SENATE DOCKET, NO. 265        FILED ON: 1/14/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 548

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Michael J. Rodrigues

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to the property damage threshold for surchargeable incidents.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 265        FILED ON: 1/14/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 548

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 481 OF 2013-2014.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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An Act relative to the property damage threshold for surchargeable incidents.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Clause (a) of Section 57A of Chapter 6C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the fourth sentence of the first paragraph in lines 6 to 13, inclusive, and inserting in place thereof the following sentence: - The board shall formulate and administer a plan for the compiling, gathering and disseminating of information, operator records and histories, and such other data as it deems necessary or appropriate pertaining to motor vehicle accidents, claims under motor vehicle policies and motor vehicle violations in order to facilitate the implementation and operation of the safe driver insurance plan provided in section one hundred and thirteen B of chapter one hundred and seventy-five or a merit rating plan of an insurer filed with the commissioner of insurance.

SECTION 2.  Clause (b) of Section 57A of Chapter 6C of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “insurer” in line 18 of the following sentences: - For motor vehicle insurance purposes, as pertains to an at-fault accident claim, a major accident shall be an accident wherein the claim payment, exclusive of any deductible, exceeds $5,000  under either:  property damage liability coverage; collision coverage; limited collision coverage; or for accidents occurring on or after January 1, 2006, bodily injury liability coverage if there is neither a surchargeable property damage liability coverage claim, nor a surchargeable collision coverage claim, or as a result of the incident with the bodily injury liability coverage claim.

A minor accident shall be an accident wherein the claim payment, exclusive of any deductible, exceeds $1,000, but no more than $5,000  under either:  property damage liability coverage; collision coverage; limited collision coverage, or for accidents occurring on or after January 1, 2006, bodily injury liability coverage if there is neither a surchargeable property damage liability coverage claim, nor a surchargeable collision coverage claim, or as a result of the incident with the bodily injury liability coverage claim.