Personal Injury Lawyer Serving Boston, Atlanta, and Decatur
Boston personal injury lawyer and Atlanta injury attorney Rob Hartigan has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2021, 2022, and 2026. He was also named a Top Lawyer by Boston Magazine in 2021, and in 2019 he was selected by The National Trial Lawyers for its Top 40 Under 40 in Massachusetts, and in 2022, he was honored with the Excellence in the Law Up & Coming Attorney Award by the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Rob also holds a 10.0 “Superb” Avvo Rating, the highest possible designation, based on factors that include experience, professional recognition, and client reviews.
Who will help you? How will you pay the bills if you can’t work? Will your injury affect your job or future income? What must be done right now to protect your claim?
If you’ve been seriously injured because of someone else’s negligence or reckless behavior, you’re likely facing pain, financial pressure, uncertainty, and a system not built around providing timely compensation. I understand.
I believe every injury victim deserves a personal injury attorney in their corner, who answers client calls, who knows a client’s case inside and out, and who is willing to work hard for full compensation.
I founded Lionhart Injury Law in 2024 after spending nearly a decade fighting for injury victims at other firms. When you retain me and my firm you will work directly with me, not a paralegal, case manager, or associate. When you call, you’ll speak directly with me.
If you’ve been injured, I invite you to call me at (855) 343-0997 for a free consultation and case evaluation to get your questions, learn about your options for compensation, and find out the legal matters that may impact your case. There is no pressure – this is simply an opportunity for you to see if I am the best personal injury lawyer for your case.
About My Practice
My injury law practice is devoted to seeking full compensation for every client, regardless of how much time is required. I am not an attorney who simply takes whatever offer may be made by an insurance company in order to make a quick fee. I’ll be with you for the long haul, whether that means mediations and a settlement or taking your case to trial. As an experienced personal injury trial lawyer, I will not hesitate to take a client’s case to a jury and let them determine fault and damages.
My Past Results in Personal Injury Matters
Over my career, I have recovered more than $15 million for injured clients, including a $6,000,000 result in a commercial trucking accident case, a $1,100,000 result in a premises liability case involving a defective railing, and a $650,000 recovery for a client who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident. These results did not happen by accident. They are the product of thorough investigation, expert preparation, and the willingness to go to trial when the insurance company refuses to pay what a case is worth. While there can never be a guarantee of a winning outcome in any case, I do have a past record of success.
Where I Practice
I am licensed in Massachusetts, Georgia, New Hampshire, and before the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. I accept cases in each of Massachusetts and Georgia.
The Personal Injury Practice Areas We Handle
I handle the full range of personal injury claims arising from accidents and negligence in Massachusetts and Georgia. My practice areas include:
- Car Accidents: Whether you were rear-ended on the Southeast Expressway in Boston or hit head-on on I-285 in DeKalb County, car accidents cause devastating injuries and complex insurance disputes. I handle everything from straightforward rear-end collisions to multi-vehicle crashes involving disputed fault. Learn more at our Car Accidents page.
- Truck and 18-Wheeler Accidents: Commercial truck accidents are governed by federal regulations that create unique evidence and legal issues. My largest single result, $6,000,000, came from a commercial trucking accident involving catastrophic injuries to multiple people. These cases require immediate action to preserve black box data and driver logs. Learn more at our Truck Accident Injuries page.
- Motorcycle Accidents: Motorcyclists face a bias in the legal system that I fight aggressively. Both Massachusetts and Georgia require helmets, but a helmet-free rider is not automatically barred from recovering. I know how to counter the arguments insurance companies make against bikers. Learn more at our Motorcycle Accidents page.
- Dog Bites: The law differs significantly between states. Massachusetts holds dog owners strictly liable under M.G.L. c. 140 Section 155. Georgia requires a showing that the owner knew of the dog’s dangerous propensity under O.C.G.A. Section 51-2-7, or that a leash law was violated. I have recovered $600,000 for a child attacked by a dog. Learn more at our dog bite practice page.
- Wrongful Death: If you have lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence, I fight for your family with both legal precision and genuine compassion. Georgia’s wrongful death statute provides for the ‘full value of life,’ and Massachusetts law allows recovery for the fair monetary value to surviving beneficiaries. Learn more about our wrongful death representation.
- Premises Liability and Slip and Fall: Property owners owe duties of care to visitors. When they fail those duties, serious injuries result. I have recovered $1,100,000 for a client injured when a defective railing collapsed, and $1,000,000 for a client hurt on a broken staircase. Learn more about my representation in premises liability cases.
- Liquor Liability and Dram Shop Cases: When a bar or restaurant overserves a patron who then causes an accident, the establishment can be held responsible. I recovered $600,000 in a dram shop case. Learn more at our dram shop injury lawyer.
- Construction Site Accidents: Construction injuries often involve multiple parties including property owners, general contractors, and subcontractors. Learn more about our construction injury practice.
- Pedestrian Accidents: Pedestrians struck by vehicles suffer catastrophic injuries. Georgia and Massachusetts both allow recovery even when the pedestrian was partially at fault. Learn more about my representation in pedestrian motor vehicle accidents.
- Rideshare Accidents: Uber and Lyft accidents involve multiple insurance phases and corporate liability strategies. I handle rideshare cases in both Boston and Atlanta. Learn more about Boston Rideshare Accidents and Georgia Uber & Lyft Crashes.
- Defective Car Injuries: When a vehicle defect contributed to your accident, the manufacturer may be liable in addition to any negligent driver. Learn more on our defective car injury practice page.
Serving Boston, Atlanta, and Decatur
Lionhart Injury Law has offices in three locations to serve clients throughout New England and the Southeast. My Boston office serves clients throughout Massachusetts and New England. My Atlanta office handles cases across the greater Atlanta area and throughout Georgia. My Decatur office provides by-appointment service to clients in DeKalb County and the surrounding communities.
1 Boston Place, Suite 2600,
Boston, MA 02108.
Phone: (617) 871-9093.
1100 Peachtree St NE, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30309.
Phone: (404) 239-5245.
120 W Trinity Place
Decatur, GA 30030.
Phone: (678) 321-8339.
Why Clients Choose Lionhart Injury Law for Personal Injury Matters in Massachusetts and Georgia
Personal attention. An unrelenting drive to get maximum compensation for clients. A history of success. Clients have described me as someone who “truly cares,” who is “one of a kind,” and who is “always 100% a great referral to give to anyone in need.” I take those words seriously. Behind every case is a real person dealing with an injury, uncertainty, and what may be one of the most difficult periods of their life. I never lose sight of that.
While I can’t guarantee that you will win your case, I can guarantee that I will do everything possible in seeking a win for you.
I represent clients in personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means I only receive a fee if compensation is obtained. I will also advance the costs necessary to pursue your case, including court filing fees, expert witness fees, and investigation expenses (which are typically fully covered by a settlement or jury award). Pursuing justice should not create another financial burden when you are already dealing with the consequences of an injury.
The Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Matters: Do Not Wait
In Georgia, the statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is two years from the date of the injury under O.C.G.A. Section 9-3-33. In Massachusetts, the statute of limitations is generally three years from the date of injury under M.G.L. c. 260 Section 2A. These deadlines are absolute, unless a narrow exception applies. If you miss them, you lose your right to recover compensation regardless of how strong your case would otherwise be. Call me today for a free consultation. As an experienced personal injury attorney with nearly a decade of legal practice, I can tenaciously fight in seeking every dollar to which you and your family are rightfully entitled.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury Cases
What types of personal injury cases does Lionhart Injury Law handle?
We handle the full range of personal injury claims including car accidents, truck and 18-wheeler accidents, motorcycle accidents, dog bites, wrongful death, premises liability and slip and fall cases, liquor liability and dram shop claims, construction site injuries, pedestrian accidents, rideshare accidents involving Uber and Lyft, and defective vehicle cases. I am licensed in both Massachusetts and Georgia and serve clients in Boston, Atlanta, and Decatur.
How much does it cost to hire Lionhart Injury Law as my personal injury lawyer?
There is no upfront cost. I work on a contingency fee basis, which means I only get paid if I recover compensation for you. I also advance all litigation costs, including expert witness fees, filing fees, and investigation expenses, and recover those costs at the end of the case. If I do not win your case, you owe me nothing.
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in Massachusetts and Georgia?
In Georgia, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years from the date of injury under O.C.G.A. Section 9-3-33. In Massachusetts, the statute of limitations is three years from the date of injury under M.G.L. c. 260 Section 2A. Wrongful death claims have the same deadlines running from the date of death. Missing these deadlines permanently bars your claim, so it is critical to contact an attorney as soon as possible after your injury.
What compensation can I recover in a personal injury case?
Personal injury victims can recover economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those that can be identified through a specific dollar amount, such as past and future medical expenses, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, and property damage.
Non-economic damages include those that can not be matched directly with a specific dollar amount. Instead, it is up to a jury at trial to determine an appropriate “fair compensation” dollar amount. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium.
In cases involving especially egregious conduct, punitive damages may also be available. I evaluate every potential category of damages in your specific case to pursue the maximum recovery possible.
What should be done after a serious injury to help a case?
First, an injured person should seek immediate medical attention. In a serious injury case, this may involve ambulance transportation to a medical center, or a person may drive themself (or be driven by a family member or friend) to an emergency room.
Immediate medical attention should be sought, even if a person believes that their injuries are minor. Many serious injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and internal injuries, may not be immediately apparent.
Second, it’s important to document an injury scene as soon as possible after the injury occur. This is where we and our accident investigators can help. We want to carefully document an accident scene so that we can prove exactly how an injury occurred and who (or what entities) were responsible. We will also want to identify all witnesses to the incident, and to speak with them about what they saw.
As part of investigating an injury scene, we will also want to identify any video that may have captured the incident. Today, there is a wide prevalence of the use of video cameras for security purposes, so matters such as vehicle crashes are often captured on video. We will want to obtain all such video before it is overwritten.
Third, do not give a recorded statement to any claims adjustors, especially those calling on behalf of a negligent driver. If you are contacted by such as person, tell the person that you are seeking legal representation and that your attorney will be in contact. That’s it – don’t say anything more than this. If the other person keeps talking or asking you questions about whether you were hurt, you can hang up. The purpose of these calls is not to speed up the claims process so that you can get paid, it’s to get you to say something to minimize your case, like downplaying the severity of injuries.
How does comparative negligence affect my personal injury claim in Georgia or Massachusetts?
Comparative negligence refers to whether an injured person may be able to recover if they were partly at fault.
Both Georgia and Massachusetts follow what are known as modified comparative negligence rules. In Georgia, under O.C.G.A. Section 51-12-33, if a person is found to be 50 percent or more at fault for the accident, the person cannot recover any compensation. If a person is found to be less than 50 percent at fault, the person’s compensation recovery is reduced by the person’s percentage of fault.
In Massachusetts, under M.G.L. c. 231 Section 85, if a person is 51 percent or more at fault the person cannot recover any compensation. Below 51 percent, the person’s recovery is reduced proportionally.
How Does Comparative Fault Impact Settlements?
Most personal injury cases are settled prior to trial. In these circumstances, insurance companies, defendants, and their lawyers will usually not focus on the percentage of fault that an injured person may have, unless it is clear that the injured person is likely be almost entirely responsible for injury causation (such as if they ran a red light).
In most cases, settlement negotiations will focus on the amount of compensation owed to the injury victim, as well as general fault principles. As an experienced personal injury lawyer, I know how to build of the cases of clients for both full compensation and fault. I also know how to refute the claims often made by defendants to avoid liability.
If the defendants are not willing to pay full and fair compensation, at a client’s request I will not hesitate to take a case to trial. Conversely, if the defendants believe that they are not liable (or that they can prove an injury victim is more than 50% liable for causing an accident), they are also free to take a case to trial.
However, in taking a case to trial, defendants are taking a risk – a jury may find against them with a verdict that might be substantially higher than the amount they could have paid in a settlement. And, in addition to this risk, the lawyers for defendants typically will bill on an hourly basis, so their legal fees will usually be significantly higher if they choose to go to trial.
Why should I hire an attorney instead of handling my insurance claim myself?
Insurance companies employ experienced adjusters and attorneys whose job is to minimize what they pay you. If you are not a lawyer, you will appear as an easy mark for them, as they will not fear being taken to trial. When there is not a serious threat for a trial, the settlement value goes decreases substantially.
Studies prove this, and consistently show that injury victims represented by attorneys recover significantly more in settlements and verdicts than unrepresented claimants. I know how to investigate accidents, gather and preserve evidence, identify all potentially liable parties, calculate the full value of your damages, and negotiate or litigate to achieve the best possible result. My contingency fee arrangement means you have nothing to lose by calling me.
Does Robert Hartigan handle personal injury cases in both Massachusetts and Georgia?
Yes. I am licensed to practice law in both Massachusetts and Georgia, as well as New Hampshire. My Boston office handles cases throughout Massachusetts and New England, and I am admitted to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. My Atlanta and Decatur offices handle cases throughout the greater Atlanta area and across Georgia. I regularly take cases in both states and understand the differences between Georgia and Massachusetts law that can significantly affect the outcome of your case.
Ready to Fight for You. Contact Lionhart Injury Law for a Free Consultation.
Boston: (617) 871-9093 | Atlanta: (404) 239-5245 | Decatur: (678) 321-8339 | Toll-Free: (855) 343-0997
No fee unless we win. We advance all litigation costs.