The Personal Injury Myths That Cost People Money in Massachusetts
Every year in Massachusetts, people with solid personal injury cases lose their case, not because of who is at fault, but because of how things were handled after the accident.
After more than 40 years representing people who’ve been hurt in Walpole and nearby, we’ve seen what holding onto incorrect assumptions can do to someone. You wait because you don’t want to “overreact.” You minimize important pain signals by telling yourself, “It’s not that bad.” You are concerned that calling a lawyer means you’re starting something you can’t finish.
This blog breaks down common personal injury myths we’ve seen in our Massachusetts law practice. We’ll talk about why everyone believes these things and how they cost people time and money. We’re here to educate using our real-world experience with personal injury cases.
Why Do So Many Personal Injury Cases Fall Apart After the Accident?
Personal injury cases aren’t won or lost at the scene of the accident. They unravel later. When you don’t do what you can to make sure you’re not hurt.
We see this when someone does what “feels reasonable” at the moment: they go home instead of to the ER, they wait to see if the pain settles down, or they try to “handle it themselves” for a while.
Insurance companies don’t evaluate cases based on good intentions. They judge the strength of your case by accurate timelines, gaps in treatment, and inconsistencies in the story. They use those gaps to call into question how serious your situation really was.
Once that kind of narrative sets in, it’s much harder to undo.
Is It True That “Minor” Injuries Don’t Matter in a Personal Injury Case?
This is one of the most expensive myths we see. So let’s bust it wide open.
A common issue in our office is a client assuming that if they can still go to work or finish their day after getting hurt, they must be fine. Then weeks later, the stiffness doesn’t go away. A shoulder starts locking up. A knee swells every time they’re on their feet too long. A back issue that felt manageable turns into something that affects sleep, work, and daily life.
We see this pattern constantly—especially after car accidents and slip-and-fall cases.
From a legal standpoint, the issue isn’t whether the injury seemed minor at first. It’s whether there’s a clear medical record connecting what you’re dealing with now to what happened then. The longer someone waits, the easier it becomes for an insurer to argue that something else caused the problem.
A delayed diagnosis doesn’t necessarily kill a case—but it does change the leverage.
Does Waiting Automatically Ruin a Personal Injury Case in Massachusetts?
No—but waiting always changes the conversation.
People delay for perfectly legitimate reasons. They can’t miss work. They hope their condition improves on its own. They don’t want to be “that person” who makes a fuss. We see this a lot with New Englanders who pride themselves on being tough or independent.
The reality is that delays create questions:
Why didn’t you seek treatment sooner?
Why wasn’t this reported right away?
How do we know the pain came from this accident?
Questions like these don’t always mean someone is “up to something.” But they do give insurance companies room to push back. We want to eliminate those opportunities as much as possible.
In Massachusetts, a personal injury case can still move forward after delayed reporting. It requires more explanation, more documentation, and more work to overcome those early gaps. That’s time and leverage you can’t get back.
Does Calling a Lawyer Mean You’re Overreacting?
This myth keeps a lot of good people from protecting themselves.
This shows up in our office when a potential client thinks calling a lawyer automatically means filing a lawsuit or starting a fight. That’s not how most cases begin—or end.
In reality, an early conversation is usually about clarity:
What actually matters?
What should be documented?
What mistakes should be avoided right now?
When people make decisions based on what feels polite or reasonable—giving recorded statements, signing paperwork, or assuming the insurance company will “do the right thing.”
Once that happens, options get slim pretty quickly.
Asking for help, information, and a list of options doesn’t lock anyone into anything. It replaces assumptions with facts.
Why Do “Good People” Talk Themselves Out of Calling After They Get Hurt?
This question is less about anything to do with the law and more about your mindset.
People talk themselves out of calling and asking for help because:
They were raised to believe someone else always has it worse
They don’t want to seem weak or dramatic
They think it’s selfish to ask for financial compensation
They hope it’ll all work itself out just fine
We see this a lot with parents, caregivers, and people who are used to pushing through discomfort. Unfortunately, that instinct doesn’t translate well to personal injury claims.
Insurance companies don’t evaluate cases based on your character. Adjusters judge your case on the evidence you provide, sometimes unwittingly.
By the time you wait to call our law office, you might have missed the chance to protect yourself early, when it matters most.
How Do These Myths Affect Workers’ Comp Cases Too?
Although this blog focuses on personal injury myths, the same thinking shows up in workers’ compensation cases.
We see employees wait to report getting hurt most often because:
They didn’t want to cause problems for themselves at work
They hoped the pain would go away on its own
They didn’t want to look weak or unreliable
In workers’ comp cases, delays raise questions about whether the injury really happened on the job. Allowing questions to arise that way changes the leverage you have.
The myth is the same: “If I wait and see, I’ll be safer.”
In real life, waiting usually makes things harder.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury Myths in Massachusetts
Is it too late to call a lawyer if I waited months after getting hurt?
Not necessarily. It’s likely your case is still possible, but delays affect how strong it is, the quality of evidence available to support your claim, and how much compensation is awarded. You can check out the statute of limitations for any type of case on the Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts website.
What if I didn’t think I was hurt (or hurt badly) at first?
That’s pretty common. What matters here is getting medical documentation once your symptoms appear. That allows your lawyer to connect your symptoms to the original accident.
How often do small accidents really lead to serious cases?
All the time. We regularly see cases where pain or mobility issues show up days or weeks later.
Will calling a lawyer force me into a lawsuit?
No. Most cases start with a conversation, not filing anything with the courts.
Does waiting affect settlement value?
It can, yes. Gaps in treatment and documentation can significantly reduce your leverage in a negotiation. That’s why we harp on that all the time in our social media and in person with clients.
Replacing Assumptions With Experience
Most people who file a personal injury claim aren’t trying to “work the system.” They’re trying to do the right thing. The problem is that common-sense assumptions don’t always line up with how personal injury cases actually work in Massachusetts.
After decades of handling these cases in Walpole and surrounding towns, we’ve learned this much: the earlier someone gets clear information, the better decisions they’re able to make. That doesn’t mean every situation turns into a case, but it does mean fewer regrets later.
The costliest mistakes usually aren’t the result of decisions where you swung for the fences. It’s the quiet, reasonable choices made without the full picture that can really hurt your case.
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Disclaimer: This blog article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for formal legal advice from Attorneys Jim and Steve Brady and Associates P.C. Please consult a qualified professional for personalized advice tailored to your needs.