Auto Insurance: Some Basic Definitions
Legally, every car owner in United States must be covered under some type of auto insurance as stated by the Department of Motor Vehicles or DMV. This protects the owner of the car against damage to himself or his car, as well as protects other people from damages he may inadvertently cause.
Auto Insurance Coverage includes several definitions. These definitions determine the responsibilities and obligations of the policy holder, as a car owner, in case of damage to his car, the theft of his car, or an involvement in a car accident.
Definitions:
Property Coverage: this describes the amount of coverage available to a policy holder whose car was damaged in an accident, or through other means, such as vandalism. It also includes the theft of his car. Obviously this is an option every car owner should want to obtain.
Liability Coverage: this covers the the policy holder's legal responsibility for property damage or bodily injures he causes. Basically, it protects the policy holder than no matter what, the insurance company will protect him - to an extent defined in his policy - from property or bodily damage caused by him.
Medical Coverage: this defines the amount of coverage the insurance provider is willing to provide for the treatment of injuries and hospitalization sustained during an accident, as well as the costs of rehabilitation. In some cases, it also covers the wages lost by the injured person while he cannot not work.
Standard policies:
Auto insurance policies can be classified into multiple categories. Each exists to compensate for damage or loss sustained, and expenses incurred, in cases of property damage or injury. Several examples:
Third Party: this is the simplest and cheapest policy, and the bare minimum, a car owner must possess if he owns a car. It financially protects an insured individual when he causes damage to someone or their property.
Fire and Theft: this type of policy covers the cost of a car that is either stolen or burnt, but it does not cover any other damages. For example, if involved in a car accident, based on this option alone, the insurance company is not financially responsible.
Collision: if this option is included, the policy holder is not financially responsible for repairing his car when it is involved in a car accident, even in the even he caused it. Pretty good option to have.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or Medical Payments (MedPay): this policy protects the driver and any passengers that were in his car during a car accident, by reimbursing them for medical bills and lost wages. Note that the question who caused the accident is irrelevant for this policy.
Comprehensive: this is the best type of auto insurance and the most expensive one as well. It offers virtually all protections to the policy holder ranging from accidents, medical bills (at least partially), fire damage, theft, and even natural disasters ("acts of god"). It even partially covers the cost of items stolen from a car!
Specialized policies:
The following are specialized policies that only some people may be interested in.
Classic car insurance: covers a car that is older than 25 years. In principle it is equivalent to a standard comprehensive car insurance, however, it may have a limitation on the number of miles the owner can drive per year.
Rental Reimbursement: in the event a policy holder's car is unavailable (i.e. it is in repairs as a result of an accident), this policy ensures that the car owner gets a replacement rental car for this period.
No matter which policy you may have, it is essential that you are intimately familiar with its details as this could have significant financial repercussions when the time comes. For instance, some auto insurance plans only reimburse 80% of the value of a stolen car - the reason being, to avoid fraud (car owners from staging theft of their own cars). - 23211
Auto Insurance Coverage includes several definitions. These definitions determine the responsibilities and obligations of the policy holder, as a car owner, in case of damage to his car, the theft of his car, or an involvement in a car accident.
Definitions:
Property Coverage: this describes the amount of coverage available to a policy holder whose car was damaged in an accident, or through other means, such as vandalism. It also includes the theft of his car. Obviously this is an option every car owner should want to obtain.
Liability Coverage: this covers the the policy holder's legal responsibility for property damage or bodily injures he causes. Basically, it protects the policy holder than no matter what, the insurance company will protect him - to an extent defined in his policy - from property or bodily damage caused by him.
Medical Coverage: this defines the amount of coverage the insurance provider is willing to provide for the treatment of injuries and hospitalization sustained during an accident, as well as the costs of rehabilitation. In some cases, it also covers the wages lost by the injured person while he cannot not work.
Standard policies:
Auto insurance policies can be classified into multiple categories. Each exists to compensate for damage or loss sustained, and expenses incurred, in cases of property damage or injury. Several examples:
Third Party: this is the simplest and cheapest policy, and the bare minimum, a car owner must possess if he owns a car. It financially protects an insured individual when he causes damage to someone or their property.
Fire and Theft: this type of policy covers the cost of a car that is either stolen or burnt, but it does not cover any other damages. For example, if involved in a car accident, based on this option alone, the insurance company is not financially responsible.
Collision: if this option is included, the policy holder is not financially responsible for repairing his car when it is involved in a car accident, even in the even he caused it. Pretty good option to have.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or Medical Payments (MedPay): this policy protects the driver and any passengers that were in his car during a car accident, by reimbursing them for medical bills and lost wages. Note that the question who caused the accident is irrelevant for this policy.
Comprehensive: this is the best type of auto insurance and the most expensive one as well. It offers virtually all protections to the policy holder ranging from accidents, medical bills (at least partially), fire damage, theft, and even natural disasters ("acts of god"). It even partially covers the cost of items stolen from a car!
Specialized policies:
The following are specialized policies that only some people may be interested in.
Classic car insurance: covers a car that is older than 25 years. In principle it is equivalent to a standard comprehensive car insurance, however, it may have a limitation on the number of miles the owner can drive per year.
Rental Reimbursement: in the event a policy holder's car is unavailable (i.e. it is in repairs as a result of an accident), this policy ensures that the car owner gets a replacement rental car for this period.
No matter which policy you may have, it is essential that you are intimately familiar with its details as this could have significant financial repercussions when the time comes. For instance, some auto insurance plans only reimburse 80% of the value of a stolen car - the reason being, to avoid fraud (car owners from staging theft of their own cars). - 23211
About the Author:
Theodore Hoffstrader has been struggling for years with Auto Insurance matters, and has learned much from his trials. In this article he discussed several Auto Insurance Basics. To read more articles that will help you better understand Auto Insurance procedures and possibly save you money, visit his site, the Auto Insurance Information Highway.
posted by X - Men @ 2:34 AM
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