Cambridge Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Trusted pedestrian accident lawyers with over 20 years of experience serving Cambridge, MA.

Fogelman Law LLC has represented injury victims throughout Massachusetts since 2010. Our founder, Matthew Fogelman, has practiced law for 23 years and currently serves as Vice President of the Massachusetts Association of Trial Attorneys. Our Cambridge, MA pedestrian accident lawyer can step in early, preserve what matters, and handle the insurer so you don’t have to. Contact our firm for a free consultation.

Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Cambridge, MA

Massachusetts traffic law places real obligations on drivers. They must yield to pedestrians within crosswalks and must operate with reasonable care to avoid striking anyone on or near the road. A driver who speeds through a crossing, turns without checking, or simply isn’t paying attention can be held financially responsible when a pedestrian is hurt as a result.

Cambridge is a walking city, and that brings risk along with it. The areas around Harvard Square, Central Square, Kendall Square, and Porter Square see heavy foot traffic at all hours. Mass Ave carries dense vehicle and pedestrian traffic side by side. Memorial Drive moves fast next to a heavily used path along the Charles. A Cambridge, MA pedestrian accident attorney has to understand how these conditions affect both how crashes happen and how insurers will frame the question of fault afterward.

Types of Pedestrian Accident Cases We Handle in Cambridge

Pedestrian crashes vary widely, and the circumstances of each one drive the legal approach. Below are the case types our firm handles for injured walkers in Cambridge.

• Crosswalk strikes. Drivers who fail to yield at marked or unmarked crosswalks cause many of the most preventable pedestrian injuries. Pedestrian collisions often happen when a driver turns and watches for vehicle traffic while never registering the person stepping off the curb.
• Hit-and-run pedestrian crashes. Drivers who flee leave injured walkers without an identified responsible party. Uninsured motorist coverage frequently provides a path forward. Hit-and-run claim mistakes often come down to gaps in early reporting or scene documentation.
• Distracted driver impacts. A driver looking at a phone instead of the road causes crashes that never had to occur. Phone records become a key piece of the case.
• Parking lot and backing-up strikes. Pedestrians get struck in lots, driveways, and loading zones by drivers reversing without looking. These crashes raise different liability questions than roadway collisions.
• Drunk and impaired driver crashes. Pedestrians hit by impaired drivers suffer some of the most severe injuries our firm sees. Depending on the driver’s conduct, punitive damages may come into play.
• School and campus-area crashes. Cambridge’s large student population creates concentrated pedestrian risk near Harvard, MIT, and the public schools. Drivers who ignore reduced speed zones or crossing signals face heightened scrutiny.
• Commercial and municipal vehicle strikes. Pedestrians hit by delivery vehicles, snowplows, or other commercial vehicles face layered insurance questions. Our firm has represented victims struck by commercial vehicles in parking lots and on city streets.
• Wrongful death pedestrian cases. Families who lose a loved one in a pedestrian crash can pursue damages under the Massachusetts wrongful death statute. We’ve represented families after fatal pedestrian incidents, including a case involving a college student killed by a train near campus.

Why Choose Fogelman Law LLC for Pedestrian Accidents in Cambridge, MA?

Two Decades of Trial Work for Injured Clients

Our founder, Matthew Fogelman, has handled pedestrian and crash cases throughout Massachusetts since 2002. He earned his law degree from Boston College Law and his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and New York. As Vice President of the Massachusetts Association of Trial Attorneys, he holds a leadership role within the state’s plaintiffs’ bar and has carried serious injury cases through to verdict.

Partner Jeffrey Simons has practiced for 14 years and earned Super Lawyers Rising Star recognition every year since 2019. Jeff graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and holds bar admissions in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. He is also a member of the Massachusetts Association of Trial Attorneys.

Results for Pedestrians Hurt by Careless Drivers

Our firm has millions of dollars recovered for clients struck while walking, jogging, and cycling across Massachusetts. We’ve handled cases involving a jogger left paralyzed after being hit by a car, a pedestrian struck by a snowplow in a commercial lot, a woman hit in a crosswalk by an inattentive driver, and a young woman struck by a hit-and-run drunk driver. Pedestrian claims are handled on contingency, which means you owe no legal fees unless we recover compensation. Free consultations are available for every prospective client.

Understanding Pedestrian Accident Cases

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Pedestrian Accident Cases

Massachusetts law lets injured pedestrians recover economic and non-economic damages from the driver who caused the crash. Pedestrian cases often carry higher value than ordinary vehicle claims, because a person on foot struck by several thousand pounds of moving metal tends to suffer more serious harm.

Recoverable damages typically include:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Permanent disability, scarring, and disfigurement
• Loss of consortium for spouses and family members

Liability in a pedestrian accident claim follows the modified comparative negligence rule, codified at M.G.L. c. 231, § 85. An injured pedestrian can recover damages as long as they are not more than 50% at fault. Any percentage of fault assigned to the pedestrian reduces recovery by that amount. Insurers regularly argue that a walker was jaywalking, looking at a phone, or wearing dark clothing in order to shift blame. 

Important Aspects in Your Pedestrian Accident Case

Evidence in pedestrian cases fades fast. Scene conditions change, footage gets overwritten, and witnesses move on. The first hours and days carry real weight.

• Photographs of the crash scene, vehicle position, and visible injuries
• The police report and any citation issued to the driver
• Witness names and contact information
• Surveillance footage from nearby businesses or traffic cameras
• Prompt medical evaluation, including diagnostic imaging

Cambridge has cameras at many intersections and on commercial buildings throughout the city, but most of that footage is overwritten within days. Sending preservation requests to nearby businesses right away can decide a disputed liability case. Protecting your rights after a crash also means holding off on recorded statements with the driver’s insurer until you have a lawyer.

Pedestrian Accident Case Timeline

Pedestrian cases involving real injury tend to take longer than minor vehicle claims. Some resolve within a year. Others extend to two or three, particularly when fault is contested or the injured walker is still in treatment.

A typical Massachusetts pedestrian accident case follows these stages:

• Investigation, scene documentation, and witness interviews
• Medical treatment until maximum medical improvement
• Demand letter and pre-suit negotiation with the driver’s insurer
• Filing suit when settlement talks stall
• Discovery, depositions, and expert witness work
• Mediation, settlement, or trial

The Massachusetts statute of limitations gives most pedestrian crash victims three years from the date of injury to file suit. Wrongful death actions and claims against public entities run on different schedules. Once the deadline passes, the claim is barred, regardless of how strong the facts are.

What to Bring to Your Pedestrian Accident Consultation

The more you can bring to a first meeting, the better we can evaluate your claim. Missing items can usually be obtained later, so an incomplete file is not a problem.

• The police crash report
• Photographs of the scene and your injuries
• Medical records and bills already received
• Your health insurance and auto insurance information
• Names and contact details for any witnesses

The first consultation costs nothing, and we usually respond to new inquiries within one business day. Bring questions of your own. A productive first meeting helps both sides decide whether to move forward together.

Massachusetts Legal Resources for Pedestrian Accidents

Massachusetts statutes and federal safety data inform pedestrian injury claims. The resources below help injured Cambridge walkers locate the original sources.

• Massachusetts sets a three-year filing deadline for personal injury actions under M.G.L. c. 260, § 2A.
• The modified comparative negligence rule appears at M.G.L. c. 231, § 85.
• Massachusetts pedestrian right-of-way rules are codified at M.G.L. c. 89, § 11.
• The NHTSA pedestrian safety page publishes national crash statistics and safety data.
• The Massachusetts RMV offers a crash report portal for victims to obtain official records.

Statutes change. The official text on malegislature.gov and the federal sources controls in any legal dispute. Always confirm the current version before relying on any summary.

Reach Out to Fogelman Law LLC to Schedule a Consultation

If a driver struck you while you were walking in Cambridge, the next step is talking with a lawyer who handles these cases. Pedestrian claims are taken on contingency, which means you pay no legal fees unless we recover compensation. Contact us to schedule a free consultation. We respond promptly to new inquiries and welcome calls about any pedestrian crash, including hit-and-run incidents and fatal collisions.