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The Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP) is mandated by state law to establish classifications of risks to fairly reflect the driving records of insureds and adjust premiums based in part on at-fault accidents. The Plan encourages safe driving by rewarding drivers who do not cause accidents or incur traffic law violations with a credit to their automobile insurance premiums, and discourages unsafe driving by requiring high-risk drivers to pay a greater share of insurance costs. Massachusetts, unlike many comparable jurisdictions that afford no or limited due process rights, provides the right to a hearing before an impartial hearing officer of the Board.

Surcharge points are incurred if you:

• cause an at-fault accident
• are convicted of or pay a fine for a traffic law violation
• are assigned to an alcohol education program

You will be issued a surcharge, under the Safe Driver Insurance Plan, if you are involved in an auto accident in which your insurance company:

• determines that you are more than 50% at-fault
• pays out more than $500.00 on the claim and,
• you fall into one of the Standard of Fault categories

If you decide not to pursue an appeal, the surcharge can increase your premium and SDIP step.

If you believe that you are not more than 50% at-fault for an accident in which you received a surcharge, you may appeal the motor vehicle accident surcharge to the Division of Insurance Board of Appeal.

1. Your insurance company will mail you a Notice of Surcharge.
   • If any of the information listed on the Surcharge Notice is incorrect (name, driver's license number or date of accident), contact the issuing insurance company to make the corrections before appealing.
   • If you do not receive a Surcharge Notice or misplace it:
   • contact your insurance agent for a copy of the Surcharge Notice OR
   • request a late appeal from the Merit Rating Board.
2. Complete the Surcharge Appeal Form located on the reverse side of the Notice of Surcharge.
   • The appeal must be filed within 30 days of the surcharge date.
   • If you did not submit your appeal within 30 days because you never received a Surcharge Notice, you must obtain a Late Appeal from the Merit Rating Board. The Board of Appeal must receive the Late Appeal within 30 days of your policy renewal.
3. Submit a $50.00 check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts/Board of Appeal.
   • The fee is non-refundable.
4. Mail your appeal to the post office box designated on the application. Late appeals must be sent directly to the Division of Insurance, Board of Appeal.
5. Upon receipt of your surcharge application, the Board will mail you a postcard to acknowledge your appeal. Your cancelled check will serve as an additional receipt of your filing.

1. The Board will mail you a Notice of Hearing approximately 3 weeks prior to your hearing date.
2. Appeal hearings are scheduled in Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Peabody, Plymouth, Somerville, Springfield, Waltham, or Worcester. Carefully note the location of your hearing listed on the Notice. Directions are included at the bottom of the Hearing Notice.
3. Upon receipt of the Hearing Notice, you have three options for which to pursue the appeal:
   • Appear in Person.
     • Bring your Hearing Notice to the scheduled location.
     • Bring copies of all relevant information, any documents/photographs etc. that you want the Hearing Officer to consider when making the decision.
   • Submit a Written Statement in lieu of your appearance.
   • The Board must receive your written or typed statement via mail or facsimile at least 5 days prior to your hearing. The statement must include:
     • copies of all relevant information, any documents/photographs etc. that you want the Hearing Officer to consider in making the decision
     • your signature on the Hearing Notice that identifies you are waiving a personal appearance in favor of your written statement & affirms that your statement is truthful.
   • Select a representative to appear on your behalf.
   • If you elect to submit a written statement via a representative, instead of appearing in person, it must include
     • Copies of all relevant information, any documents/photographs etc. that you want the Hearing Officer to consider in making the decision
     • your signature on the Hearing Notice that identifies you are waiving a personal appearance in favor of your written statement & affirms that your written statement is truthful.
   • NOTE: All materials submitted toward your appeal will become a part of the Board's record and cannot be returned. It is recommended that you make additional copies for your records.

The hearing is informal and public, lasting approximately 20 - 30 minutes. The Hearing Officer will make an audio tape recording of the hearing. You and your insurance company representative will be given an opportunity to present all pertinent information. You may also bring a witness or a witness statement to the hearing. The Hearing Officer may ask you or the representative questions to clarify the information presented or the circumstances of the accident.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the Hearing Officer will take your appeal under advisement. The facts and circumstances presented will be reviewed in accordance with the governing laws and regulations.

To have the surcharge removed from your record, your testimony and the evidence/information you present must overcome the presumption of fault. The governing regulations state that the presumption is "determinative unless and until the operator overcomes the presumption by producing sufficient evidence at an initial review or hearing" (211 CMR 74.03).

The Memorandum of Finding and Order, the Board's decision, will be mailed to you within 2-4 weeks. The Board will also contact the Commonwealth's Merit Rating Board and your insurance company so that your driving history record will be properly updated.

• If the decision is marked VACATE, the Board has found that you were not more than 50% at-fault for the accident. Any points that you received on your driving record as a result of the accident will be removed.
• If the decision is marked UPHELD, the Board has found that you were more than 50% at-fault for the accident. The surcharge points will remain on your driving record.

If you disagree with the determination of the Board, you may appeal the decision to your county's Superior Court or in Boston Suffolk County Court. In accordance with M.G.L. c. 30A s 14 and Superior Court Standing Order 1-96, you must file this appeal within 30 days of your receipt of the decision. Enclose to Superior Court:

• a certified copy of the Memorandum of Finding and Order, which may be obtained from the Board of Appeal for a fee of $13.00 and your complaint against the Board.

A surcharge incurred due to a traffic violation or a non-moving violation are not appealable to the Board. Any questions regarding this type of incident should be directed to the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

There are 6 available forms available:

Forms to cover house/contacts/liability (1 to 4 family home)

1. HO 00 02 Broad Form – 16 named perils (house/structures/contents)
2. HO 00 03 Special Form – Open perils house/structures, 16 named perils contents
3. HO 00 05 Comprehensive Form – Open perils house/structures and contents
4. HO 00 08 Modified Form – 10 Names perils (house/structures/contents) modifies the "basic form"

Form to cover contents and liability (Renters Policy): HO 00 04 Contents Broad Form – 16 named perils

Form to cover condominium or cooperative owner: HO 00 06 Unit Owners Form – 16 named perils (building/structures/contents).

This coverage generally provides for two major types of losses:

Additional living expenses for items paid for when the home is not available to the insured due to a covered cause of loss. These might be things like eating out, dry cleaning, hotel, kennel, etc.

Loss of rent pays when the home is a multifamily and the insured is losing rental incomes when the tenant(s) have to leave because of due to a covered cause of loss.

Coverage here is provided up to the limit of liability stated on the policy and not a time limit, although many insurance companies look at a one year time frame on getting back into the home. .

Collision responds when the named insured or household members uses any covered auto with permission and while in the course of driving hits an object (like a telephone pole), hits a pot hole, hits another auto, when another auto hits you, when your vehicle flips over. If there is no collision coverage, then you will be responsible to pay for the repairs to your vehicle out of your own pocket.

Call us. We will help by calling the claim into your insurance company, support and offer you guidance through the claim process. We will answer any questions you have and help you navigate through the claim process.

Insurance to value on your home/building provides you with the necessary dollars to rebuild a home of like kind and quality. Cost Estimator software is used. Debris removal, quality of items selected in your home, proper square footage, additions and alterations is taken into consideration when calculating this number. A homeowner evaluation worksheet is filled out by the homeowner so these items are accurate and you are insured correctly, to value.

Typically if you have compressive coverage on your auto policy a broken windshield is covered. A deductible will not apply unless elected by the policy holder.

Any household member or individual who drives your vehicle on a "regular" basis.

Review your condominium by-laws or master policy. The By-laws tell us where your responsibilities begin and end. Common Language found in the By-Laws:

All-in/Single Entity Type:

1. Association insures the "real" type property
2. Betterments and improvements to the unit are the unit owner's responsibility. This may be all improvements made since the condos were first build many years ago.
3. Bare walls/studs in concept states that the unit owner must insure all "real" type property such as wall, doors, kitchen cabinets, toilets, etc., inside the unit,

• Earth Movement
• Flood (surface water)
• Power failure
• Neglect
• War
• Nuclear Hazard
• Intentional Loss
• Governmental Action

• Raising your deductible
• Driving less
• Paying your premium in full
• Having Good Student in your household
• Having Student away at school
• Paying by Electronic Fund Transfer (ETF) – no service charges
• Adding an alarm feature to your auto/home
• Senior Discount if 65 or older
• Driver education/training course

Coverage Choices

Drivers can often lower their premium by thinking about which optional coverages they really need and the level of coverage that best fits their situation.

Collision and Comprehensive

If you have a car of low dollar value, it may be a wise economic choice not to buy the Collision or Comprehensive coverage unless your lender requires it.

Medical Payments

You should consider carefully your choice to purchase medicalpayments insurance if you already have health insurance.  Your medical payments insurance may not be necessary if you have health insurance.

Substitute Transportation

If you can afford to take a cab or rent a car when your car is in the shop for collision repairs, you may not need Substitute Transportation coverage.

Towing & Labor

If you belong to a Motor Club, you probably do not need this coverage since many Motor Clubs' services include towing and labor.

Selecting Your Deductible

Your deductible will be set at $500 unless you select a different amount. You can always save on your premium by choosing a larger deductible where one is offered. In determining the right deductible for you, decide how much you can afford to pay out of your own pocket in the event of an accident or loss in which you are at fault, or the other driver is unidentified.

Individual Discounts

Insurance companies offer a variety of ways to reduce your premium.  While there are some discounts that are required by law - such as discounts for drivers who are 65 years or older - companies may have other savings tied to driver-training, multiple cars on the same policy or other factors that reduce either the risk or extent of injuries or damage. The amount of these savings may vary somewhat from company to company.  When shopping for your new policy, be sure to find out what factors may reduce your premium for each company.

Group Marketing Programs

In recent years, many insurers have been offering reduced rates to members of certain groups.  In addition, many group plans do not charge interest or require an initial deposit.
Groups can be sponsored by an employer, civic organization, motor club, association, trade union, credit union, etc. You may want to check with agents of several different insurers to learn which groups the insurer has been approved to offer discounts to and the size of the discounts. Any member of an approved group is eligible for the group savings.

For more information please check out:
http://www.mass.gov/Eoca/docs/doi/Consumer/Ways_to_save.pdf

A builder's risk policy is usually on brand new construction, when one doesn't qualify for homeowner policy and there needs to be insurance on the building materials/construction costs. This type of policy does not cover liability. If you are looking to complete an addition and already have a homeowner policy, a builder's risk policy is not necessary. You will increase your dwelling amount (coverage A) to reflect the renovations/upgrades to be completed to be adequately covered.

The service fees will be eliminated by most insurance companies if you sign up for Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) form of payment. EFT form of payment withdraws your insurance payment directly from your checking account.

This endorsement will allow the insurance company to provide replacement cost payments to the insured for certain property rather than a depreciated actual value payment. Replacement cost payments could allow you to buy new at a retail store while actual value payments may be enough for yard sales.

Limited collision responds when the insured is 51% at-fault in an accident and can made a positive ID of the at-fault driver

An Umbrella Liability can help protect:

• Assets owned now and in the future from lawsuit
• Income now and in the future from lawsuit
• Moral obligations due others from our actions

An umbrella provides excess limits over underlying policies at a more "affordable" cost It also provides additional liability coverage NOT found in underlying the primary insurance policies; such as Personal Injury coverage (libel, slander, etc), Worldwide auto liability and protection from the catastrophic liability claim – protection of assets and wages.

If any of your children who are household members obtain a driver's license, you must notify your company within 60 days of that date. You must list all licensed household members and any other licensed person who will customarily operate your auto

All household members and "regular users" of your vehicles should be listed on your policy immediately. A new driver should be added to and rated on the policy as soon as they are licensed. An unlisted operator could result in the denial of a claim for all optional parts of the policy. For new young drivers who holds a "Junior Operator's License" (or Learner's Permit) they do not need to be listed on your auto policy until they become a licensed driver.