Karon Law Blog

Compulsory Auto Insurance Liability Limits Increase July 1, 2025

Posted June 09, 2025

By Julia Sicard

Higher minimum auto liability insurance limits are set to go into effect on July 1, 2025. (Mass DOI). This means that if you get into a car accident that isn’t your fault—and the at-fault driver is carrying the lowest amount of coverage allowed by the state—you could receive slightly more money than you otherwise would have.  

Specifically, House Bill 5111 (originally signed into law by Governor Maura Healey on December 19, 2024) updates the minimum auto liability insurance limits specified in M.G.L. c. 90 §34A such that:

• Bodily injury liability coverage per person increases from $20k to $25k;
• Bodily injury liability coverage per accident increases from $40k to $50k; and
• Property damage coverage will increase from $5k to $30k.

Minimum coverage limits for bodily injury caused by uninsured drivers, as well as Personal Injury Protection (PIP), will remain unchanged.

The House and Senate proclaimed this an “emergency law” that is “necessary for the immediate preservation of public convenience.” According to available records, the last time Massachusetts updated minimum bodily injury liability coverage was 1988—37 years ago (S.B. 1524), and the last time it updated minimum property damage liability coverage was 1976—49 years ago (Attorney General v. Commissioner of Insurance). Lawyers representing car crash victims have long lamented that minimum auto insurance limits are insufficient.

 While this law is a step in the right direction, it is worth acknowledging its limited impact. A mere $5,000 increase in bodily injury liability coverage doesn’t allow for adequate compensation for the full range of damages in many auto cases—including medical expenses, lost earnings, and pain and suffering “For most drivers, the minimum levels of insurance will not give…enough protection[.]” (Mass DOI).

Here’s what Founder Jon Karon has to say on the matter: “Any time minimum insurance limits increase, it’s a good thing for consumers and provides a higher level of protection for injured people. But the new limits are still not enough. That’s why everyone should purchase underinsurance to provide another layer of protection.” (For more on this, see our blog post “What is Underinsurance Coverage and Why Do You Need It” https://www.karonlaw.net/blog/?id=381)