Consumer-Friendly Changes to Massachusetts Surcharge Limits are Good News For Local Drivers

If you’ve ever been in a car accident you know it’s a mostly unpleasant experience. On top of dealing with the immediate effects, filing a claim, dealing with someone else’s insurance company, getting your car fixed, there is the knowledge in the back of your mind that your insurance rates might increase as well. What most people don’t know is that Massachusetts recently made changes to the accident limits that cause surcharges, and these consumer friendly changes could save Massachusetts drivers including yourself big money in the case of a minor accident.

In July 2015 Governor Baker signed the state budget which included a consumer friendly increase of surchargable accidents from $500 or more to $1000 or more. This means that as of July if you are in an accident that causes less than $999 you will not receive points on your driving record or a surcharge on your insurance policy.

The definition of a minor or major accident also changed. A minor accident will now be considered an accident where the damage is between $1,000 and $5,000. A major accident is anything that causes more than $5,000 worth of damage. While both types of accidents stay on your record for the same amount of time, a minor accident will be less of a surcharge than a major one.

For more specific information about an accident or surcharge you can contact one of our claims representative or your CSR. To find out about accident forgiveness and adding it to your policy to avoid the risk of a surcharge all together you can contact our office, or check out our previous blog post here at  http://jensensheehan.com/accident-forgiveness-could-it-be-saving-you-money/