Massachusetts Statutes

Section 63. Interrogatories shall be filed in the clerk's office, and notice of such filing, with a copy of the interrogatories, shall be sent by the party interrogating to the party interrogated, or to his attorney of record, and the party interrogated shall file answers to such…

Section 64. If a party interrogated fails to answer interrogatories, or to amend or expunge an answer or part of an answer as ordered, the court may make and enter such order, judgment or decree as justice requires except that judgment shall not be entered because of the failure …

Section 65. If a corporation is a party, the adverse party may examine the president, treasurer, clerk or a director, manager or superintendent, or other officer thereof, as if he were a party. If a municipal corporation is a party, the mayor or the chairman of the board of selec…

Section 66. Such order may be made respecting costs, in the action or cause or otherwise, as the court may direct by general rule, or by a special order in each case.

Section 67. Sections sixty-one to sixty-six, inclusive, shall not affect the right of a party interrogated, under the direction of the court, to seal up or otherwise protect from examination such parts of any document, book, voucher or other writing as contain matters not pertine…

Section 68. Every party to any cause or proceeding may inspect and take copies of any document referred to in the pleading or particulars of any other party and relied on by such other party, unless the court is satisfied that the same is not in his possession or control or that …

Section 69. In the district courts in actions not governed by the District-Municipal Courts Rules of Civil Procedure, a party by written demand filed in the clerk's office and notice given by copy thereof by registered mail, return receipt requested, to the other party or his att…

Section 6B. In any action in which a verdict is rendered or a finding made or an order for judgment made for pecuniary damages for personal injuries to the plaintiff or for consequential damages, or for damage to property, there shall be added by the clerk of court to the amount …

Section 6C. In all actions based on contractual obligations, upon a verdict, finding or order for judgment for pecuniary damages, interest shall be added by the clerk of the court to the amount of damages, at the contract rate, if established, or at the rate of twelve per cent pe…

Section 6D. In any action of tort brought as a result of bodily injury, sickness or disease, arising out of the ownership, operation, maintenance or use of a motor vehicle within this commonwealth by the defendant, a plaintiff may recover damages for pain and suffering, including…

Section 6E. As used in sections 6E to 6G inclusive, the following words shall have the following meanings:— ''Court'', the supreme judicial court, the appeals court, the superior court, the land court, any probate court and any housing court, and any judge or justice thereof; ''C…

Section 6F. Upon motion of any party in any civil action in which a finding, verdict, decision, award, order or judgment has been made by a judge or justice or by a jury, auditor, master or other finder of fact, the court may determine, after a hearing, as a separate and distinct…

Section 6G. Any party aggrieved by a decision on a motion pursuant to section six F may appeal as hereinafter provided. If the matter arises in the superior, land, housing or probate court, the appeal shall be to the single justice of the appeals court at the next sitting thereof…

Section 6H. In any action in which damages are awarded, but in which interest on said damages is not otherwise provided by law, there shall be added by the clerk of court to the amount of damages interest thereon at the rate provided by section six B to be determined from the dat…

Section 6I. Interest required to be paid by the commonwealth pursuant to this section shall be calculated at a Weekly average one-year constant maturity Treasury yield, as published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, for the calendar week preceding date of t…

Section 71. In civil proceedings which are not governed by the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure or by the District-Municipal Courts Rules of Civil Procedure, the court may make orders allowing amendments before trial, or a supplemental pleading, or any other interlocutory o…

Section 72. In civil proceedings which are not governed by the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure or by the District–Municipal Courts Rules of Civil Procedure, the parties may make agreements relative to amendments and the time for filing papers, which shall be equivalent to …

Section 81. The courts shall not charge juries with respect to matters of fact, but they may state the testimony and the law.

Section 82. In counties containing two or more shire towns, the supreme judicial or the superior court at the sitting held on or next after the filing of the defendant's answer may designate the shire town where the action shall be tried, and it shall not then be put on the trial…

Section 83. During the trial of a case in which an official stenographer takes stenographic notes of the evidence, no other person shall interrupt the examination of witnesses for the purpose of taking notes of their testimony.

Section 84A. If two or more actions to recover damages or indebtedness arising out of the same accident, event or transaction are pending in the superior court, whether in the same or in different counties, the court or any justice thereof may order that some or all of them be tr…

Section 85. Contributory negligence shall not bar recovery in any action by any person or legal representative to recover damages for negligence resulting in death or in injury to person or property, if such negligence was not greater than the total amount of negligence attributa…

Section 85A. In all actions to recover damages for injuries to the person or to property or for the death of a person, arising out of an accident or collision in which a motor vehicle was involved, evidence that at the time of such accident or collision it was registered in the n…

Section 85AA. No person duly registered by the department of state police as a search and rescue volunteer who renders assistance in a search and rescue operation under the direct control and instruction of the department and no other person who volunteers in a search and rescue …

Section 85B. In any action to recover the consequential damages specified in section thirty-four A of chapter ninety, arising out of an accident or collision in which a motor vehicle, as defined in sections one and thirty-four A of chapter ninety, was involved, such motor vehicle…

Section 85BB. (a) A law enforcement officer, as defined in section 1 of chapter 6E, who knowingly submits to a state agency, state authority, city, town or agency, as defined in said section 1 of said chapter 6E, a false or fraudulent claim of hours worked for payment and receive…

Section 85C. In any civil action, under section one hundred and thirteen of chapter one hundred and seventy-five and clause (9) of section three of chapter two hundred and fourteen to reach and apply the proceeds of any motor vehicle liability policy, as defined in section thirty…

Section 85D. In all actions to recover damages for injury to the person or property of an infant, the negligence of the parent or other custodian of the infant shall not be imputed to the infant from the fact of such parenthood or custodianship.

Section 85E. In any action to recover for damage to a motor vehicle brought in the name of a person or persons holding a security interest in said motor vehicle, any defense which would be available as against any registered owner thereof shall be available as against the person …

Section 85F. In an action to recover damages for death or for injuries or property damage arising out of an accident or collision in which a motor vehicle was involved while the owner thereof was a passenger therein, the negligence of the operator of such motor vehicle shall not …

Section 85G. Parents of an unemancipated child under the age of eighteen and over the age of seven years shall be liable in a civil action for any willful act committed by said child which results in injury or death to another person or damage to the property of another, which sh…

Section 85H. In any civil action for damages, failure to return any personal property acquired by a person under a lease or contract of hire or rental, other than a hired horse, carriage or other vehicle to which the provisions of section sixty-four of chapter two hundred and six…

Section 85I. No member of a ski patrol duly registered in the National Ski Patrol system, who, in good faith, renders emergency care or treatment to a person who has become injured or incapacitated at a place or in an area where an emergency rescue can be best accomplished by the…

Section 85J. Whoever, by deceit or fraud, sells personal property shall be liable in tort to a purchaser in treble the amount of damages sustained by him.

Section 85K. It shall not constitute a defense to any cause of action based on tort brought against a corporation, trustees of a trust, or members of an association that said corporation, trust, or association is or at the time the cause of action arose was a charity; provided, t…

Section 85L. In an action of tort for personal injuries, property damage or consequential damages caused by or arising from the operation of a motor vehicle in which the plaintiff was a passenger in the exercise of due care, the plaintiff may recover in an action against the oper…

Section 85M. In any action of contract or tort in which the defendant is the owner or operator of a privately or publicly owned or operated garage, lot, or other facility used for the parking or storage of motor vehicles for a fee, it shall not constitute a defense that said owne…

Section 85N. No member of a professional society or of a duly appointed committee thereof, or a duly appointed member of a committee of a medical staff of a licensed hospital or a health maintenance organization licensed under the provisions of chapter one hundred and seventy-six…

Section 85O. Any person who has attained the age of eighteen shall have full legal capacity to act in his own behalf in the matter of contracts and shall be liable in any civil action for breach thereof.

Section 85P. Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, any person domiciled in the commonwealth who has reached the age of eighteen shall for all purposes, and any other person who has reached the age of eighteen shall with respect to any transaction governed by the law o…

Section 85Q. Any person who maintains an artificial condition upon his own land shall be liable for physical harm to children trespassing thereon if (a) the place where the condition exists is one upon which the land owner knows or has reason to know that children are likely to t…

Section 85R. No member of a sailboat racing committee, club or association or of a yacht club association which conducts a race or regatta shall be liable for injuries to persons or property arising out of the conduct of such race or regatta in the absence of wilful, wanton or re…

Section 85S. (a) The general court hereby finds and declares that the physical alteration or destruction of fine art, which is an expression of the artist's personality, is detrimental to the artist's reputation, and artists therefore have an interest in protecting their works of…

Section 85T. In any action for personal injuries, property damage or consequential damages caused by or arising out of the negligent serving of alcohol to an intoxicated person by a licensee properly licensed under chapter one hundred and thirty-eight or by a person or entity ser…

Section 85U. No person who is a lawful occupant of a dwelling shall be liable in an action for damages for death or injuries to an unlawful occupant of said dwelling resulting from the acts of said lawful occupant; provided, however, that said lawful occupant was in the dwelling …

Section 85V. As used in this section, unless the context requires otherwise, the following words shall have the following meanings:— ''Compensation'', shall not include reimbursement for reasonable expenses actually incurred or to be incurred or, in the case of umpires or referee…