Massachusetts Slip & Slide Accident Appeal

 

Have you been found “at-fault” in a Massachusetts auto accident?

Have you received the surcharge notice? If so, this means your insurance company determined you are more than 50% at-fault in the accident and more than $500 was paid out in damages.

If you believe you are not more than 50% at-fault in the accident, then you should appeal the surcharge.

You should submit the written appeal (& non-refundabe $50) to the MA Board of Appeal within 30 days of receiving the surcharge notice.

When determining fault in an accident, unlike the insurance companies, the Massachusetts Board of Appeals takes into consideration contributing factors. Such as: road condition (icy, wet, snow-covered), visibility, other vehicle erratic driving, etc.

The MA Board of Appeal tells us it is presently taking about 9 months before you will receive your hearing date.

Once you have received your hearing date you can: appear in person, submit a written statement, or select someone to appear on your behalf.

Appeal hearings are scheduled in: Boston, Brockton, Peabody, Plymouth, Somerville, Springfield, Waltham, or Worcester.

If you win your appeal because of our suggestion, you can thank us by getting your free, competitive MA auto insurance quote from us!

Call or click us today.

MA Auto Insurance: Accident Forgiveness & Disappearing Deductible

Many insurance companies in Massachusetts now offer versions of Accident Forgiveness & Disappearing Deductibles.

Some companies make you earn it, some companies make you qualify for it, and then allow you to buy it.

Often it makes sense for the MA auto insurance consumer to increase the vehicle’s collision deductible & purchase the endorsement. By doing so, it is possible to improve coverage & save money.

Insurance company spotlight: Vermont Mutual

Vermont Mutual Insurance offers the “Advantage” endorsement to 99 & 98 drivers which,  for $49 includes:

  •  Disappearing Collision Deductible
  • Accident Forgiveness
  • New Car Replacement Coverage
  • Auto Loan / Lease Gap Coverage
  • Original Equipment Manufacturer Parts Guarantee Coverage
  • Enhanced Towing & Labor Coverage
  • Emergency Travel Expense
  • Enhanced Substitute Transportation.
  • Rental Vehicle Loss of Income
  • Personal Clothing and Baggage Coverage
  • Bail Bonds and Loss of Earnings
  • Air Bag – Accidental Deployment

When you sign up for Massachusetts auto insurance, ask if accident forgiveness & disappearing deductible is available. Click or call us today.

Massachusetts Vanity License Plates

According to Mass.gov, the official website of Massachusetts, one of the most requested topics is ordering vanity license plates.

By using the following Registry of Motor Vehicles search tool, consumers can check to see if the vanity plate you want is available:

http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/rmv/VanityPlateRequirements.aspx

Ordering Vanity Plates

Vanity plates may be ordered in person.

In Person: Go to any full service Registry Branch and complete the Application for Vanity Plates  Up to three plate requests can be made on one application. Payment must be made at the time of ordering.

Process: Within twelve to fourteen (12-14) weeks after your payment is received, you will receive a letter telling you the plates are ready and instructions on where to pick them up. The plates generally arrive at the branch within one week of the date of this letter.

To pick up your vanity plates at the branch you will be required to:

  • Submit an RMV-3, stamped by your insurance company.
  • Surrender your old plate(s).
  • Pay a swap fee.

Vanity plates must be picked up within 90 days.

MA Auto Insurance Coverage: Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist (Parts 3 & 12)

Often overlooked on the MA auto policy are Parts 3 & 12, Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist Coverage.

These limits are important. So important, we recommend coverage be equal to your Part 5 coverage which, hopefully, is at least $100,000 per person/ $300,000 per accident.

Uninsured & Underinsured coverage protects you and occupants from other drivers. Coverage also extends to you and household members involved in an accident as a pedestrian. 

A recent report from the Insurance Research Council (IRC) shows that there is a remarkable correlation between unemployed and being uninsured.

Please click or call to discuss your Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist coverage limits.

Canada Card Reminder

Do you have a Massachusetts auto policy and are you planning a trip to Canada?

If so, you may be asked for “proof of auto liability coverage” at the border.

Give your Massachusetts insurance agent a call, and they will be pleased to e-mail or mail you a Canada Non-Resident Liability Insurance Card.

 Call or click us today for more information.

Tips to save YOU money

As a Massachusetts auto insurance consumer, it’s important to understand the coverage you carry.

It’s important to understand what you pay all your premium for, year after year.

You don’t have to understand the intricacies of the MA auto policy, nor do you have to become a licensed MA insurance agent.

However, with the assistance of your MA insurance agent, an explanation of coverage, along with the costs & savings of improving or reducing coverage, should only take a few minutes.

Each year at renewal time, visit, phone, or exchange e-mails with your MA insurance agent.

In 2013 become an engaged insurance consumer.

Some questions:

Do we carry adequate liability limits?

Do we carry Umbrella coverage?

Do we carry physical damage coverage (Collision & Comprehensive) on our vehicle?

What is the value of our vehicle?

Are we getting all the discounts that are available?

Insurance is serious stuff. Insurance is asset protection.

Auto insurance protects the value of your car & provides you liability protection.

Liability protection is protection from lawsuits or injury up to your policy’s coverage limits.

Do you know your policy’s limits?

Your independent Massachusetts insurance agent shops for the best premiums & discount programs with the best companies.

Not many are talking about it but, after years of discounted managed competition, auto insurance rates across Massachusetts are going up.

Now, more than ever, you will find the advocacy role & shopping power of your insurance agent the best way to ensure you are getting the best rates and coverage.

If you would like a quote, please call, click, fax or stop by with your auto insurance Coverage Page.

Safelite Buys Giant Glass

Hidden away in Tuesday, January 1, 2013, Boston Globe’s  Business section was an article by Todd Wallack entitled “Safelite Group suggests it may buy Giant Glass.

The Globe article said: “Reached on Sunday, company president Dennis Drinkwater said he had ‘no plans as of right now’ to sell the company. But Drinkwater hung up when asked if he was considering a sale at all.”

Massautoquote.com has learned that the deal is official: Safelite has bought Giant Glass.

Sources reveal that, as part of the deal, Giant Glass, and Drinkwater, for the foreseeable future, will continue to be involved in business operations.

Giant Glass has been a local business success story.

Started in 1978, through marketing and good business practices, Giant became one of the top glass companies in Massachusetts. They have 5 locations and a fleet of 30 mobile vans.

MA Auto Insurance, the dreaded: Speeding Ticket

 

Our Massachusetts Insurance Agency got a call from a client regarding the letter we sent about his January 20, 2013 auto insurance renewal. His annual premium went up from $1,057 in 2012 to $1,331 in 2013.

What happened?

He got a speeding ticket.

Although there are no surcharge points added for the first moving violation, companies take away incident free driving credits.

So, as a result, his driving record went from a step “99” to a “0.”

Happy ending: Our Agency re-rated his renewal with seven companies and found another company more competitive for “0” drivers. We were able to lower his annual premium to $1,156. He can save an additional -5% if he decides to pay in full.

Shop your Massachusetts Insurance with us @ Massautoquote and utitlize the power of the Massachusetts Independent Insurance Agent.

Massachusetts Insurance Driving Record Program

We mailed an auto insurance client his January 2, 2013 auto insurance renewal and he called to review his driving record.

He got into a minor, at-faut accident in May 2010. The 3-point surcharge date is June 1, 2010.

He asked: “When will my driving record improve?”

The answer is: 3 years after the surcharge date his driving record will be credited -1 point.

Then, after 5 years, surcharge points will disappear and he will become a “0” driver. 

6 years after the surcharge date, he will become a perfect, Step “99” driver. 

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Registry of Motor Vehicles offer terrific online tools to learn about your MA driving record:

MA Driving Record (SDIP) and your Massachusetts Auto Insurance

To access the topics on this page, click on one of the links below:

Purpose of the Safe Driver Insurance Plan
Compute Your Operator SDIP Rating
Value of Surcharge Points Assigned to Surchargeable Incidents
Policy Effective Date
Policy Experience Period
Surcharge Date
Multiple Surchargeable Incidents
Incident Count
Assignment of Operators to Vehicles

MA Auto Insurance Review

As Massachusetts independent insurance agents, we quote insurance every day. The first thing we try to get is a copy of your present MA auto insurance Coverage Selections Page.

On the Coverage Selections Page is most of the pertinent things our MA insurance agency looks for in order to provide you comprehensive, comparative rates with numerous MA auto insurance companies.

Top Review Items on your MA Auto Insurance Coverage Page:

  • What is your Part 5, Optional Bodily Injury Coverage? Although not compulsary, this coverage is perhaps the most important coverage on your MA auto policy. This is your liability, or law-suit protection, if you injure someone in an accident. State minimum-type limits are: $20,000 per person/$40,000 per accident. We recommend you consider limits of, at least, $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident.
  • What is your Part 4, Damage to Someone Else’s Property Coverage? We believe you should carry limits of at least: $100,000 per accident. We’ve seen many policies with online writers with $25,000 (or less) coverage. Usually you can improve this coverage to $100,000 for just a few dollars.
  • Does your Parts 3 & 12 Coverage match your Part 5 Coverage? They should. Parts 3 & 12 protect you & guest occupants from other uninsured or underinsured drivers. These Parts are not very expensive to increase & should match your Part 5 limits.
  • Does your vehicle carry Parts 7 & 9, Collision & Comprehensive Coverage? If so, what is your Collision deductible? If $500, you may want to consider increasing to $1,000. Usually the savings pays for such things as improving your Parts 3, 4, 5 & 12!

Other items to consider: are your receiving a mileage discount? Does your insurance company offer a AAA discount? Are you getting a good student or student away at school credit? Are you age 65 or over? Are you receiving your senior citizen discount? Have you packaged your auto insurance with the same company as your home, condominium or apartment insurance? Does someone review your coverage with you annually?

Call or click us for your free, no obligation MA auto insurance review.