Red Line’s Davis Square station also sees heavy daily ridership and occasional slip and fall incidents.

Rideshare Accidents

Uber and Lyft vehicles are a constant presence on Somerville streets, particularly around Davis Square, Union Square, and Assembly Row. Rideshare accident claims involve complex insurance questions because coverage depends on whether the driver was logged into the app, en route to pick up a passenger, or carrying a passenger at the time of the crash. We handle rideshare accident claims for both passengers and other drivers or pedestrians who are struck by rideshare vehicles.

Slip and Fall Injuries

Somerville’s building stock is dominated by triple-deckers and older commercial buildings, many dating to the early 1900s. These properties feature narrow walkways, uneven brick sidewalks, steep exterior staircases, and aging infrastructure that can create hazardous conditions. Slip and fall accidents on ice are particularly common during winter months, when property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice within a reasonable time.

Under Massachusetts premises liability law, property owners and tenants have a duty to maintain their properties in a reasonably safe condition. If a dangerous condition on someone else’s property caused your fall, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.

Construction Accidents

Somerville is in the middle of a historic building boom. Assembly Row, the massive mixed-use development at Assembly Square, has added millions of square feet of retail, residential, and commercial space, and construction continues to expand. Union Square is undergoing a similar redevelopment with new residential towers, commercial buildings, and infrastructure projects tied to the Green Line Extension.

Construction accidents involving falls, equipment failures, struck-by injuries, and electrocutions are a constant risk on these job sites. If you are a construction worker injured in Somerville, you may be entitled to both workers’ compensation benefits and a third-party personal injury claim against a negligent contractor, property owner, or equipment manufacturer.

Dog Bites

Massachusetts has a strict liability dog bite statute (M.G.L. c. 140, Section 155) that makes dog owners liable for bite injuries regardless of whether the dog has a history of aggression. In a densely populated city like Somerville, where dogs and pedestrians share close quarters in parks, on sidewalks, and in common areas of multi-family homes, dog bite injuries are a regular occurrence.

Wrongful Death

When a personal injury in Somerville results in the death of a loved one, the family may pursue a wrongful death claim under M.G.L. c. 229, Sections 2 and 6. Wrongful death cases can arise from fatal car crashes, pedestrian fatalities, construction site deaths, medical malpractice, and other circumstances where negligence caused or contributed to the death. Compensation may include funeral and burial expenses, lost financial support, loss of companionship, and the conscious pain and suffering the victim experienced before death.

Dangerous Roads and Accident-Prone Areas in Somerville

Somerville’s compact geography and heavy traffic volumes create several areas where accidents are concentrated. If you have been injured at any of the following locations, our attorneys understand the specific conditions that make these areas dangerous.

McGrath Highway (Route 28). McGrath Highway is the most dangerous road in Somerville. This multi-lane corridor carries heavy through-traffic between I-93 and Cambridge, cutting through residential neighborhoods with limited pedestrian protection. The road has been the subject of a long-planned redesign that would reduce it from a six-lane elevated highway to a ground-level boulevard, but the project remains incomplete. In the meantime, crashes involving vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists continue to occur at alarming rates.

Broadway. Broadway is the primary commercial and transit corridor connecting Everett, Somerville, and Cambridge. It runs directly past our office in Everett and continues through East Somerville, Winter Hill, Magoun Square, and Ball Square before reaching Cambridge. The road carries MBTA buses, commercial trucks, and heavy commuter traffic, and its intersections with side streets produce frequent collisions.

Mystic Avenue. Running along the northern edge of Somerville near the Medford line, Mystic Avenue is a wide, high-speed road that connects to I-93 and Route 16. The Assembly Square area has increased traffic volumes on Mystic Avenue significantly, and the road’s design encourages speeds that are dangerous for the pedestrians and cyclists trying to access the Assembly Row development.

Highland Avenue. This major east-west corridor runs from Davis Square through the heart of Somerville to East Somerville. Narrow lanes, on-street parking, bus stops, and heavy pedestrian activity around the Somerville Theatre and commercial districts create frequent conflict points.

Somerville Avenue. Connecting Union Square to Porter Square in Cambridge, Somerville Avenue handles significant traffic volumes on a road that was not designed for modern traffic levels. The Union Square redevelopment has added construction vehicles, detours, and new traffic patterns that increase the risk of accidents.

Davis Square intersection cluster. Davis Square is one of the busiest pedestrian areas in the city. The convergence of Holland Street, College Avenue, Elm Street, and Highland Avenue creates a complex intersection pattern where vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and MBTA buses all compete for space.

Assembly Row and Assembly Square. The rapid development of Assembly Row has transformed this area from an industrial zone into a major commercial and residential destination. The influx of traffic, combined with new road layouts, construction activity, and pedestrians unfamiliar with the area, has created a cluster of accident-prone intersections along Middlesex Avenue and Revolution Drive.

I-93 on-ramps and off-ramps. Somerville’s proximity to I-93 means that highway merge points at Assembly Square and near McGrath Highway see frequent rear-end collisions, sideswipe crashes, and speed-related accidents as drivers transition between highway and local road speeds.

Somerville Neighborhoods We Serve

Scalli Murphy Law represents personal injury clients from every Somerville neighborhood:

  • Davis Square – Dense pedestrian activity, complex intersections, the Red Line T station
  • Union Square – Major redevelopment area, Green Line Extension station, heavy construction
  • East Somerville – Broadway corridor, Green Line Brickbottom station, close to our Everett office
  • Winter Hill – Broadway and Mystic Avenue traffic, residential density
  • Magoun Square – Broadway commercial district, bus routes, cycling traffic
  • Ball Square – Broadway and Boston Avenue intersection, Green Line Medford branch nearby
  • Teele Square – Holland Street and Broadway convergence, university traffic from Tufts
  • Spring Hill – Steep terrain, narrow residential streets, winter ice hazards
  • Assembly Row / Assembly Square – New development, high traffic volume, Orange Line T station
  • Ten Hills – Near the Mystic River, I-93 access, residential area with older housing
  • Prospect Hill – Historic neighborhood, steep grades, narrow sidewalks

No matter which part of Somerville you call home, our offices in Everett and Danvers are ready to help.

Massachusetts Personal Injury Laws That Affect Your Somerville Case

Understanding the legal framework that applies to personal injury cases in Massachusetts is essential for protecting your rights. Here are the key laws that affect Somerville accident victims.

Modified comparative negligence. Massachusetts follows a modified comparative negligence rule under M.G.L. c. 231, Section 85. You can recover compensation even if you were partially at fault, as long as your fault does not exceed 50%. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurance companies routinely try to shift blame onto injured victims to reduce their payouts, which is one of the most important reasons to have an experienced attorney on your side.

Three-year statute of limitations. Under M.G.L. c. 260, Section 2A, you have three years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. For wrongful death cases, the three-year clock starts from the date of death. Missing the deadline means losing your right to sue entirely.

No-fault auto insurance and the tort threshold. Massachusetts is a no-fault auto insurance state. After a car accident, your own insurance company pays your initial medical bills through Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, regardless of who was at fault. To step outside the no-fault system and file a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver, your medical expenses must exceed $2,000 or you must have suffered a fracture, permanent disfigurement, loss of sight or hearing, or other serious injury as defined by M.G.L. c. 231, Section 6D.

Premises liability. Property owners in Somerville owe a duty of reasonable care to everyone who enters their property, including tenants, customers, and social guests. Under Massachusetts law, a property owner who knew or should have known about a dangerous condition and failed to fix it or warn about it can be held liable for resulting injuries.

Strict liability for dog bites. Under M.G.L. c. 140, Section 155, a dog owner is strictly liable for injuries caused by their dog unless the victim was trespassing, committing a tort, or teasing or tormenting the dog. You do not need to prove the owner was negligent or that the dog had a history of biting.

What Compensation Can You Recover in a Somerville Personal Injury Case?

Massachusetts law allows personal injury victims to recover compensation for all losses caused by another party’s negligence. In a Somerville personal injury case, you may be entitled to:

  • Medical expenses including emergency room visits, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, chiropractic care, prescription medications, and future medical costs
  • Lost wages for time missed from work during recovery, plus loss of future earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous occupation
  • Pain and suffering for the physical pain, emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and diminished quality of life caused by your injuries
  • Property damage including vehicle repair or replacement costs
  • Loss of consortium for the impact your injuries have on your relationship with your spouse
  • Wrongful death damages if a loved one was killed, including funeral expenses, lost financial support, and loss of companionship

There is no statutory cap on personal injury damages in Massachusetts for most case types. The value of your case depends on the severity of your injuries, the strength of the liability evidence, the available insurance coverage, and the skill of your attorney in presenting your claim.

Somerville-Specific Facts That Affect Personal Injury Cases

Several characteristics of Somerville make personal injury cases here unique compared to other Massachusetts communities.

Extreme population density. Somerville has approximately 81,000 residents living in just over four square miles, making it one of the most densely populated cities in New England. This density means more vehicles, more pedestrians, more cyclists, and more potential for accidents on every street.

25 mph default speed limit. Somerville has adopted a citywide 25 mph default speed limit, with even lower speeds in designated neighborhood slow zones. Despite these limits, speeding remains a problem on corridors like McGrath Highway, Mystic Avenue, and Broadway. A driver who exceeds the posted speed limit and causes an accident has strong evidence of negligence used against them.

Heavy cycling community. Somerville has one of the highest cycling mode shares of any city in Massachusetts. The Somerville Community Path and growing network of protected bike lanes encourage cycling, but also create more opportunities for vehicle-bicycle conflicts. Drivers who fail to check for cyclists before opening doors, making right turns, or pulling out of driveways cause many of the bicycle injury cases we handle.

Ongoing major construction. Assembly Row and the Union Square redevelopment have transformed Somerville’s landscape but introduced construction-related hazards including uneven road surfaces, detour routes, construction vehicle traffic, falling debris risks, and temporary pedestrian pathways that may not be adequately maintained or marked.

Aging infrastructure. Many of Somerville’s sidewalks are original brick or concrete that has been heaved by tree roots, cracked by freeze-thaw cycles, or patched unevenly over the decades. The city’s triple-decker housing stock features narrow exterior stairs, shared walkways, and aging porches that can create slip and fall hazards, particularly in winter.

Borders Everett directly. Our Everett office at 537 Broadway is just across the Somerville city line. Broadway is the same road in both cities. We also maintain an office at 1 Webb Street in Danvers. For Somerville residents, reaching either office is easier than getting to most Boston law firms and does not require downtown parking.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Somerville personal injury lawyer cost?

Scalli Murphy Law handles all Somerville personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront and owe no legal fees unless we recover compensation for you. The fee is a percentage of the settlement or verdict, so there is no financial risk to you. Your initial consultation is always free.

What is the statute of limitations for a personal injury case in Somerville, MA?

The statute of limitations for most personal injury cases in Massachusetts, including those in Somerville, is three years from the date of the injury under M.G.L. c. 260, Section 2A. Wrongful death claims must be filed within three years of the date of death. If you miss this deadline, you lose the right to file a lawsuit. Some exceptions may apply, so it is important to consult with an attorney as soon as possible after an accident.

Where are Somerville personal injury cases filed in court?

Personal injury cases involving Somerville residents or accidents that occur in Somerville are typically filed in Middlesex County Superior Court in Woburn or Cambridge, or in Somerville District Court depending on the amount in dispute. Cases seeking more than $50,000 in damages are generally filed in Superior Court. Scalli Murphy Law regularly handles cases in all Middlesex County courts.

Can I still recover compensation if I was partly at fault for my accident in Somerville?

Yes. Massachusetts follows a modified comparative negligence rule under M.G.L. c. 231, Section 85. You can recover compensation as long as you are not more than 50% at fault for the accident. Your total recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are found 20% at fault and your damages total $100,000, you would recover $80,000. Insurance companies often exaggerate your fault to reduce payouts, which is why having an experienced attorney matters.

What should I do after a car accident in Somerville?

Call 911 and request police and medical response. Do not leave the scene. Take photographs of all vehicles, the road, traffic signs, and any visible injuries. Exchange insurance information with the other driver. Get contact information from witnesses. Seek medical attention within 24 hours, even if you feel fine, because adrenaline can mask serious injuries. Report the accident to your own insurance company but do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer. Contact a personal injury attorney before accepting any settlement offer.

How long does a Somerville personal injury case take to resolve?

The timeline depends on the severity of your injuries and the complexity of the case. Straightforward car accident cases with clear liability may settle in three to six months after you finish medical treatment. Cases involving serious injuries, disputed liability, or multiple parties can take one to three years, especially if a lawsuit is filed in Middlesex County Superior Court. Scalli Murphy Law works to resolve every case as efficiently as possible while still pursuing the maximum compensation you deserve.

Contact a Somerville Personal Injury Lawyer Today

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident in Somerville, do not wait to get legal help. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget details, and insurance companies start building their defense the moment an accident happens. The sooner you contact a personal injury attorney, the better your chances of recovering full compensation.

Scalli Murphy Law offers free consultations and handles all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. Our Everett office at 537 Broadway is right next door to Somerville, and our Danvers office at 1 Webb Street provides additional convenience. We are ready to meet with you today.

Call 617-387-7000 or 1-833-933-HELP (1-833-933-4357) for your free case evaluation.

Scalli Murphy Law
Everett Office: 537 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149
Danvers Office: 1 Webb Street, Danvers, MA 01923
Serving Somerville and all of Massachusetts

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