As an informed consumer of legal services, you need to be sure that the firm you select is in fact qualified to handle the matter at hand. Over the years, the lawyers at the Marcotte Law Firm have fought hard to protect the rights of individuals, small businesses, and families throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and have developed a well-respected reputation in the following areas of the law:
Personal Injury / Wrongful Death Litigation — The lawyers atthe Marcotte Law Firm represent individuals and their families who have been seriously injured or killed as a result of the negligence, carelessness, or recklessness of others. We handle a variety of serious and catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases involving:
- Motor Vehicle Accidents
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents
- Semi-Truck and Tractor Trailer Crashes
- Construction Accidents
- Workplace Accidents
- Slip and Falls
- Dangerous and Defective Products
Injuries may come in all varieties:
- Joint, Spinal Cord, Neck, and Back Injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Closed Head Injuries
- Seizure Disorders
- Fractures and Dislocations
- Burns
- Amputations
- Other Severe, Permanent, and Crippling Injuries, as well as injuries of lesser severity
Typical cases involve injuries caused by the negligence, carelessness, and recklessness of others in situations such as:
Personal injuries not only cause physical pain, but often emotional and financial hardship through loss of work, medical bills, and stress placed upon families and loved ones. We often take our physical and mental well being for granted—until something goes wrong.
At the Marcotte Law Firm, we understand that when an accident happens, lives are forever changed. Simple pleasures become chores. Daily routines are disrupted. Economic losses are often devastating. Whether caused by an automobile accident, defective product, or other negligent, careless, or reckless conduct - injuries alter lives forever. Our attorneys assume the responsibility for providing effective, aggressive investigation and representation, thereby allowing our injured clients to attend to personal matters in the hopes of moving on.
Back to top
A Special Word on Motor Vehicle Accidents —While motor vehicle accidents comprise a significant portion of personal injury and wrongful death claims, it would be wrong to think that they are always simple to resolve. They usually involve extremely complex issues of insurance law, an area with which our firm is intricately knowledgeable. Indeed, it is members of the Marcotte Law Firm who teach this field to other attorneys for the MCLE (Mass. Continuing Legal Education) Foundation.
Back to top
Premises Liability / Slip and Falls — The term "slip and fall" describes the type of injury that occurs on someone else’s property, usually as a result of a defective surface, a slippery substance, or other dangerous conditions. These injuries most commonly occur at restaurants, supermarkets, and shopping malls. The fact that you become injured from a slip, trip, or fall does not necessarily mean that someone else is legally responsible for your injury. The owner or operator of a business has a legal duty to maintain the premises in a reasonably safe condition, or at least warn the public of a dangerous condition that they caused, were aware of, or should have been aware of. If these tests are not met, and you injure yourself on their property as a result of their failure to meet these conditions, you may have a valid claim against the business owner or operator. Premises liability encompasses a variety of claims, including but not limited to:
- Injuries sustained in elevators
- Injuries sustained in stores
- Injuries sustained in building corridors
- Injuries sustained outside on private or public land
Back to top
Worker’s Compensation — Workers' Compensation is a benefit that is available to nearly all employees who suffer an injury that arose out of and in the course of their employment. Work related injuries typically covered by workers' compensation include:
- Neck, back, and knee injuries
- Carpal tunnel/repetitive trauma injuries
- Hearing problems
- Work-related emotional problems
- Work-induced heart attack or stroke
- Occupational diseases such as asbestosis and dermatitis; disfigurement and scarring of face, neck or hands
- Asthma or other work related pulmonary conditions
- Loss of use of limbs
- Eye injuries
At the Marcotte Law Firm, we are devoted to assisting our clients in working through this complicated area of law in order to receive a fair settlement from all possible sources. The issues that arise most often in these matters are:
- Whether you were an employee at the time of the injury?
- Was the injury received while you were on the job?
- Was there an injury?
- What benefits are you entitled to?
- Was the injury permanent?
- Are you entitled to a settlement?
- Should you accept a settlement?
Back to top
Social Security Disability — Disability can pose an insurmountable obstacle to earninga living. If you or a family member suffer from an injury or disease that prevents you from working, or is expected to prevent you from working for one year or longer, then you may be entitled to Social Security Disability benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is a federal agency that administers retirement and disability benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) defines a disability as the inability to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA) due to an impairment or combination of impairments. To be considered disabled, a person must ordinarily establish that he or she cannot perform his or her past work and also must establish an inability to perform other types of employment. The Social Security system provides benefits for the disabled under two separate but related programs: Social Security Disability Insurance (DIB) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
To get disability benefits from Social Security, you must apply. How much a person receives as a benefit depends on his or her work history, resources, and other available income. We have substantial experience and success obtaining Social Security benefits on behalf of our disabled clients and their families. Due to our experience, we are able to efficiently guide you through the overwhelming maze of regulation and red tape that characterizes the application process. If you have been denied benefits by the Social Security Administration (SSA) or are simply considering whether you should apply, please contact the Marcotte Law Firm today.
Back to top
Family Law / Divorce —Clients involved in family law disputes need both personal and professional support through times that are highly emotional, but require calm and reasoned decision-making. The family law lawyers at the Marcotte Law Firm have the ability and experience to handle all of your family law needs, from the detailed management of a complex marital property dispute to the sensitive advocacy needed in an emotionally charged child custody proceeding. We stress both litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods such as mediation in our family law practice, and represent clients in a full range of family law matters, including:
- Alimony and child support
- Annulments
- Child custody
- Contempt and enforcement proceedings
- Divorce
- Guardianships
- Legal separation
- Paternity
- Post-judgment modification
- Premarital and prenuptial agreements
- Restraining orders
Back to top
Estate Planning — Estate Planning is generally considered the process by which people develop a plan that ensures that the assets they have worked so hard accumulating during their lifetime are protected and distributed to those they love. Without proper estate planning, you may lose unnecessary estate tax monies and your property may not pass to your loved ones in the manner you had wished. Estate planning includes, among other items:
- Wills and Trusts
- Powers of Attorney
- Living Wills
- Health Care Proxies
Back to top
Probate — Logically following estate planning is probate and estate administration—putting the plan into operation. Probate is the legal process that takes place after someone dies. It often involves:
- Proving in court that a deceased person's will is valid
- Identifying and inventorying the deceased person's property
- Having the property appraised
- Paying debts and taxes
- Distributing the remaining property as the will directs
Experience enables us to counsel surviving spouses and children during this transition and help them make sound legal decisions for their future.
Back to top
Criminal Law — If you have been arrested or accused of a crime in Massachusetts or New Hampshire, you are probably frightened, confused, and concerned about your future and that of your family. At the Marcotte Law Firm, we take our responsibility as criminal defense attorneys seriously, and are available to help clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We represent individuals in felony and misdemeanor cases throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire state and federal courts in the areas of:
- Assault and Battery
- Bail and Bond Proceedings
- Criminal Procedure
- Domestic Violence
- Drug and Narcotic Offenses
- OUI (DWI) Offenses
- Juvenile Offenses / Delinquency
- Probation / Parole
- Sex Offenses
- Theft, Grand Larceny, and Burglary
- Traffic Violations
- Violent Offenses
Back to top
A Special Word on DUI (DWI) Law — A cultural stigma has become associated with drunk driving that was not present in our society even a decade ago. Public perception categorizes people charged with drunk driving as criminals, even before they have been convicted of any crime. Being arrested for drunk driving, driving under the influence (DUI), or driving while intoxicated (DWI) can be an unsettling proposition, to say the least. A DUI - DWI conviction in Massachusetts or New Hampshire carries with it heavy penalties, including:
- A permanent criminal record
- Suspension or loss of license
- Increased insurance rates
- Community service
- Possible jail or prison time
- Alcohol assessment and treatment
- Probation
- Vehicle immobilization or forfeiture
- Serious fines
- Possible job loss
If you have been arrested or accused of drunk driving, DUI, DWI, vehicular homicide, or any other alcohol-related criminal offense, you are probably frightened, confused, and concerned about your future and that of your family. The selection of an experienced attorney is the first step towards regaining control of your life.
Back to top
Insurance Law — Personal injury and wrongful death cases invariably involve insurance companies. In the claims process, insurance companies have always held a big advantage. Armed with a battery of legal and forensic experts and extensive resources used to investigate and handle claims, insurance companies have often projected a "David and Goliath" image when dealing with an insured challenging the settlement of his or her claim. Typically, injured clients and families as well as people against whom claims are brought, do not have the experience necessary to handle a claim for coverage under an insurance policy. Without foreknowledge of the policy, coverage, exclusions, and interpretations, the insured feels helpless when presented with the insurance carrier's interpretation of the policy terms and settlement offer. Oftentimes, injured individuals and families recover less than what the policy provides and sometimes, nothing at all. At the Marcotte Law Firm, we know the insurance business, and are well versed in the interpretation of insurance policy language as well as the litigation of insurance claims. We understand insurance practices and procedures and are well suited to guide clients through the frustrating process of a personal injury case.
We offer clients outstanding service, representation, and results in all aspects of insurance law, including litigation, mediation, and arbitration.
Back to top
The Marcotte Law Firm is based in Lowell, Massachusetts. We represent clients throughout Northern Mass (including Lawrence, Dracut, Chelmsford,Tewksbury, Westford, Middlesex County and Essex County) and Southern New Hampshire (including Temple, Windham, Nashua, Salem, Hillsborough County and Rockingham County).
Marcotte Law Firm
45 Merrimack Street
Lowell, Massachusetts 01852
Phone: 978-458-1229
Fax: 978-453-4468
Toll-free: (800) 339-4578
Email
Printer Friendly View
Add To Favorites
Send To A Friend
