You May be Shocked to Learn That… if you’re injured by a negligent driver, their insurance may only cover $20,000 of your medical costs, that is, before attorney’s fees and litigation costs.
There’s nothing better on a hot summer day than driving to the beach with your friends to enjoy an afternoon of sand, sun, and surf. That’s just what John and his friends did one July afternoon. On their way home, a flock of wild turkeys was crossing the road in front of them and John was forced to slow down and eventually stop to wait them out. The driver behind them didn’t notice that they had stopped and smashed full force into their vehicle.
The last thing John saw in his rearview mirror before the impact was the driver looking down at his phone, clearly texting. John later recalled – and it was confirmed by accident reconstructionists – that the driver hadn’t even attempted to slow down before crashing into them at 30 mph. Every person in the car suffered some form of injury, including whiplash, broken bones, airbag injuries, and a variety of cuts and bruises. One of the passengers suffered a spinal fracture that required extensive medical treatment, resulting in astronomical medical bills.
Unfortunately for him, when he tried to recover from the driver’s insurance policy, he was shocked to discover that in Massachusetts, the driver of a motor vehicle is only legally required to carry $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident in automobile insurance coverage to compensate any person injured or killed because of negligence. This left the injured parties largely uncompensated for their injuries and losses, and the negligent driver exposed to hundreds of thousands of dollars in civil damages.
(M.G.L.A. c. 90 Section 34A)
