What is auto insurance? Auto insurance (or car insurance, motor insurance) is insurance consumers can purchase for cars, trucks, and other vehicles. Its primary use is to provide protection against losses incurred. By buying auto insurance, depending on the type of coverage purchased, the consumer may be protected against:
* The cost of repairing the vehicle following an accident * The cost of purchasing a new vehicle if it is stolen or damaged beyond economic repair * Legal liability claims against the driver or owner of the vehicle following the vehicle causing damage or injury to a third party.
Liability insurance covers only the last point, while comprehensive insurance covers all three. Even comprehensive insurance, however, doesn't fully cover the risk associated with buying a new car. Due to the sharp decline in value immediately following purchase, there is generally a period in which the remaining car payments exceed the compensation the insurer will pay for a "totaled" (destroyed, or written-off) vehicle. So-called GAP insurance was established in the early 1980's to provide protection to consumers based upon buying and market trends. The escalating price of cars, extended term auto loans, and the increasing popularity of leasing gave birth to GAP protection. GAP waivers provide protection for consumers when a "gap" exists between the actual value of their vehicle and the amount of money owed to the bank or leasing company. In some countries including New Zealand and Australia market structures mean that people are more likely to buy a nearly new car than a new car so this is less of a problem.
In the United States, liability insurance covers claims against the policy holder and generally, any other operator of the insured's vehicle, provided they do not live at the same address as the policy holder and are not specifically excluded on the policy. In the case of those living at the same address, they must specifically be covered on the policy. Thus it is necessary for example, when a family member comes of driving age they must be added on to the policy. Liability insurance generally does not protect the policy holder if they operate any vehicles other than their own. When you drive a vehicle owned by another party, you are covered under that party's policy. Non-owners policies may be offered that would cover an insured on any vehicle they drive. This coverage is available only to those who do not own their own vehicle.
Generally, liability coverage does extend when you rent a car. However, in most cases only liability applies. Any additional coverage, such as comprehensive policies, i.e. "full coverage" may not apply. Full coverage premiums are based on, among other factors, the value of the insured's vehicle. This coverage may not apply to rental cars because the insurance company does not want to assume responsibility for a claim greater than the value of the insured's vehicle, assuming that a rental car may be worth more than the insured's vehicle. Some states, such as Minnesota, may require that it extend to rental cars. Most rental car companies offer insurance to cover damage to the rental vehicle. In some regions, the costs associated with not having access to the vehicle ("Loss of Use") is also covered.
Getting insurance for a car is compulsory and is required by law. When a person buys a new car he is happy to be the owner of a cherished thing. He goes ahead and buys insurance for his car after checking various options, analyzing them and then reaching a decision. He is on cloud nine thinking that his car is safe and protected and in case of any harm to his car he has his insurance policy to fall back on.
It's human nature to want to trust. We go into a business with confidence that the person inside knows what they are doing, and wouldn't lead us astray. This often leads to anxieties and dissapointment in the end when we learn this isn't always the case.
Some people buy car insurance as it is required by law. What people generally do is they log on to the internet and obtain cheap car insurance quote. They compare these quotes and buy a cheap car insurance policy for themselves. They do not go into the details and just remain ignorant about the vital aspects of their insurance policy.
It's more important than you realize to look deeply into the policy you purchase! That low premium your offered may come at the cost of your sanity down the road when you realize your not getting anywhere near the amount you need back after your accident. To be properly cared for, you need all the coverage you can get for the smallest amount.
Many car insurance companies offer incentives such as road side assistance and free rental cars. You may one day be shocked to find out after an accident that the road side assistance your offered can sometimes come at a high premium! Make sure to read the fine print to see exactly what's covered, don't be stuck on the side of the road distressed with nowhere to go!
Similarly free rentals are provided for specific time period only and when buying the car insurance, people do not look into these details. Suppose the insurance company gives free rentals only for 10 days and a person does not get his car back from the repair shop till 20 days then he has to shell out the money for the next 10 days from his pocket.
When a person insures his car he does not get insurance cover for any valuable items he has in his car. A person has loads of cash or some very expensive item in his car. The car gets stolen and the item inside the car also is lost. The insurance provider will let the car owner file a claim only to the extent of the car value. He cannot claim for the objects or cash he had in his car and which he lost. This is true in case your sound system, mobile phone, briefcase etc is stolen from your car.
Some clauses in insurance policies let you pay lesser premiums. But it gives limited coverage too. If a person has bought a policy with named driver clause and his spouse has an accident while driving his car then probably he might not have any claim. He can claim only if the accident happened while he was driving the car. It is always better to read the fine print of your insurance policy to avoid the pitfalls of car insurance.
Both Atwo & Susan Tanner are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Atwo has sinced written about articles on various topics from Auto Insurance, Wedding Reception and Jaguar Cars. Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips and hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to your vehicle and driving tips do please browse for more information at our websites.. Atwo's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.