If you’re like most Massachusetts residents, you probably don’t think twice about leaving the state. If you live in South Bellingham, you might even be able to walk to Rhode Island! What many people don’t realize is that your auto insurance might not be “walking” with you when you cross state lines. Optional Bodily Injury is just that–optional; however, if you don’t elect to have this coverage, when you cross over into another state, you’ll have absolutely no bodily injury coverage if you’re at fault and somebody else gets hurt. Especially in Massachusetts, this coverage is incredibly important because of how many states are so close by!
So now that you know you need this coverage, why is it important and how much do you need? Your compulsory coverage sets a baseline of having $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident, but only in the state of Massachusetts. This might seem like a lot, but an increase to $250,000 per person and $500,000 per accident can cost a small fraction of your overall policy if you have a great driving record (contact us and we can give you a quote for exactly how much more it will cost). With the cost of medical bills today, $20,000 per person might not even cover the ride to the hospital, let alone continued treatment! And it’s important to know that you’re personally responsible for paying any gaps in coverage if you’re at fault–which means that anything over $20,000 in medical expenses comes come out of your pocket if you have the minimum coverage and the accident is in state. You’d be responsible for the full amount if it’s out of state! Be careful when selecting coverage, as having the right policy makes a huge difference–saving money but missing essential coverage is a quick way to set yourself up for an enormous expense later on.
