Augusta, ME – (WiredPRNews.com) Maine state Representative H. David Cotta has introduced a bill that would significantly raise the minimum amounts of car insurance coverage that drivers in the state are required to carry. The legislative push may come as a surprise to some, considering the fact that Maine already has the highest minimum levels of any state in the nation and that similar bills recently introduced to other state legislatures have been killed or have died in committee.
As the law currently stands, Maine auto insurance liability policies must at a minimum have 50/100/25 coverage with $2,000 for medical payments. That means every policy must provide for at least up to $50,000 in bodily injury liability protection for damages to one person and at least up to $100,000 when there are damages to two or more people. Policies must also provide for at least up to $25,000 in protection for property damage liability, and they must include at least up to $2,000 in coverage for the policyholder’s medical bills.
Source: http://www.maine.gov/pfr/insurance/consumer/auto.htm
Cotta’s bill would increase those minimums dramatically. They would be beefed up from the current 50/100/25 to 100/250/50, and med-pay policy minimums would be raised from $2,000 to $20,000.
One fact that could help Cotta’s bill succeed while others have failed is the state’s low average cost of coverage. In other states, the insurance industry has spoken out against raising the requirements, stating that doing so would increase the cost of coverage and reduce consumer choice. But Maine has consistently been ranked as one of the top 10 cheapest states for coverage, according to Online Auto Insurance News.
To learn more about Maine financial protection issues, readers can go to http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/maine/ where they will find informative resource pages and a quote-comparison generator that can be used to locate affordably priced policies from quality providers in Maine or any other state.
