There are a number of factors that come into play when an attorney decides whether or not to take on a personal injury case for a client.  Here are some, but not all, of those factors:

1. Has the Statute of Limitations run (it is generally three years in Massachusetts but there are exceptions)?
2. Was the client injured?
3. Did the client seek medical treatment?
4. Is there insurance, and if not, does the person who caused the injuries have assets?
5. Can liability be established;
6. Is the case so small that it would make more sense for the client to handle the case by himself?