Auto insurance is the most widely purchased insurance coverage and is a legal necessity to be able to drive your vehicle. Nearly anywhere you go in the world this is required to possess auto insurance. It is an unavoidable expense so the best you can do is pay less for your auto insurance to try and alleviate the burden of this expense.
Auto insurance offers liability protection and if you have an accident and persons are injured, Auto insurance may cover their medical expenses or other expenses as per the clauses on the policy. It may also offer protection against property damage.
Most people think, well it will never happen to me, but car accidents are the #1 cause of accidental death and disability with more than 6 million accidents each year causing 3 million injuries and more than 42,500 deaths. That means that you have a better than 98% chance of getting into a car accident during your lifetime. Every year hundreds of Iowans are permanently disabled and killed in car accidents caused by drivers with little or no insurance. What many Iowans don’t know is that Iowa law only requires $20,000 in insurance coverage for bodily injuries. Given the rising costs of medical care, that barely covers a trip to the hospital and follow-up medical care. Statistically, about 12% of Iowans don’t carry any car insurance and we estimate that another 70% of Iowans don’t have enough. While the economy slows down, even fewer Iowans are buying insurance for their car.
I bought a used car a few months ago that had a near flawless finish. Over the past few months it’s been scratched several times by my nephew on his bike. We’ve talked and now I need to file a claim with my insurance. The marks are everywhere, back of the trunk, right rear quarter panel, hood, left rear quarter panel.
A year ago, I drove into a parking space at a supermarket – my wife was a passenger in the car, a witness. As I was driving into my space, an old lady in the space to the left decided to back out and caught my car. There was no damage on mine and her old banger had superficial ones – nothing to write home about. However, she got quite aggressive and would not admit fault. She tried to say that I drove into her! Since she was creating a scene, a passing old man decided to see what was up – playing Sir Galahad. He then, sided with her and said he saw the whole thing. I asked him where he was standing and he pointed to a position that wouldn’t have given him clear view of whether she was reversing or not, had he been there or not. Eventually I gave her my address; there was no reasoning with her and I had no reason to claim since there was no damage, so I decided to see what would happen. Nothing did, until yesterday – a year later! My insurance company don’t want to fight it and say that they’ve got a strong case. In her statement that she gave, she’s still quite agressive and insulting – calling me an idiot! I don’t want to cave in to these liars – why should I? What do you think, anyone?!
Americans love to drive and along with driving comes the need for auto insurance policies.
Many drivers however have never taken the time to understand this important protection. We are all just so used to calling our insurance agent, and then taking what he or she advises for us.
So when they do need to make a claim, they may not be satisfied by the outcome. If you need an auto insurance policy, please take some time to understand it. Here are some common misconceptions that people have about coverage.
I am convinced that if people take the time to understand how these policies work, they will end up buying better coverage, and they will be happy with their claims service.
Myth 1: The discount insurer is always cheaper.You may have seen some companies that advertise themselves as a provider of discount auto insurance. Is this true? Well, almost all insurers offer discounts. The company that will end up being cheaper for you, and your family, will depend upon various things about your unique situation.For example, one insurer may not cover homes too. Home and auto multiple policy discounts can save a lot. Another may offer higher rates to people with credit problems, even though they offer low rates to people with great credit. Have you had credit challenges. That is why it is really important to go to a broker who deals with a lot of different insurance companies or alternatively you should shop around for a company that is friendlier to a person like you.I have had the experience of switching from a company that was known as a cheap or discount insurer. Another top company was not knows for low prices. But when my life situation changed, they gave me discounts that saved me hundreds of dollars a year.
Myth 2: Minimum insurance coverage will take care of any repairs if you have an accident. States usually only require liability insurance. This handles repairs to the other guy’s car. Any damage to the vehicle you drive gets covered under comprehensive or collision sections of your insurance. If an accident is your fault, your liability policy will cover damage that other people claim. You still need to get your own car fixed, so this may be a big issue. If the accident was not your fault, the other driver’s policy should cover it if he or she has insurance. Most of us also protect ourself with uninsured motorisst coverage too.
Myth 3: Larger vehciles will cost less to insure because they are safer. This is just not true. The safety of a car is not directly related to how many tons of steel the frame has in it. It is more directly related to the way the car is designed. Some smaller cars have proven themselves safer than some larger vehicles. You should always compare policy rates if you are looking for another vehicle. Since the insurance is a big portion of the cost of owning a vehicle, it would be a good idea for you know how much you will need to spend. Before you purchase a policy, it would be a good idea to take the time to understand how it will cover you under different situations. If you have had a policy for awhile, please read it again. It may be time to do some car insurance shopping for the best coverage at affordable rates.