Who do you want your will to benefit or avoid? This was a central question in a Massachusetts appellate case, Barounis vs. Barounis (13-P-1270), in which three children contested wildly differing wills. One written in 2003 greatly favored one daughter and excluded the other children, and the other written in…
Recently, the appellate court of Massachusetts reviewed an appeal from the parents of a deceased delivery driver who was murdered while working for a Domino’s franchise. In the case, Lind v. Domino’s Pizza LLC (14-P-928) the parents appealed the trial court’s decision to dismiss the claims against the pizza corporation…
If you or a family member has suffered an injury while working in construction, there may be multiple legal routes to obtaining monetary relief. Typically, an injury is covered by workers’ compensation insurance held by the employer, but the injured person may also hold other parties accountable through personal injury…
Workers’ compensation may be available in different forms, depending on who your employer might be. If you work in construction, your claim would likely be filed through your employer’s insurance company and benefits reviewed through the boards and hearing officers under Massachusetts’ Workers’ Compensation Act. If you are employed as…
In personal injury cases, the focus is typically on the accident itself and its effects on the injured person. The actions of the person at fault, or defendant, are discussed, beginning with the question of whether he or she owed a duty to the injured party. The next question is…
Many personal injury suits in Massachusetts are filed within the Commonwealth’s court system. Some lawsuits end up in federal court if a violation of a federal law or regulation occurs, or if one or more of the parties involved in litigation reside or conduct business in another state. The injured…
Summer months are often the time when home repairs are done. Home owners hire general contractors for a project, and those contractors may hire subcontractors to do specific parts of the project. If one of the workers gets hurt, questions of liability instantly arise. If the worker is an employee…
If a Massachusetts worker is injured or falls ill while conducting a work-related activity, he or she may be able to pursue a variety of benefits, including workers’ compensation, to help pay for daily expenses and medical bills. This system, under the Commonwealth’s workers’ compensation laws, is designed to make…
When organizing your Massachusetts will and estate, you may wonder about the extent of the powers and responsibilities given to those with titles like attorney-in-fact, health care proxy, trustee, guardian, or conservator. Estate planning includes assigning responsibility to someone in the course of your lifetime in the event you are…
Shop owners and other businesses owe a duty to their customers to keep the store safe from dangers. If they do not maintain the premises as required by statute and case law, they can be held liable for the injuries suffered as a result of their failure. In Bowers v.…