Choose your Auto Insurance Wisely
Let’s face it: auto insurance isn’t the easiest thing to understand. From the legal requirements that differ state-to-state, to the optional coverages, deductible choices, and coverage levels—it can be difficult to determine what will be covered by your car insurance if you have an accident. This goes double for policies built using automotive insurance quotes to find bottom-dollar pricing.
At KasiaInsurance.com, we have licensed professionals that will guide you through this process to make sure that when you obtain car insurance on line, you’re prepared should you need to make a claim. Budgets for automobile insurance differ, but we can help you weigh the options that are important to you so we can build the best policy for your pocketbook.
Vehicle insurance is meant to protect you if you cause injuries to others or damage to their property in an auto accident. It can also provide protection to your own car if it is damaged in an accident, stolen or catches on fire. Simply getting vehicle insurance quotes and going with the cheapest option isn’t often advisable, as this kind of automotive insurance may come up short when you have to make a claim.
Car insurers provide six basic forms of coverage – liability coverage (for injuries to others and damage to their property), coverage for medical expenses, uninsured & under-insured motorist coverage (depending on state), and physical damage coverage to your auto. When considering automobile insurance quotes, it’s important to consider your needs for each of these forms of coverage.
Automobile insurance companies often promise to save you a particular percentage or amount on your previous policy, particularly in an age when it’s easy to receive online car insurance. KasiaInsurance.com is different. When our licensed professionals assist you in preparing an automobile insurance quote, they keep your specific needs as a motorist in mind. To ensure that you have the policy you need, it can also be helpful to study up on the terminology you might hear when dealing with online car insurance quotes.
Auto Coverages you need to understand:
- Bodily Injury Liability Coverage – This pays damages for bodily injuries to the driver and passengers of the other vehicle when you are responsible for an accident. The policy will also defend you if you are sued as a result of an auto accident.
- Property Damage Liability Coverage – This pays for damages to another person’s vehicle or property when you are responsible for the accident. Again, the policy will defend you if you are sued due to an auto accident.
- Medical Payments coverage – This generally covers you, household relatives and your passengers for medical expenses that result from injuries sustained in an auto accident. It also covers you as a pedestrian if you are hit by a vehicle. Some states have personal injury protection (PIP) in place of, or in addition to, medical payments coverage. This is also known as no-fault coverage. PIP can generally pay for medical expenses, funeral expenses, loss of income and other expenses for injuries or death due to injuries sustained as a result of a car accident.
- Uninsured or under-insured motorist bodily injury coverage – This pays for damages for bodily injury to you and your passengers when caused by another in an auto accident and the person legally responsible either has inadequate or no insurance to cover your injuries. This is a key coverage to be aware of because many car insurance companies advertise selling the minimum required coverage to keep you legal. The car insurance quote offered may appear to be a deal, but if you are involved in an accident with an uninsured or under-insured driver, you may have to pay the medical bills out of your own pocket.
- Collision Coverage – This pays for damage to your car if it hits another car or overturns. A deductible applies to this coverage.
- Comprehensive Coverage – This pays for damage to your car. Certain causes, other than collision coverage, such as fire, theft, hail, glass breakage, vandalism and impact with an animal. A deductible applies to this coverage.
Coverages to discuss with Kasia Insurance licensed professional agents include the following:
- Auto Loan / Lease Coverage – In the event of a total loss to your vehicle, this will pay the outstanding amount on the loan or lease for your auto. Auto dealerships may offer finance options of up to 6 years, so if you put a lot of miles on your auto, this coverage needs to be considered. For example, let’s say your vehicle is totaled, and the value of your auto is $6,000 minus your deductible (500). If you still owe the finance company $8,000 for the vehicle, and you do not have this coverage, the finance company will receive $5,500, leaving you with the remainder of the finance bill to pay even when you no longer have a car to drive.
- Towing Coverage – Will pay the cost to tow your auto to the body shop if you have a claim.
- Rental Coverage – Will pay, after a covered claim, the cost to rent a car while the claim is being settled for a maximum of 30 days with a certain limits that you choose on your policy.
- Funeral Expense – Will pay the funeral expenses that result in a covered claim up to the limits you choose on your policy.
- Work Loss – Will pay 80% of your income loss due to injuries from a covered claim up to the limits you choose on your policy.
- Extraordinary Medical benefits – If you are seriously injured in an auto accident and you do not have health insurance, this coverage must be considered. It will provide up to $1,000,000 limit of coverage for claims above $100,000. (To avoid a gap in coverage, your policy must include a basic medical coverage limit of up to $100,000.)