Insurance World

The phrase “car insurance” implies that what you are insuring is your car, but the realities of car insurance are a bit more complex than that. When you purchase a comprehensive auto insurance policy, you are protecting yourself from the costs of damaging your car, but that is just one element that makes up full automobile insurance coverage. You need insurance that can cover the legal fees that may result during a lawsuit if you take another driver to court after an accident. You need insurance that can cover the cost of prescription painkillers that you may need to buy for yourself if an uninsured driver runs a light and hits your car. These and hundreds of other possible costs that have nothing to do with your actual vehicle can be covered by so-called automobile insurance. The act of buying an insurance policy for your car is an act of making sure that it is financially safe both for yourself and for anyone else who you may encounter when you are behind the wheel.

You need to protect yourself from the potential financial hardship of paying for the medical bills of anyone who you injure in an accident, and the costs of repairing any public or private property that you may damage. In addition, before you can hit the road in most states you need enough insurance that you will be able to pay for your own medical care if you are injured in a crash caused by an uninsured motorist. So far, none of these important elements of a standard car insurance policy even mention the automobile itself!

A good collision or comprehensive insurance policy will cover at least some percentage of the cost of repair to your vehicle after physical damage. However, since not every state requires that you have this kind of insurance, don’t assume that physical damage is covered by your policy unless your agent tells you so directly. Physical damage coverage is just one element of a good automobile insurance policy, and many people consider it optional rather than necessary. The actual cost of insuring the physical form of your vehicle is almost always dwarfed by the costs of the other kinds of insurance that you need in order to drive safely, responsibly, and legally.

Other options that you will be likely to encounter when choosing a car insurance policy include things like medical payments coverage, which will help you meet the costs of medical attention after an accident. Of course, a traditional auto insurance policy includes a certain level of protection against the costs of treatment, but things like co-pays are not covered by body injury liability coverage or uninsured motorist coverage. This leads many people to take out additional insurance so that they know that they will not have a larger than necessary financial burden if a hospital stay is necessary for them, for a passenger, or for somebody else harmed during a crash.

1: Other Party:

Auto Insurance Bodily Injury (BI) Liability and Property Damage (PD) coverage is Legally required in most states today. (BI & PD) Most people understand that they need BI and PD, but they have no idea how to determine how much coverage they need.

Try this simple question: What if your car was involved in an auto accident tonight where heaven forbid, someone else was injured or killed? Remember, everything you own is in the back seat of the car with you and is at risk in a lawsuit! So, what do you think their family would sue you for? $15,000? $25,000? $100,000 or even maybe a Million dollars! Where would you get the money to pay them?

Perhaps the Equity in your Home would help? How about your Savings and/or Investments? You could even have up to 25% of your wages attached to pay the award in most states! Are you prepared to sacrifice everything you own to pay an award due to this accident? If not, read on for how to choose the auto insurance coverage you need.

2: You and Your Family:

Now let’s turn the above accident around. For some unfortunate reason, you or a loved one is the one who is injured or killed in an auto accident. Where would you get the money if the person who hit you did not have auto insurance or not enough auto insurance? Medical bills can be covered if you have health insurance. But health insurance doesn’t cover loss of life, pain & suffering or permanent disability.

Maybe you have a life insurance policy through your employer or your own individual life policy. Is the benefit amount sufficient to cover your family if your loved one is killed? But even if you have life insurance, what pays for the misery, the pain and suffering, maybe the fact you or a loved one can’t walk or use their arms again?

You might have a disability insurance policy through your work if you’re lucky or had good financial advice. But disability insurance doesn’t pay for loss of life, pain & suffering, permanent loss of your legs, arm or hand.

The only coverage that pays for these things is a part of an auto insurance policy known as Un/Under-insured motorist coverage. You can only buy as much coverage here as you have in Liability coverage. Your auto insurance agent should be able to help you determine the exact amount you need.

3: Your Car

Comprehensive and Collision Coverage are the third part of an auto insurance policy and are sometimes referred to as “Full coverage.” Basically the difference is this: If you run into the tree you are covered by Collision coverage. If the tree runs into you (hypothetically of course), then you are covered by comprehensive coverage. Comprehensive also covers broken windshields, fire, theft and vandalism. The higher deductible (risk) you take here, the lower the premium. Use the savings here to purchase higher limits in the coverages that protect your assets and your family.

The bottom line to determining proper auto insurance coverage is, of course, the money available in your household budget. An excellent place to start in determining the proper auto insurance coverage for your family is to meet with your local auto insurance agent.

Most cut-rate companies concern themselves with one thing only: Price. Tell them what coverage you have and they’ll see if they can give you the same coverage for less. You become the insurance professional. If this is the only need you have then that is ok. If not, you need to seek the advice of a professional to help you determine the proper amount of coverage you need and how best to accomplish it.

Review these tips for auto insurance coverage to make sure you have enough to protect your family.