Personal Injury Lawyer Help in Franklin County, VT

Injury claims in Franklin County: what to know first

Franklin County, Vermont includes 16 named communities, the largest being Saint Albans, Swanton, Richford. Whether an accident happened on a county road, in a small town or in one of the larger communities, the same Vermont rules apply: a 3-year filing deadline for most injury claims, modified comparative negligence (51% bar), and lawsuits filed in the Franklin County Superior Court. This page is the county-wide guide, with links to a page for each community.

You describe what happened anywhere in Franklin County using the free claim review form, and your request may be shared with participating attorneys or legal services partners who handle that type of matter in Vermont. Submitting a request does not hire an attorney, and everything below is general legal information, not legal advice about your specific situation.

Injury claims in Franklin County: key facts

Injury lawsuit deadline: three years from the injury date (12 V.S.A. § 512(4))
Medical malpractice deadline: three years
Fault rule: modified comparative negligence (51% bar)
Auto insurance system: At-fault (liability insurance pays)
Minimum auto liability: 25/50/10 (thousands: per person / per accident / property)
Where lawsuits are filed: Franklin County Superior Court
Tell your employer: As soon as practicable (21 V.S.A. § 656)
Workers' comp claim: six months (21 V.S.A. § 656), and proceedings must start within three years (§ 660) — Vermont Department of Labor
Fatal crashes, 2020-2024: 40 in Franklin County; none coded to Franklin County itself (NHTSA FARS)
Attorney fees: Injury attorneys commonly work on contingency; confirm fee terms before hiring

Which roads in Franklin County have the most fatal crashes?

From 2020 through 2024, federal crash records list 40 fatal crashes in Franklin County, in which 43 people died. The roads with the most were State Route 105 with 11 fatal crashes, State Route 36 with 2 and I-89 with 2.

Roads with the most fatal crashes in Franklin County, 2020-2024
Road	Fatal crashes, 2020-2024	Deaths	Latest year
State Route 105	11	12	2022
State Route 36	2	2	2023
I-89	2	2	2022
State Route 78	2	2	2022

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2023 Final File and 2024 Annual Report File (ARF), national data files downloaded from NHTSA on November 3, 2026. A crash counts for a road under the trafficway the reporting agency recorded; the same street with and without a route number is one row, and a route recorded without a street name keeps its own row; roads with fewer than two fatal crashes are not listed. The 2024 figures are NHTSA's first release for that year and may change in its Final File.

How to cite these figures: Ask Legal Matters, "Fatal crashes in Franklin County, VT, 2020-2024," compiled from NHTSA FARS (2020-2023 Final File and 2024 Annual Report File (ARF)), https://asklegalmatters.com/injury-guides/vermont/franklin-county/, checked November 3, 2026. Downloads and method: https://asklegalmatters.com/injury-guides/data/.

The yearly count was 3 in 2020, 10 in 2021, 12 in 2022, 7 in 2023 and 8 in 2024; 43% of the crashes happened after dark. 2 involved a pedestrian, cyclist or other person outside a vehicle, and 5 happened at or near an intersection.

Fatal crashes are the most serious outcome on these roads; many more crashes cause injuries without a death. Whatever the severity, the police crash report, photos of the scene and prompt medical records are the starting evidence for a claim.

Communities in the county with the most fatal crashes coded to them:

Reporting the crash in Vermont

In Vermont, the driver in a crash in which someone is injured, or total property damage is $3,000 or more, must make a written report to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and mail it within 72 hours after the crash (23 V.S.A. § 1129). The report goes on the Department of Motor Vehicles' operator crash report form (VC-004).

Who must report: The driver of a motor vehicle in a crash in which someone is injured or total property damage is $3,000 or more
Report to: The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles (Vermont DMV), on the commissioner's form
Deadline: Within 72 hours after the crash
Driver's form: Operator Crash Report (VC-004)
Copy of the crash report: Vermont State Police public records: crash reports are requested through the Vermont DMV

Sources: Vermont Statutes, 23 V.S.A. § 1129; Vermont DMV: Operator Crash Report (VC-004); Vermont State Police: public records. Checked November 3, 2026. General information, not legal advice; local rules and police practice can add steps.

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Free claim review for injuries in Franklin County

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Communities in Franklin County

Each community below has its own guide with the local court, insurance rules and every type of injury claim.

Smaller communities in Franklin County include Bakersfield, East Berkshire, East Fairfield, Fairfield, Franklin, Highgate Center, Highgate Springs, Montgomery Center, Saint Albans Bay, Sheldon, Sheldon Springs. Residents of these areas follow the same Vermont rules, use the same Franklin County Superior Court, and can request a free claim review from anywhere in the county.

Vermont's three years statute of limitations

Vermont generally gives an injured person three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (12 V.S.A. § 512(4)); medical malpractice is different (three years). Wrongful death claims follow their own deadline, which can differ from the one above. Claims against a city, county, school district or state agency follow separate and often much shorter deadlines. Once the deadline passes, the Franklin County Superior Court will dismiss the case regardless of how clear the fault was, so the practical rule in Franklin County is to get legal advice early.

How fault works: modified comparative negligence (51% bar)

Vermont follows modified comparative negligence (51% bar). In plain terms, you can recover as long as you were not more than 50% at fault, and your award is reduced by your share of fault. Insurance adjusters apply this rule from the first phone call, which is why the way an accident is described and documented in the days after it happens in Franklin County has a direct effect on what a claim is worth.

Auto insurance in Vermont: an at-fault system

After a crash in Franklin County, the at-fault driver's liability insurance is the primary source of compensation. Vermont requires drivers to carry only 25/50/10 in coverage (thousands of dollars for bodily injury per person, per accident, and property damage), which serious injuries quickly exhaust. Underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy and claims against additional responsible parties often make the difference in Franklin County cases.

Where Franklin County injury cases are filed

Lawsuits arising from accidents in Franklin County are typically filed in the Franklin County Superior Court, the trial court of general jurisdiction for Franklin County, although cases can sometimes be filed where the defendant resides or does business, and claims against out-of-state trucking companies or manufacturers may end up in federal court. Most claims settle before trial, but the credible ability to try a case in Franklin County is what moves insurers to pay fair value.

Workplace injuries: Vermont Department of Labor

Employees injured on the job in Franklin County are generally covered by Vermont workers' compensation, administered through the Vermont Department of Labor. Report the injury to your employer as soon as practicable (21 V.S.A. § 656) — a late report can delay or put the claim at risk, and the exceptions vary by state — then file the formal claim within six months (21 V.S.A. § 656), and proceedings must start within three years (§ 660). Workers' compensation does not pay for pain and suffering, so when a third party such as a subcontractor, driver or equipment manufacturer caused the injury, a separate personal injury claim is often worth pursuing alongside it.

Frequently asked questions

Is there 2025 fatal crash data for Franklin County?

Not yet from the federal census of fatal crashes. The newest national file is NHTSA's 2024 Annual Report File, the first release for 2024, used here with the 2020-2023 Final Files; NHTSA had not published 2025 FARS data when this page was updated on November 3, 2026. FARS counts every crash on a public road in which someone died within 30 days, and a crash counts for Franklin County when the reporting agency coded it there. Some cities and states post newer counts on their own crash dashboards, which use their own definitions.

How long do I have to file an injury lawsuit in Franklin County?

Generally three years from the date of injury under Vermont law (12 V.S.A. § 512(4)); medical malpractice claims generally have a three years limit, and claims against the county, a city or the state require notice much sooner.

Which court handles injury cases in Franklin County?

The Franklin County Superior Court is the trial court for Franklin County. Some claims may be filed where the defendant lives or does business, and claims against out-of-state companies can be removed to federal court.

I live in a small town in Franklin County. Do the same rules apply?

Yes. Vermont's deadline, fault rule and insurance requirements apply everywhere in the state. Smaller communities simply have fewer local attorneys, which is one reason people use a free claim review request to reach attorneys who handle cases across Franklin County.

What if I was partly at fault?

Vermont applies modified comparative negligence (51% bar): you can recover as long as you were not more than 50% at fault, and your award is reduced by your share of fault.

Is Ask Legal Matters a law firm?

No. Ask Legal Matters is a lead-generation service, not a law firm. Requests may be shared with independent attorneys and legal services partners who handle inquiries in Vermont, and submitting a request does not hire an attorney.