MA Auto Insurance Coverages and Recommendations
Part 1: Bodily Injury to Others (compulsory)
Pays for damages to anyone killed or injured by your auto in Massachusetts only, up to $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident.
Part 2: Personal Injury Protection (compulsory)
Pays for medical expenses, replacement services, and 75% of any lost
wages for you, anyone you let drive your auto, household members,
passengers,
and pedestrians, no matter who causes the accident, up to a limit of
$8,000. Coordinates with health insurance. Does not apply to motorcycle use.
Part 3: Bodily Injury Caused by an Uninsured Auto (compulsory)
Protects you, household members, and passengers against medical
expenses
and lost earnings caused by an uninsured or unidentified driver. The
minimum
limits are $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident.
We recommend not less than $100,000 per
person,
$300,000 per accident.
Part 4: Damage to Someone Else's Property (compulsory)
Pays for damage to someone else's property and costs associated with
that loss if you, a household member, or other authorized driver causes
an accident. $5,000 is the minimum required in MA.
We recommend at least $100,000 for this
coverage.
Part 5: Optional Bodily Injury to Others (optional unless required by leasing company)
Extends the liability coverage provided in Part 1 above the basic
limits
of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident; provides coverage for
accidents
off public ways and outside of MA to anywhere in the United States or
Canada;
automatically meets the minimum required bodily injury limits of any
other
state or Canadian province; pays for injuries suffered by guest
occupants
in your auto.
We recommend not less than
$100,000/$300,000.
Many personal umbrellas require $250,000/$500,000.
Part 6: Medical Payments (optional)
Covers medical expenses for you, household members, and passengers
over
and above the amount provided in Part 2: Personal Injury Protection.
The
minimum limit available is $5,000.
We recommend a limit of at least $25,000.
Even
if you have excellent health insurance coverage, your passengers may
not.
Part 7: Collision Coverage (optional unless required by lienholder or leasing company)
Pays for collision damage to your vehicle up to its actual cash
value
no matter who causes the accident.
We recommend the standard $500 deductible
with
waiver of deductible; this means the deductible you choose will be
waived
when the accident is the fault of another identified driver. Other
deductible
amounts are available.
Part 8: Limited Collision Coverage (optional)
Pays for collision damage to your vehicle up to its actual cash
value
only if you are not more than 50% at fault. There would be no payment
for
a one car accident or if the other party is not identified. No
deductible.
Part 9: Comprehensive Coverage (optional unless required by lienholder or leasing company)
Pays for losses not caused by collision up to the vehicle's actual
cash
value. Examples: fire, theft, vandalism, wind, glass breakage, hitting
an
animal. In case of theft, includes $15 per day substitute
transportation
until the stolen auto is recovered up to a limit of $450. Deductible
does
not apply to glass breakage unless specifically chosen.
We recommend the standard deductible of
$500.
Other deductible amounts are available.
Part 10: Towing and Labor Coverage (optional)
Pays up to $25 each time your car breaks down. You are covered for
on-site
labor costs needed to get your auto running, or the towing fee.
Coverage
of $50 per occurrence is also available.
The insurance company is not required to offer this coverage.
Part 11: Substitute Transportation Coverage (optional)
Pays up to $15 a day up to $450 for car rental, taxi cab fares, and other transportation costs while your auto is undergoing collision repairs (not routine maintenance). Coverage of up to $100 a day up to $3000 is available.
Part 12: Bodily Injury Caused by an Underinsured Auto (optional)
Pays for bodily injury to you, members of your household, and
passengers
(unless covered by MA policy with similar coverage) when the accident
is
caused by someone without enough insurance. It pays up to the
difference
between the total amount collected from Bodily Injury liability
insurance
covering the owner and driver of the other auto and the limits you
purchased.
We recommend not less than
$100,000/$300,000
False Information
Claims for optional coverages may be denied if caused by an unlisted household member or customary operator, or if false, deceptive, misleading or incomplete information, including the place of garaging, has been given.
If an operator is rated on another Massachusetts personal auto policy and the appropriate premium paid, there is no additional charge on your policy. The operator is listed on your policy but "deferred" to the other policy.
Disclaimer - the minimum
limits
we "recommend" may not be adequate. In the event of a serious
accident, even the maximum available limits may not be enough. The MA
Commissioner
of Insurance suggests that "buying higher limits may make good sense
if you have assets you wish to protect." You may wish to purchase
additional liability coverage through an "umbrella" liability policy.
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