Bill > H806

This bill proposes to amend Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 6C, Section 57A, which deals with the safe driver insurance plan, by adjusting the financial thresholds that define what constitutes a "major accident" and a "minor accident" for the purposes of determining surchargeable incidents. Specifically, the bill clarifies that a major accident is one where the claim payment, excluding any deductible, exceeds $5,000 under certain types of coverage, including property damage liability and collision coverage, and for accidents after January 1, 2006, also bodily injury liability under specific conditions. A minor accident is defined as one where the claim payment, again excluding the deductible, is between $1,000 and $5,000 under similar coverage types. These changes are intended to update the criteria used by insurers and the state to assess driver risk and apply surcharges under safe driver insurance plans, which are designed to reward safe driving and penalize at-fault accidents.