Premier New England Trial Attorneys
Transportation Law

 We are proud to serve clients throughout New England.

New England Transportation Lawyers

Protecting Your Company’s Future After An Accident

Motor vehicle crashes, trucking accidents, and heavy machinery incidents happen at all hours of the day and night and can result in serious bodily injury and substantial property damage. From the initial investigation through trial, Melick & Porter, LLP has the experience and resources to evaluate the needs of the particular situation, provide critical advice, and defend against any claim.

Our transportation law attorneys in New England can assist if you are facing personal injury claims or other lawsuits related to your transportation company. We serve clients in need throughout New England.

Common Types Of Transportation Claims

Big vehicles create big risks – accidents involving trucks and buses can cause serious damages, especially if they are carrying cargo.

Common types of claims transportation companies address include:

  • Personal injury claims: Unsurprisingly, many transportation claims are for injuries that result from vehicle collisions. Truck and bus accidents can involve rollovers, T-bone collisions, rear-end collisions, and sideswiping that can lead to injuries such as broken bones, internal bleeding, spinal cord and neck injuries, and head and brain trauma.
  • Wrongful death claims: Families file wrongful death claims against transportation companies on behalf of their loves ones who passed away in vehicle accidents. Families may be seeking compensation for the deceased’s medical bills, loss of income, and pain and suffering.
  • Property loss claims: These claims are filed by individuals seeking to recover the cost of damage to their vehicles or personal property after an accident. The damages sought in these claims include repairs or replacements of the car, personal items inside the vehicle, and other property caused by the accident, as well as towing and rental car expenses.
  • Catastrophic injury claims: As larger personal injury claims, these claims attempt to recover damages for medical bills including hospital stays, surgery costs, prescription medications, and ambulance rides. Serious injuries may also require long-term care and physical therapy.

Transportation companies may also face allegations of maintenance failures, defective parts, and inadequate training programs. Our firm aims to help you minimize financial exposure, and we strive to resolve your claims in an efficient matter.

M&P’s Rapid Response Team

Immediate response is critical when trucking accidents occur because many involve serious bodily injury or death. Our Rapid Response Team (RRT) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond when serious accidents occur. Our RRT is immediately dispatched to the accident scene to preserve physical evidence, obtain witness information and statements, investigate the cause of the accident, and perform a download of the ECM if necessary. Information collected by our RRT helps us strengthen our client’s defenses to limit liability and mitigate damages. This often leads to efficient and practical resolutions through mediation or other forms of alternative dispute resolution. Because we have extensive knowledge of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, we are able to provide first-class legal representation through every phase of our client’s case, from pre-suit investigations all the way through trial.

Decades Of Representing Drivers & Their Employers

Our New England transportation law attorneys have years of experience working with trucking, bus, and other types of transportation companies and their drivers. We stay apprised of changes in the regulatory, business, and technology aspects of the transportation industry, and we provide pre-claim preventative advice. We can assist you with the drafting of transportation contracts to protect you and your company, and can include issues such as insurance coverage, liability of shippers and brokers, and punitive damages.

One unique situation trucks and buses face that private passenger cars do not is the need to comply with U.S. Department of Transportation and state regulations. Our transportation lawyers in New England understand these regulations and regularly help clients maintain their vehicles to ensure they are up to code.

When accidents happen, we are prepared to immediately respond to protect our clients’ interests and gather critical information. We work with accident reconstructionists, engineers, and other experts to achieve favorable results for our clients.

We are proud members of the Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA), the Defense Research Institute (DRI), and the Risk Management Society (RIMS), which are committed to transportation safety and claims reduction.

Our transportation lawyers can assist if your bus or trucking company is facing a claim, or if you need preventative counsel to minimize your risk of future lawsuits. We are available to help your company anywhere in New England.

Nationally-Recognized & Award-Winning Trial Attorneys

  • Alexander W. Ahrens Photo
  • Steven M. Banks Photo
  • Brian C. Davis Photo
  • Thomas C. Donovan Photo
  • Christopher D. George Photo
  • Robert W. Healy Photo
  • Christian H. Hinrichsen Photo
  • William L. Keville Jr. Photo
  • Michael J. Mazurczak Photo
  • Carolyn M. Miller Photo
  • Marissa K. Palladini Photo
  • Kurt A. Rocha Photo
  • Holly G. Rogers Photo
  • Alexander W. Ahrens Photo
    Alexander W. Ahrens

    Partner

    Alex is a Partner in our Connecticut office. He graduated summa cum laude from Quinnipiac University School of Law. He has a B.A. degree in English from Gettysburg College. Alex was an Associate Editor of the Quinnipiac Law Review and received awards for Academic Excellence and Outstanding Performance in Oral Advocacy.

  • Steven M. Banks Photo
    Steven M. Banks

    Partner

    Steve is a Partner practicing from Melick & Porter’s office in Southbury, Connecticut. Steve began his career and honed his legal skills at a successful boutique firm in Danbury. Steve currently handles all aspects of civil litigation, from pre-litigation counseling, analysis and strategy to pleadings and discovery, to dispositive motion practice, trial advocacy and pre-trial/post-trial proceedings. He focuses his practice on premises liability, general liability, property disputes/land use, workers’ compensation, and product liability. He has extensive litigation and courtroom experience defending claims in Connecticut and New York.

  • Brian C. Davis Photo
    Brian C. Davis

    Partner

    Brian is a partner in Melick & Porter's Boston office. He focuses his practice on defending individual and corporate clients in complex civil litigation matters including general liability, hospitality and restaurant litigation, entertainment and sports litigation, construction litigation, and transportation litigation. He is admitted to the state and federal court of Massachusetts.

  • Thomas C. Donovan Photo
    Thomas C. Donovan

    Associate

    Tom is an Associate in Melick & Porter’s Boston office.  He joined the Firm in 2016 as a litigation paralegal, gaining experience in a wide range of complex liability matters while pursuing his JD from New England Law | Boston.  Tom will be focusing his practice on defending individual and corporate clients in general liability, professional liability, and sexual abuse litigation. 

  • Christopher D. George Photo
    Christopher D. George

    Partner

    Chris joined the firm in 2010 and concentrates his practice on the defense of complex liability matters in the areas of construction, dram shop, premises, automobile, and catastrophic tort. Prior to joining Melick & Porter, Chris worked at a civil litigation defense firm outside of Boston where he specialized in construction and automobile matters.

  • Robert W. Healy Photo
    Robert W. Healy

    Partner

    Bob rejoined the firm in 2021 after several years at firms similarly specializing in complex civil litigation. He has extensive experience handling general liability, construction, liquor liability, premises liability, products liability, transportation, and toxic torts.

  • Christian H. Hinrichsen Photo
    Christian H. Hinrichsen

    Partner

    Christian has extensive experience in complex litigation matters, including bench and jury trials, arbitrations, administrative proceedings, and mediations. His corporate counseling includes risk assessment and contract review. He is admitted to the state and federal courts of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Christian's practice has earned him selections as a “Massachusetts Super Lawyer.”

  • William L. Keville Jr. Photo
    William L. Keville Jr.

    Member

    Bill is a seasoned trial attorney with extensive trial experience and successful verdicts defending clients in construction, complex product liability, premises liability, dram shop, transportation and sports and recreation matters. He represents product manufacturers, contractors, shopping malls, restaurants, major real estate developers, property owners, condominium associations, resorts and ski areas.

  • Michael J. Mazurczak Photo
    Michael J. Mazurczak

    Member

    Maz has been at Melick & Porter his entire legal career. He began as a Law Clerk in the summer of 1988 and joined the firm as an Associate in the fall of 1989. Maz has extensive experience in complex civil litigation matters, representing clients in both federal and state courts for over 30 years. A significant portion of his practice involves employment law and includes providing major national corporations with oversight and defense of their employment litigation.

  • Carolyn M. Miller Photo
    Carolyn M. Miller

    Partner

    Carolyn is a partner at Melick & Porter's Boston office. Carolyn joined the firm in 2014, after having worked at another Boston insurance defense firm for over five years. Carolyn has extensive experience in defending individual and corporate clients in a wide variety of complex multi-party construction-related matters, including personal injury, wrongful death and breach of contract claims in the state and federal courts of Massachusetts.
  • Marissa K. Palladini Photo
    Marissa K. Palladini

    Associate

    Marissa is an Associate in Melick & Porter's Boston Office. Her practice focuses primarily on defense of civil matters involving general liability, premises liability, construction law, recreational liability, and transportation law.

  • Kurt A. Rocha Photo
    Kurt A. Rocha

    Partner

    Kurt is a Partner in the firm's Rhode Island office.  His practice encompasses premises liability, personal injury defense, and insurance law. He is admitted in three jurisdictions: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, as well as the United States District Courts for the District of Rhode Island and Connecticut.

  • Holly G. Rogers Photo
    Holly G. Rogers

    Partner

    Holly Rogers has earned a reputation as a zealous and effective advocate. She practices from our Connecticut Office, which she also manages. Holly has extensive experience in complex litigation matters. She devotes the majority of her practice to representation of clients in employment and professional liability matters. Holly represents clients in both federal and state courts in Connecticut and New York, as well as before federal and state agencies. Holly has arbitrated and mediated numerous claims before the American Arbitration Association and other dispute resolution entities. She has authored articles on a variety of legal topics and has spoken on topics of interest before client groups and legal peers.

What Sets Us Apart

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