Auto insurance serves as a valuable financial protection, covering damages from accidents, theft and vandalism to your vehicle, legal fees and compensation claims for other parties should any accidents caused by you occur.
Doug Heller is an insurance expert and consumer advocate. Here are some key takeaways from our conversation:
Legal Compliance
Most states mandate car owners carry at least some level of liability coverage. Furthermore, lending or leasing institutions may require them to purchase comprehensive and collision policies in order to maintain a loan or lease contract.
Auto insurance is a legal contract between an insurer and policyholder to indemnify against certain perils and risks within a specified policy term and coverage limits. Insurers assess risk by considering factors like driving and claim history when assigning prices that cover potential losses.
Risk-rated factors, such as your age and gender (women and younger drivers tend to pay more), include car type, driving record, traffic violations, accidents and claims history. Some insurers offer usage-based policies which monitor how you use your vehicle through mobile phones which could impact premium costs; remaining legally compliant is also of great importance, since failing to have adequate auto coverage could result in fines or even suspension of driver license and vehicle registration.
Financial Protection
Auto insurance provides financial security to vehicle owners. Most states mandate liability coverage that reimburses victims of accidents caused by your or other drivers operating your car, which pays costs associated with injuries or deaths caused to others by you or other drivers operating it. Many states also mandate property damage liability coverage, which will cover costs related to damages you cause to other vehicles or properties with your car. Medical payments and personal injury protection (PIP), which cover medical expenses and lost wages regardless of who caused an accident, as well as collision and comprehensive coverage – which covers damage incurred from theft, vandalism, animal encounters, storms or certain natural disasters – can all contribute to costs related to damage to a car’s interior or exterior caused by theft, vandalism or natural disasters affecting it.
Auto insurance policies can be purchased for both personal and commercial vehicles. Commercial policies usually have higher liability limits than personal policies and may include provisions to cover rented or employee operated vehicles, heavy duty vehicles and transported goods or people.
Coverage Options
Auto policies typically include more than the state-mandated minimum liability coverage; often adding optional and valuable coverage types like collision, comprehensive and personal injury protection coverages.
Collision coverage covers your car after it collides with another vehicle or object, regardless of who was responsible. It also covers damages from severe weather events, theft and vandalism – in most cases up to its actual cash value less your deductible payment.
Medical payments coverage provides financial coverage for your and your passengers’ medical expenses in the aftermath of an accident, regardless of who caused it. It may also help cover funeral costs and lost wages.
Other policy options commonly offered by insurers are roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement and new-car replacement coverage. You can buy additional coverage directly from an insurer or through a broker offering multiple companies’ policies; some insurers provide discounts based on driving safety and other criteria while others charge premiums based on factors like credit history.
Supportive Services
Car insurance provides drivers with financial security in case of accidents or other vehicular incidents. Most policies include state-mandated liability coverage as well as collision and comprehensive protection to help cover damages that come from events other than collision, such as theft, falling objects, vandalism and natural disasters.
Auto policies typically include medical payments or personal injury protection (PIP), which covers costs incurred after an accident regardless of who was at fault. Drivers looking for added protection can purchase uninsured and under-insured motorist coverage to further bolster their protection.
Your choice of coverage depends on your needs and budget. For instance, drivers of newer, more costly vehicles may wish to add comprehensive and collision insurance in addition to standard liability. On the other hand, drivers of older cars may only require liability and roadside assistance policies – all these factors need to be considered when making your decisions about policy options.
