The Massachusetts Department of Transportation reported 140,470 car accidents in 2019. Almost 33,000 crashes resulted in at least one injury, and 323 people were killed in car accidents throughout the state.
Drivers in Massachusetts are required by law to carry car insurance in order to protect themselves and other drivers. Understanding Massachusetts car insurance laws is essential for ensuring adequate protection and meeting the minimum coverage requirements.
Massachusetts Auto Insurance Regulations
Massachusetts has a number of important car insurance laws. Whether you are a current Massachusetts resident or are relocating to the state, it is important to become acquainted with the rules and your rights as a driver. The following are the Massachusetts car insurance laws:
Drivers must have minimum coverage insurance: In Massachusetts, all drivers must have a minimum amount of liability and uninsured motorist coverage.
Drivers must have no-fault insurance: Because Massachusetts is a no-fault state, drivers must have personal injury protection (PIP) insurance.
Drivers must have insurance before registering a vehicle: Massachusetts drivers must present proof of insurance to the Department of Motor Vehicles in order to register their vehicle (DMV).
Your policy must include the following household members: Any relatives who live in your household must be listed on your car insurance policy, even if they have their own insurance policy, according to Massachusetts state law.
You cannot be denied coverage on the basis of discrimination: Insurance companies in Massachusetts are not permitted to consider a driver's credit score, age, gender, marital status, education, or income when calculating their policy premium.
All drivers are entitled to auto insurance: If a driver in Massachusetts is refused coverage by a preferred auto insurance provider, the driver can obtain coverage through the Massachusetts Automobile Insurance Plan (MAIP).
Massachusetts Liability Insurance
According to Massachusetts insurance law, all drivers must carry liability insurance as well as uninsured motorist coverage. The following are the minimum car insurance requirements in Massachusetts:
Per person, bodily injury liability/uninsured bodily injury liability coverage of $20,000 is required.
Per accident, $40,000 in bodily injury liability/uninsured bodily injury liability coverage is required.
Property damage liability coverage of $5,000 per accident
Drivers who opt for the bare minimum of insurance coverage will pay the lowest insurance premium. However, settling for the bare minimum of insurance coverage is not always the best option. Car accidents can be costly, and there is no guarantee that liability insurance will cover the entire cost of an accident.
Consider the following scenario: you crash into a storefront and cause $60,000 in property damage. Your policy would only cover $5,000 in losses if you had minimum coverage insurance. In that case, you'd be on the hook for the $55,000 difference out of pocket.
Another thing to consider is that liability-only insurance does not cover your vehicle. If you hit a deer or accidentally collided with a neighbor's mailbox, you would be responsible for the vehicle's repairs.
Is Massachusetts a fault-free state?
Massachusetts is one of 12 states that have no-fault auto insurance laws in place. In a no-fault state, a driver's insurer pays for their medical bills and lost wages following an accident, regardless of who caused the accident. The other 38 states have fault insurance laws, which require the at-fault driver's insurance company to pay for the medical expenses of the other driver.
Drivers in Massachusetts are required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance because the state is no-fault. PIP is the portion of your auto insurance policy that covers your medical bills in the event of an accident. In Massachusetts, the minimum PIP coverage is $8,000 per person and $8,000 per accident, but drivers can choose to purchase higher coverage limits.
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