(617) 522-2211

Areas of Practice

The Law Offices of Paul F. Murphy

Areas of Practice

Visit us at the office Read through all the areas of practice on the left to learn more about The Law Offices of Paul F. Murphy.

Or contact us today for a personal consultation at our Jamaica Plain location

Call us at: 617-522-2211.

We connect with our clients in person, via email, and Facebook so please don't hesitate to reach out to our office.

Insurance companies view your claim as a cost of doing business.

An insurer has no incentive to pay significant settlements to an injured victim unless your attorney has the experience and trial record to demonstrate that your case won't be settled for less then its true value.

Simply put, if your attorney doesn't litigate cases in court, you will be short changed.

I have twenty years of trial experience and my work will result in insurers paying the full value of your claim.

Here is a partial list of things to consider if you or a loved one is involved in a personal injury case:

Steps to Take:
  • Seek medical attention
  • Call police if necessary
  • Cooperate with all law enforcement and emergency medical personal at the scene
  • Get the names, phone numbers and addresses of all parties involved (including police and emergency personal)
  • Get the names, phones numbers and addresses of all possible witnesses to the event
  • Contact the appropriate insurance company or your local insurance broker
  • Take photographs of the scene, your injuries and any property damage
  • Make sure you don’t throw away potential evidence or engage in discussions with anyone as to who is at fault until you call my office

Auto accidents are an all to common event in Massachusetts and after you are injured in an auto accident – clients learn the complexities of the state’s no-fault auto provisions.

Your policy and the policy of the car that hit you are both important in resolving your medical bills, ongoing medical treatment, auto repair, lost wages, rental car payments.

You may also have a bodily injury claim against the driver of the car that hit you. My office has twenty years of experience managing all aspects of your claim and making sure your insurance company and all other responsible parties are on notice of your claim so that you will be eligible for the coverage you are entitled to under our state law.

Call me directly so we can discuss your case.

Here is a partial list of things to consider if you or a loved one is involved in a auto accident case:

Steps to Take:
  • Seek medical attention
  • Call police if necessary
  • Cooperate with all law enforcement and emergency medical personal at the scene
  • Get the names, phone numbers and addresses of all parties involved (including police and emergency personal)
  • Get the names, phones numbers and addresses of all possible witnesses to the event
  • Contact the appropriate insurance company or your local insurance broker
  • Take photographs of the scene, your injuries and any property damage
  • Make sure you don’t throw away potential evidence or engage in discussions with anyone as to who is at fault until you call my office
  • Get the license plate numbers of all vehicles involved including the drivers names, addresses, telephone numbers and insurance information.

Medical care has evolved in the United States from a trip to your local family doctor, to a multi-billion dollar industry that involves, pharmaceuticals companies, research institutions, medical facilities, medical insurers, and doctors providing greater care and in some instances greater risks for patients.

The delivery of medical services is costly and sometimes the risks of injury and mistakes in diagnosis are not adequately addressed with patients because your family doctor has been replaced by powerful health care companies.

A medical consent form can be a very misleading document. My office has litigated several complex malpractice cases. Certain medical results are unfortunately unavoidable.

The complex system of delivering medical care may necessitiate the need to sit down with your attorney and review whether avoidable errors occurred in your treatment.

Call me directly if you believe your medical treatment was compromised.

There were over 90.000 work injuries in Massachusetts in 2008. Those are the reported statistics and unfortunately some work injuries go unreported.

My office can assist an injured workers file for benefits under Chapter 152 that provides protection to injured workers in the form of lost wages, medical care and job protection.

I have extensive experience assisting injured workers get the medical treatment they need, from doctors they trust, prior to returning to their job.

In certain instances where the work injury ends an employee's ability to mantain their job, I will assist you obtain retraining and benefits to protect your prior earnings rate.

If you are injured as a result of a work related incident and not receiving benefits, you should call me to discuss your situation and make sure you:

Steps to Take:
  • Seek qualified medical attention
  • Report any work accident as soon as possible
  • Get a copy of the accident report
  • Obtain a disability note from your doctor if you are unable to work
  • Get contact information from all witness

Cases that fall under the legal umbrella of premises liability include slip and falls, negligent security as well as various injuries caused by negligent maintenance of a premises.

A homeowner or business is legally obliged to maintain safe conditions at the residence or business premises they keep. Despite these legal responsibilities, many property owners, landlords and businesses fail to maintain their premises. Negligence is a legal concept that occurs when a party owes someone a duty and failure to maintain premises in a safe condition can be considered such a duty. If injuries occur based on the negligence of an owner this can result in significant liability on the part of the property owner.

Slip and falls are the most common injuries and may result in medical costs, lost wages and chronic health problems; however, there are other conditions that cause far more serious injuries – all of which are caused by negligence on the part of the property owner. For years my office has tried personal injury cases involving premises liability in Massachusetts, securing fair and generous awards and settlements for injured clients.

Negligent security cases involve victims of assault, robbery, gunshot wounds or rape due to a property owner’s negligence in providing adequate security measures. Faulty alarm systems, insufficient lighting, malfunctioning security gates all contribute to conditions that encourage criminal behavior and often result in serious injuries or death.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a slip and fall or on the premises of a commercial enterprise call me today to discuss your rights.

There are over 1 million law enforcement officials in the United States. When you are charged with a crime, your lawyer stands between this bureaucracy and you.

You need to understand your rights as they apply to this situation and the charges made against you.

All the facts must be carefully investigated and you must understand the range of penalties that can be imposed as the process advances.

There are no easy decisions to be made but I can provide you with guidance to make informed choices in developing a legal defense to advance your constitutional right and allow you to obtain a just result in District, Superior or Federal Court.

Call me directly to discuss offenses including:

Steps to Take:
  • Violent Crimes
  • Robbery/burglary/larceny
  • Drug possession
  • Trafficking
  • Domestic violence
  • Restraining Orders
  • Drunk Driving/OUI – ( click on the Drink Wheel to evaluate blood alcohol levels)
  • Clerk’s Hearings
  • Outstanding Warrants
  • Expunging your criminal record

Divorces can be a highly emotional time for individuals who were brought together in the hopes of spending the rest of their life together.

When couples have limited property and no children the break up usually has limited issues to resolve. However, when children and wealth collide – some individuals become trapped into believing they must ruin a former spouse.

I have advised clients for years, to keep in mind that where children are involved “Don’t let a marital dispute ruin a relationship necessary to be good parents”.

Whether you are married or divorced you will continue to be parents and you must focus on maintaining positive relationships for the benefit of your children.

My office assists clients through this emotional time and provides guidance with: financial considerations; child custody and care; property division and counsel in pursuing either a no fault or fault based divorce.

I strongly recommend the use of private mediation to resolve issues that may not be addressed in a timely fashion or appropriate manner in the Court System.

Call me to assist you in working through a difficult domestic situation.

Businesses must develop a business plan that includes how to be organized under the laws of Massachusetts.

Sole proprietors, partnerships, corporations, professional corporations, limited liability corporations and partnerships are all recognized designations in Massachusetts.

In order to make the appropriate selection the attorney and client need to review how the business will raise capital, issue debt, grow and address issues of liability.

The tax treatment and cost of annual filings will also require reviews with accountants.

I can assist small business start-ups in selecting the appropriate formation, undertake the state filings and advise parties how to transfer and sell businesses within their respective structure.

Unfortunately, part of doing business requires initiating and defending lawsuits to protect your business interests and my office has significant experience in representing businesses in all aspects of litigation and can assist you in avoiding the need for litigation in many circumstances.

I have worked with organized labor for many years, representing unions with membership from thirty to three thousand in contract negotiations, matters before the NLRB, organizing efforts and advancing grievances before the American Arbitration Association with issues arising under the respective collective bargaining agreements.

I welcome inquiries from organized labor.

Both Massachusetts and Federal law require employers to pay time and half for all hours worked in excess of forty hours within a single work week.

There are certain exemptions to this policy but if you are unsure whether your wages are being calculated correctly for overtime, vacation pay or wages due upon termination call me to discuss your rights.

The purchase of a home or condo can be the single most important investment made by an individual. Recent events have demonstrated that consumers need to review loan documents and seek qualified legal advice prior to a purchase to fully understand the investment and risks attached. I provide a full array of services for buyers, sellers and condo associations to assure your investment is what you expect it to be now and in the future.

Those Service Include:
  • Negotiate and draft the purchase and sale agreement to define the terms of the sale
  • Resolve issues that may arise during the sale process
  • Explain the mortgage process and assist you in understanding the terms contained in your commitment letter
  • Coordinate the closing with the lender’s office and review all closing documents with you so you understand their meaning
  • Answer questions and resolve disputes so the parties can close on time
In addition to consumer transactions I counsel business on the acquisition of real estate, environmental impact assessments, financing and commercial leasing. I have extensive litigation experience in boundary disputes, adverse possession, all aspects of landlord / tenant law and litigating condominium disputes.