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Why
is automobile insurance sometimes referred to as a "packaged policy?"
What are the parts of the package?
I
have an older car whose current market value is very low - do I really
need to purchase automobile insurance?
Suppose
I lend my car to a friend, is he/she covered under my automobile insurance
policy?
What
does my auto insurance policy cover when I rent a car?
What
is the difference between collision physical damage coverage and comprehensive
physical damage coverage?
What
should I do if I have an accident?
Why
does the premium for my automobile insurance go up if I have an accident
or if I get a ticket?
How
can I get insurance for my motorcycle?
What
is no-fault insurance?
What
do I gain and what do I lose by giving up my tort rights?
I
live in a state where I can pick either no-fault coverage or traditional
tort coverage. Which one should I choose?
What
factors affect the cost of my auto insurance?
What
should I consider when purchasing automobile insurance?
How
can I lower my auto insurance rates?
Why
is auto insurance sometimes referred to as a packaged policy? What are
the parts of the package?
Before the 1950's, if you wanted to purchase all the coverage today’s
auto insurance policy provides, you would have had to purchase at least
four separate policies. Changes in the laws that regulate the sale of
insurance now allow the insurance industry to sell policies that combine
the separate parts into one all-encompassing policy. The main advantages
of combining the parts are lower expenses, and therefore a lower cost
to consumers, and the convenience of being able to purchase property,
auto liability and other types of coverage in a single policy. Part A
of an auto policy is liability coverage that protects you from lawsuits
arising from either negligent operation or ownership of a covered automobile.
There are two types of coverage in Part A - bodily injury liability (BIL)
and property damage liability (PDL). BIL covers the bodily injury claims
of people you negligently injure in an accident. PDL covers any third
party property damage claims the courts determine you must pay. Part B
provides medical payments to you and any other passengers in the car in
an accident. Part C provides uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist
protection for the policyowner. Both B and C are designed to compensate
you when the negligent driver doesn’t have enough liability insurance
under his/her policy. Typically, Part C covers only bodily injury losses,
but property damage losses are included in some states. Part D covers
damages to your car when it is involved in an accident.
I
have an older car whose current market value is very low - do I really
need to purchase automobile insurance?
Most states have enacted compulsory insurance laws that require drivers
to have at least some auto liability insurance (Part A). These laws were
enacted to ensure that victims of accidents are compensated when their
losses are caused by someone else being negligent. Except for the minimum
liability you may be required to buy, many people with older cars decide
not to purchase physical damage coverage. Often, the cost of repairing
an older car is greater than its value. In these cases, your insurer will
usually just "total" the car and give you a check for the car's market
value less the deductible. Many people forgo the Part D coverage because
of the relatively low value of their autos.
Suppose
I lend my car to a friend; is that covered under my auto insurance policy?
Whenever you knowingly loan your car to a friend or an associate, he or
she will be covered under your policy. In fact, even if you don’t give
explicit permission each time a person borrows your car, someone is still
covered under your policy as long he or she had a reasonable belief that
you would have given permission to borrow the car.
What
does my auto insurance policy cover when I rent a car?
The
answer to this question is not simple. In the not-too-distant past, most
auto insurance policies would extend coverage to rental cars whenever
you rented one. This is not quite true anymore. In most cases, your personal
auto insurance policy will cover only vacation car rentals. Many insurance
companies no longer extend personal auto insurance coverage for business
travel. Find out what rental car coverage you have under your policy is
by calling your insurance agent/company.
What
is the difference between collision physical damage coverage and comprehensive
physical damage coverage?
Both collision and comprehensive coverage are in Part D. Collision is
defined as losses you incur when your auto collides with another car or
object. For example, if you hit a car in a parking lot, damages to your
car will be paid under your collision coverage. Comprehensive covers most
other direct physical damage losses. For example, damage to your car from
a hailstorm will be covered under comprehensive coverage. It’s important
to know the differences between collision and comprehensive coverage to
make an informed buying decision. Also keep in mind that your deductibles
in these two categories are often different.
What
should I do if I have an accident?
Your
responsibilities after you have an accident are proscribed both by state
law and by your insurance contract. Obviously, the first thing you should
do is be sure everyone is all right and call an ambulance if needed. Second,
for most accidents in most states, the police should be notified. Third,
give the other driver(s) involved your name, address, telephone number,
and the name of your insurance company and/or your insurance agent. Get
this same information from the other driver(s). Fourth, as soon as possible,
contact either your insurance agent or your insurance company to notify
them that you have been in an accident. Finally, there are conditions
in the insurance contract you must satisfy to receive compensation from
your insurer. For example, you must cooperate with your insurer during
any investigation during the claims settlement process. Not completing
any of these actions can result in non-payment by your insurance company
for losses that otherwise would have been covered.
Why
does the premium for my auto insurance go up if I have an accident or
get a ticket?
Actuaries
and statisticians who have studied the behavior of people involved in
accidents have shown that people who have either had an accident or received
a ticket recently are more likely to have another accident in the next
couple of years than people whose recent driving record has been incident-free.
Insurance companies use this information not to punish people, but to
charge them a premium that reflects their likelihood of having an accident.
People who are more likely to have accidents should expect to pay higher
premiums.
How
can I insure my motorcycle?
You can add a miscellaneous-type vehicle endorsement to your existing
auto insurance policy. This endorsement will also cover mopeds, motor
homes, dune buggies and other motorized vehicles.
What
is no-fault insurance?
It’s a type of insurance by which the victims of an auto accident are
compensated by their own insurance company, no matter who caused the accident.
This outcome is different from what occurs under the traditional tort
system of compensating victims of an accident. In the tort system, the
party who is at fault is required to compensate the victims of the accident.
The idea behind no-fault insurance is to keep small claims from being
settled in our expensive legal system. To accomplish its purpose, no-fault
insurance restricts the injured person's right to sue the negligent driver
in those instances where the loss falls below a certain threshold. Two
types of thresholds are typically used: verbal thresholds and dollar thresholds.
A dollar threshold proscribes a dollar limit that a claim must reach before
the injured person regains his or her tort rights (the ability to sue).
A verbal threshold uses a written description to determine when the injured
person regains his or her right to sue. For example, someone might regain
tort rights if an accident caused a serious handicap, such as permanent
loss of a bodily function. A verbal threshold uses a written description
to determine when the injured person regains his or her tort rights. For
example, a person might regain his or her tort rights when the accident
caused a serious handicap, such as permanent loss of a bodily function.
What
do I gain and what do I lose by giving up my tort rights?
Proponents
of no-fault insurance argue policyowners gain several things by giving
up their right to sue in minor accidents. For example, under no-fault
insurance you typically pay lower automobile insurance premiums, collect
claims payments faster, and spend less time in court. The biggest thing
you lose by giving up your right to sue is the ability to collect payments
for pain and suffering. No-fault insurance only pays your direct economic
losses, such as hospital bills, lost wages, etc. It does not compensate
you for any pain and suffering damages you may incur from an accident.
However, in most serious accidents, where the likelihood of incurring
these non-economic losses is greatest, you regain your tort rights and
therefore the ability to sue the negligent party for pain and suffering.
I
live in a state where I can pick either no-fault coverage or traditional
tort coverage. Which one should I choose?
Which
one you choose depends on your tolerance toward the chance that you may
not be able to sue for pain and suffering damages in all accidents. However,
since the thresholds where you regain your tort rights are usually low,
many policyowners choose the no-fault coverage because it can mean substantially
reduced premium costs.
What
factors affect the cost of my auto insurance?
The
type of car you drive, what you use it for, your driving record, where
you live and even your marital status can all affect how much your policy
will cost. It’s all based on numbers; for example, statistics show that
married people have fewer and less costly accidents than single people.
What
should I consider when buying auto insurance?
Things you should consider when purchasing automobile insurance include:
Decide how much liability coverage you want to carry. This is highly subjective.
The liability levels you have on your other policies can serve as a guideline.
Consult a financial professional if you need more advice. Determine which
optional coverage you will need to feel protected. For example, do you
want the optional physical damage coverage in Part D, or is the market
value of your car too low to warrant purchasing them? Once you have decided
what you want, you can now choose from which type of company you want
to buy a policy. Decide whether you want an insurance agent to assist
you in your decisions or if you wish to buy the insurance directly from
a company that sells insurance over the phone or through the mail.
How
can I lower my auto insurance rates?
The
easiest way is to shop around. It’s not surprising to find quotes on auto
insurance that can vary by hundreds of dollars for the same coverage on
the same car. When you shop, be careful to make sure each insurer is offering
the same coverage. Many insurers use the ISO policy forms, which make
comparing easy, but this is not always the case. Another way to lower
costs is to look for discounts that may apply to you. For example, many
insurers will offer a discount if you insure multiple cars under the same
policy, or if you have had a driver education class in the last 5 years.
Be sure to ask your agent or company about their discount plans. Another
easy way to save is to increase your deductible. Simply bumping a deductible
from $250 to $500 can lower your premium - sometimes by as much as 5 or
10 percent. However, make sure you have the financial resources necessary
to handle the larger out-of-pocket costs in the event of an accident.
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