$8,000 is the basic Massachusetts PIP limit, and the smarter move is usually to treat with your own doctor first, not the insurance company's IME doctor.

Picture a common Worcester-area fall crash: a driver swerves for a deer near the Mass Pike in Auburn, gets jolted, feels "mostly okay," then wakes up two days later with neck pain, headaches, and panic behind the wheel. The adjuster quickly says they can send the person to an "independent medical exam" doctor. That sounds official. It is not treatment. It is a doctor the insurer pays to evaluate your claim.

In Massachusetts, your own treating doctor is the one who diagnoses you, orders imaging, prescribes PT, and creates the records that matter. An IME is usually just a one-time exam for the insurer. It does not replace your care.

Here's the practical rule:

• Get treated right away with your own doctor, urgent care, or ER if symptoms are serious.
• Tell the provider the pain started after the crash, even if symptoms were delayed.
• If English is a problem, ask for an interpreter and do not sign medical or insurance papers you cannot read.
• If the insurer schedules an IME, do not skip it without checking the notice, but do not rely on it for care.
• Keep records of every visit, prescription, and work restriction.

Massachusetts auto claims often start through PIP. If you have health insurance, PIP usually pays the first $2,000 in medical bills, and after that your health insurer may take over. If you do not have health insurance, PIP may pay up to $8,000.

If the crash happened on the Turnpike or another limited-access highway, Massachusetts State Police may have the report. Get that report number early. It helps when the adjuster starts questioning whether the deer crash or your "old problem" caused the symptoms.