Carinsurance11

I Don’t Want To Pay For Auto Insurance! What’s It For Anyway?

There are approximately 20 various types of insurance policies available and auto, home, life and health top the charts.

The concept of insurance has been recorded to be first practiced as far back as 2nd and 3rd millennium B.C. Just about anything you think about or hold value too these days can be insured. Auto or vehicle insurance is one of the most common types of insurance and is a basic policy to protect you against losses incurred from car accidents, theft, vandalism and various other mishaps. Auto insurance can be purchased for different vehicles like cars and trucks as well as recreational items like motorbikes, boats and motor homes. In recent years the internet has been instrumental in helping people to know the various policies available to meet their needs and compare prices.

What’s auto insurance for anyway?

Auto insurance is basically a contract between you the customer or car owner and an insurance company. According to this contract you the customer agree to pay a certain amount of money or premium to the insurance company and the company agrees to payout any losses as defined in the policy.

The main items covered in auto insurance policies are:

1.Property: in case of damage or theft of a car the reimbursement is paid under the property coverage.

2.Liability: covers expenses incurred for bodily injury or property damage to the other person and or yourself.

3.Medical expense: medical coverage helps pay for treating injuries, rehabilitation and funeral expenses.

Most insurance policies are valid for six months to one year and need to be renewed before the policy expires to avoid gaps of coverage where you would be liable if something were to happen. Insurance companies will usually notify you by mail when it is time to renew your policy. Insurance companies charge a flat rate premium regardless of how much the vehicle is used. Some insurance companies also offer various types of discounts.

The Benefits of Auto Insurance:

In order to protect your assets and financial situation it is very important to purchase auto insurance, this is the main purpose of auto insurance. Auto insurance is not only important for the protection of your vehicle but also in most countries it is required mandatory by law.

It is very important to conduct a detailed study when buying auto insurance coverage because there are different types of policies with different benefits. Consult an expert before investing in any insurance to ensure you get the right type and best rates possible.

Severe storms can cause enormous property damage to your home. They can also do the same thing to your car. With storms getting worse, what can you do? Take a look at your insurance policy. “Too often, people don’t notice they lack certain types of coverage until they try to make a claim,” says Ron Berry, senior vice president of the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

In fact, the number of reported claims for vehicle losses due to severe storms nearly doubled in the first five years of this century, according to ISO’s Property Claim Services (PCS) unit, the recognized authority on insured property losses from catastrophes in the United States.

Fortunately, the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.), a nonprofit organization, says comprehensive coverage will reimburse you for loss due to fire, falling objects, storms, vandalism, animals and floods.

Comprehensive insurance usually has a 100 to 300 deductible, though you may want a higher one to lower your premium. Comprehensive insurance will reimburse you if your windshield is cracked or shattered.

“But, even if you have comprehensive coverage, it is not always guaranteed to meet your individual needs,” says Carolyn Gorman, vice president of the I.I.I. “For example, you may be surprised to discover that after a storm your auto insurance does not automatically cover the cost of a replacement rental car while your car is in the repair shop or you wait for authorization for a new car.”

She added that an individual could pay as much as 1,000 to rent a replacement car. “Rental reimbursement coverage, which is only a couple of pounds a month, covers the cost of a rental car while your car is being repaired or you are waiting for authorization for a new car. Renting a car for one day can cost more than one full year’s coverage for rental reimbursement,” Gorman said.

If your car is ever damaged in a storm:

• Know what your insurance covers. Don’t wait to find out it doesn’t include comprehensive or won’t cover emergency roadside assistance or a rental car.

• Report damage as soon as possible. If your car is not drivable, your agent or claims center may be able to save you time and money by having it towed directly to the repair facility and providing you with a replacement rental car.

• Know your deductible and any other additional charges before authorizing work. Expect your insurance adjuster, claims representative or repair facility appraiser to review the damage with you and explain the process, including the use of original or generic auto parts.

As the population continues to grow, more cars and drivers hit the highways. With so many vehicles on the road, crashes are inevitable. Automobile Insurance can be the difference between a minor inconvenience and a major hassle. But why do you need insurance and just how much should you buy?

Auto insurance is required by law in all states and protects you by paying for damage or injury you cause others while driving your car; damage to your car or injury to you or your passengers in your car from a crash; and certain other occurrences such as theft and vandalism. Without insurance, you risk having to pay the full cost of any harm you cause others with your vehicle.

Coverage requirements vary by state, but usually include the following:

Liability: It pays for damages due to bodily injury and property damage to others for which you are responsible. Bodily injury damages include medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. Property damage includes damaged property and loss of use of property. State laws usually mandate minimum amounts, but higher amounts are available and usually recommended.

Personal Injury Protection: This is required in many states. It pays you or your passengers for medical treatment resulting from a crash, regardless of who may have been at fault, and is often called no-fault coverage. It may also pay for lost earnings, replacement of services and funeral expenses. State law usually sets minimum required amounts.

Medical Payments: This coverage is available in some states (usually the states without no-fault insurance), and pays regardless of who may have been at fault. It pays for an insured person’s reasonable and necessary medical and funeral expenses for bodily injury from a crash.

Collision: This pays for damage to your car caused by collision.

Comprehensive: This pays for damage to your car caused by “Other Than Collision”; including fire, wind, hail, vandalism and animal strikes.

Uninsured Motorist: This pays damages when an insured person is injured in a crash caused by another person who does not have liability insurance or by a hit and run driver.

Underinsured Motorist: This pays damages when an insured person is injured in a crash caused by another person who does not have enough liability insurance to cover the full amount of the damages.

Auto insurance premiums vary widely from company to company and will depend on several factors, including:
What coverage’s you select; The make and model of the car that you drive, your driving record, your age, sex, and marital status and where you live.

Many people think of auto insurance as a necessary evil that can save your financial well being. Evaluate your needs, do your research and make the decision that best suits you.

Reading auto insurance policies can be like trying to decipher advanced calculus. It’s really not that difficult if you understand a few basic terms. Collision, Comprehensive, Bodily Injury Liability and Property Injury Liability are the main terms you need to fully understand.

You’ll appreciate Collision Coverage in the event you need repairs or replacements if your vehicle collides with another vehicle or property. The higher the deductible you elect, the lower your premiums will cost you. If you’re at fault for something, well of course it would still be an accident, as I doubt you’d plan to run into that guard rail, but how much would you be able to afford to pay out of pocket for repairs? 250? 500? 1,000? Just like medical insurance, you’d have to pay that deductible amount first and then the insurance company would pay for the remaining charges for the repair.

Another term to become intimately familiar with is Comprehensive Coverage. This is the coverage that pays for damage caused from falling objects, fire, certain natural disasters, theft and vandalism. Deductibles work the same way as with Collision; the more out of pocket costs to you, the less your insurance premium.

In addition to knowing how much Collision and Comprehensive coverage you have, you’ll want to know about your liability coverage. Let’s say you rear-end another driver. Or your foot slips off the brake onto the gas pedal and you plow down a mailbox. Your liability coverage will kick in and pay for the damages that you caused with your insured vehicle. You liability coverage will, or could, include bodily injury (people) and property damage.

You don’t want to go without Bodily Injury Coverage. If you were at fault in an accident and others involved needed to go to the hospital andor lost wages from missing work, those costs would come out of your pocket if you are not insured with Bodily Injury Coverage. It doesn’t take a genius to know how quickly those amounts can add up. This type of coverage can also help you in the event the other party takes legal action against you. Many states require you to carry Bodily Injury Coverage.

The other part of liability includes Property Damage coverage. Can you imagine how much it might cost should you accidentally drive into the side of someone’s home? You wouldn’t want to be caught without property damage insurance should you need to pay for repairs to another vehicle, building or anything else you might hit. As with Bodily Injury coverage, Property Damage coverage also helps protect you in the event of a related lawsuit.

Every policy will have its limits and various degrees of coverage. It’s important that you understand the basics of what you are paying for and why it is necessary. No one plans for an accident, be prepared!

Auto Insurance policies can be divided into different categories according to the coverage they provide. Broadly speaking there are four kinds of policies known as Collision Insurance, Comprehensive Coverage Insurance, Uninsured and underinsured Motorist Coverage policies and No Fault Automobile Insurance policy. Besides these, there are policies that take care of other needs like covering an auto loan, paying for towing expenses or paying for the cost of a rented car while your vehicle is being repaired. The most common insurance policies are:

Collision: Any property damage caused to your vehicle due to an accident caused by any other vehicle or object is covered under this policy. The claim amount cannot exceed the actual cash value of the vehicle and is subject to any deductible.

Comprehensive: Any property damage to your vehicle that is caused by non-collision factors like fire, theft, vandalism, and even natural disasters like flood, hurricane or earthquake is covered under this policy.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage: takes cares of any injury that may result to you or to persons insured in your policy from an accident that takes place with another uninsured or underinsured driver or vehicle owner. Generally only body injuries are covered under this policy.

No Fault Auto Insurance Policy: Irrespective of who caused the accident, the insurance company pays for the medical expenses and for the loss of wages that the insured suffers on account of a collision under this policy.

Some other additional coverage that an auto insurance policy holder can buy are:

Property Damage Liability and Bodily Injury Liability: These two policies protect the insured from any claims made against him for causing damage to property including vehicle belonging to another person or for causing any bodily injury or loss of life to other individuals up to the amount mentioned in the policy.

Auto Lease Protection: is an additional protection that you may add to your collision or comprehensive auto insurance policy to take care of any gap that exists between your auto loan amount and the cash value of your vehicle.

Full Tort and Limited Tort: available only in the state of Pennsylvania allows the insured to retain unrestricted rights to bring a lawsuit against a negligent party or recover expenses incurred for certain damages.

Rental Expense: Known as Extended Transportation Expense Coverage, the policy pays for a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired or replaced.

Medical Payments Insurance covers medical expenses for injuries sustained in an accident involving any vehicle for the insured, his passengers and other parties irrespective of whose fault it is.

Towing and Labor: An additional coverage option that can pay for all necessary towing and labor costs to tow your damaged vehicle to a work shop or another location.