Massachusetts Auto Insurance

Compulsory Insurance Parts 1-4

Coverage you must Buy

1. Bodily Injury to Others
Pays for damages (e.g. medical expenses, pain and suffering) to anyone injured or killed by your car only in an accident that occurs in Massachusetts, up to a basic limit of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident.  Injuries to the driver or passengers in your car are not covered under this Part; please refer to Personal Injury Protection (Part 2) for information about that coverage.

2. Personal Injury Protection
Pays up to $8,000 to you or anyone you let drive your car, anyone living in your household, passengers and pedestrians, no matter who causes the accident.  Personal Injury Protection pays for medical expenses, replacement services and 75% of any lost wages.

3. Bodily Injury Caused By An Uninsured Auto
Protects you, anyone you let drive your car, household members and passengers (unless covered by another Massachusetts Policy with similar coverage) against losses caused by an uninsured or unidentified ("hit and run") driver.  A minimum limit of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident is required.  This coverage does not pay for property damage or damage to your auto.

4. Damage to Someone Else's Property
Pays for damage to another person's property and costs associated with the loss of use of that property, when you, a household member or another authorized driver cause an accident.  A minimum limit of $5,000 is required.

Optional Insurance Parts 5-12

Coverage you may Buy

5. Optional Bodily Injury to Others
Extends your liability protection (the basic $20,000/$40,000 limits under Bodily Injury to Others) up to the amount your purchase under this part.  This option provides coverage for accidents beyond Massachusetts to anywhere in the United States, its territories or possessions, or Canada.  This coverage also pays for damages suffered by guests in your auto.

6. Medical Payments
Covers medical expenses for you, your household members and passengers, over and above amounts covered by Personal Injury Protection no matter who caused the accident.  The minimum amount you can buy is $5,000 if insuring an automobile and $500 if insuring a motorcycle.

7. Collision
Pays for collision damage to your car, less any applicable deductible, no matter who causes the accident.  If your car is financed, your lender may require this coverage as well as a particular deductible amount.

8. Limited Collision
Pays for collision damage to your car.  You must not be more than 50% at fault and the owner of the other vehicle must be identified.

9. Comprehensive
Pays for damage to or loss of your car, less any applicable deductible, resulting from perils such as fire, theft, vandalism, and striking an animal, but not collision.  This coverage allows up to $15 a day (to a limit of $450) for substitute transportation (rental or other transportation costs including taxi, bus and train fare) until your stolen auto is recovered. Personal property is not covered unless it is permanently installed in your car, such as a tape deck.  If your car is financed, your lender may require this coverage.

10. Substitute Transportation
Reimburses up to $15 per day for car rental or transportation costs including taxi, bus and train fare (up to $450), while your car is undergoing collision or covered repairs. Higher limits of $30 or $100 a day (up to total limits of $900 or $3,000) are available for additional premium.  Even if you have this coverage, some car rental agencies may refuse to rent to you if you are under a certain age, are a poor credit risk, do not have an acceptable credit card or have an unacceptable driving record.

11. Towing and Labor
pays up to $25 for towing and labor charges each time your car breaks down whether or not there is an accident involved.  You are covered only for the on-site labor costs at the breakdown site (not any parts) needed to get your car running again.  Coverage of up to $50 per disablement is available at an additional cost.

12. Bodily Injury Caused By An Underinsured Auto
pays for bodily injury damages to you, your household members and passengers, unless they have a policy of their own, or are covered by a Massachusetts auto policy of another household member with similar coverage.  The accident must be caused by someone without enough bodily injury coverage.  It pays you up to the difference between the total amount collected from the bodily injury liability insurance covering the owner and driver of the other car, and the limits you purchased for coverage.