At Fault, Not At Fault and what an accident can cost

One question we get frequently from our clients is how much will my insurance go up after my claim?

Unfortunately there is no simple response for this question.  The cost of any accident surcharge will vary depending on many variables such as the car your drive, your driving record and where you live.

One good development was that in July 2015 the Massachusetts Insurance department increased the property damage liability dollar amounts for Major and Minor at-fault accidents increased to $1001 and $5001 respectively.  This means that your accident must have caused more than $1000 of property damage to be a surchargeable event.

This is all good news for consumers!  However, some insurance companies have filed their own Safe Driver Insurance Plans and these plans have not complied with this new law.  As a result these insurance companies are still charging surcharges for smaller accidents.  Insureds then have to appeal these surcharges in order to get this corrected.

The intent of the increased property damage liability dollar amount was to apply to all Massachusetts drivers.

We do suggest that is you are involved in an accident you check to make certain that you are not charged for  surcharge that may not be necessary! Your driving record could be impacted for up to six years.

Clarification of this law is presenting before the senate.  If you would like the law clarified so that no insurance company shall apply a surcharge as a result of an accident that does not qualify under the new $1001 and $5001 thresholds, please

Ask your senator to support Budget Amendment 41!

This amendment will require all Massachusetts auto companies to comply with the regulation change from July 2015 and help keep your premiums lower if you are involved in an accident.

Safe Driving!