Types of Car Accident Insurance Claims

Insurance documents are some of the hardest to read. While there are some types of insurance that are required in Massachusetts, there are also many coverages that are optional. You would also think that these insurance policies would be easy to understand so customers decide how much insurance they should buy. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case. Insurance companies intentionally write confusing policies. They want to sell you less insurance and charge you more for it. Making sure you don’t understand is one of the oldest tricks in their book.

Just with car accidents, the Massachusetts Car Accident Insurance Policy will have several parts. While it’s impossible to fully describe every aspect of car insurance, here is a brief overview of the different elements of Car Insurance.

First, there are four parts that are required with every car registered in Massachusetts. That includes:

1. Part 1 - Bodily Injury to Others: This is the insurance that will cover you when you hurt certain people in an accident. It provides limited insurance with large gaps in coverage. If you only have the basic amount of insurance, you’re putting yourself at risk.
2. Part 2 - Personal Injury Protection: This insurance will pay up to $8,000.00 for the medical expenses or lost wages of anyone hurt while in your car.
3. Part 3 - Bodily Injury Caused by an Uninsured Car: This protects yourself and some others if you’re injured by a car that does not have insurance. This mandatory insurance is also quite limited, so you risk having only this coverage
4. Part 4 - Property Damage. This has $5,000.00 of coverage to pay for any damage you do to another person’s car or property. Given the price of cars these days, this amount of insurance will not cover most moderate to severe impacts, leaving you with out of pocket expenses.

Second, there are several parts of insurance that are not required. Even so, many of these coverages are highly recommended by attorneys and insurance professionals alike:

5. Part 5 - Optional Bodily Injury to Others: This coverage is similar to Part 1, but it allows you to eliminate many of the gaps of Part 1, while also allowing you to purchase higher insurance limits. While not mandatory, almost all insurance policies in Massachusetts have this coverage
6. Part 6 - Medical Payments: This coverage will pay for some of your medical bills, depending on many other factors. While this coverage used to be the same with every insurer, many auto insurers have changed their rules, so you must consult your own policy to know exactly what you are buying.
7. Part 7 - Collision: Commonly known as having full coverage, this will cover your own vehicle if it is damaged in an accident.
8. Part 8 - Limited Collision: This is a lesser version of Part 7 Collision.
9. Part 9 - Comprehensive: This will cover your vehicle if it’s damaged, but not in a collision. This is also where you may see coverage for glass replacement.
10. Part 10 - Substitute Transportation: This will reimburse you for a rental car in certain situations where your car was damaged.
11. Part 11 - Towing & Labor: Coverage that will pay for minor roadside repairs and towing if your car breaks down.
12. Part 12 - Bodily Injury Caused by an Underinsured Vehicle: Similar to Part 3 Coverage, this insurance will pay for injuries done by vehicles that have insurance, but not enough.

As you can see, there are many confusing parts of insurance. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, you need an attorney who knows the law and knows how it applies to your situation.

At Marcotte Law Firm, we have over 150 years of combined experience. We know the auto insurance laws, and we know what’s available to you. We leave no stone unturned to make sure we’re getting every penny available for our clients.

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, please call the Car Insurance Lawyers at Marcotte Law Firm at (978) 458-1229 or contact us for a free consultation.

As with all our personal injury cases, there are no fees unless you win.