The Basics of Car Insurance Quotes


The Basics of Car Insurance Quotes

Trying to obtain quotes for car insurance can be complicated and frustrating. You may read terms that you don’t understand and find that one company offers a type of protection that another one doesn’t have. By the time you get done looking at everything, you may not even know what policy you want. Here is a look at the basic coverage and how it differs from other options.

Liability

You are required by law to carry liability insurance. This type of insurance protects you if you are in an accident where you are the one at fault and someone or something else was damaged. This insurance pays for car repairs or other property repairs on the other person. It also pays for their medical care up to a certain limit. You must have this in order to have a car, but the amounts of coverage can vary. Often what is required by law is not enough to pay for a serious car accident.

Collision

This coverage is the exact opposite of liability; it pays for your car and property that has been damaged if you are at fault. It also pays out if you are hit by someone who is uninsured or underinsured if you have that added into your policy. Underinsured means they have insurance but your expenses are more than what the policy will pay.

Uninsured and underinsured usually come up as two separate parts of your policy. They can vary by state.

Comprehensive

This type of coverage is for damage that is not the result of a car accident. It may be from a natural disaster such as hail or it may be from a tree limb that falls on your car. It can also cover you if your car is stolen and damaged or never returned.

Rental Reimbursement

This is an optional component of your policy that you can decide to purchase. It pays for the use of a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired due to an auto accident. The allowance is usually determined by an amount per day and varies based upon insurance company. You can add this to your car insurance quotes to see how much it increases the price of the policy.

Emergency Road Service

This is another optional coverage that you can have added to your policy. It pays to have your car towed to a garage or repair shop if your car breaks down. It can be limited to a certain area or number of miles that the car can be towed.

While everyone is required to have liability coverage, you have many other options that you can add to your policy. You will have to decide what types of coverage you need based on your budget, how much your car is worth, and what makes you feel safe. Then you are ready to get car insurance quotes that make sense to you.