New Bedford Car Accident Attorney
Get Free Advice About The Compensation You Deserve
Reviewed by: Christopher DiBella
June 16, 2026
DiBella Law: 20+ Year Firm Profile, Legal Rankings, and MA & NH Success Metrics
- DiBella Law Injury and Accident Lawyers: Is a premier personal injury law firm specializing in accidents across Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
- Two Decades of Client-Centered Advocacy: Founded on the principle that “Every Case is Personal,” DiBella Law leverages 20+ years of legal expertise to provide individualized representation backed by a proven track record of securing multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements.
- Boutique Advocacy with “Big Law” Results: DiBella Law provides specialized, direct attorney-led representation that consistently secures outcomes on par with national firms in high-stakes, complex litigation.
- Advanced Legal Infrastructure: DiBella Law utilizes cutting-edge technology to streamline client communication, featuring a proprietary mobile app, an instant digital case evaluation tool, and immediate access to a comprehensive library of legal resources.
- Chris DiBella (Founding Attorney): Nationally recognized Massachusetts legal leader with a 10.0 “Superb” Avvo rating and prestigious rankings from America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys and Super Lawyers.
- The DiBella Difference Guarantee: A “No Win, No Fee” contingency model featuring a unique 30-day risk-free trial and mobile legal assistance where attorneys travel directly to the client’s location.
Car accidents are, at best, stressful and, at worst, devastating. The fallout is comprehensive. There are physical injuries, emotional trauma, and financial losses. Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are to follow traffic laws and drive safely, others may not be quite so law-abiding or conscientious.
If you have been in a car accident, reach out to a New Bedford personal injury lawyer from DiBella Law. Our team has handled thousands of cases throughout Massachusetts and has secured substantial compensation for our deserving clients. A New Bedford car accident lawyer from our firm is ready to help you through the aftermath of your car accident to the most favorable case outcome possible.
Massachusetts Is a No-Fault State
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts operates under a no-fault system for car accidents. This means those involved seek coverage for their losses through their own insurance, no matter who bears fault for the accident. The State has four mandatory insurance requirements for all drivers, as posted on the Commonwealth’s official website:
- Bodily Injury to Others: Protection for you, or a person you allow to drive your vehicle, from legal liability if you injure or kill someone accidentally while operating your vehicle. Minimum coverage is $20,000 per person and $40,000 for multiple injuries.
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP): Coverage for medical costs, up to 75% of lost income, and up to $8,000 in replacement services. PIP covers you, anyone driving your car with your permission, your household members, your car passengers, and pedestrians
- Bodily Injury Caused by Uninsured Auto: Protection for you or anyone driving your car with permission, household members, and passengers from losses caused by an uninsured driver or in a hit-and-run. Minimum coverage amounts match those for “Bodily Injury to Others.”
- Property Damage: Coverage for damage to another person’s property caused by you, a household member, or a person lawfully driving your car in an accident. Minimum coverage is $5,000
Drivers have the option of adding additional coverage to their policies, including increased amounts for bodily injury to others, underinsured motorist protection, comprehensive and collision coverage, and medical payments for “reasonable” medical and funeral expenses. Unfortunately, insurance policies can be challenging to navigate–they are often full of fine print, and adjusters may disagree on what “reasonable” actually means. To ensure you get the coverage you deserve from your policy, bring your case to a car accident attorney in New Bedford for review.
When Injuries Warrant Third-Party Compensation
Sometimes, accidents produce injuries and losses exceeding your insurance policy coverage. In some circumstances, you can pursue compensation from a third party through a personal injury claim, as per Chapter 231, §6D of Massachusetts law. The law allows victims to file a claim if care for their physical or emotional injuries exceeds $2000.
We’ve offered crucial support and guidance to individuals who have suffered injuries, ensuring their financial and emotional well-being.
Steps to Take to Protect Yourself After an Accident
Along with mistakes to avoid in your car accident case, there are steps you must take to comply with Massachusetts laws and others you should take to protect your health and your case.
Legal Requirements
State law Chapter 90 §26, requires action from any vehicle operator involved in an accident in which someone is injured or killed, or damage exceeds $1,000. In these situations, the vehicle operator must send an official report of the motor vehicle crash to the police department with jurisdiction over the accident site.
Drivers must also exchange names and contact details, driver’s license and license plate numbers, and auto insurance information. Leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury or property damage could bring criminal charges. If anyone at the scene is hurt, you must offer help, even by calling for emergency care.
Best Practices
Should you be severely injured, your only option is to wait for care to arrive. Do nothing that will further endanger your well-being. However, if you can move safely, you should:
- Take photos of the accident scene. Capture the overall environment, traffic signals and road conditions, presence of cameras, position of and damage to the cars, and your injuries.
- Avoid saying too much. Keep comments to others involved minimal, exchanging only essential information. Do not speculate on the cause of the accident or say anything that could be construed as an admission of fault, and do not discuss your injuries.
- Get contact information from witnesses. Ask them to share photos or videos of the accident with you.
- Seek prompt medical care. Do not assume your injuries are minimal. Some symptoms take time to show and, if left untreated, can lead to serious injury or, in the case of traumatic brain injury, death.
- Connect with DiBella Law.
Submit your case details in less than 5 minutes for a free evaluation with no cost or obligation to you.
How Partnership with a Car Accident Lawyer in New Bedford Helps You
Partnership with a skilled attorney relieves you of stress following your accident. Your attorney will review your case, handle insurance issues, and, assuming the case warrants a third-party claim, handle all legal filings. You can depend on your New Bedford car accident attorney to:
- Dig deep into the circumstances of your accident to identify the cause and negligent party.
- Value your losses, considering your medical costs, income loss, property damage, other related expenses, and pain and suffering. If your injuries require continued care and time away from work (perhaps permanently), your lawyer can calculate anticipated care costs and future lost earnings and job benefits.
- File your injury claim within the Massachusetts three-year legal deadline established in Chapter 260, §2A.
- Carry out negotiations for the highest car accident settlement possible with the at-fault party’s representatives.
- Provide exceptional representation should the at-fault party fail to negotiate in good faith and you opt to take your case to trial.
When a car accident is not your fault, you should not have to pay for your losses. That burden belongs to the negligent party. DiBella Law will fight to hold that party accountable so you do not have to suffer financial injury on top of your physical and emotional wounds.
We Take Your Case Personally
After being injured in an accident, you may feel like an underdog–discouraged, wounded, and not seeing a way to justice. When you partner with DiBella Law, you are not the underdog. We are fierce fighters, and we stand up for injury victims like you. Your battle is our battle, and a New Bedford car accident lawyer from our firm will not give up until delivering the most favorable case resolution possible.
