Massachusetts Wrongful Death Lawyer
Losing someone to negligence is devastating.
Losing someone you love to another’s carelessness is a pain no family should face. A Massachusetts wrongful death lawyer can carry the burden and seek accountability as you grieve.
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A Massachusetts wrongful death lawyer stands with your family.
No family should have to fight an insurance company while planning a funeral. The companies that insure those at fault often move quickly to limit what they pay, sometimes reaching out to grieving families with questions or an early offer before anyone has had time to understand the loss. A Massachusetts wrongful death lawyer takes that burden off the family, investigates what happened, identifies everyone responsible, and pursues the full measure of the loss the law allows. Larson Law handles these cases with care and compassion for families across Massachusetts, and there is no fee unless we recover for you.
These cases are about more than money, but the financial support they provide is real and important. A family may have lost its primary earner, a parent, a partner, or a child whose absence is felt in every part of daily life. The law recognizes those losses, and a claim seeks to provide for them while holding the responsible party to account. The path depends on the facts, but the goal is the same in each: find the truth, establish responsibility, and pursue everything the family is owed.
We understand how hard it is to think about a legal claim in the middle of grief. There is no pressure and no obligation, only a conversation about what happened and what your options are, whenever your family is ready to have it.
These cases arise in many ways, and the common thread is a loss that should never have happened. We help families after fatal car and truck crashes, after a pedestrian or cyclist is killed, after a workplace tragedy, after a fall or a defective product, and after negligent medical care. Behind each is a person who mattered and a family left to carry on. Our role is to find the truth about what happened, hold those responsible to account, and pursue the support the law provides, while handling the legal weight so the family can grieve. That is the kind of work a lawyer who handles these cases is here to do, and we do it with care.
A wrongful death claim also looks to the future the family was denied. The law recognizes that a loss reaches across years, the income and support a loved one would have provided, the guidance a parent would have given a child, the partnership and companionship of a spouse, and a claim seeks to account for all of it, not just the costs in the immediate aftermath. Putting a fair value on that kind of loss takes care and experience, and it is one of the reasons families are served by having a lawyer who handles these cases rather than facing an insurer alone.
Larson Law stands with families across Massachusetts, and the same team that serves as a Boston wrongful death lawyer brings that care to a loss anywhere in the state. A wrongful death claim is not brought by the family in their own name; Massachusetts routes it through the estate, so one of the first practical steps is often opening the estate and having a representative appointed before the claim can proceed.
That structure surprises many families at the worst possible time, which is part of why having someone manage the process matters. The claim belongs to the estate on behalf of the survivors, and the work of proving it, establishing what happened, who was responsible, and what the family has lost, can be carried on the family’s behalf while they grieve rather than added to their burden. A wrongful death claim is a heavy thing to carry, and Daniel J. Larson personally reviews what happened, who was responsible, and what the family has lost before any claim moves forward. You can reach the firm through our Boston personal injury attorney team at no cost.
What our clients say
We stand with families in grief.
- We handle wrongful death injury claims for injured clients across Massachusetts and the surrounding area.
- We deal with the insurers directly so you are not pressured into an early, low settlement.
- We move quickly to preserve the evidence that proves both fault and the full extent of the harm.
- We know the Massachusetts rules that shape these claims and the ways insurers try to limit them.
- We build each claim on medical proof and documentation, not on a rushed call with an adjuster.
- No fee unless we win your case
- No upfront costs
- Direct attorney access throughout
- Free, no-pressure case review
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How the law lets families recover.
Who can bring a wrongful death claim
In Massachusetts, a wrongful death claim is not filed by family members individually. Under MGL Chapter 229 Section 2, the claim is brought by the executor or administrator of the person’s estate, on behalf of the family members the law recognizes, such as a spouse, children, or other close next of kin. If no representative has been appointed yet, that is one of the first steps a lawyer can help arrange. The claim gathers the family’s losses into a single case so they can be pursued together against those responsible.
What a claim can recover
A wrongful death claim under MGL Chapter 229 Section 2 can seek the fair value of what the family lost, including the income and services the person would have provided and the loss of their care, companionship, comfort, guidance, and counsel. It can also cover reasonable funeral and burial expenses. Where a death was caused by gross negligence or reckless conduct, the law allows additional punitive damages. A separate claim may also seek compensation for the conscious pain and suffering the person endured before death.
The deadline and proving fault
A wrongful death action must generally be commenced within three years of the date of death under MGL Chapter 229 Section 2. Proving the claim means showing that someone’s negligence or wrongful act caused the death, the same kind of proof an injury case requires. Under comparative negligence, MGL Chapter 231 Section 85, a recovery is possible as long as the person who died was not more than half at fault, with the award reduced by their share.
One thing we are mindful of throughout is that a wrongful death case is never only about the law. Behind the filings and the deadlines is a family coping with a profound loss, and we try never to lose sight of that. We move at a pace the family can manage, explain each step in plain language, and shield them from the parts of the process that are most draining, the calls from adjusters, the requests for records, the negotiations. The legal goal is full accountability and fair support for the family, but the human goal is to lift as much of the weight off them as we can while they grieve.
Establishing responsibility is its own task, and we approach it thoroughly. We gather the reports, the records, and the physical evidence, work with reconstruction or medical experts where a case calls for them, and identify every party whose negligence contributed to the death. In some cases more than one party shares the blame, and each may carry insurance that should answer for the loss. Building that proof carefully is what allows a family’s claim to be taken seriously and resolved fairly.
A wrongful death claim is a civil matter, separate from any criminal case arising from the same event; one is brought by the state to punish, the other belongs to the family and seeks accountability and support. Across Massachusetts the setting varies, from a fatal crash on a highway to an incident on a job site or a fall on unmaintained property, but the framework holds, and families from every part of the state also reach our Boston personal injury attorney team to understand their options.
Families turn to us from every part of the state. We help after a loss in Worcester. We stand with families in Quincy. We answer the same questions in Cambridge and in Brockton.
Your Massachusetts wrongful death lawyer serves the whole state.
How these losses happen across Massachusetts
Fatal accidents take many forms across the Commonwealth, a crash on the interstate or a rural state route, a pedestrian or cyclist struck on a city street, a fall or a machine failure on a construction site, a defective product, or negligent care in a hospital or nursing home. Each leaves a family to face a sudden, profound loss, whether in Greater Boston, Worcester, Springfield, the South Coast, or any community in between. Whatever the cause, if someone’s negligence or wrongful conduct was behind it, the family may have a wrongful death claim, and we help families pursue it across the whole state.
Compassion and where these claims are handled
Families across Massachusetts often first encounter these tragedies at hospitals like Massachusetts General, Boston Medical Center, UMass Memorial in Worcester, and Baystate in Springfield. Wrongful death cases are generally handled in the Superior Court of the county where the death occurred, whether Suffolk, Middlesex, Worcester, Hampden, Bristol, or another. A lawyer who handles these cases across the state knows the courts and how the insurers approach them, and handles the legal work with care so the family can focus on one another.
Why gentle, early steps matter
As painful as it is to think about, the evidence in a wrongful death case can fade quickly. A vehicle is repaired, a scene changes, records are filed away, and witnesses move on. Acting before too much time passes lets a lawyer preserve what happened, send the right letters, and protect the family’s claim and its deadline, all while the family is given room to grieve. Larson Law handles that work so families do not have to, and we never charge anything up front to do it.
Reaching out should never feel like a burden, especially in the middle of grief, so we keep that first conversation gentle and free of pressure. Call or send a message whenever your family is ready, and a Massachusetts wrongful death lawyer will listen to what happened, explain whether a claim may exist, and lay out the next steps with care. If your family decides to move forward, we handle the investigation, the paperwork, and the insurers from there, keeping you informed at a pace that respects what you are going through. If not, you will still leave understanding your options. Either way the review is free, your information stays private, and you owe nothing unless we win.
If you are unsure whether your family has a claim, or an insurer has already reached out, it costs nothing to ask. Many families do not realize that a death they assumed was simply a terrible accident was in fact caused by someone’s negligence, or that a claim can be brought even while a criminal case is pending or after one has ended. The sooner a lawyer can look at what happened, the more can be done to preserve the evidence and protect the deadline. Tell us about your loss whenever you are ready, and we will give you an honest, compassionate assessment of your options, at no cost and with no obligation.
No matter which county your family’s case belongs in, we handle the filings and the court process for you, so distance is never a barrier to getting help. There is never any pressure to decide anything, and your conversation with us stays private.
Under Chapter 229, Section 2, a wrongful death action is filed by the personal representative of the deceased person’s estate for the benefit of the statutory beneficiaries, and the statute defines what the claim can seek: the value of the income and of the services, protection, care, and companionship the person would have provided, together with reasonable funeral and burial expenses. Where the death resulted from gross negligence or willful, wanton, or reckless conduct, the statute also allows punitive damages.
The claim still requires proof of the underlying wrong, essentially the case the person could have brought had they lived, and fault is measured under Chapter 231, Section 85 by percentage. The same wrongful death statute sets the timeline: an action generally must be commenced within three years of the date of death, and the evidence that proves cause and responsibility tends to fade well before that deadline arrives.
A claim should reflect your family's loss.
No amount can replace the person your family lost, but a claim can ease the financial weight that a sudden death leaves behind. It can account for the income and support the family relied on, the loss of care and companionship, funeral and burial expenses, and the guidance and counsel that are now gone. A full claim reflects the true scope of the loss, not only its immediate bills. Under Massachusetts law the claim belongs to the estate and is brought by its personal representative on behalf of the surviving family, so one of the first steps in many cases is opening the estate in the Probate and Family Court, a process a lawyer can handle while the family grieves. Because the harm reaches years into the future, a child growing up without a parent or a spouse left without the household’s main support, valuing it fully often calls for economic and vocational analysis rather than a simple tally of receipts. Where a loved one survived for a time before dying, a separate survival claim can account for the pain they endured in those final hours, which is why gathering the medical records early matters so much. A wrongful death claim is also distinct from any criminal case: it moves on its own civil track, under a lower standard of proof, and can proceed whether or not anyone is ever charged. And because the same three-year deadline can pass while the family is still grieving, acting within it, even quietly and without pressure, is what keeps every one of these options open.
None of this should fall on a grieving family. The point of working with a lawyer is that the investigation, the deadlines, the records, and the dealings with the insurer become our responsibility, not yours. Your family focuses on one another, and we focus on the truth, on accountability, and on the support the law provides, with nothing owed unless we win.
If you are unsure what a claim should include, we can walk you through it gently, whenever your family is ready and with no obligation of any kind.
Lost Income and Support
Lost Care and Companionship
Funeral and Burial Expenses
Guidance and Counsel Lost
Steps to protect your family's claim.
Preserve what happened
Keep the police or incident report, the medical records, and anything tied to the death, and photograph the scene if you can. This proof shows what happened and who was responsible before it can fade.
Hold off on the insurer
An insurer for the at-fault party may call with its questions or an early offer. You need not give a statement or sign anything. Let a lawyer handle the insurer so nothing is used to reduce the claim.
Talk to a lawyer about your options
A lawyer can help appoint the estate's representative, who must bring the claim, and protect the deadline. There is no pressure and no cost, only a clear explanation of your options when you're ready.
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Talk with a Massachusetts wrongful death lawyer today.
If your family has lost someone because of another’s negligence in Massachusetts, you should not have to face the insurers alone while you grieve. A Massachusetts wrongful death lawyer can investigate what happened, identify everyone responsible, and pursue the full measure of your family’s loss under MGL Chapter 229 Section 2, all with care and compassion. There is no fee unless we win, and no pressure, only a private conversation whenever you are ready. Reach out today for a free review of your case.
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Our Clients.
Our Practice Areas.
Larson Law helps families across Massachusetts after the loss of a loved one to negligence. If a wrongful death has taken someone from your family anywhere in the state, we are here to listen and explain your options with compassion, at no cost.
Wherever in Massachusetts your loss occurred, the same goals apply: find out what happened, establish who was responsible, and protect the family’s claim and its deadline. Reach out whenever you feel ready, and we will explain where your family stands and what the next steps could be, gently and at no cost.
Families facing a Massachusetts wrongful death ask these.
Who can file a wrongful death claim?
Under G.L. c. 229, §2, a wrongful death claim is brought by the personal representative, the executor or administrator, of the person who died, on behalf of the surviving family. The recovery is then distributed to close relatives such as a spouse, children, or parents, and a lawyer can help open the estate so the claim can proceed.
What can a wrongful death claim recover?
The law allows recovery for the family’s loss of the income, protection, care, and companionship the person provided, and for reasonable funeral and burial expenses. Where the conduct was especially reckless, punitive damages may also apply, and a separate claim can cover any conscious pain the person suffered before death.
How is this different from a criminal case?
A criminal case is brought by the state to punish wrongdoing, and the family does not control it. A wrongful death claim is a separate civil action the family brings to recover their own losses. It can proceed whether or not anyone is charged, and it uses a lower standard of proof than a criminal trial.
How long do we have to file?
Under G.L. c. 229, §2, a wrongful death claim generally must be filed within three years of the date of death. Because evidence and records are easier to preserve early, and opening the estate itself takes time, it is wise to speak with a lawyer well before that deadline approaches.
What if my loved one was partly at fault?
The family can still recover under G.L. c. 231, §85, the state’s comparative negligence rule, as long as the person’s share of fault was not greater than the other side’s. The recovery is reduced by that percentage, so how fault is investigated and divided directly affects what the family receives.
What if the death happened at work?
A workplace death may involve workers’ compensation benefits for the family and, separately, a wrongful death claim against a party other than the employer whose negligence contributed, such as a subcontractor or an equipment maker. Sorting out which paths apply is part of what a lawyer handles early on.
What if a doctor or hospital was responsible?
A death caused by negligent medical care can support a wrongful death claim, though these cases carry added requirements, including expert review of the care that was given. They demand prompt investigation, because records must be gathered and analyzed, so reaching a lawyer early helps preserve what the claim will need.
Do we have to go to court?
Often not. Many wrongful death claims resolve through negotiation once the losses are documented and liability is clear, without a trial. When an insurer refuses to offer fair value, though, the willingness to file suit and try the case is what keeps real pressure on the other side.
What will this cost our family?
Nothing up front. These cases are handled on a contingency fee, so the family pays no attorney’s fee unless there is a recovery, and the first conversation is free. That lets a grieving family pursue accountability without adding a financial strain to an already difficult time.
How long does a wrongful death case take?
It varies with the complexity of the case and whether the other side disputes fault. Some claims resolve in a matter of months once the losses are documented, while others that require litigation take longer. A lawyer can give a realistic sense of the timeline as the facts come into focus.
What if the insurer already contacted us?
Be careful before saying much or signing anything. Insurers often reach out early, while the family is still grieving, hoping to settle cheaply before the full loss is understood. It is best to let a lawyer handle those conversations so the family’s rights are protected from the first contact.
What should we do first?
Preserve what you can, records, photos, the names of witnesses, and any correspondence, and avoid giving statements to insurers. Then speak with a lawyer, who can open the estate, identify the responsible parties, and take on the investigation and the deadlines so the family can focus on grieving.
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.