State law requires all Massachusetts drivers to purchase car insurance and carry proof in their cars at all times. The penalties for disobeying this law can be severe. Drivers licenses and vehicle registrations may be suspended. Drivers may also be issued fines of up to $5,000, sentenced to a year in jail, or both.
In other words, it is important to purchase car insurance. But with so many options available, it can be difficult to determine how much coverage you need. Therefore, Massachusetts law defines the minimum amount of insurance you have to buy.
Required Minimum Car Insurance in Massachusetts
An auto insurance policy can contain many different types of coverage. At the minimum, however, Massachusetts car insurance laws require drivers to have just four:
- Bodily Injury to Others: minimum limit of $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP): minimum limit of $8,000 per person, per accident
- Bodily Injury Caused by an Uninsured Auto: minimum limit of $20,000 per person, $40,000 per accident
- Damage to Someone Else’s Property: minimum limit of $5,000 per accident
Each type of coverage has a limit, which is the maximum that the insurer will pay in an accident. Because serious car accidents are often very expensive, it is generally recommended that drivers purchase coverage limits well above the minimum requirements.
Bodily Injury to Others
Bodily Injury to Others coverage will help protect you if you cause someone else injury in a Worcester auto accident. This insurance will help pay for the medical and/or funeral costs associated with that person’s injuries.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) covers medical expenses and related costs if you are injured in a car accident. PIP will help pay for:
- Medical bills for injuries suffered in a car accident
- Lost wages due to time away from work
Bodily Injury Caused by an Uninsured Auto
Your Uninsured Motorist coverage protects you if you are injured by a driver who is uninsured, or unknown. This includes:
- Hit-and-run drivers
- A driver who does not have insurance (uninsured)
Damage to Someone Else’s Property
Damage to Someone Else’s Property insurance protects you from the costs involved in repairing the damage you cause in an auto accident. This property damage is not limited only to cars. If you were to crash into a telephone pole, wall, or building, this coverage would also apply.
Optional Car Insurance
Although Massachusetts does not require you to carry insurance for damage to your own car, most drivers will choose to purchase this additional coverage. (Note that if your car is leased or financed, the finance company will require you to carry this coverage.) Optional car insurance coverage includes:
- Collision: to cover vehicle damages sustained in a crash
- Comprehensive: to cover vehicle damages sustained due to weather, etc.
- Rental: to cover the costs of a rental car while your car is damaged
- Towing and labor: to cover the costs of transporting your car away from the scene of an accident
Injured in a Car Accident? Get Expert Legal Assistance
A serious car accident may cause significant and debilitating injuries, which in some cases may be disfiguring or even permanent. In these situations, medical expenses will be high—far higher, most likely, than a driver’s insurance limits.
If you have suffered serious injuries as a result of a car accident, you are not limited to making insurance claims in order to pay your medical bills. With a personal injury lawsuit, you can seek damages from the at-fault driver and be compensated for your losses, including pain and suffering. Contact Worcester auto accident lawyer Peter Ventura to schedule a complimentary consultation.
Leave a Reply