Auto Insurance
- What is auto insurance?
- What is covered by a basic auto policy?
- How much coverage do I need?
- What determines the price of my policy?
- Can I drive legally without insurance?
- How do I choose an insurance company?
- What does my credit rating have to do with purchasing insurance?
- How do I insure my teenage driver?
- Should I purchase an umbrella liability policy?
- Will my insurance cover renting a car after an accident?
- How do I file a claim?
- Can my insurance company require me to use certain types of auto repair parts?
- How are the value of my car and the cost of repair determined?
- What are my rights when filing a claim?
- If I file a claim, will my premium go up?
What is covered by a basic auto policy?
Your auto policy may include six coverages. Each coverage is priced separately.
- Bodily Injury Liability
- Medical Payments or Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
- Property Damage Liability
- Collision
- Comprehensive
This coverage applies to injuries that you, the designated driver or policyholder, cause to someone else. You and family members listed on the policy are also covered when driving someone else's car with their permission.
It's very important to have enough liability insurance, because if you are involved in a serious accident, you may be sued for a large sum of money. Definitely consider buying more than the state-required minimum to protect assets such as your home and savings.
This coverage pays for the treatment of injuries to the driver and passengers of the policyholder's car. At its broadest, PIP can cover medical payments, lost wages and the cost of replacing services normally performed by someone injured in an auto accident. It may also cover funeral costs.
This coverage pays for damage you (or someone driving the car with your permission) may cause to someone else's property. Usually, this means damage to someone else's car, but it also includes damage to lamp posts, telephone poles, fences, buildings or other structures your car hit.
This coverage pays for damage to your car resulting from a collision with another car, object or as a result of flipping over. It also covers damage caused by potholes. Collision coverage is generally sold with a deductible of $250 to $1,000-the higher your deductible, the lower your premium. Even if you are at fault for the accident, your collision coverage will reimburse you for the costs of repairing your car, minus the deductible. If you're not at fault, your insurance company may try to recover the amount they paid you from the other driver's insurance company. If they are successful, you'll also be reimbursed for the deductible.
This coverage reimburses you for loss due to theft or damage caused by something other than a collision with another car or object, such as fire, falling objects, missiles, explosion, earthquake, windstorm, hail, flood, vandalism, riot, or contact with animals such as birds or deer.
Comprehensive insurance is usually sold with a $100 to $300 deductible, though you may want to opt for a higher deductible as a way of lowering your premium.
Comprehensive insurance will also reimburse you if your windshield is cracked or shattered. Some companies offer glass coverage with or without a deductible.
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