Want to earn money for each referral that you send us, please click on the link above, “Ask us about our referral program” to send us an e-mail with the names, and contact numbers of your referrals. For the month of March, we are paying $25 for each referral that is converted into a home, auto, life or commercial insurance policy. Now for the good stuff…
I am often surprised of the questions I receive regarding auto insurance policies. Therefore, I would like to provide some much needed insight regarding the questions I am often asked, along with explaining what the different auto insurance coverages mean:
The first thing I want to know when I purchase an auto insurance policy is:
1. What is the reputation of the company in their claims handling? Therefore, I am providing you a link regarding insurance companies reputations you should be aware of: https://www.coloradolaw.net/
2. Is this a named driver policy or is this a house driver policy? Just know that all auto policies are not the same, thus the differences in the prices. Just so you know, a named driver policy only covers the drivers named on the policy. What this means is that if you have a named driver policy and you let someone else drive your vehicle and they are in an accident, there will be no coverage and if they injure someone, YOU can be sued because it was your vehicle involved in the accident.
3. On the other hand, if it is a household driver policy, other people are allowed to drive your vehicle even if they are not listed on the policy. With that said, if you take advantage of an insurance company and is dishonest about the members in the household (such as not reporting a youthful driver when they receive a drivers license) and this individual has an accident, it is highly likely that your policy will be canceled although the claim may be paid. So now let’s talk about liability coverages.
4. When you see the numbers written on an auto policy 100/300/100 the first set of numbers written that way is your bodily injury per person / bodily injury per accident / property damage of others. The first thing to be aware of is that the numbers are written in thousands! So what this means is that in the event that you are involved in an accident and it is your fault and you have the above coverage limits, your insurance will cover up to $100,000 in bodily injury per person that you are liable for and up to $300,000 if there were multiple people injured and lastly up to $100,000 to repair the vehicle or vehicles involved in the accident that you are liable for.
5. For UM/UIM coverage the limits are written the same way, 100/300/100. The difference is the UM – Uninsured Motorist / UIM – Under Insured Motorist cover is that your insurance company will cover you and your vehicle up to these limits if you are hit by an uninsured or under insured driver. The deductible for this coverage is usually $250.
6. Comprehensive Coverage – Covers damage to your vehicle caused by covered events such as theft, vandalism, flooding, hail damage or other events.
7. Collision Coverage – Covers damage to your vehicle in the event of a covered accident involving your vehicle colliding with another vehicle or object while your vehicle was moving.
8. Roadside Assistance / Towing Coverage – Covers you in case you are stranded on the road, like if you get a flat tire, or run out of gas, or get into an accident that makes it impossible for you to keep driving.
9. Rental Re-imbursement Coverage – Helps you pay for transportation expenses, such as rental car or public transportation fares while your own vehicle is being repaired after a covered claim.
10. GAP Insurance – Provides supplemental coverage for the difference between the actual cash value of your car and the amount you owe the lender or leasing company at the time of the claim in order to give you enough money to cover the gap between what is owed on the vehicle.
The above coverages are not all inclusive as there are other optional coverages that can be added to an auto policy. However, these are the main ones.
I am hopeful this information will help you to understand your auto policy better. Having a knowledgeable insurance agent to help you understand the exposures that you have as well as matching you with the right company based on your individual needs is a must. I personally believe that shopping online for auto insurance without the help of a licensed professional is a huge mistake because you may have exposures that you are unaware of. If these exposures are not addressed properly it can cost you a lot of money down the road with an uncovered claim.
If you have any additional questions regarding your auto insurance policy, feel free to call me with your questions. Also, if you feel this information was valuable, please forward this e-mail on to your friends, family and other people that you care about. Remember, if they call me for a referral during the month of March, you will earn $25 for each person that purchases a policy.
By the way, with the COVID-19 (coronavirus) officially being declared a pandemic and confirmed cases of the illness increasing, we want to reassure you that we are prepared and have plans in place, in case it escalates.
We are operating as usual, and will keep providing the great service you rely on every day.
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