Compulsory Insurance parts 1 - 4

PART 1 Bodily Injury to Others

pays for damages (c.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.

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.

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.

2 Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

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.

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."

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.

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.

Note: PIP covers owners of cars and motorcycles, and members of their households, if they are injured while occupying or struck by a car that does not have Massachusetts Compulsory Insurance.

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.

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.