Auto Insurance Term » Liability Coverage

Cheap Car Insurance in Charlotte, North Carolina

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:09:44 +0000

Living in Charlotte, North Carolina offers many benefits including the charm of the city’s southern hospitality. However, just like most major metropolitan centers in the United States, residents of Charlotte must have liability coverage on their motor vehicles. Failure to provide proof of the minimum amount of coverage including $150,000 for property damage, $25,000 for injuries per person per accident and an addition $50,000 to cover all injuries can result in a car not being registered. It’s easy to see why it might be appealing to simply go out and purchase this no-frills type policy, but that’s only going to be adequate in a few instances.

Most of us just need more coverage than that. It might be because we drive a car that is new or newer or it might be because we simply don’t feel comfortable about the idea of having such limited coverage in the event an injury does occur. For this reason, there are many insurance companies in Charlotte, North Carolina all offering some form of car insurance coverage that is meant to appeal to the bulk of drivers. Finding the right policy that still offers cheap rates can be a challenge, but it certainly can be done.

One of the best and most effective ways to lower car insurance rates for anyone, regardless of the type of car they drive or their personal driving record is to request a higher deductible. Many insurance companies give quotes based on a deductible of $250. This is the standard amount that most people would pay should they have to cover the deductible on a claim. When the deductible is higher, the individual is agreeing to the premise that they’ll pay the additional amount in exchange for a lower insurance rate. For someone who rarely, if ever, makes a claim, this is a great way to secure cheap car insurance in Charlotte, North Carolina.

By: Deborah Mills

Insurance for Asset Protection

admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 04:58:45 +0000

There are many reasons to get insurance. When you have accumulated some wealth, asset protection becomes an insurance consideration. In the olden days you would make your castle larger and then protect against marauders with a moat and high walls. Today most communities don’t allow moats or high stone walls. And the marauders are trial lawyers that could try to take all that you have worked to earn!

A good insurance agent will work with you to have the best possible protection for your situation. It is important to have a balanced plan. You don’t want to have a 12’ front wall and a 1’ rear wall. In insurance terms this means not having $500,000 liability protection for your home in combination with $20,000 liability coverage on your cars.

An example of an asset protection program might include ½ million of liability on a home, autos, RV’s, boats, etc… Life insurance of 7 to ten times earnings can also be a part of asset protection. (Your life and ability to earn is a very important asset!)

The next level could be an umbrella policy. This starts where your other insurance ends off. Umbrella’s often start at a half million and larger amounts are available. Disability, health, and long term care insurance are other considerations.

This article is not enough information to make an insurance plan. My suggestion is to find an insurance agent you trust and develop a plan for your needs. Then update your coverage as your needs change. Texas residents are welcome to contact me at my Houston insurance agency

By: Glenn Lamb

Short Term Car Insurance Tips

admin — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 17:09:26 +0000

If you are thinking about short term car insurance, there’s a very good chance that you may not even need it. If you are renting your car, the rental company will offer you the following services, each of which you probably already have:

-Liability coverage: If you already own a car you have liability insurance, which transfers over to your car.

-Loss Damage Waiver: If you already have both collision and comprehensive coverage on your own car, you do not need this type of coverage.

-Personal effects coverage: If you have homeowners insurance, it will cover loss to property not just in your house, but in other cars as well. However, if the personal belonging you want to insure is very expensive, you have to fill out a separate floater to cover its value.

-Personal accident insurance: If you have your own health insurance, Personal Injury Protection, or Medical Payments Coverage, you do not need this rental company’s extra charge.

To be 100% sure that you are covered it’s a good idea to check your car insurance policy and to call them if you are not sure about anything. Your credit card company may also pay for your insured car, assuming you use this credit card to pay for the rental. Although this may all sound complicated you’ll end up saving boat loads of money off of rental place who just want to make some money off of you.

What happens if you borrow a car? If you own one yourself your car’s policy will carry over to the borrowed car. If you borrow a car and have no car insurance by yourself you’re going to want to purchase a non-owners auto insurance policy.

By: Nickolay Lamm

Short Term Car Insurance Policy

admin — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 13:07:14 +0000

If you are interested in a short term car insurance policy or cover you are either going to be renting a car or borrowing one from someone. I explain the different scenarios and why you may not need car insurance for each one…

Renting a car: You are likely to be offered liability coverage, a loss damage waiver, personal effects coverage, and/or personal accident insurance. If you have already have car and health insurance you probably don’t need any of the rental car company’s insurance policies. Furthermore, if you use a credit card to pay for the rental car, the credit card company may pay for the cost to insure the rental car. To be on the safe side it is in your best interest to call your car insurance and/or your credit card company to make sure that you are covered. Because a rental car company’s insurance fees are expensive, it is worth your time making sure that you don’t need any of their inflated coverage.

Borrowing a car: If you own a car and have the respective car insurance you needn’t worry as the coverage on your car transfers over to the owner’s vehicle. If, however, you don’t own a car you’re going to need a nonowners policy to protect yourself against liability claims if you are found guilty an accident. If you damage that person’s car and only have a nonowners policy you better hope that that person has collision and/or comprehensive coverage to help pay for the costs to repair his or her car.

By: Nickolay Lamm

Understanding The Terms When You Compare Car Insurance Prices

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:19:03 +0000

If you don’t understand the terms that are used by car insurance companies when you make an auto insurance comparison, you may wind up spending more than you need to or even worse, not getting the coverage that you really need. It’s easy to get confused when shopping for cheap car insurance rates because the language used by auto insurers is very unique and it’s easy to forget what each term means. So here is a general explanation of car insurance terms that you can use the next time you compare car insurance prices.

* Comprehensive Coverage – This covers you for any damage to your vehicle that occurs as a result of anything other than an accident with another vehicle. For instance, it could include fire, flood, theft, and so on.

* Bodily Injury And Liability – This coverage is very important as it provides for injury damage to others in the case of claims that are files against you if you are involved in a car wreck. It also provides for legal fees in defense as well. There are usually two figures that are used in this type of coverage, one for the maximum that will be paid per person per accident, and the other for the total amount for all persons injured in the same accident.

* Collision Coverage – This is what is paid to either repair or replace your vehicle if it is involved in an accident with another vehicle or a fixed object.

* Personal Injury Protection (NO Fault) – In states that support this type of coverage, it pays for most expenses incurred, medical and otherwise, for those that are in your vehicle and also any pedestrians that may be hurt by an accident that you are involved in whether or not it was your fault.

* Liability Coverage – This pays for any damage done by your vehicle to someone else’s property including their car, house, lawn, etc. It’s most often invoked when someone files a claim against you to repair their vehicle if the accident was your fault.

* Uninsured Motorist – This is coverage that pays for your injuries and property damage even if the other person involved in the accident did not have sufficient insurance coverage. This can be very important as many people are driving around without adequate insurance, or no insurance at all, so there is a need to take steps to protect yourself in that event.

There are other options that can be considered when getting an auto insurance policy including car rental, that pays a certain amount for you to have a rental car to use while your car is being repaired as a result of an accident. Also towing coverage can be put on a car insurance policy to cover having your car towed if it breaks down. Just check to be sure that you don’t already have this kind of coverage through AAA or a similar type of auto association.

If you understand the insurance terms better you can usually make a btter informed decision about the coverage you need when you compare car insurance prices.

By: Jim Johnson

Auto Insurance Terms Explained

admin — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 05:22:26 +0000

The typical insurance policy will use terms of language that are not used in regular situations. These terms may actually be unique to the auto insurance industry and used exclusively. If you want to be in a knowledgeable position where it comes to your insurance coverage, you should have, at least, some grasp of the auto insurance lingo you might encounter.

There are a few basic things you should understand about car insurance. If you do not have insurance you need to realize that you lack any sort of protection if you happen to get in an accident. Without insurance protection, you can be held legally libel and subject to lawsuits. If sued, you may have to pay for any damages sustained in the accident if it was your fault. On the other hand, if the accident isn’t your fault, you may still have to pay for your medical bills, those of your passengers, as well as repairs or replacement of your automobile. These consequences underscore the need for auto insurance coverage. This fact, of course, explains why most states make some level of auto insurance coverage mandatory.

There are really only five basic terms you might want to understand when reading a policy or discussing it with an agent. Those terms are liability coverage, physical damage coverage, medical coverage, emergency assistance coverage, and unattached equipment coverage.

For many car owners, the above terms might be somewhat recognizable. They may have come up in early conversations about insurance. Other may be less familiar to you. Liability, medical, and physical damage coverage are considered more recognizable to car owners who know a little about insurance or have discussed it in brief. Meanwhile, emergency assistance and unattached equipment coverage are mentioned less frequently and remain more obscure to the average insurance policyholder. They are not typically considered as important as other types of coverage. Still, they do offer some great advantages if added to your policy.

Above all terms, liability will probably be the most familiar to you since it is the most basic coverage. Liability coverage is usually the minimum amount of insurance you can have. It protects the driver from any costs for damages sustained in a collision. When you have liability coverage, the point is to have protection from any fees incurred when damages are done. If you do not have sufficient coverage it may mean you will pay the victim’s damages or injuries yourself. Physical damage insurance is simply that coverage you used to pay for repairs or a to replace a damaged vehicle. Of course, medical coverage is meant to cover not only you but passengers as well by paying for medical expenses.

The last auto insurance terms are not essential. If you have emergency assistance coverage, you can access roadside assistance programs. Once emergency assistance coverage is added to your policy, you can feel safer knowing that you can make use of towing and other services when your vehicle has a problem. Unattached equipment coverage deals with those aspect of your vehicle that may have been added later, after purchase that are not permanent parts of the automobile. They may be expensive additions like fancy lighting, customizations, or sound systems; all may be eligible for protection under this last form of coverage.

If have a working knowledge of these types of terms, you will be able to approach the topic of auto insurance with far more confidence than before. You will understand what each means so you can better evaluate plans to see if they are fitting your insuring needs.

By: Alisdair Cosgrove

Get a Car Insurance With Advantageous Terms With Little Effort

admin — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:32:00 +0000

Getting car insurance in California is an easy task, but getting a good policy and a competitive price is not that easy. However, with some research you can easily obtain a suitable policy with the exact coverage that you need and with a minimum premium. So, if you are getting your new car or if it is time to renew your previous car insurance policy, read on and get California Car Insurance with great conditions.

Before starting your search for California car insurance, you need to determine which type of coverage you need. There are mainly two types of issues that you need to address at this stage: collision coverage and liability coverage, being the last one the most important one. It is critical to understand these two concepts thoroughly in order to be able to obtain the best deals on car insurance policies but also a proper risk protection. Moreover, California has specific regulations on liability coverage with regulations that are complex and exceed the purpose of this article but you need not worry as all insurance companies are obliged to comply with these standards.

Collision Coverage

Collision coverage will protect you in case your car is damaged due to an accident. Depending on the type of policy and damage that the car suffers, you can obtain an amount high enough to purchase your vehicle in the market, the costs of replacing damaged parts and fixing the vehicle or the actual replacement of the vehicle for a new one. This type of coverage protects the vehicle but does not cover the damages that you may cause with it.

Liability Coverage

Liability coverage protects you against the damages your car causes to property or the injuries suffered by other people due to an accident that your car takes part in. All the costs associated to these risks are covered by the liability coverage of your California car insurance policy. However, the liability coverage has limitations and thus, when you purchase your policy you will decide what kind of protection you desire. The amount of the liability coverage will have a great influence on the value of your insurance premium.

Getting The Right Policy

Taking into account the above concepts, you need to select the policy that best suits your needs. Once you have selected the type of coverage and the amounts that you need to feel secure, you have to find a balance between the costs and the coverage. In order to do that you need to do some research and the best place to do it is the internet. Within the net you will find many insurance companies willing to offer you quotes so you can compare.

California car insurance policies can provide you proper protection against risk in exchange for reasonable premiums if you know where to look for them. The internet is a good place to start but you can also contact the local department of insurance and non profit consumer organizations that can help you determine which California insurance company offers you the best terms and conditions in exchange for a competitive price.

By: Lara Sawyer

Auto Insurance Breakdown

admin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:40:27 +0000

Auto insurance is an important, and, in most states, legally required protection for drivers. Auto insurance applies to vehicles such as cars, trucks, and motorcycles, but also applies to boats. It is primarily designed to protect motorists, but also protects individuals, such as pedestrians, who may be injured by an auto, or property owner’s whose property is damaged by an auto.

There are many different types of auto insurance, so I would like to give you a general overview of the available options. Fortunately, the different types of auto insurance can be easily broken down by the level of coverage that they provide. The levels range from the highest possible to the bare minimum required by law.

First of all, there are two basic categories of auto insurance: collision insurance and comprehensive insurance. Collision insurance covers damage to the vehicle if it is damaged in an accident. Comprehensive coverage offers more protection because it applies to a wider range of situations including theft of the automobile.

It is easiest to start with the minimum level, which is know as liability coverage. Liability insurance pays for injuries or damages sustained by other vehicles and people involved in an accident that is caused by the policyholder. For example, if the motorist causes an accident in which both party’s vehicles are damaged, liability coverage pays only for the damage to the vehicle of the driver who was not at fault in the accident, and not to the driver who was at fault.

Liability is required by law in many states because it also covers personal injury protection to people injured in accidents. Thus, it ensures that any person injured in an auto accident, through no fault of their own, is covered by the insurance of the responsible party.

Personal injury protection (PIP) and medical payments (MP) are not included in liability. However, the next level of insurance, collision insurance does covers these two expenses.

Personal Injury Protection covers the policyholder for time and medical expenses required for the maintenance of a vehicle. This covers lost wages should a person need to bring a vehicle to a mechanic and must miss work as a result.

Insurance can also cover medical payments, which refers to the cost of treatment if the policyholder is injured in an accident and the cost of that treatment exceeds the limits of personal injury protection.

Collision coverage includes the liability of the driver to other parties, personal injury protection, and medical payments. It also covers damage to the policyholder’s own vehicle in the event that it is damaged in an accident, regardless of whether the insured is at fault in the accident or not. Therefore, even in a single car accident, the policy of the driver covers the damage that his or her car incurs. In a two car accident, all damage is covered by the person found to be at fault in the accident.

If the policyholder’s vehicle is damaged so badly in an accident that it must be replaced, collision insurance will pay for the value of the damaged vehicle towards the purchase of a new one. However, collision insurance does not cover the theft of the vehicle, damage from a fire, or damage due to weather, such as hail.

Comprehensive coverage offers a higher level of protection for the policyholder. It covers liability, PIP, MP, and damage to the vehicle if it is involved in an accident. Comprehensive coverage will also pay for a new vehicle if the vehicle of the policyholder is stolen or damaged in a fire.

Although both collision and comprehensive coverage can protect the policyholder from the cost of vehicle replacement, it is not perfect. This is due to the fact that the value of vehicles depreciates over time. These types of insurance will only pay for the value of a totaled (destroyed) vehicle, regardless of the cost of the vehicle when new.

However, there is a third type of insurance that can protect the policyholder from this kind of depreciation. GAP insurance protects the consumer from the depreciation in value of a vehicle.

It is obvious that auto insurance is complex, and it is important to understand all of the available options before making a choice. Different states have varying requirements, so it is important to ask question not only about the type of coverage you are purchasing, but about the requirements of your state, as well. Remember, accidents are called accidents because they are not deliberate, and always come as a surprise. Make sure that you have the appropriate coverage for you and your family in advance, to protect against unforeseen events, such as accidents.

By: Gena Woodard

Auto Insurance

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:42:25 +0000

Auto insurance can make all of the difference in the world in the unfortunate event of an accident. Not only does it cover property damage, but auto insurance offers other protections as well.

For example, liability coverage will cover damage you cause to other vehicles in an accident, and it can also cover others’ medical expenses.

The type of policy you have will determine the dollar amount of coverage you receive in these areas. The cost of the policy will be affected by the level of protection you buy, and other factors such as your age, and driving record.

Given the importance of auto insurance, it’s a good idea to shop carefully when looking for appropriate coverage.

The policy itself is a contract that specifies your obligations, as well as the financial commitment of the insurer. The amount you pay for a set term of coverage is called the premium. Generally the premium of your auto insurance is fixed for the term of the policy barring unforeseen events, such as an accident.

State requirements for auto insurance vary from state to state and from individual to individual. Speaking to an insurance professional will help you make a decision based on your particular needs.

The premium for auto insurance is directly connected to 6 levels of coverage. These levels include comprehensive, collision, uninsured/underinsured motorist, property damage liability, bodily injury liability, and medical payments (also known as personal injury protection).

Comprehensive protection covers losses that are not a direct result of an accident. For example, comprehensive would come in handy if you sustained damage to your car due to a hailstorm.

Some drivers choose not to carry comprehensive, especially if they are driving an older vehicle of little monetary value. Also the deductible (the portion of an expense you pay out of pocket)may exceed the value of some older cars.

On the other hand, if you purchase a new car, especially with a loan, you may need to incorporate comprehensive in your policy.

Collision coverage appropriately covers your automobile in the event of a collision. This protection covers damage even if it’s determined you’re at fault in the accident. The cost of collision coverage will be affected by the deductible. Generally speaking, the higher your deductible the lower the premium for your auto insurance.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage covers you in the event that you are in an accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver. This protects you as well as any other designated driver of your car. This coverage can be invaluable if you sustain significant injury. This type of coverage may also cover you if you are a pedestrian and a driver hits you.

Property damage liability covers damages you cause to another vehicle. It also covers damages you might cause to other property. If for example, you take out the neighbor’s fence going around a corner, property damage liability coverage will cover this.

Bodily injury liability coverage is particularly important. This helps protect you financially in the event that you cause an accident and cause injury to other people.

Medical payments coverage (personal injury protection) is a type of coverage that protects you and the occupants of your car for medical related expenses.

Auto insurance will help you and those you love if a mishap occurs. Finding the right auto insurance policy will help make your driving experience safer and more pleasurable.

For more information, see Make-Getting-Insurance-Easy.com/auto-insurance

By: David S

Getting Temporary Or Short-Term Car Insurance Coverage

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:45:46 +0000

If you are looking for short term car insurance you should know that you may not even need it. If you are thinking about getting car insurance for a short time period you are probably about to rent a car or borrow a vehicle…

Renting a car:

The rental car service will offer you some form of accident protection, liability insurance, loss damage waiver, and/or personal effects coverage. You do not need any of these offered insurances as long as you have your own car insurance because the insurance coverage you have on your car transfers over to the rental vehicle. It, however, does not transfer over if you are using the auto for some sort of business trip (something that is not recreational). In the following list you will find each of the 4 rental auto insurance possibilities and why you should probably skip each one…

Liability Insurance: All car insurance comes with liability coverage, which will transfer over to any car you drive. Keep in mind that liability coverage does not protect you, your passengers or you car, but those around the car (pedestrians, property, and other cars on the road).

Loss Damage Waiver: This protects the rental car from damage or loss. Some LDW’s only cover damage to the car if you are found to be innocent in an accident. Regardless, getting an LDW is pretty pointless if you have collision coverage (which would pay for repairs to the car regardless of who is at fault) and comprehensive coverage (which pays for damage or done to the car from things such as theft and collisions with wild life).

Personal Accident Coverage: It is very likely that you do not need this type of coverage because you either have health insurance, Medical Payments Coverage, or Personal Injury Protection.

Personal Effects Insurance: Your renters or homeowners policy will pay for the loss of items not only in your residence, but outside of it as well. If you want to insure something expensive, however, be sure to fill out a floater for that specific item.

If you are not absolutely sure if you are covered by your own car insurer, read your policy and, if you don’t understand something, give your auto insurer a call. You should also know that if you pay for the rental car using a credit card, the credit card company may provide short term coverage for that automobile.

Borrowing a car:

A lot of folks wonder if they need short term or temporary auto insurance if they borrow someone else’s car. Generally, no you don’t. The borrowed person’s car insurance coverage will transfer over to you as long as he or she gave you consent to use that car, making getting any type of short term car insurance useless. However, there are some things to keep in mind…

The liability insurance of the person from whom you borrow the car may not be enough to pay for liability damage that you cause while driving their car. If you have your own car insurance, this probably isn’t an issue. If, however, you don’t have your own car insurance and are held responsible for property damage of bodily injury liability fees after an accident, the liability insurance that is transferred over to you may not be enough. Say you cause $25,000 in damage and the lender’s liability coverage only goes up to $20,000. You are responsible for the additional $5,000, unless you have liability coverage yourself, which is at least $25,000.

You can easily correct the aforementioned problem by getting a non-owners auto insurance policy.

By: Nickolay Lamm