Car Accident Insurance – Essential Coverage Tips
No one ever thinks they will be involved in a car accident, but it can happen to anyone. That is why it is important to be prepared with car accident insurance. Most states have mandatory insurance laws, but sometimes this mandatory insurance coverage only requires “liability” coverage. In the event of a car crash, liability doesn’t cover you or your vehicle, only others and their property.
Types of Coverage
As mentioned, most auto insurance plans include liability insurance which is usually the minimum coverage required by state laws. Liability provides coverage for injury and property damage to others. You have options of how much coverage you want. If you do not get enough coverage, then, in the event that you are in an accident, you could be stuck paying the difference.
Collision insurance offers you coverage on your vehicle in the event that you are in a crash. You cannot guarantee that if you are in an accident that the other person will have enough insurance to cover your expenses. You may end up having to wait a long time and going through many hassles with the insurance company in order to ever see payment, if the other driver does have insurance. Having your own collision insurance will ensure that you are protected and that you start to get things back to normal as soon as possible after an accident. Collision coverage will fix your car even if you were at fault.
Medical payment coverage will pay your medical expenses and those of your passengers should anyone be injured in a crash. It pays regardless of whose fault the accident was. Some policies may also pay for lost wages due to an accident.
Uninsured or underinsured motorists coverage offers you coverage in the event you get into an accident with someone who is not insured. This coverage will pay medical bills for you if the other driver does not have insurance or does not have enough insurance to pay the expenses. These coverages will usually compensate you for pain and suffering also.
Other Options
There are other coverage options that you may want to consider. These things are considered extras, but in the event that you are in an accident they can come in handy.
You may be able to get a rental car on your insurance. Some policies offer rental car coverage where you get a rental car to use at no cost if your vehicle is damaged. This can be handy if your vehicle is damaged in an accident and you must send it for repairs.
Another helpful extra is gap coverage which will pay the difference between the value of your car and what is actually owned. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident the insurance only pays the value of the vehicle and not what you owe, so gap coverage will ensure your whole loan is paid off if your car is totaled in an accident.
Car accidents are unfortunate, but they happen everyday. You should always be prepared with the proper insurance coverage. You cannot guarantee that you will never be in an accident. It is a case where you are better off safe than sorry later.