Wilbraham Car Insurance

(Independent insurance agents can help you find the best policy.)

Written by Meg Stefanac
Written by Meg Stefanac

Financial blogger and business owner, Meg Stefanac, has more than 15 years experience working in the financial services industry and enjoys helping individuals make solid financial decisions. Meg has extensive experience writing about insurance and finances and is a key contributor to TrustedChoice.com.

Updated
header

Accidents can happen to anyone. That’s why car insurance is so important. From fender benders on Main Street to serious collisions on the Massachusetts Turnpike, an all-inclusive auto insurance policy can prevent you from facing significant financial losses as a result.

Independent insurance agents make it easy to find the best policy to meet your coverage and budgetary needs. Find an insurance agent in Wilbraham to learn more. You can start comparing customized car insurance quotes in no time.

How Much Does Car Insurance Cost in Wilbraham, MA?

The average cost of car insurance in Massachusetts is higher than the national average. When you take the time to shop around and compare rates, you can potentially save yourself hundreds of dollars a year.

  • National average annual car insurance cost: $1,311
  • Massachusetts average annual car insurance cost: $1,460

Every insurance company is likely to quote you a different rate for coverage. This is because each has its own proprietary way of assessing risk and assigning rates. Your quoted costs will be based on a number of factors such as:

  • The make, model, trim, and year of every vehicle you are insuring
  • Whether you own or rent your home
  • Your age, gender, occupation, and marital status
  • Your driving record and credit score
  • Information about other licensed drivers in your household
  • The amount of liability insurance you are purchasing
  • Which, if any, coverage options you are including in your policy
  • Whether you are bundling your car insurance with other products like home insurance or renters insurance
  • The amount of your deductible

When it comes to car insurance, experience matters. You can expect a senior at Minnechaug Regional High School to be charged higher rates than a 40-year-old accountant with a clean driving record.

Let a local independent insurance agent help you obtain and compare a variety of car insurance quotes so that you can get all the coverage you need at the best possible price.

What Does Wilbraham Car Insurance Cover?

Car insurance policies are a mixture of required and optional coverage. As a resident of Wilbraham, your policy must meet or exceed the Massachusetts minimum coverage requirements.

This state requires drivers to carry liability insurance, personal injury protection insurance (PIP), and uninsured motorist insurance. Additionally, if you are still paying for your car, your lender is likely to require you to carry comprehensive and collision insurance as well.

You can expect your insurance provider to offer the following types of coverage:

  • Liability insurance (required):  This is designed to cover other people’s injuries and damage if you cause an accident. Your policy must include:
    • Bodily-injury liability coverage of at least $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident
    • Property damage liability coverage of at least $5,000 per accident.
  • Personal injury protection (PIP) (required): This is designed to pay for your medical expenses if you are injured in a collision, regardless of fault. Your policy must include at least $8,000 in personal injury protection insurance. You can buy coverage for just yourself, or for yourself and the other members of your household.
  • Uninsured motorist insurance (required): This is designed to pay for otherwise non-covered injuries you may suffer if you are in a collision caused by an uninsured, underinsured, or hit-and-run driver. Your policy must include bodily injury coverage of at least:
    • $20,000 per person
    • $40,000 per accident
  • Collision and comprehensive insurance (partially optional): Both are designed to cover damage to your vehicle, regardless of fault. Though optional by law, these coverage types are often required by lenders until your car is paid off and by dealerships if you are leasing your vehicle.
    • Collision insurance: This is designed to cover the cost to repair or replace your vehicle if it is damaged or totaled in a collision.
    • Comprehensive insurance: This is designed to cover the cost to repair or replace your vehicle if it is damaged or totaled due a non-collision event such as a hailstorm or garage fire.
  • Roadside assistance and towing (optional): This is designed to pay for needed assistance if your vehicle becomes disabled while you are out on the road, such as if your engine overheats or you run out of gas.
  • Gap insurance: (optional)  This is designed to bridge the gap between what your car is worth and what you currently owe for it if it is totaled. This is particularly important during the first few years of new car ownership, when cars tend to depreciate in value very quickly.
  • Rental reimbursement coverage (optional): This is designed to pay for the cost of renting a replacement vehicle while repairs are being made to your car following a covered event.

Talk to your insurance agent for help determining how much liability coverage you can reasonably afford and to discuss which coverage options may be right for you.

car

Save on Car Insurance

Our independent agents shop around to find you the best coverage.

What Is the Penalty for Driving without Insurance in Wilbraham?

Driving without insurance is illegal in Massachusetts, and enforcement of this law is very strict. If caught, uninsured drivers can be charged with a civil motor vehicle infraction (CMVI) and can be penalized with the following:

  • A fine ranging from $500 to $5,000
  • A driver’s license suspension for 60 days to one year
  • A fee of $500 to be paid to the state’s assigned risk plan (MAIP)

Additionally, repeat offenders can be sentenced to up to one year in jail. Simply put, it’s just not worth the risk.

Because this state has some of the toughest penalties for uninsured driving in the nation, it should therefore come as no surprise that it also has one of the lowest percentages of uninsured drivers.

  • Percentage of US drivers who are uninsured: 13%
  • Percentage of Massachusetts drivers who are uninsured: 6.2%

Because you are required to include uninsured motorist insurance in your car insurance policy, you can rest assured that if an uninsured driver is responsible for a collision with your vehicle, you will receive the compensation you are entitled to without the need for hiring a lawyer and going to court.

How High Is the Auto Theft Rate in Wilbraham?

The auto theft rate in Massachusetts is lower than the national average, and in Wilbraham, the risk is even lower. Residents of this city report about 10 auto thefts in an average year.

  • National auto theft rate per 1,000 vehicles: 2.28
  • Massachusetts auto theft rate per 1,000 vehicles: 0.96
  • Wilbraham auto theft rate per 1,000 vehicles: 0.89

In the unlikely event that your car is stolen, you cannot be reimbursed for your loss unless your car insurance policy includes comprehensive coverage. This optional coverage can also cover a wide range of non-collision damage such as may be caused by floods, fallen trees, hail, and garage fires.

If you are still paying for your car or if you are leasing it, you probably already have comprehensive coverage. If not, talk to your insurance agent to learn how much it will cost you to add this beneficial “other than collision” coverage to your auto insurance policy.

How Can an Independent Insurance Agent in Wilbraham Help?

When you are shopping for the best car insurance policy, independent agents can be a great resource. These insurance professionals can explain your many coverage options, answer your insurance-related questions, and assist you with comparing prices from multiple providers.

Discover the many benefits of working with an independent agent. Contact an insurance agent with an office near you, and you can start comparing customized car insurance quotes in no time.

Share this page on Twitter Share this page on Facebook Share this page on LinkedIn

http://www.naic.org/prod_serv/AUT-PB-14.pdf
http://www.city-data.com
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/understanding-auto-insurance