Read up on our most frequently asked questions to become an informed auto insurance consumer:Questions:What is auto insurance?Auto insurance protects you against financial loss if you have an accident. It is a contract between you and the insurance company. You agree to pay the premium and the insurance company agrees to pay your losses as defined in your policy. Auto insurance provides property, liability and medical coverage: Property coverage pays for damage to or theft of your car.
Liability coverage pays for your legal responsibility to others for bodily injury or property damage. Medical coverage pays for the cost of treating injuries, rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral expenses. An auto insurance policy is comprised of six different kinds of coverage. Most states require you to buy some, but not all, of these coverages. If you're financing a car, your lender may also have requirements. Most auto policies are for six months to a year. Your insurance company should notify you by mail when it's time to renew the policy and pay your premium.
What is in a basic auto policy?Your auto policy may include six coverages. Each coverage is priced separately.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist CoverageThis coverage will reimburse you, a member of your family, or a designated driver if one of you is hit by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver. Underinsured motorist coverage comes into play when an at-fault driver has insufficient insurance to pay for your total loss. This coverage will also protect you if you are hit as a pedestrian. Can I drive legally without insurance?NO! Almost every state requires you to have auto liability insurance. All states also have financial responsibility laws. This means that even in a state that does not require liability insurance, you need to have sufficient assets to pay claims if you cause an accident. If you don't have enough assets, you must purchase at least the state minimum amount of insurance. But insurance exists to protect your assets. Trying to see how little you can get by with can be very shortsighted and dangerous. If you've financed your car, your lender may require comprehensive and collision insurance as part of the loan agreement. © Insurance Information Institute, Inc. - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED What if I lease a car?If you lease a car, you still need to buy your own auto insurance policy. The auto dealer or bank that is financing the car will require you to buy collision and comprehensive coverage. You'll need to buy these coverages in addition to the others that may be mandatory in your state, such as auto liability insurance. Collision covers the damage to the car from an accident with another automobile or object. Comprehensive covers a loss that is caused by something other than a collision with another car or object, such as a fire or theft or collision with a deer. The leasing company may also require "gap" insurance. This refers to the fact that if you have an accident and your leased car is damaged beyond repair or "totaled," there's likely to be a difference between the amount that you still owe the auto dealer and the check you'll get from your insurance company. That's because the insurance company's check is based on the car's actual cash value which takes depreciation into account. The difference between the two amounts is known as the "gap." On a leased car, the cost of gap insurance is generally rolled into the lease payments. You don't actually buy a gap policy. Generally, the auto dealer buys a master policy from an insurance company to cover all the cars it leases and charges you for a "gap waiver." This means that if your leased car is totaled, you won't have to pay the dealer the gap amount. Check with the auto dealer when leasing your car. If you have an auto loan rather than a lease, you may want to buy gap insurance to protect yourself from having to come up with the gap amount if your car is totaled before you've finished paying for it. Ask your insurance agent about gap insurance or search the Internet. Gap insurance may not be available in some states. Do I need insurance to rent a car?When renting a car, you need insurance. If you have adequate insurance on your own car, including collision and comprehensive, this may be enough. Before you rent a car:
If you don't have auto insurance, you will need to buy coverage at the car rental counter. The following coverages are available to you at the rental car counter:
Some rental car companies combine personal accident and personal effects coverage together as one type of insurance, while others sell it individually. The cost of insurance at the rental car counter will vary depending on the rental car company, state, and location of the dealer and the type of car you rent. Some rental car companies may check your credit and driving history and may deny coverage. Check with the rental car company to find out its policy. Note: If you're renting a car abroad, you may need an international driver's license. What are the driving laws in my state?Most states require car owners to buy a minimum amount of bodily injury and property damage liability insurance before they can legally drive their cars. All states have financial responsibility laws. This means that people involved in an automobile accident will be required to furnish proof of financial responsibility up to certain minimum dollar limits. To comply with financial responsibility laws, most drivers purchase automobile liability insurance. The insurance industry and consumer groups generally recommend a minimum of $100,000 of bodily injury protection per person and $300,000 per accident since accidents may cost far more than the minimum limits mandated by most states. Refer to the III Website for a complete listing of automobile financial responsibility limits and enforcements by state: http://www.iii.org/individuals/auto/a/stateautolaws/ © Insurance Information Institute, Inc. - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |