Auto insurance coverage will vary from policy to policy, however, there are 7 major types of car insurance coverage. (If you are unsure of which of the following types of coverage you have, inquire with your car insurance agent.)
Liability Coverage protects you when you are involved in an accident and found to be at-fault. Liability coverage will pay for bodily injuries and property damage caused to the other vehicle and all passengers involved. Most states set their own requirements for the minimum amounts of liability coverage every driver must carry. Many drivers, however, carry more than the minimum requirements. A common liability coverage amount, for example, would be:
$100,000 per person for bodily injury
$300,000 per accident for bodily injury
$50,000 per accident for property damage
You will often see the liability portion of your auto insurance coverage expressed as a three number ratio. For example, if your liability limits were defined as above, you might hear your auto insurance agent talk about your liability coverage as being:
This would mean that in the event of an accident, you have a limit of $100,000 worth of bodily injury coverage per person; $300,000 worth of bodily injury for each accident and $50,000 for property damage per accident.
Medical Payments Coverage, also known as 1st party coverage, provides coverage for medical costs that may incur for injuries caused to the driver, family members or any other passengers in your insured vehicle. The limits for medical payments coverage vary and it is typically optional unless required by your lease or finance company.
Uninsured Motorists Coverage provides coverage for bodily injury and property damage claims in the event that you are involved in an accident where either 1) the accident was a hit-and-run or 2) the at-fault driver does not have insurance.
Underinsured Motorists Coverage protects you in the event that you are involved in an accident where the at-fault driver (other than yourself) does not have enough bodily injury and/or property damage coverage to cover the injuries sustained in the accident.
Physical Damage Coverage includes comprehensive and collision coverage for your vehicle. When these coverages are included on one policy they are also known as full coverage.
- Comprehensive Coverage protects your vehicle in the event it is damaged or totaled in a covered claim including:
- Fire
- Wind
- Vandalism and mischief
- Riot
- Missiles and explosives
- Theft
- Hail
- Glass breakage
- Civil Commotion
- Earthquake
- Flood
- Hitting an animal
- Failing objects
- Collision Coverage covers damages to your vehicle in the event that you collide with an object (other than an animal) on the roadway.
- Rental Reimbursement Coverage must be purchased separately. This coverage provides alternate transportation or rental reimbursement fees in the event that your vehicle is stolen, damaged or lost due to a covered loss. Coverage and payouts per day vary on each policy.