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Posts Tagged ‘Personal Injury Protection’

Ten Tips On How To Get The Best Deal On Car Insurance

By Joseph Ducat:

With the high cost of gasoline nowadays, most new drivers think twice of getting car insurance.

Driving without any car insurance is a very big risk. Most drivers might think that car insurance is way too expensive, but in the long run it may save you a lot of money.

Take for instance this example, if you are in a car accident it may cost you thrice the amount you might have paid for a car insurance to cover for hospitalization and for buying yet another car. Plus without car insurance you will be paying police fines as well as paying for suspended licenses.

A total of 47 states require some kind of insurance for your car. It would be wise to know the basic law covering car insurance. Here are ten tips you can refer to on how you can get the best deal on car insurance.

1. Know the different types of car insurance policy

The first thing to know in buying car insurance is to understand the different policies they offer. Choose a policy or policies that would best suit your needs.

Liability – This policy covers physical injuries and damages to property. This includes paying for hospitalization and other medical expenses. Damage to property includes vehicles and other tangible property that might have been damaged during the accident. Liability also includes expenses for court proceedings if the vehicular accident requires one.

Collision ? This policy covers any damages if your vehicle is crashed to another vehicle, lamp posts, house or any another objects.

Comprehensive ? This policy covers damages caused by natural disaster like flood, storm, hail or wind. This also includes damages by theft or vandalism.

Medical Coverage ? Medical expenses are covered by this policy not considering if the cause is a vehicular accident or not.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) ? A personal insurance of the driver. This policy covers for medical expenses and treatment caused by an auto incident.

Uninsured Motorist ? If by chance you are hit by an uninsured driver, this policy covers the damages done to your vehicle.

Underinsured Motorist ? This policy will cover the remaining cost for repairing your damaged car if ever the incident is caused by an insured driver with inadequate liability insurance.

Rental Reimbursement ? In case of a damaged car due to a vehicular accident, this policy will give a daily allowance for rental fee.

2. Know your credit rating:

In most states, credit rating has always been the number one factor affecting car insurance rates. Be sure you have a copy of you credit report and check its accuracy and immediately contest any erroneous information.

3. Motor Vehicle Report (MVR)

You can get a copy of your Motor Vehicle Report in your respective Department of Driver Services or Department of Public Safety in your state. A three year record may cost you 5% and a seven year record would cost you 7%. Like credit reports, verify that all information are correct.

4. Accident Reports

You can get a copy of your Motor Vehicle Accident Report from the local police department. It may take around six weeks before you can receive the detailed report. You might need to pay a higher car insurance rate if you have reported accidents within the last eighteen months.

5. Scout for a good insurance package

There are some insurance companies that are offering multi-vehicle discounts. You would get a lower rate if you have two or more vehicles that you want to get insured. Also, you can get a good deal from one company that packages all their insurance policies, including home and health insurance.

6. Check out various discounts

Most insurance company offers a discount to drivers over 55 years of age. It always pays to be a good student; you can get a student discount if you have a3.0 point average or higher.

7. Obtain a Driving Safety Certificate

It is common for car insurance companies to give certain discounts to those who finish a safety driving course with a very good standing.

8. Check the model of your car

Insurance rates can be different from vehicle to vehicle. A fancy car will obviously have a higher rate than an older model.

9. Take advantage of added features

Be sure you are receiving lower rates for safety and security features like antilock brakes and air bags.

10. How much are you willing to pay

Choose the option where you can handle the down payment and the monthly paying scheme. Compare other insurances? prices before purchasing one. You can try calling a toll- free number (1-888-588-5111) where you can ask for car insurance assistance and compare rates.

Having car insurance is like driving trouble-free. But, as always, being a responsible driver exceeds all effort in having a hassle-free life on the road. Never drink when you?re driving. Have a big respect for your life and that of others. Go get your car insured and be safe on the road!

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How To Slash Your Car Insurance Costs Up To 54 In 10 Easy Steps – Part 2

February 14th, 2010 Car Insurance Buyer No comments

In Part 1, we detailed the first five strategies on how to cut your car insurance costs. In Part 2, we show you the second five.

STEP 6 – Review, Change or Cancel No Fault & PIP (Personal Injury Protection)

No-Fault Coverage, and it’s Twin – PIP – started out as great idea’s. Your premiums were actually going to be lowered. Then, your State Politicians got involved (at the urging of Insurance Lobbyists, of course) and mucked it up.

You see, no-fault insurance coverage was originally intended to have each individual’s losses, covered by their own car insurance company – no matter who was at fault.

Today, in many States, car insurance companies are making a ton of money on no-fault because the insurance companies convinced State law-makers to make “modifications.”

Today, because of the these changes, car insurance companies have actually used the no-fault laws to reduce payments on a claim made by a customer, instead of reducing car insurance premiums as it was supposed to do.

So, premiums keep going up-and-up and insurance companies end up paying less for claims – Someone’s getting rich on that deal….and it’s not you.

And to make matters worse, some States (with really, really talented Insurance Lobbyist’s) also require an additional premium be paid on top of the no-fault premium. This beauty is called Personal Injury Protection (PIP).

PIP is a “wide-blanket” of coverage and can provide Collision Coverage, Hospitalization, Social Security Disability, Workers Comp, Personal Disability Insurance & Life Insurance.

The problem with PIP and what it covers is….

You already gave most, if not all, of these coverage’s anyway, don’t you? So, you’re paying twice!

So, you need to do a couple of things:

Google “minimum levels of required auto insurance” to see if No-Fault Insurance and/or PIP Is required in your State;

Then, check your policy. If it’s not required by your State to have No-Fault/PIP Coverage and it’s on your policy – cancel it. If No-Fault/PIP is required by your State….take the absolute minimum. Here’s how.

If you must have No-Fault/PIP, ask for and get a deductible from your car insurance company.

STEP 7 – Cancel Medical Coverage

Medical Coverage, on most car insurance policies, is a promise to pay “reasonable” medical expenses for anyone who is riding in your car should you have an accident…as well as anyone in your car should it get hit by someone else.

Cancel it. You don’t need it.

Why is that you say? Well, medical coverage as part of your car insurance policy is a duplicate of your own:

- Medical Plan; – Any Life Insurance Coverage you might have, as well as; – The Liability Sections of almost every car insurance policy written in the U.S.

Think of it this way….Do you have a Health/Medical/Hospitalization Plan thru work or an Association you belong to?

Then why are you paying premiums for Medical/Hospitalization Coverage on your Car Insurance Policy?

Here’s what’s going to happen when you tell the car insurance company or Agent that you “Don’t want the Hospitalization/Medical Coverage.” You’re going to hear very slick “scare tactics” to help change your mind.

The insurance company employee will say “Well, if you’re in an accident, and it’s your fault, who’s going to cover the medical bills for any injured passengers in your car?”

Here’s your answer. Your family is already covered by your Health/Hospitalization Plan. If anybody else is in the car and they’re injured – they’re covered by your Bodily Injury Liability coverage that you’re already paying for….and their own Health/Hospitalization Plan.

So go ahead – save some more money and get rid of this coverage.

STEP 8 – Cancel Death, Dismemberment & Loss of Sight

Do you have any of these coverage’s on your existing car insurance policy? If so – cancel them.

And if you’re a first time car insurance buyer or, just looking at getting several car insurance quotes, don’t let anyone talk you into them!

Why?

Because, these coverage’s are an absolute waste of money. Most of these optional coverage’s are simply “glorified” life insurance policies with ridiculous provisions and horribly overpriced premiums. If you need life insurance, make it a separate Insurance Policy.

STEP 9 – Cancel The Extras

Do you have “Roadside Assistance” or “Rental Car Reimbursement” on your policy? If so, cancel them.

And again, if you’re a first time insurance buyer or getting a few car insurance quotes, don’t bother with these coverage’s.

Why? Because they’re severely overpriced, are rarely ever used, and limit what you can and cannot do.

For instance, some rental car reimbursement” coverage is almost %100 a year for each vehicle on your policy. So if you have two cars, you’ll spend almost %2,000 on rental car coverage in the next 10 years – and likely never even use it.

And roadside assistance? The piece-of-mind it offers gets trampled by the premiums the car insurance companies want for this coverage. Roadside assistance is a good idea. But use AAA for a cheaper solution.

STEP 10 – Terminate Comprehensive & Collision Coverage On Older Cars.

If you have an older car – by that I mean one that’s worth less than %2,000 wholesale (the amount a car dealer would give you if you were trading it in) cancel any Comprehensive and Collision Coverage you have or decline that option when getting a car insurance quote.

Here’s why. If an 8 year-old car and a brand new car have identical damage, the cost to repair both will be identical as well, even though the 8 year-old car is worth next-to-nothing.

You see the cost of a bumper and fender are the same – whether it’s for a brand new car, or one that is 8 years-old. That’s why your premiums don’t go down as the value of the car goes down. Your payments remain almost the same, year-after-year-after-year.

But, the bottom drops-out of what you’ll be able to collect on that older car. For instance, if your car is “totaled”, your insurance company will only pay you the wholesale value of your car.

So, let’s say your car is worth %1,000, but the total damage is more than %4,000, the insurance company is only going to give you a check for %1,000….minus your deductible, of course.

So you might end up getting %500 back. Sounds like a lousy deal….but that’s how it works.

So, the rule-of-thumb is this – cancel your comp & collision coverage when your vehicles value is less than %2,000….or you’ll be throwing your money away.

Okay – you’ve jotted down some notes and are ready to make some changes to your car insurance policy. So pick up the phone and start slashing your premiums!

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Auto Insurance 101 Explained

February 9th, 2010 Car Insurance Buyer No comments

Auto insurance can be confusing for most consumers; there are so many different types of insurance and it can be difficult to determine the type of coverage you?re required to carry versus the types of coverage that you really should carry in order to protect yourself but that are not required.

When considering how much car insurance you should have, it is best to do some research and find out what type of insurance is required by the state in which you reside. Not all states require the same levels of insurance. Some states require more types of coverage than others and states also vary in terms of the amount of coverage that is required. So, be sure you know exactly what the minimums are in the state where you live.

You should also understand what is covered by the different types of insurance in order to understand whether you need insurance coverage above and beyond the minimum required by your state of residence.

Bodily injury liability covers injuries that you cause to someone else while driving your vehicle. Generally the rule of thumb for this type of coverage is to purchase more than is required by your state minimums in order to protect your private assets from a law suit in the event that you injure someone.

Medical payments or personal injury protection, commonly known as PIP covers the treatment of injuries for the driver and the passengers of the vehicle. Depending on the level of coverage, this type of policy will compensate lost wages as well as medical payments.

Collision covers any damage that occurs to your vehicle in the event of an accident, even if it is your fault. Of course, a deductible will apply. Your lender will generally require this type of coverage while you still owe on the vehicle.

Comprehensive coverage is for the loss of your vehicle due to damage by something other than a collision such as theft, fire, natural disaster, vandalism, etc. Again, your lender will probably require this coverage for a financed vehicle. Once your loan is paid off, it?s up to you whether you want to continue carrying comprehensive and collision coverage.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can come in handy in the event that you are either involved in a hit and run or if you are hit by someone who does not have insurance or who is underinsured.

When considering how much insurance to take out, start with the amount that is required at a minimum by your state and then consider whether you?re required to take out any additional coverage due to lender requirements. Remember that while we all hope we won?t have a need for insurance, in the event that we do, it can be a financial lifesaver.

Finally, don?t forget to consider your options regarding deductibles. Raising your deductible can help you lower your premiums and that can make taking out additional insurance coverage more affordable. Just be sure you can reasonably afford the deductible in the event you need to use it.

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How To Get Affordable Car Insurance In Maryland

January 21st, 2010 Car Insurance Buyer No comments

If you drive a car on any public road in Maryland you must have car insurance. That?s the law. If you break this law you are subject to some rather severe penalties which include (but are not limited to) having your registration revoked and having your car?s license plates confiscated. There can be additional penalties as well.

In Maryland you are required to carry liability insurance, uninsured motorist insurance (UM) and you must carry personal injury protection (PIP). If your car is financed then your lender will undoubtedly require that you also carry collision and comprehensive insurance as well.

None of this insurance is free, which has many motorists in Maryland scrambling to get affordable car insurance. Fortunately there are things you can do to help keep the cost of insuring car as low as possible.

The first thing you need to do is to resolve to drive safely and legally. If you receive a speeding ticket not only will you be forced to pay a hefty court fine, your car insurance rates will also skyrocket ? and they will remain high for several years to come.

Likewise, if you are convicted of drunk or impaired driving you can expect to pay two or three times as much for your car insurance for quite some time to come. Speeding and driving under the influence are both things that are totally under your control; if you are convicted of any of these offenses you have no one to blame but yourself for your higher car insurance premiums.

If you are in school and you can maintain a ?B? grade point average then you can probably qualify for what is called a Good Student Discount, which translates into a monthly savings of about 5%PRCTG% on your car insurance premiums.

If you are 55 or older you may experience a rate increase based on age. However, many insurance companies encourage their older drivers to take a refresher driver?s course; for those who successfully pass such a course the savings on their monthly car insurance premium can be as great as 10%PRCTG%.

If you have an older car, especially one that is fully paid for, you may wish to consider dropping collision and comprehensive coverage. Dropping those coverages will save you considerably on your insurance premiums.

If you drop collision and comprehensive and you are involved in an accident your insurance will not pay for the repair of your vehicle ? but to be honest, if your car has little or no Kelly Blue Book value then your insurance would not have paid much, if anything, even if you had paid for the coverage.

The final thing you can do is to increase your deductible. The more money you are willing to pay out of your own wallet any time you have a claim, the less your insurance company will charge you in premiums.

Now that you have designed the best possible car insurance policy for your circumstances it is time for you to get online and compare car insurance policies between different insurance companies and their rates. If you truly want to get affordable car insurance in Maryland then you will need to fill out all of the required information on at least 3 different comparison websites. In this way you will be certain to be comparing all of the car insurance companies in Maryland and you can rest easy knowing that you have truly found the most affordable car insurance in Maryland.

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Cheap Car Insurance In New Jersey

January 13th, 2010 Car Insurance Buyer No comments

Thanks to the Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act, New Jersey drivers are able to buy a basic car insurance policy in New Jersey ? and what?s cheaper than purchasing the most basic car insurance policy available?

The Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act makes it possible for drivers to get cheap car insurance in New Jersey by offering them a policy even cheaper than the standard car insurance policy. The basic car insurance policy includes personal injury protection of %15,000 per person, per accident, and %250,000 per significant or permanent injury. However, the latter depends on the policy definitions. It also includes property damage liability of %5,000 per accident.

Bodily injury liability isn?t included in the basic insurance policy, but it?s an option. If a policyholder chooses to add bodily injury liability, the policyholder will have %10,000 for everyone, per accident.

Uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage aren?t available with the basic car insurance policy, nor is collision coverage or comprehensive coverage. However, collision coverage and comprehensive coverage can be added on, depending upon how the basic car insurance policy was issued.

As you can see, the basic car insurance policy in New Jersey, although it?s the cheapest car insurance in New Jersey, offers very minimal coverage; however, it does offer important coverage, as well as additional features. Those drivers with the basic car insurance policy in New Jersey have the right to take legal action in the event of a motor vehicle-related accident, whereas those drivers without any insurance don?t have that right.

The basic car insurance policy isn?t for everyone. Those drivers who choose to obtain cheap car insurance in New Jersey by purchasing the basic car insurance policy should do so only if they don?t have much family responsibility, they are just starting out in the work force, it is the first car insurance policy they?ve ever purchase, or they can?t afford any other car insurance for whatever reason.

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How To Save Money And Get Discount Automobile Insurance In Oregon

January 4th, 2010 Car Insurance Buyer No comments

Oregon drivers pay some of the highest automobile insurance rates in the country. This is why it is vital that Oregon drivers shop around and compare prices from several insurance providers, and not just the providers that some online insurance companies choose for you.

Oregon law requires that all drivers carry liability insurance. This insurance pays for injuries you cause to other people in an accident, and also pays for the repair of the other driver?s car or other personal property that was destroyed in the accident. There are several different levels of liability coverage for you to choose from; choosing the lowest level saves you money on monthly premiums but may not pay all costs of a major accident. If your level of coverage doesn?t cover all costs of an accident you may have to come up with additional cash out of your own pocket.

Oregon law also requires all drivers to carry what is called Personal Injury Protection (PIP). This covers you and any of your passengers for medical treatment, funeral expenses and loss of wages. Drivers can pay a deductible on the PIP coverage, reducing their monthly premium payments; the higher the deductible the lower your payments.

There is a third type of auto insurance coverage that all Oregon drivers are required to carry, and that is Uninsured Motorist coverage. This coverage pays the medical expenses of you and your passengers if you are in an accident with a motorist who does not have the required liability insurance.

Drivers looking for the least expensive automobile insurance in Oregon can purchase the minimums of these three types of insurance and be allowed to legally drive on Oregon roads. However, without additional coverage, such as Collision coverage, your insurance will not repair your vehicle if you are at fault in an accident. Also buying just the minimum insurance legally required in Oregon may leave you open to expenses that will have to be paid out of your own pocket in certain types of accidents.

Even if you are purchasing the minimum insurance required, it is still important for you to shop and compare (online) the rates of a number of different companies, as rates vary greatly from company to company.

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When Car Insurance Is Your Friend

December 30th, 2009 Car Insurance Buyer No comments

Sadly, even today, people tend to be rather callous when the question of car insurance comes up. Many give the excuse that since they are good drivers they will not need insurance at all. However, road traffic is not what it used to be and you can never predict what is going to happen on the road even if you follow all the driving rules.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CAR INSURANCE

Why do you need a car insurance policy? It offers you coverage in the event of losses arising from traffic accidents. As an example, just look at the following. Let us say that your car was hit by a falling tree and got totally smashed. If you had taken out a car insurance policy, the loss would be written off by your insurance company. If this were to happen, you would be better advised to go in for a new car instead of trying to repair the old one.

COVERAGE OFFERED BY CAR INSURANCE

- Property Damage Liability Coverage: This policy type pays for accidental damage to someone else’s property (for example, their home fence,) in a collision. The insurance can help people pay off the legal fees in case they have to deal with a lawsuit for property damage.

- Bodily Injury Liability: If a third person is injured, this coverage takes care of it. It covers lawsuit expenses as well.

- Personal Injury Protection (PIP): This policy type covers for medical expenses, lost wages and other similar expenses arising in an accident, wherein there is no serious bodily injury.

- Comprehensive Coverage: This policy type covers for damages caused by theft, flood, and fire and so on. This coverage is very important as it covers non-collision related damages.

- Collision Coverage: This policy type offers coverage for damages happening as result of a collision or in situations where your car strikes another car or is struck by another vehicle.

- Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury Coverage – This policy type pays for expenses that happen as a result of an accident in which the driver of the other car has insufficient insurance coverage.

- Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Coverage: This policy type pays for expenses that happen as a result of an accident in which the driver of the other car has no insurance coverage causes an accident with your car.

- Underinsured Motorist Property Damage Coverage: This policy type is applicable in case of an accident in which the driver of the other car has insufficient insurance coverage. If the other car requires repairs, your policy will help you take care of that as well.

When getting a car insurance policy, check out the different types offered. Look out for car insurance that will cover you for a wide variety of things. You can buy several policies together. Look around for the best rates being offered in car insurance. There is no dearth of great car insurance deals if you look around sincerely enough.

It would be a great idea to check with friends and family to find out which deals are worth looking at and which companies offer the best bargains. After all, you are looking at an option that will work out in the long run. Look at the bigger picture when you choose a car insurance policy.

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What To Look For In A Full Coverage Automobile Insurance Quote In Florida

December 5th, 2009 Car Insurance Buyer No comments

Compared to most other states, Florida actually requires very little from its residents when it comes to the automobile insurance they are required to purchase if they wish to drive a vehicle on a public roadway in Florida.

If you have a good driving record you can legally drive your automobile in Florida if you purchase just %10,000 of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage and another %10,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL) coverage. If your driving record includes a crash or if you have gotten speeding or other tickets the state is allowed to force you to also buy Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) insurance before you can legally drive.

What does this minimum insurance cover? Not much, really.

Personal Injury Protection ? PIP coverage ? covers medical expenses for anyone in your vehicle if you are in a crash regardless of whose fault the accident is. If you’ve been to a doctor or spent even one night in a hospital or made even one visit to the ER in the past year then you know that %10,000 in insurance coverage will barely cover the cost of a scratch to someone’s upper arm, let alone anything even remotely serious.

Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance covers the repair or replacement of the other person’s car and certain other property due to a crash, regardless of whose fault the accident is.

Again, %10,000 will barely cover the replacement of a bumper on many of today’s high-priced cars.

Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) insurance covers the medical expenses of anyone in the other car if you are in an accident. This insurance also pays for certain legal expenses if you are sued following an accident. Considering today’s medical costs you may wish to consider carrying as much BIL insurance as you can afford, especially if you have a home or other assets which you could lose in the event of a lawsuit.

If you want your automobile to be repaired or replaced in the event of an accident you need to purchase two additional insurance policies ? a comprehensive policy as well as a collision policy.

As the name implies, collision insurance protects your vehicle in the event of a collision with another moving vehicle or with a stationary object, such as a tree or a light post or a guardrail. If your vehicle’s engine is running and your vehicle is moving when an accident occurs, then your collision policy will cover the cost to repair your automobile up to the limits of the policy or up to the Kelly Blue Book value of your automobile.

Comprehensive insurance covers repair or replacement of your vehicle if it is damaged by an “Act of God” ? such as a tree branch crashing down on it during a storm ? or if it is damaged by vandalism. Your comprehensive insurance also covers you if you hit a deer or other animal which causes damage to your vehicle.

So in Florida what you want to look for in a full coverage automobile insurance quote is:

? Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance
? Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance
? Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) insurance
? Collision Insurance
? Comprehensive Insurance

Now you know exactly what to look for in a full coverage automobile insurance quote in Florida. The amount of each type of insurance that you choose to carry should be based on your personal assessment of the risks that you face each day, the cost of the insurance and the assets which you wish to protect.

Getting the best deal on full coverage automobile insurance in Florida is a matter of determining what you want in a policy and then comparing the price for that policy among all of the insurance companies in Florida. The best way to do that is through the multitude of automobile insurance comparison websites on the internet.

Just remember that since no one comparison website makes comparisons between all of the automobile insurance companies operating in Florida you really need to spend the extra time to make your comparisons on at least 3 different websites.

Once you’ve done that then basically all that’s left is to choose the best price that you find. Happy hunting!

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Looking At Different Types Of Auto Insurance

November 14th, 2009 Car Insurance Buyer No comments

Auto insurance is at its heart financial protection. You purchase insurance in order to prevent paying thousands of dollars in the event of a collision or other loss. Many different types of insurance are available, covering almost every conceivable means of loss or damage to your vehicle as well as others to which you may cause damage. Very few drivers need to purchase every single type of insurance, so it is helpful to understand each type in order to decide which ones you require.

Property damage insurance is sometimes known as liability insurance. This product is designed to cover damages that you may do to someone else?s vehicle. Your state sets a minimum amount of this insurance that you must carry but the state requirement is often quite low. If the damage you cause exceeds the limits of your insurance you could be sued for the difference. It is therefore wise to purchase as much property damage insurance as you can afford.

Personal injury insurance is usually required by law, though the required amount may vary by state. This insurance pays a portion of your medical bills (generally 80 percent) and a portion of your lost wages (usually 60 percent) if you are injured in an accident. Personal injury protection often includes a small death benefit as well. This insurance may cover your relatives or household members or even everyone in the car, depending on your insurance company?s policies and state mandates.

Bodily injury insurance is extremely important even though it is not required by many jurisdictions. If you are at fault for an accident that injures someone beyond the limits of his personal injury coverage, bodily injury insurance will cover the difference. Otherwise you could be sued for medical expenses.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

If you are injured beyond the limits of your personal injury protection in an accident caused by someone who does not carry bodily injury insurance, what are your options? You could certainly sue him and likely win your case. However lawsuits are time consuming and expensive, and if he does not have the money to pay you might be stuck with an uncollectible judgment against him. Instead, your Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage could cover your injuries. This protection is reasonably priced and will ensure that you are paid in a timely manner. Purchase this coverage if you can.

Collision insurance will reimburse you for damages to your vehicle if you are at fault. Collision coverage will pay up to the actual cash value of the vehicle less your deductible. If your car is financed you may be required to carry collision insurance. However the premiums are high and this product is not recommended for older low value vehicles.

Comprehensive insurance will pay for damage or loss to your vehicle from both theft and acts of God. Comprehensive coverage will pay up to the actual cash value of the vehicle less your deductible. This insurance is usually required if your car is financed but not recommended for older cars with a low cash value.

Many other options are also available, covering everything from medical payments beyond your personal injury coverage to a rental car while yours is being repaired. Most of these options are good to have if you can afford them but not necessary if you can?t. Always speak with your insurance agent if you have any questions or concerns regarding your coverage options.

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Making Sense Of Those Car Insurance Policies And Terms

November 14th, 2009 Car Insurance Buyer No comments

When it comes time to get auto insurance for your car, you will be faced with a number of decisions about the various types of available insurance. Basically, there are six different parts of an insurance policy. Some of them are mandatory when you purchase car insurance, and some may be optional. Here is a brief explanation of the different types.

Collision Insurance

This is the part that allows your car to be paid for when you get in an accident. If you were to hit another vehicle, have another vehicle hit your car, or you hit another object (such as a tree), then the damage to your vehicle is covered. It also will cover your vehicle in the event of a rollover, too. There are some exceptions, such as stunts and racing, which will void your being covered during those events.

Comprehensive Insurance

This coverage will protect your car in those events that are not listed under Collision Insurance. This means that if your car were caught in a fire, flood, is vandalized, stolen, or damaged by falling objects, then it would be covered. For older cars, you probably should just drop this part of your policy.

Medical Payments

This part of your policy provides medical coverage for any bodily injuries to you or your passengers while you are driving. It also covers people who drive your car with your permission, or you and passengers when you are driving someone else’s car. Funerals are covered, too, in the event of any deaths that may occur. It may also be called Personal Injury Protection in some states.

Bodily Injury Liability

Whenever you get sued because of a bodily injury or a death, then this part of the policy covers you. There are a number of exceptions under this part of the policy as to who may not be covered and under what circumstances. It would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with them – or the liability for a lawsuit may fall on your responsibility unnecessarily.

Property Damage Liability

Any property that becomes damaged as a result of your driving, or if your vehicle is driven by someone that you gave authorization to, it is covered under this part of the car insurance policy. This part is usually written together with the Bodily Injury Liability.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

This is for that other guy who did not bother to buy car insurance. With more than 25%PRCTG% of motorists being uninsured in some states, you definitely need this. It will also cover you in the event of a hit and run driver. It is not available in all states.

Each of these sections of your policy can be adjusted by you in order to lower your car insurance rates if necessary. Ask your insurance agent what the recommended limits (legal) amounts are, and go from there upwards. You should seek to have these minimums – and more, if possible. You can also reduce your insurance costs by raising your deductible amount to %500 or %1,000.

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