After a serious accident, everything can change at once—your health, your ability to work, your financial security, and your future. In Massachusetts a personal injury case is about fully accounting for the harm and making sure the injured person is fairly compensated for what has truly been taken from them.
Medical Bills:
Medical costs are often the most visible part of a claim, but they are rarely limited to the first hospital visit.
In Massachusetts, injured victims can seek compensation for:
- Emergency care and hospital treatment
- Surgery and specialist visits
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Medications and medical equipment
- In-home care or assistance
- And future medical treatment related to the injury
The most serious mistake people make is settling before the full medical picture is clear.
Many injuries, especially to the back, neck, joints, or brain—require years of treatment, additional procedures, or permanent care. Massachusetts law allows recovery not only for what you have already incurred, but also for the reasonable cost of future medical care your doctors say you will need.
Lost Wages and Loss of Earning Capacity:
When an injury keeps you out of work, the financial impact can be immediate—and overwhelming.
A Massachusetts injury claim can include:
- Wages lost while you were unable to work
- Sick time or vacation time you were forced to use
- Missed bonuses, commissions, or overtime
- Lost business or self-employment income
But in many serious cases, the real loss goes much deeper. If your injuries prevent you from returning to your old job, force you to reduce your hours, or limit the type of work you can do, you may also be entitled to compensation for loss of earning capacity.
This is not just about what you were earning on the day of the accident. It is about what the injury has done to your future—your career path, your opportunities, and your long-term financial security. In major cases, economists and vocational experts are often needed to calculate how much income the injury will likely cost over the course of a working lifetime.
Pain and Suffering:
Some of the greatest losses after a serious injury never appear on a bill.
Massachusetts law recognizes compensation for:
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Emotional distress, anxiety, and depression
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Loss of mobility or independence
- Inability to participate in normal family, social, or recreational activities
There is no fixed formula for pain and suffering. And there shouldn’t be. The value depends on how severe the injury is, how long recovery takes, whether the injury is permanent and how completely it has changed the person’s day-to-day life
Your Case Is More Than a Multiplier
Insurance companies like to reduce human suffering to software outputs and “multipliers” designed to undervalue real loss. But the true value of a case is not found in a computer program—it is proven through medical records, expert testimony, and a clear, honest picture of what an injury has taken from someone’s life.
To protect their bottom line, insurers routinely try to downplay the seriousness of injuries, blame symptoms on so-called pre-existing conditions, argue that treatment was unnecessary, minimize future medical needs, and push for quick settlements before the long-term consequences are even known.
In Massachusetts, that pressure can be devastating, because once a case is settled, it is over forever—even if the injury later turns out to be far worse than anyone imagined.
Why Getting the Value Right Matters
A serious injury does not just disrupt a few weeks or months of your life. It can change your health, your work, your independence, and your future.
A personal injury case is not about chasing a number or accepting what an insurance company is willing to offer. It is about looking beyond today’s bills, accounting for future care, future limitations, and the real human cost of living with an injury that never should have happened.
For more than 60 years, SUGARMAN has represented individuals and families facing the most serious injuries. If you or someone you love has been involved in a serious accident and you would like to speak to an attorney, call 617-542-1000, email or fill out our contact form.