$2,000 is the number that changes your case in Massachusetts.

Before you know that, a taxi insurer may treat a Cambridge crash like a small PIP-only claim and push a fast payout. In Massachusetts, you usually cannot recover pain and suffering from a car crash unless you prove one of these threshold facts: reasonable and necessary medical bills over $2,000, or a fracture, serious disfigurement, or loss of sight or hearing.

After you know that, your evidence gathering gets much sharper.

For a taxi crash near Central Square, Kendall Square, or summer backup on Memorial Drive, the most useful proof is:

• Itemized medical bills showing treatment related to the crash, not just a total balance
• Records tying symptoms to the collision, especially ER notes, urgent care notes, neurology evaluations, concussion screening, and follow-up visits
• Imaging and diagnoses if there was a fracture or head injury
• The Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crash Operator Report if there was injury or $1,000+ in damage; it must be filed within 5 days with the RMV and local police
• Photos, witness names, trip receipt, and app or meter records proving you were in that cab and showing the force of impact

The trap is thinking only broken bones count. They do not. A concussion from a sudden rear-end hit on Route 2, Fresh Pond Parkway, or pothole-damaged Cambridge streets can cross the threshold if your reasonable and necessary treatment exceeds $2,000.

Another trap: letting the insurer say your immigration status matters. It does not decide whether the crash happened, whether the taxi driver was negligent, or whether your bills crossed the threshold.

Once you have the threshold evidence, your claim is no longer just about PIP up to $8,000. It becomes a liability case with a stronger settlement value, and the insurer loses one of its easiest excuses to underpay you.