Personal Injury Cases

If the party who injured you carries liability insurance, you and your personal injury lawyer may wish to collect all your evidence and first make an effort to settle the case. If the insurance company balks, then file suit. If you file suit, you need a lawyer who can try a case. I have spent 40 plus years in courtrooms, often involved in personal injury cases:

1978-1986—Assistant District Attorney (criminal personal injury)

1986-1999—Private practice

Prior to Doug being appointed as a Judge to the Framingham District Court, Doug practiced as an ADA (1978-86) and as a private lawyer (1986-99).  As a private lawyer during this time, Doug represented personal injury clients in various matters, including:

• $500,000 automobile accident suit
• $40,000 slip/fall on ice settlement
• $87,000 home improvement verdict
• $27,000 dental malpractice suit
• 500,000 wrongful death settlement
• $2.3 million dollar jury verdict against Red Roof Inns
• $450,000 wrongful death civil settlement
• $1.7 million jury verdict

1999-2016—District Court judge

Presided over civil motion and trial lists for 17 years

2016-Present—Private practice

• $28,000 for broken foot bone settlement
• $230,000 for broken hip settlement
• $250,000 broken leg settlement
• $120,000 broken elbow settlement in Superior Court

As Doug explains…

“I started my legal career like many lawyers as an Assistant D.A. By the end of my eight years, I had tried 60 felony cases (1981-86), more than any other Assistant D.A. in the office.

As a Judge, I sat on 100+ civil trials, in courtrooms all over Eastern Massachusetts.

I believe in immediate legal action when a client calls me. That means the interview of the client and all witnesses, view of the scene, evidence, videotape, request for medical records and all necessary motions to preserve evidence and/or the testimony of witnesses. In many cases, an expert is necessary. Once we know the legal strength of our case, I presume that we will file suit (in Plaintiff cases) as soon as possible. Court congestion and Court rules can push District Court cases out 1-2 years and Superior Court cases out 3-4 years, so we don’t need more delay (unless injuries are still unresolved).

I know how to prepare a case for trial, to actually try a case and to know when a settlement number has a value equivalent to a client’s loss. The client has full veto power on any decision. No client should go through this process without a lawyer who has years of trial experience.”

Doug can be reached anytime at (508) 243-4877, by email at info@dougstoddart.com, or by visiting his office at 8E Pleasant Street, 2nd Floor, South Natick, MA.