MASSACHUSETTS SLIP AND FALL LAWYER
A bad fall is often someone's fault.
A serious fall can break bones and cause head injuries, and it usually traces back to a hazard the property owner should have fixed. Massachusetts law lets an injured visitor hold that owner responsible.
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A Massachusetts slip and fall lawyer proves neglect.
A slip, trip, or fall sounds minor until it happens, but a serious fall can fracture a hip or wrist, injure the spine, or cause a brain injury, especially for older adults. These accidents are rarely just clumsiness. They usually trace back to a hazard a property owner allowed to exist: a wet floor without a warning, a broken stair, poor lighting, a torn rug, or ice and snow left on a walkway. Massachusetts law requires property owners to keep their premises reasonably safe, and when they fail, an injured visitor can hold them responsible.
Insurers defend these cases hard, often arguing the hazard was obvious or that the visitor was careless. Overcoming that takes prompt evidence and a clear account of what went wrong. A Massachusetts slip and fall lawyer documents the hazard, shows the owner knew or should have known about it, and proves the true extent of the injury. Larson Law represents fall victims across Massachusetts at no upfront cost.
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Fall victims deserve a careful advocate today.
- We handle slip, trip, and fall claims across Massachusetts
- We move fast to document the hazard before it is fixed or cleaned up
- We prove the owner knew or should have known about the danger
- We push back when an insurer calls the hazard obvious
- Attorney Daniel J. Larson prepares every case as if it may be tried
- No fee unless we win
- Free, private case review
- Same-day response
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How Massachusetts holds property owners liable.
A property owner’s duty of care
In Massachusetts, property owners and businesses owe lawful visitors a duty of reasonable care to keep their premises safe and to warn of dangers they know about or should discover. A successful claim shows that a hazard existed, that the owner knew or should have known about it and failed to fix or warn of it, and that the hazard caused the injury. Evidence that the danger existed long enough for a reasonable owner to catch it is often decisive.
Snow, ice, and shared fault
Massachusetts holds property owners to a duty of reasonable care for snow and ice, so a fall on an icy walkway can support a claim when the owner failed to act reasonably. Insurers often argue the visitor was partly to blame, but under comparative negligence, MGL Chapter 231 Section 85, an injured person can still recover as long as they were not more than half at fault, with the award reduced by their share.
The deadline to bring a claim
Most slip and fall claims must be filed within three years under MGL Chapter 260 Section 2A, and for an injured child the clock pauses under MGL Chapter 260 Section 7. Claims against a city or town can have much shorter notice deadlines, so acting early is important.
Massachusetts slip and fall injuries hide real harm.
Where falls happen in Massachusetts
Dangerous falls happen in every kind of place across the Commonwealth: grocery and retail stores with spills or freshly mopped floors, restaurants, apartment buildings and rental units with broken stairs or poor lighting, parking lots and sidewalks, and public spaces. Winter brings a surge of icy-walkway falls from Boston to the Berkshires. Wherever it happens, the question is the same, whether the owner kept the property reasonably safe and addressed hazards they knew or should have known about.
Serious injuries and statewide help
Falls are a leading cause of fractures, head injuries, and hospital stays, particularly for older adults, and the effects can be long-lasting. Larson Law represents fall victims throughout Massachusetts, from Boston and Worcester to the South Shore, North Shore, and Cape, gathering the evidence quickly before a hazard is cleaned up or repaired and lost.
A claim should reflect the entire harm done.
A serious fall can carry costs well beyond the emergency room. A claim can cover past and future medical care, surgery and rehabilitation, lost wages, pain and suffering, and the lasting effects of a fracture, head injury, or chronic pain. For an older adult, a single fall can change daily independence, and a claim should reflect that.
Medical Bills and Future Care
Lost Wages and Earning Capacity
Pain, Suffering, and Hardship
Wrongful Death of a Loved One
What to do after a serious fall.
Get medical care and keep records
See a doctor the same day, even if you feel only shaken, because some injuries surface later and your medical records tie the harm to the incident. Keep every bill, note, and receipt that you receive.
Document the scene and the cause
Photograph what hurt you, the vehicles, the hazard, or the whole scene, and collect the names and numbers of anyone who saw it happen. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurer just yet, either.
Talk to a lawyer before the insurer
Before you accept any offer or sign any release, have a lawyer review the cause and the long term cost of your care. An early review protects the evidence and the deadline that controls your recovery.
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Reach a Massachusetts slip and fall lawyer at no cost.
If a property owner’s carelessness caused your fall, you should not be left paying for it while they look the other way. A Massachusetts slip and fall lawyer can document the hazard, show that the owner should have fixed it, and explain what your claim may be worth, all at no cost to you. If a fall proved fatal, the family may bring a wrongful death claim under MGL Chapter 229. There is no fee unless we win, so reach out today for a free, private case review.
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Our Practice Areas.
Larson Law represents injured people in claims of every kind across Massachusetts. Explore the related practice areas below, or reach out for a free review of what happened to you.
Fall injury questions, answered.
Do I have a claim if I fell on someone's property?
You may, if the property owner’s failure to keep the premises reasonably safe caused your fall. Owners must address or warn about hazards they know or should know about, like wet floors, broken stairs, poor lighting, or ice. The key questions are whether a dangerous condition existed, whether the owner should have fixed it, and whether it caused your injury. A free review can tell you whether your fall fits these standards.
What if the hazard seemed obvious?
Not necessarily. Owners sometimes argue that a hazard was ‘open and obvious’ to avoid responsibility, but that defense does not always work, especially when the owner should have expected people to encounter the hazard anyway or when conditions made it hard to see. Even where it applies, it may reduce rather than eliminate a claim. A lawyer can assess how that argument is likely to play out on your facts.
What if I slipped on snow or ice?
You may still have a claim. Massachusetts holds property owners to a duty of reasonable care for snow and ice, so a fall on an icy walkway or untreated lot can support a claim when the owner failed to act reasonably in clearing or treating it. These cases turn on what the owner did and when, and on weather records and timing, so prompt documentation is important to show the condition was unreasonable.
What do I have to prove to win?
Generally three things: that a dangerous condition existed on the property, that the owner knew or should have known about it and failed to fix or warn of it, and that the condition caused your injury. Showing the hazard existed long enough that a careful owner would have caught it is often key. Photographs, witness accounts, incident reports, and maintenance records all help establish these elements.
What if the store says they did not know about it?
That is a common defense, but knowledge can be shown in more than one way. An owner is responsible not only for hazards they actually knew about but also for those they should have discovered through reasonable inspection. If a spill or hazard existed long enough that a careful owner would have found and fixed it, the store can still be liable. Maintenance logs, video, and witness accounts often reveal what the store knew or should have known.
How long do I have to file a claim in Massachusetts?
Most slip and fall claims must be filed within three years under MGL Chapter 260 Section 2A, and for an injured child the deadline is paused under MGL Chapter 260 Section 7. If you fell on city or town property, a much shorter notice deadline can apply. Because evidence disappears quickly when hazards are cleaned up, it is best to act soon.
What if I was partly at fault?
You can still recover as long as you were not more than half to blame. Under comparative negligence, MGL Chapter 231 Section 85, your compensation is reduced by your share of fault but not eliminated unless that share passes fifty percent. Insurers routinely argue the visitor was not watching where they were going, so having a lawyer present the full picture of the hazard can protect your recovery.
What is a slip and fall claim worth?
It depends on the severity of the injury. Value can reflect medical care, surgery and rehabilitation, lost wages, pain and suffering, and lasting effects like a fracture, chronic pain, or a head injury. Falls are especially serious for older adults, where a single injury can affect independence for good. A lawyer can evaluate the claim after reviewing how the fall happened and the full medical picture.
What if I fell in a store or restaurant?
Stores and restaurants are common places for falls, often from spills, freshly mopped floors without warning signs, or cluttered aisles. These businesses usually keep incident reports and surveillance video, which can be powerful evidence, but they are not always preserved unless requested promptly. Reporting the fall to the manager and getting a copy of any incident report, then contacting a lawyer quickly, helps secure that evidence.
What if a loved one died after a fall?
When a fall is fatal, often after a head injury or complications in an older adult, the family may bring a wrongful death claim under MGL Chapter 229 against the responsible property owner. These cases still require proof that a hazard the owner should have addressed caused the fall. We handle them with care, taking on the investigation so the family can focus on one another.
What should I do right after a fall?
If you can, report the fall to the property owner or manager and ask that an incident report be made. Photograph the hazard and the area right away, before it is cleaned up, and get the names of any witnesses. Get medical care promptly, since some injuries worsen over time. Avoid giving a recorded statement to the property’s insurer or signing anything, and speak with a lawyer while the evidence still exists.
How much does a slip and fall lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. Larson Law handles slip and fall claims on a contingency fee, so there is no charge unless we recover money for you, and the first review is free. We advance the costs of investigating the property and preserving evidence. We only get paid from a successful result, which lets an injured person take on a business and its insurer without paying out of pocket while they recover.
Results Disclaimer: Past case results, settlements, and verdicts mentioned on this website do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Every case is unique and depends on its own facts and legal issues.