Everyone wants to save money on car insurance, but it’s also important to have the necessary coverage in case of an accident. Many people are unaware that they have gaps in their coverage – until they need to make a claim. Understanding the different kinds of coverage and when they apply will help you make better decisions about purchasing car insurance.
If you have an accident where you’re not at fault, you may struggle with collecting damages from the other party’s auto insurance carrier. Don’t hesitate to contact a Georgia car accident lawyer sooner rather than later to protect your legal rights.
In the meantime, here are some car insurance tips to help you get the most value from your insurance policy:
If At All Possible, Don’t Settle for the Minimum Coverage
We get it – everything is more expensive these days, and you need to find somewhere to cut back. Unfortunately, doing so with car insurance can mean you aren’t fully covered in some accidents.
Georgia law only requires drivers to carry $25,000 each in bodily injury liability and property damage liability. It’s important to understand that liability insurance covers damage you do to others in an accident, not your own damages. So if you cause an accident and have minimum coverage, your auto insurance should pay for the other party’s medical bills and car repairs, up to $25,000 each.
But what about you? What if you were also hurt in the accident and your car is wrecked? Your liability insurance will not cover that, and you’ll have to foot the bill yourself.
What Auto Insurance Advice Will Help You Get Complete Coverage?
If you watch TV at all, you’ve probably seen a lot of car insurance commercials. Some of them brag about saving you money by combining home and auto insurance. Others promise “accident forgiveness” or better rates for being a safe driver. Then there are the funny ones that show people having mishaps, followed by an ominous explanation of how those things won’t be covered with the wrong insurance. The implication is that you’ll be fine if you just buy insurance from their company, but in reality, your coverage has little to do with the company you choose and everything to do with the specific kinds of coverage you buy.
The fact is that most car insurance carriers will offer a discount for buying multiple policies or being a safe driver, and many will offer forgiveness for your first accident. You can also get coverage for a wider variety of accidental damage if you buy the correct type of policy. But do you know the different kinds of insurance you can purchase? Here’s a quick rundown:
- Liability insurance. As discussed above, this covers your liability to others, not your own damages.
- Collision insurance. This will cover your own property damage in an accident, regardless of fault. So if you make a mistake and cause an accident, your insurance carrier should cover your car repairs. You’ll also be covered for situations that aren’t really anyone’s fault, like if a deer or other animal on the road causes you to crash.
- Comprehensive insurance. This will cover your vehicle for damage that isn’t caused by a collision at all, like theft, fires, vandalism, etc.
- MedPay. This provides you with a way to get your medical bills paid if you’re hurt in an accident that you caused.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Sometimes the accident is the other driver’s fault, but you still can’t get your bills paid because they don’t have insurance. In Georgia, roughly 12 percent of drivers fall into this category. You can sue the other driver, but if they lack significant assets, you may never be able to collect on a judgment in your favor. Uninsured/underinsured coverage (UM/UI) will give you a safety net for when you can’t count on the other driver’s insurance.
Can You Combine Different Types of Coverage for the Same Accident?
In some cases, yes. For example, MedPay will usually cover any medical bills not covered by the at-fault driver’s insurance. UM/UI policies come in two types, stacking and non-stacking. Stacking policies will give you additional coverage that “stacks” on top of the other driver’s coverage. So if they have $25,000 in bodily injury liability, and you have $25,000 in a stacked UM/UI policy, and your medical bills come to $50,000, you should be able to get them all covered.
However, if you have a minimum non-stacking policy, it will only guarantee that there is $25,000 in bodily injury liability available to you. If the other driver’s policy pays that, the non-stacking policy pays nothing. It’s important to read your policy carefully to understand what kind of coverage you have.
Do I Need MedPay and Collision If I’m a Safe Driver?
Yes. No one is perfect, and even the best drivers can make a split-second mistake that leads to an accident. Additionally, MedPay and Collision are helpful in situations where you may not be at fault, but find it difficult to prove due to a lack of evidence.
What Should You Keep in Mind When Comparing Rates from Different Companies?
We recommend that you first decide exactly what kind of coverage you want – X dollars in liability coverage, X dollars in collision, X dollars in comprehensive, X dollars in MedPay, X dollars in UM/UI, etc. Remember that $25,000 is simply the minimum – you can purchase larger amounts of coverage for a higher premium. Then make sure you get the rates for that exact coverage from each company you talk to. Get the quote in writing and verify that everything you want is included. People who aren’t familiar with the different types of insurance get quotes for different kinds and amounts of coverage from different companies. For example, one might give you a rate that includes Comprehensive and MedPay coverage, while the other might give you a rate without those policies.
Call the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm
Attorney Ali Awad is no stranger to taking on big insurance companies and fighting for his clients. He founded the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm and rapidly turned it into the fastest-growing law firm in the country, topping 499 others. When he’s not helping clients, he shares legal know-how with more than a million followers on social media. For a free consultation about your car accident, please contact the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm today.
Sometimes even with good coverage, you may find it challenging to get an insurance company to pay your claim for various reasons. If this happens to you, please contact the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm for a free consultation to learn about your options. Call us today at (470) 323-8779.