Getting The Best Car Insurance: The Basics
Anyone planning to operate a motor vehicle on the roads and highways of the United States must have car insurance in order to do so legally. But with so many types of coverage available, getting car insurance can be confusing.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help. If you’re currently seeking car insurance in North Carolina but you’re not sure what you need or where to start, these are the basics you should know to be sure your motor vehicle is properly covered:
Liability
If there’s one type of coverage you absolutely must hold, it’s liability. This is required by law in just about every state in the country which is why it’s the most commonly issued form of car insurance offered by every insurance company out there.
What makes this so important is that covers the costs incurred for damage or bodily injury as a result of an accident in which you are deemed to be at fault. Basically, if you crash into someone’s car or house, liability coverage covers all repair and medical expenses that come about from it, up to your policy limits, of course.
Liability does NOT pay for any expenses you may incur from an accident. Property damage policies offers similar coverage in the event you wreck someone’s else belongings as a result of your actions behind the wheel of your car.
Collision and Comprehensive
While liability and property damage coverage are in place to protect others and their property in the event of an accident, collision and comprehensive cover any costs you incur. These are usually purchased together in order to be fully protected, collision is designed to cover your automobile in the event it sustains damage while you are operating it.
So if your car makes impact with another on the road or in a parking lot, if you sideswipe a retaining wall, or if you skid into a ditch and roll the car on its roof, all repair or replacement expenses are covered under your policy.
But one thing to keep in mind, should you sustain some sort of damage in your travels you may want to weigh the costs of paying them yourself versus filing a claim. Most of the time an accident can result in your premiums going up. This is especially true if you were found to be impaired in some capacity during the crash.
As for comprehensive, this coverage covers all expenses from damage that was a result of impacts on your car that were made by any number of covered “perils”. These include fire, bad weather, or “Acts of God” which are defined in your policy.
Simply put, if a tree falls on your car in a thunderstorm or icy hail pellets crack your windshield, your provider will cover the costs for repair.
You can purchase these types of policies separately, of course, but most drivers opt for the alternative just in case.
Uninsured/Underinsured Driver
You may be a law-abiding motorist who makes sure they are up to date and current on their insurance premiums but not everyone else is that dedicated to staying legal on the road.
In the event you get into a fender bender with one of these individuals, you could be left holding the bag when it comes time to pay for medical and repair bills even if the other driver is at fault. But you can avoid this from happening if you purchase uninsured or underinsured driver coverage.
With this added to your policy, you can be sure you’re covered no matter what in the event the other driver in an accident does not have coverage. Your insurance company will pay for all the expenses that the other driver’s company would normally pay for…if they had coverage.
Rental Car Costs
While this may not be an absolute essential coverage to maintain (and one that will definitely increase your monthly premiums), many drivers like to have it on hand in the event a major accident leaves them without a car for any length of time.
This is particularly important for consumers who rely heavily on their car to get to work, medical appointments, and other daily or weekly uses that would fall by the wayside without personal transportation.
The way it works pretty straightforward, if your car is out of commission for any period of time and you need to rent a car in the meantime, your insurance company will cover the costs to supply you with a temporary replacement. As for the type of car you get, it must be equal to or better than the one that is currently being insured under the policy.