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Customer
Information Center
Auto Insurance
The following Auto articles were provided by the
Massachusetts Division of Insurance
Coverages You Must Buy Parts 1 -
4
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1. Bodily Injury to
Others
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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.
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If you drive outside of Massachusetts or in places
where the public has no right of access, or if you drive with guests
in your car, please see Optional Bodily Injury to Others (Part 5),
for coverage that will protect you in such situations. |
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You could be sued for much more than the required
($20,000/ $40,000) limits for Bodily Injury to Others. Buying higher
limits under the Optional Bodily Injury to Others (Part 5) coverage
may protect you from large losses. The limits you select will depend
on your personal financial situation; limits of $100,000 per person,
$300,000 per accident are commonly
selected.
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2. Personal Injury Protection
(PIP)
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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.
Your PIP coverage
pays for medical expenses in excess of $2,000 that are not paid for by
your medical insurance only after these expenses have been submitted to
the medical insurer to determine what it will and will not pay. Your PIP
coverage will not pay for expenses over $2,000 that your medical
insurer would have paid if the injured person had sought treatment in
accordance with the terms of your health plan.
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Your health insurance may not cover all of your medical
expenses from an auto accident such as cosmetic and dental services,
co-payments and deductibles. Also, your disability policy may have
long waiting periods. The small savings from the larger deductible
may not be worth it. |
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The driver and passengers, while riding a motorcycle,
are not covered by PIP. However, the owner of the motorcycle must purchase this coverage to protect other people who may be
injured by the motorcycle. |
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You can save on your premium by excluding yourself, or
yourself and household members, from some or all of this coverage.
You should consider this option if you have a medical and disability
income plan. The portion of each claim you have agreed not to be
covered for is called a "deductible." | |
Note: PIP covers owners of cars and motor-cycles, and
members of their households, if they are injured while occupying or struck
by a car that does not have Massachusetts Compulsory
Insurance.
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3. Bodily Injury Caused By An
Uninsured Auto
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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.
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4. Damage to Someone Else’s
Property
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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.
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With the rising costs of automobile and property
repair, it may make sense to purchase more than the required $5,000
minimum limit. This can be done at minimal cost. Limits of $50,000
or $100,000 are frequently purchased. Note that only 3% of all
drivers purchase the $5,000 minimum. | |
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