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★ Massachusetts · back & spine

Back & spine settlements
in Massachusetts.

By 6 min read

Massachusetts applies modified-51 comparative fault with a full no-fault auto scheme and a $500,000 medical-malpractice cap. For back & spine claims specifically, the band is built from the state-by-state tort law · jury verdict reporters · statutory caps framework and then adjusted for Massachusetts's modified comparative — 51% bar and any applicable statutory cap.

Massachusetts applies modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar. A back & spine claimant who is 50% at fault still recovers 50% of damages; one assigned 51% recovers nothing. This is slightly more claimant-friendly than the 50% bar applied in some neighbouring states, and it leaves room for negotiation in mixed-liability back & spine cases where the comparative-fault split is close to even.

Massachusetts's caps (medical malpractice cap) apply to the non-economic component of back & spine damages and can compress upper-tier verdicts. The exact application depends on the cause of action and the head of damage; the caps section on this page sets out each ceiling and the conditions under which it bites.

Because Massachusetts is a no-fault auto insurance state, back & spine claims arising from motor-vehicle accidents are first routed through Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. Tort recovery against the at-fault driver is gated by the state's serious-injury threshold, which materially limits the lower end of the back & spine settlement band. Mandatory PIP under M.G.L. c. 90, § 34A. Tort recovery for pain and suffering only above the serious-injury threshold ($2,000 medical bills or specified injury types).

★ band · US federal frame
$80,000 – $400,000+
Back injury (severe, surgery)
Reported decisions; statutory cap states constrain the upper end

The US band is the starting point. Massachusetts's fault rule and any applicable cap then adjust the figure.

united states · sister site
Your back & spine claim in Massachusetts. See the number for your own case.

The range above is a starting point. FairSettlement gives you a free estimate for your own back & spine case in about two minutes, no cost and no obligation.

Check my case
★ MA · statute of limitations
3 years from date of injury

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A

★ MA · fault rule
Modified comparative — 51% bar

Modified comparative — recovery barred at 51% claimant fault.

★ MA · caps

What caps recovery.

Statutory caps that may bear on a back & spine settlement in Massachusetts.

★ back & spine severity tiers · US frame

How the band stratifies.

The state-by-state tort law · jury verdict reporters · statutory caps stratifies back & spine into the tiers below. Massachusetts courts apply the same tier structure, adjusted for state-specific factors.

Severity tierBandBasis
Back injury (moderate, no surgery)$30,000 – $100,000Reported decisions plus settlement aggregates
Back injury (severe, surgery)$80,000 – $400,000+Reported decisions; statutory cap states constrain the upper end
★ back & spine · same region & fault regime

Compare to like jurisdictions.

How Massachusetts's fault rule and limitation period compare to jurisdictions in the same US region and to those running the same fault rule for back & spine claims.

JurisdictionFault ruleLimitationBack & spine page
Massachusetts · you are hereModified comparative — 51% bar3 years from date of injury—
New HampshireModified comparative — 51% bar3 years from date of injuryNH · back & spine
New JerseyModified comparative — 51% bar2 years from date of injuryNJ · back & spine →
New YorkPure comparative negligence3 years for personal injury; 2 years 6 months for medical malpracticeNY · back & spine →
PennsylvaniaModified comparative — 51% bar2 years from date of injuryPA · back & spine →
Rhode IslandPure comparative negligence3 years from date of injuryRI · back & spine
VermontModified comparative — 51% bar3 years from date of injuryVT · back & spine
MichiganModified comparative — 51% bar3 years from date of injuryMI · back & spine →
MinnesotaModified comparative — 51% bar6 years for personal injury (uncommonly long); 4 years for medical malpracticeMN · back & spine →
MontanaModified comparative — 51% bar3 years from date of injuryMT · back & spine
NevadaModified comparative — 51% bar2 years for personal injury; 3 years for medical malpracticeNV · back & spine →
MississippiPure comparative negligence3 years from date of injuryMS · back & spine
MissouriPure comparative negligence5 years for personal injury; 2 years for medical malpracticeMO · back & spine →
★ MA · back & spine · frequently asked

Common questions.

Each answer is independently coherent and references the relevant statute or authority document.

★ all of MA
Massachusetts overview

Fault rule, statute, caps, and key facts for Massachusetts as a whole.

★ federal frame
Back & spine in United States

Back & spine band structure and severity tiers at the US level.

★ all 15 countries
Back & spine · everywhere

Cross-jurisdiction comparison of back & spine bands.

★ editorial note

Figures on this page are starting points: the US band adjusted for Massachusetts's statutory framework. They are not quotes for any specific case. For representation, consult an attorney admitted in Massachusetts. See /methodology, /sources, and /disclaimer.