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Question of the Week

Liability Non Listed Operators

Question Liability Non Listed Operators This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on July 16, 2021 If there is a policy with Progressive in place and all drivers in HH are not listed but have insurance with another company (Commerce), and a non listed driver has a minor fender bender…

Livery Plate or Commercial Plate

Question Livery Plate or Commercial Plate This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on July 16, 2021 We have a new customer whose policy becomes effective on 07.28, but he has a Livery plate that needs to be changed to a Commercial plate before the underwriter will sign off on…

Motorcycle Coverage on MAP

Question Motorcycle Coverage on MAP This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on July 21, 2021 I have question regarding coverage for under a Mass Auto policy. I have an insured who has a Mass auto policy covering one private passenger auto. She is looking at possibly purchasing a motorcycle…

Claim Question Uncooperative Driver

Question Claim Question – Uncooperative Driver This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on July 21, 2021 I have an automobile claims question. I have a client that owns a commercial building surrounded by a chain link fence.  Two months ago a vehicle took a wrong turn going up a one way street…

Motorcycle Accident no Contact

Question Motorcycle Accident no Contact This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on July 27, 2021 I had a customer get into an accident this afternoon on his motorcycle.  Someone pulled out in front of him but he was able to dump the bike without hitting the vehicle.  The lady…

Glass Coverage for Dealer Vehicles

Question Glass Coverage for Dealer Vehicles This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on July 29, 2021 I have an account, 5 dealer plates, no vehicles with Dealers Physical damage coverage. The dealer called and advised that one of his vehicles had a cracked or broken windshield and was asking…

Garaging Commercial Vehicles

Question Garaging – Business Vehicles This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on July 29, 2021 We are having a problem with one carrier regarding garaging on vehicles registered to a business entity.  They won’t change garaging on the business auto policy unless the insured changes it in the RMV…

Garaging Business Vehicles

Question Garaging – Business Vehicles This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on July 29, 2021 We are having a problem with one carrier regarding garaging on vehicles registered to a business entity.  They won’t change garaging on the business auto policy unless the insured changes it in the RMV…

OOS Purchase – Camper and Coverage

Question OOS Purchase – Camper and Coverage This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on July 22, 2021 Late breaking client no notice purchase! We have a client getting a $75K camper van in Ohio and driving it back on a dealer plate.  Will be for personal use. If we…

Solar Panels

Question Solar Panels This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on July 23, 2021 We’re receiving more and more calls on solar panels and have a question. We’ve been advised by at least one carrier that if the solar panels are owned by the insured the HO3 perils apply and…

Blank Checks with RMV

Question Blank Check with RMV This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on July 26, 2021 We wish to thank you for all your help with the registry. We do have a question on what the registry is currently doing. If an insured buys a vehicle from a non-dealer you…

Travel Trailer Purchase/Used in Florida

Question Travel Trailer Purchased in Florida 07/21/21 This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on June 29, 2021 We have a client purchasing a travel trailer in Florida.  He is going to title it in Massachusetts where he lives.  The dealer is going to deliver the travel trailer to a…

Is a DOC Needed?

Question Is a DOC needed? 07/20/21 Personal This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on June 30, 2021 If a customer has a commercial auto policy where their vehicle is registered in the company name but also has a personal policy where another vehicle is registered in their own name,…

Trailer with Kubota Digger

Question Trailer with Kubota Digger This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on June 30, 2021 Insured wants to pull a Kubota digger (owned in a company name) on a trailer in a personal name. He said he will use the kubota for personal things like digging and leveling dirt…

DOC or Use of Other Auto

Question DOC or Use of Other Auto This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on June 30, 2021 We have a Massachusetts insured who does not currently own a personal auto. The only vehicle owned by this household is owned & registered under a corporation. This vehicle is insured on…

Accident in Commercial Vehicle and SDIP

Question Accident in Company Vehicle and SDIP This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on June 30, 2021 Sorry to bother you but one of my insureds had asked if their employee had an accident in a company vehicle, would their personal insurance be surcharged?   She didn’t give me much…

WC and Volunteers

Question WC and Volunteers 07/14/21 – Commercial This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on July 7, 2021 I was always of the mindset that volunteers were provided coverage under the employers’ liability section of the policy only. I have read there may be an exception for high school students…

What Policy Pays – Owner or Driver

Question What Policy Pays – Owner or Driver? This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on June 18, 2021 If a person driving another person’s vehicle (with their own insurance), has a fender bender, is it the driver’s insurance that the claim would be filed or the vehicle insurance? …

Garaging for Commercial Vehicles

Question Garaging for Commercial Vehicles This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effecton June 10, 2021 I wanted to see if you or someone in your office knows the answer to this.  We have a client who has his commercial vehicles garaged in Bellingham in the registry.  His mailing address…

MAP and Listed Home Health Aids

Question MAP and Listed Home Health Aids This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on June 10, 2021 Please clarify, we have an insured that has aids which are listed drivers under the automobile policy.  They are full time and or part time employees of the named insured and there…

Cannabis Couriers and Operators

Question Cannabis Couriers and Operators This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on May 14, 2021 Hope this email finds you well.  Regarding insurance how are Cannabis Couriers and operators treated? Are couriers TCN’s? Are Couriers and Operators considered commercial? Do you need commercial plates or livery plates? What insurance…

Damage to a Loaner Vehicle

Question Damage to a Loaner Vehicle This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on May 14, 2021 We have a client who took his 07 Infiniti to a dealer to be worked on.  The dealership gave him a “loaner” vehicle to use in place of the 07 Infiniti.  Insured got…

Out-of-State Vehicle Purchase (3)

Question Out of State Vehicle Purchase This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on May 14, 2021 Good Morning Irene, I have an insured who just purchased a vehicle in GA and wants to drive it back to MA.  The dealer there gave him all the paperwork and temporary plates. …

Maine Registered Trailers (2)

Question Maine Registered Trailers This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on May 15, 2021 I have an insured who has a boat trailer and plans to register the trailer in Maine with Maine recreational trailer plates. The insured plans to pull the trailer with his Truck that is registered…

Operator Exclusion (4)

Question Operator Exclusion This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on May 19, 2021 Could you please confirm If the company pulls up a household member and there is no license so you need to exclude them does that exclude them only as a driver or does it exclude them…

Umbrella (3)

Question Umbrella This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on May 19, 2021 Insured doesn’t have a personal auto. They only have a commercial auto. If they have DOC on the commercial auto, will the personal umbrella respond to a claim? Answer Irene Morrill:  That is a question that you have…

Diminished Value (2)

Question Diminished Value This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on May 21, 2021 Does the insurance carrier have to pay diminished value on a vehicle especially if it is a leased vehicle and they are telling the insured they are responsible for that amount when vehicle is turned in?…

Commercial Auto Cancellation

Question Commercial Auto Cancellations This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on May 26, 2021 Everyone in our office believed that you could cancel an auto policy (personal or commercial) within the first 30 days and it would be prorated.  We did cancel a client’s Commercial auto policy within the…

Domestic Partner and the MAP

Question Domestic Partners and the MAP This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on March 26, 2021 I am hoping you can help me with a question one of our insureds has asked us.  She is a listed operator on her domestic partner’s Massachusetts auto policy and she will be traveling…

Listed Operators and HHMs

Question Listed Operators and HHMs This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on March 25, 2021 I’m looking for some advice on a couple of things regarding MA auto.  Let me first say that I’m not looking for coverage determination, purely just how MAIA would look at these scenarios. We…

Florida Temporary Plates

Question Florida Temporary Plates This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on March 29, 2021 Question: If we stamp an RTA for a client that is purchasing a car down in Florida and they get a Florida temporary plate and drive back on the Florida temporary plate any issues? Company…

Umbrella Coverage – Side Business

Question Umbrella Coverage – Side Business This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on March 29, 2021 If someone is doing dump runs – side business – with his personal truck and also has a commercial liability policy… if a personal umbrella is in place, would it cover him if…

Definition of Private Passenger Vehicle & 15 Passenger Van

Question Definition of Private Passenger Vehicle and 15 Passenger Van This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on March 30, 2021 My son is renting a 15 passenger van.  I know his PAP follows him.   I checked with the underwriter though (not my regular underwriter) as it was such a…

Is This Fraud

Question Is This Fraud This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on April 06, 2021 Trying to help a client and this situation arose:  She said she got a quote from Liberty Mutual for auto but never agreed to a policy.  Liberty Mutual is saying they have her on a…

Claim with Rental Vehicle

Question Claim with Rental Vehicle This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on April 13, 2021 Customer rented auto with Enterprise and got in accident.  Enterprise vehicle has a MI registration and customer was told that because the vehicle was rented in MA that the MA limits of 5k…

Claims Determination re: Road Debris

Question Claims Determination re: Road Debris This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on May 06, 2021 Does the association have any Tech Talk or other type of advisory articles regarding claim determination when it comes an auto striking road debris and the companies determining it should be an…

Non-Profit Has Employee Use Own Vehicles for Work

Question Non-Profit Has Employees Use Own Vehicles This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on May 07, 2021 We insure a non-profit where employees will often use their own cars to transport their clients to doctor’s appointments, run errands etc.  They recently had a fender bender and the Carrier…

RMV Check Policy

Question RMV Check Policy This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on April 28, 2021 MAIA Bulletin regard RMV checks Thank you for providing this information every week.  It is difficult to keep up with all the changes this past year and your Registry news section is so helpful.…

Farm Tractor on the Road

Question Farm Tractor on the Road This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on April 28, 2021 One of our clients, has asked about a Farm Tractor, it goes less than 25 miles an hour and he wants to travel on the Road between his two properties.    Is there…

Glass – Collision or Comprehensive

Question Glass – Collision or Comprehensive This question was answered based upon current rules, regulations & statutes in effect on April 09, 2021 I wanted to see if an insured having their mirror hit and damaged would be considered comprehensive or collision? I was under the impression that glass was the only part of comprehensive…