If you're in a car accident, mandatory coverage might not be enough to cover you. Optional Bodily Injury coverage in Part 5 is what fills in some of those gaps. It will apply to you, a your household member, or anyone driving your car with your consent. Unlike Part 1 coverage, it will apply for injuries to guest occupants and for accidents outside of Massachusetts. Important to know, here is what your insurance company won't cover:

  1. injuries to employees of the person using the vehicle who are injured in the course of employment;
  2. injuries resulting from an accident where a household member (other than your spouse) is using a car which you or any household member owns or uses regularly, but for which a premium has not been paid;
  3. injuries resulting from an accident while you or your spouse are in a vehicle you own or use regularly, unless a premium is paid;
  4. if the vehicle is being used by anyone while in the business of selling, servicing, or parking autos;
  5. injuries that occur while anyone is using the vehicle in the course of any business other than those listed in #4. (this has exceptions, namely for passenger cars).

WARNING: Note that the difference between exclusions 2 and 3 was designed to protect parents who might do a rare errand with a child's car, allowing the parent to keep their assumedly higher Part 5 coverage. Some insurers have stripped away that protection. Similarly, some insurers have changed the exception to the exclusion on business use of your car. Don't be fooled by lower premiums which really only reflect lesser protection. Massachusetts is moving away from the standard policy, meaning it's more likely that you need help in choosing your coverage.

Also, if a car accident occurs in another state with different insurance requirements, your part 5 coverage, if lower than the required coverage, will automatically mirror the higher coverage. Other than that, the Optional Coverage you choose will apply as does Part 1 coverage. So, 20/40 coverage means a limit of $20,000 per person, and $40,000 per accident.

Part 5 coverage, while optional, is a necessary part of your insurance policy. There are so many gaps in Part 1, Part 5 will help protect you from the unthinkable. It's also important to remember that if you want to protect yourself with higher coverage should you be the victim of an accident caused by someone with no insurance or not enough insurance, you need to have at least the same amount of Part 5 Coverage. If you have any questions, either call your insurance agent, or feel free to contact us at Marcotte Law Firm.