Motorists will get billed for crashing into state property.

There are worse things than crashing into a brand new Mercedes.

Under property damage liability laws, states and municipalities can bill the owner of the car found to be at fault for damaging public property. Examples of things you could be billed for include highway signs, guardrails, bridges, fencing, traffic signals, turf or sod, light poles, electric control boxes, barrels, or man-hours for traffic control or hazardous material cleanup.

Like other types of property damage, the policy limit applies. So if your limit is used up in paying for the other person's car or property, you still have to pay for it out of your pocket.

In Massachusetts, increasing your property damage limit is generally not very expensive. For a driver with more than 6 years experience, the difference between 25,000. coverage and 100,000. is usually between $10.-15.00. A great bargain if you've slid on ice and hit a bridge which could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair. Replacing a traffic light could cost $400-500.

You typically have 30-90 days to pay the bill. After that, your license could be suspended until the debt is paid. Most departments are very willing to work with you in establishing a payment plan to take care of the damage. Unpaid claims could affect your credit report, if collection activity needs to be pursued, and in many states, credit reports are becoming popular rating tools.

This article was compiled from information found on insure.com.