Wish you could get out of high-priced auto insurance? It’s quite common and there are a lot of people just like you who feel imprisoned by their auto insurance policy.
Online insurance companies like Progressive, State Farm and Geico all promote huge savings with ads and it can be hard to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and take the time to shop coverage around.
The best way to compare rates is to take advantage of the fact car insurance companies participate in a system to give you rate quotes. To begin a comparison, all you need to do is give them rating details like how many miles driven, if you require a SR-22, the make and model of your vehicles, and whether you have decent credit. That rating information is instantly submitted to insurance carriers in your area and they return rate quotes very quickly.
When choosing adequate coverage, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s situation is a little different and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions could help you determine whether you may require specific advice.
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Having a good grasp of your policy helps when choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. Auto insurance terms can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find typical coverage types offered by auto insurance companies.
Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things such as vandalism, damage from getting keyed, rock chips in glass and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum payout your auto insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.
Liability coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to people or other property by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You commonly see policy limits of 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage pays for claims like loss of income, bail bonds, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, court costs and attorney fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but consider buying as large an amount as possible.
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for immediate expenses for things like prosthetic devices, rehabilitation expenses, hospital visits, funeral costs and surgery. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover both the driver and occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and damage to your Mazda MX-5 Miata.
Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.
This pays for damage to your MX-5 Miata caused by collision with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against things like hitting a parking meter, colliding with another moving vehicle, driving through your garage door, backing into a parked car and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.