Is It Worth Getting A Car Accident Attorney?

If you were hurt in a crash, the answer is often yes. But it depends on your injuries, how much insurance is available, and how the insurance companies are treating you.

Most people asking this question are hurting, behind on bills, and getting calls from adjusters they never expected to deal with. Hiring a lawyer means someone else handles the legal side, so you can put your energy into getting better. Below, we walk through when a lawyer may be worth it, when you may not need one, what a lawyer actually does for your claim, and what it costs.

When Is It Worth Getting a Car Accident Lawyer?

Every case is different. Still, a lawyer is often worth talking to when:

• You were injured, especially if you needed an ER visit, surgery, physical therapy or time off work
• Your medical bills are getting close to, or past, what your PIP coverage pays
• The insurance company is denying your claim, delaying it or blaming you
• Fault is disputed, or more than two vehicles were involved
• The other driver had no insurance, too little insurance or drove away
• You got a settlement offer and don’t know if it covers what you’ve lost
• A loved one died in the crash

For a longer list of warning signs and the right timing, see when you should call a car accident lawyer.

Why Insurance Companies Aren’t on Your Side

Insurance ads are friendly. They promise good service, quick claims, and “forgiveness.” So it’s easy to assume the insurer will take care of you after a crash.

Here’s the thing. The other driver’s insurance company works for the other driver, and for itself. It’s a business, and paying less on claims helps its bottom line. The adjuster who calls you may sound helpful, but their job is to close your claim for as little as the facts allow. Even your own insurer has its own interests when it comes to PIP and other benefits.

We’ve seen it many times. Claims get delayed, offers come in low, and injured people get asked for recorded statements that are later used against them. It also can’t push people into lawsuits by offering substantially less than what’s owed, and it has to give a reasonable explanation when it denies a claim or makes a compromise offer. Knowing these rules, and knowing when an insurer may be breaking them, is part of why getting a lawyer for your car accident makes sense.

Why Is It Worth Getting a Lawyer After a Car Accident?

So what does a lawyer actually do for your claim? Here are the main reasons hiring one can be worth it.

Every Source of Insurance Coverage Gets Reviewed

Most people only know about the other driver’s policy. But that policy may not be enough. Massachusetts minimums for policies written or renewed on or after July 1, 2025 are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury. Many drivers carry only that.

A lawyer reviews every policy that may apply. That can include your own PIP, your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, a household member’s policy, an employer’s policy or another party who shares the blame. If the other driver had no insurance or fled the scene, uninsured motorist coverage can still apply. Here’s more on what happens if the at-fault driver doesn’t have car insurance.

Every Loss You May Claim Gets Counted

On your own, it’s easy to think only about today’s medical bills. A claim can cover a lot more. Depending on your case, that may include:

• Medical bills, including future treatment
• Lost wages and reduced earning ability
• Pain and suffering, if your injury meets the threshold above
• Car repair or replacement and damaged personal items
• Home changes, extra help or therapy if you have a lasting disability

A lawyer tracks all of it from day one, so nothing gets left off your claim. Here’s more on what damages you can collect after a car accident.

Your Injuries and Future Care Get Properly Documented

Some injuries, like concussions or back injuries, don’t show their full impact right away. A lawyer can help you find the right doctors and specialists so your injuries get properly evaluated.

That matters for your claim too. When your doctors put your diagnosis and future treatment needs in writing, those costs can go into the demand letter sent to the insurer. Without that record, future care often gets left out, and it’s hard to add later once you sign a release.

Evidence Gets Collected Before It Disappears

Proving fault starts with figuring out what happened. Was the other driver distracted, speeding, impaired or driving too fast for snow and ice? A lawyer goes after the proof: the police report, photos, witness statements, phone records and traffic or surveillance video. Some cases also call for an accident reconstruction expert.

Timing matters here. Witnesses forget details, and camera footage can be recorded over within days. The sooner the work starts, the more evidence can be preserved.

Fault Doesn’t Land on Your Shoulders

One of the most common insurance tactics is blaming you, at least partly. Under Massachusetts law, you may still recover damages if your share of fault isn’t greater than the other side’s combined fault, but your recovery is reduced by your percentage. So if you’re found 20% at fault, your damages are reduced by 20%. If you’re found more at fault than the other side, you generally can’t recover from them at all.

That’s why every percentage point matters. With a lawyer, you don’t have to argue with an adjuster about who caused the crash. Your lawyer pushes back with the evidence.

You Don’t Have to Learn the Claim Process

A car accident claim in Massachusetts has a lot of moving parts. There’s the PIP application, the crash report, medical records requests, the injury threshold, the bodily injury claim and sometimes a lawsuit. Most people are doing this for the first time while they’re hurt.

An experienced car accident lawyer knows the forms, the order of steps and the usual pressure points with insurers. You don’t have to figure it out as you go.

Deadlines Get Met

Some deadlines come fast. A crash report may be due within five days. Most injury lawsuits have to be filed within three years. Missing one can hurt or even end a claim. With a lawyer, tracking those dates isn’t on you.

Insurers Have Less Room to Stall or Lowball You

As covered above, Massachusetts sets rules for how insurers handle claims. A lawyer knows those rules and can hold the insurer to them. That can help keep your claim moving and push back on an offer that doesn’t reflect your losses.

And if a fair settlement isn’t offered, a lawyer can take the case to court. At Jason Stone Injury Lawyers, the Stone Cold Guarantee® gives you the option to settle or start litigating your case within six months of your first settlement offer.

You Can Focus on Getting Better

Recovering from a crash is a full-time job on its own. When a lawyer handles the calls, paperwork and negotiations, you can put your energy into your health and your family. You should still know what’s going on, so ask how often you’ll get updates. At Jason Stone Injury Lawyers, clients get one every two weeks.

When You May Not Need a Lawyer

Here’s the honest part. If nobody was hurt and there’s only minor damage to your car, you can often handle the claim yourself with the insurance companies.

The same may be true if your injuries are small and fully covered by your Personal Injury Protection (PIP). In Massachusetts, PIP generally pays up to $8,000 for medical bills, lost wages and replacement services, no matter who caused the crash (M.G.L. c. 90, §34A). To pursue pain and suffering from the at-fault driver, your injury generally has to meet a legal threshold. That means reasonable and necessary medical expenses over $2,000, or an injury like a fracture, permanent and serious disfigurement, loss of a body member, certain loss of sight or hearing, or death (M.G.L. c. 231, §6D).

Not sure where your case falls? That’s exactly what a free consultation is for. We’ll tell you honestly whether we think a lawyer makes sense for you.

Contact Our Boston Car Accident Law Firm to Learn More About Why It’s Worth Getting a Car Accident Lawyer for Your Case

If you’ve been injured after being involved in a collision, you don’t have to figure out what to do next all by yourself. It’s not only worth getting an attorney for a car accident case; this is a decision that can give you true peace of mind. These situations are often stressful, confusing, and overwhelming, but our Boston car accident lawyers are here to assist you.

At Jason Stone Injury Lawyers, we’re proud to serve our community. Our car accident attorneys in Boston understand the Massachusetts court system, and we know how the local insurance companies operate. With this information in mind, we’re able to protect your rights. 

When you call us, we’ll respond within 24 hours as part of our Stone Cold Guarantee®. There’s no obligation, just information®.

We’re ready to guide you through every step of the process in your pursuit of compensation. Injured? Better Phone Stone®.