New Bedford is a working city — the nation’s highest-value commercial fishing port, a waterfront lined with seafood processors, and an offshore wind staging hub — and working cities produce serious injuries. When a crash on Route 18, a fall at a Bristol County business, or an accident on the docks turns your life upside down, Shea Culgin Law is ready. Robert Shea and Joseph Culgin bring more than 20 years of injury and workers’ compensation experience, and our office at 1350 Belmont Street, Suite 109, Brockton, MA 02301 is a straight run down Route 24 and Route 140 — roughly 40 minutes from downtown New Bedford. We handle cases for New Bedford clients by phone, electronically, and in person.
What Makes New Bedford Different
Few Massachusetts cities concentrate this much risk. I-195 carries highway traffic east-west through the city; Route 18, the JFK Memorial Highway, funnels port and downtown traffic past busy pedestrian crossings; and Route 140 connects the city north to Taunton at highway speed. On the water, the scallop fleet that has made New Bedford the country’s top-earning fishing port for over two decades works one of the most dangerous jobs in America, while shoreside processing plants and the Marine Commerce Terminal — staging ground for the Vineyard Wind offshore wind project — add heavy industrial work to the mix. Since March 2025, MBTA South Coast Rail service on the Fall River/New Bedford Line has connected the city to Boston, bringing new commuter traffic around the New Bedford and Church Street stations.
We represent New Bedford residents and workers in car accident claims, personal injury matters, and workers’ compensation cases.
Courts That Hear New Bedford Cases
District-level civil cases arising in New Bedford are heard at New Bedford District Court, 75 N. Sixth Street, which serves New Bedford along with Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, and Westport. Larger civil suits go to the Bristol County Superior Court’s New Bedford civil session at 441 County Street, or to the county’s other Superior Court locations. Workers’ compensation claims follow a different track entirely — the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents, which maintains a regional office in nearby Fall River. We practice in all of these forums.
Our New Bedford Practice Pages
- New Bedford Car Accident Lawyer — Route 18, I-195, Route 140, and city-street crashes.
- New Bedford Personal Injury Lawyer — falls, dog bites, premises claims, wrongful death.
- New Bedford Workers’ Compensation Lawyer — fishing, seafood processing, offshore wind, and every other workplace injury.
New Bedford FAQ
I was hurt on a fishing vessel out of New Bedford. Is that a workers’ comp case?
Usually not — injured crew members are typically covered by federal maritime law, including the Jones Act, rather than Massachusetts workers’ compensation. Shoreside workers, by contrast, are generally under Chapter 152. The line matters enormously, and we sort it out in the first conversation.
Where would my New Bedford injury lawsuit be filed?
Smaller cases are typically filed in New Bedford District Court on N. Sixth Street; cases with damages likely to exceed $50,000 belong in Bristol County Superior Court, which holds civil sessions in New Bedford at 441 County Street.
Do I pay anything up front?
No. Consultations are free, injury cases are handled on contingency, and workers’ comp attorney’s fees are set by statute — usually paid by the insurer when you prevail.
Talk to a New Bedford Injury Lawyer
Call Shea Culgin Law at 508-510-5107 for injury claims or 617-674-0408 for workers’ compensation. Free consultation, and no fee unless we recover.
