If you have been paying attention to the cost of auto insurance recently, you may have noticed that collision insurance has been increasing. You may be wondering what collision insurance actually is and how does it affect you. This article aims to answer those questions for you. Collision insurance is basically a policy type, which is necessary but is also important to know so that you understand whether you like to have it or not. It pays for both physical and financial damage if your vehicle is damaged in an accident and is involved in other types of incidents, which are outside your control.
The collision insurance definition normally begins with the words “A collision” followed by the word “occurrence”. This simply means that if there is a collision, both cars are at fault and the one who is at fault for all the damages. There are several exceptions to this general definition, such as when one of the cars is being driven by an authorized driver who is at fault, in order to protect the authorized driver’s own rights. If another car is also involved in the collision, then that car is also the main subject of coverage.
Collision insurance can be further categorized into two types: collision and comprehensive. Collision coverage pays for damage only to the car itself, while comprehensive coverage takes care of damage to your property and/or body. Comprehensive coverage usually involves some form of deductible. Most insurance companies will require you to maintain at least the bare minimum amount of liability coverage. Some even require uninsured motorist coverage, which is designed to pay for damage to someone else’s vehicle in the event that they are injured in an accident with you. To learn about the difference between comprehensive vs collision insurance, check out Joywallet’s article.
Another important part of the collision insurance definition is that it doesn’t cover damage sustained to other people or their property. So, if you hit somebody else’s car or house, that is definitely not covered. This kind of damage is known as Personal Injury Coverage, which is designed to help pay medical expenses and repair costs incurred by the injured party or the family members of the injured person. So, if someone is riding in your car and you sustain an accident, it’s very important that they call an Auto Insurance Professional immediately, because Personal Injury Coverage won’t covering the cost of the damages to their vehicle.
With the collision insurance definition, there is one key element that most people don’t understand. The deductible. The deductible is the amount that you have to pay out of your own pocket before the insurance company will start paying on the other party’s claim. It is important to remember that the deductible never goes above the amount that you have paid off from your savings. If you’ve saved enough money, then there is no need to go over your deductible. The deductible will always be less than the total cost of all of the damages to your vehicle.
If you were in an accident and someone else hits your vehicle, but you don’t have Personal Injury Coverage in force, the person who hits you will be responsible for the rest of your claim, including all medical expenses and repair costs. When you are hit by someone else, your auto insurance policy will usually require that you pay a deductible as well. However, there is nothing in the collision insurance definition that specifies who has to pay out of pocket first. If, after the collision, you still have not paid the deductible on your auto insurance policy, then you may be responsible for the rest of the claim.
There are also cases where the collision coverage will not cover everything. For instance, if the other vehicle has a theft and the victim’s vehicle is completely damaged, then the insurance company will often pay for the full cost of the stolen vehicle, including any damage done to the car itself. However, this will not usually cover the collision damage to your vehicle. Your vehicle insurance policy will likely list “full coverage” as one of the services that it provides.
“Full coverage” or “complete coverage” is very broad. It typically means that your auto insurance policy will provide you with the most complete protection available. With full coverage, you’ll get help paying for both physical and legal expenses, as well as any potential damage that your vehicle may incur during the event of a collision. However, many people believe that they are actually getting more than they bargained for when they purchase this type of insurance, which is why many states have laws that require vehicle owners to purchase “comprehensive coverage.” Although you may not have to pay as much for collision insurance as you would without comprehensive coverage, you should always consider the trade off between the amount of protection provided to you and the amount of coverage provided.