Massachusetts Car Accident Attorneys

Massachusetts handles crash claims differently than most of New England: your own PIP coverage pays first, and you can't sue for pain and suffering until your medical bills clear the $2,000 tort threshold.

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Matched with a Massachusetts attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Massachusetts car accident case review

A Massachusetts attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

How we match your Massachusetts car accident case

When you submit a Massachusetts car accident matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A car accident matter needs someone who handles car accident work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Massachusetts law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Massachusetts who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with a car accident claim in Massachusetts

Day 0
It happens.
Get medical care and keep every record. Massachusetts is a no-fault state, so your own PIP coverage pays first medical bills regardless of who caused it.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Massachusetts car accident attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Your attorney builds the file.
Reports, medical records, witnesses, camera footage, insurance policies. This is the part insurers hope you skip.
Months 1–6
Demand and negotiation.
Your attorney sends a demand and negotiates with the insurer. Massachusetts’s fault rule matters here — Modified comparative fault, 51% bar.
Before the 3-year deadline
Suit is filed if it has to be.
Massachusetts gives 3 years from the date it happened. Filing keeps your leverage; missing it ends the claim.
Resolution
Settlement or verdict.
You pay nothing along the way. The fee — typically 33% — comes only out of what’s recovered. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.

Statute of Limitations: 3 years
3 years from the date of the crash (M.G.L. c. 260, § 2A)
Fault Rule: 51%
Modified comparative fault, 51% bar (M.G.L. c. 231, § 85)
Damages Cap: No cap
No statutory cap on non-economic damages in standard auto cases
Minimum Liability Insurance: 20/40/5
$20,000 / $40,000 / $5,000 plus PIP (M.G.L. c. 90, § 34A)
Insurance System: No-fault
No-fault PIP. Tort recovery requires meeting threshold (M.G.L. c. 231, § 6D).
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

More than 100,000 crashes happen on Massachusetts roads every year, and the worst of them cluster on I-93, I-90 (the Massachusetts Turnpike), and Route 128. The legal terrain is unusual: M.G.L. c. 90, § 34A sets up a no-fault PIP system that pays your initial bills regardless of blame, but pain-and-suffering recovery is locked behind M.G.L. c. 231, § 6D — you need $2,000 in medical expenses or a qualifying specific injury before you can pursue a tort claim. Layer on modified comparative fault with a 51% bar, and an insurer has multiple ways to shrink or kill your claim. A lawyer who knows the thresholds closes those doors.

Exhibit B

When to call a car accident attorney in Massachusetts

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

0of 6 apply

Tick anything that applies. Even one is reason enough to talk to a Massachusetts car accident attorney before you talk to an insurer.

Talk to an attorney anyway

Meanwhile, don’t

Assuming PIP is the whole claim — tort recovery for pain and suffering requires clearing the $2,000 threshold under M.G.L. c. 231, § 6D
Conceding fault percentages and letting the 51% bar erase a recoverable claim
Blowing the 2-year presentment deadline under the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act (M.G.L. c. 258) when a public entity is involved
Taking the insurer's early settlement offer before injuries have fully declared themselves
Giving the at-fault driver's insurer a recorded statement without counsel present
Overlooking a Dram Shop claim under M.G.L. c. 138, § 69 when the at-fault driver had been drinking at a bar or restaurant

Exhibit C

Car Accident cases we take in Massachusetts

Which one is closest to yours?

Rear-end collisions

Negligence is generally presumed against the trailing driver, yet Massachusetts adjusters still raise sudden-stop and brake-checking defenses — and they fight whiplash and soft-tissue claims hard under the tort threshold.

Sound like yours? A Massachusetts attorney reviews it free — no fee unless they win.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Massachusetts car accident attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

Massachusetts · Car Accident

Recovery$100,000

Attorney fee · 33%− $33,000

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$67,000

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most Massachusetts car accident attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

Massachusetts car accident lawyers take these cases on contingency, with fees typically running 33% to 40% of the total recovery. Most firms advance case costs along the way and deduct them from the final recovery, so you pay nothing out of pocket while the case is pending.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Massachusetts car accident compensation can include

A Massachusetts car accident recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Economic Damages

Medical expenses, lost wages, and future care costs, with no statutory cap. PIP offsets the first $8,000 in medical/wage losses.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Massachusetts car accident questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Massachusetts attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

You generally get three years from the crash date for both personal injury and property damage claims under M.G.L. c. 260, § 2A. One big exception: if a state or municipal defendant is involved, the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act (M.G.L. c. 258) requires presentment within 2 years — a much shorter fuse.

Every Massachusetts driver carries $8,000 in PIP under M.G.L. c. 90, § 34A. That money covers your medical bills and lost wages no matter who caused the crash. The catch comes when you want to sue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering: M.G.L. c. 231, § 6D blocks that claim unless you have at least $2,000 in reasonable medical expenses or a listed injury — a fracture, permanent disfigurement, or death, among others.

No. Your own policy steps in through uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, which Massachusetts insurers are required to offer under M.G.L. c. 175, § 113L. Expect your insurer to defend the claim the way a liability carrier would.

You're not required to, and it's usually a mistake. With Massachusetts's 51% bar, an adjuster's whole job on a recorded call is to nudge fault percentages in their insured's favor. Send them to your attorney or your own insurer instead.

There's no formula. The value turns on your medical bills, lost income, future treatment needs, vehicle damage — and critically, whether you clear the $2,000 medical threshold that unlocks pain-and-suffering damages. Once you do, Massachusetts puts no cap on non-economic damages in standard auto cases.

The statute of limitations and fault rules don't change, but the practical picture does. Those corridors carry heavy commercial truck traffic and produce chain-reaction pile-ups, especially in winter storms. That means federal trucking regulations, multiple insurers, and harder apportionment fights — all reasons to involve a lawyer early.

Almost always nothing up front. These cases run on contingency: the attorney takes a percentage of what they recover, typically between 33% and 40%, and if there's no recovery you owe no attorney fee.

Car Accident attorneys by city in Massachusetts

Same Massachusetts rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in Massachusetts

All Massachusetts practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysMassachusetts holds dog owners strictly liable — the owner pays for an unprovoked bite even if it’s the dog’s first offense.

Business Dispute attorneysMA’s 2018 non-compete reform added 10-day notice, "garden leave" pay, and 12-month limits — non-competes are no longer easy to enforce.

Consumer Protection attorneysChapter 93A, Massachusetts’ consumer protection law, is one of the country’s strongest — willful violations get doubled or tripled damages plus attorney fees, and a 30-day demand letter is required first.

Criminal Defense attorneysMA’s 2018 criminal justice reform ended mandatory minimums for many drug offenses and adjusted parole eligibility — counsel knows what changed.

Defective Product attorneysMA treats breach of warranty as the primary products-liability theory — strict liability as such isn’t recognized, but warranty law provides parallel protection.

Employment attorneysThe state discrimination commission (MCAD) handles Massachusetts employment-discrimination charges — and the 300-day filing window plus right-to-sue letter framework parallels federal practice.

Family Law attorneysMA is an equitable-distribution state — and the 2011 alimony reform set duration limits, ending the era of indefinite alimony.

Immigration attorneysMA has immigration court in Boston — and a 2022 state law allows undocumented residents to obtain driver’s licenses.

Lemon Law attorneysThe MA Lemon Law covers new and used vehicles within 1 year/15,000 miles — and the manufacturer pays your attorney fees if you win.

Medical Malpractice attorneysMA med-mal requires a Medical Tribunal screening before your case proceeds — and there’s a $500K cap on non-economic damages, with exceptions for substantial impairment.

Personal Injury attorneysA three-year filing deadline and a 51% fault bar frame every MA injury case — no-fault auto adds its own threshold rules.

Slip and Fall attorneysMA premises liability changed course in 2010 — landowners now have a duty to address snow and ice hazards, natural or not.

Social Security Disability attorneysMA disability hearing offices in Boston, Lawrence, and Worcester process moderate volumes — and First Circuit federal precedent is comparatively favorable on review.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysMA workers’ comp runs through the Department of Industrial Accidents — and temporary total benefits are 60% of your average weekly wage up to a state maximum.

Massachusetts Car Accident Attorneys

How we match your Massachusetts car accident case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with a car accident claim in Massachusetts

It happens.

Tell us what happened.

Your attorney builds the file.

Demand and negotiation.

Suit is filed if it has to be.

Settlement or verdict.

When to call a car accident attorney in Massachusetts

Car Accident cases we take in Massachusetts

Rear-end collisions

Intersection T-bone crashes

Pile-ups on I-93 and the Mass Pike

Drunk driving crashes

Distracted driving

Hit-and-run

Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) crashes

Motorcycle crashes

Pedestrian and bicyclist injuries

Teen and elderly driver crashes

Route 128 and Cape Cod corridor crashes

Wrongful death from a crash

How much do Massachusetts car accident attorneys cost?

What your Massachusetts car accident compensation can include

Economic Damages

Non-Economic Damages

Punitive Damages

Property Damage

Wrongful Death

PIP Benefits

Massachusetts car accident questions, answered

Car Accident attorneys by city in Massachusetts

Other case types in Massachusetts

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