Pothole- and Flood-Caused Damages Covered Under Optional Portions of Auto Policy – Yahoo! News

NEW YORK, April 8 –

Auto Policyholders Have Options For Dealing With Winter's Aftermath

NEW YORK, April 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Drivers whose automobiles are damaged after their vehicle strikes a pothole or gets caught in floodwaters can file a claim with their auto insurer, so long as they have collision and comprehensive coverage, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.)

“The collision and comprehensive provisions of an auto insurance policy are optional and increase the cost of insuring a car. But those additional premium dollars pay big dividends when a pothole wreaks havoc on your car's undercarriage or a flash flood soaks your vehicle's interior,” said Michael Barry, vice president, media relations, I.I.I.

Seventy-two percent of insured drivers purchase collision coverage and 76 percent buy comprehensive coverage on top of their liability coverage, based on 2007 data compiled by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

“You don't need either collision or comprehensive coverage to drive legally, but both provide important financial protections and they might be required if you financed the purchase of the car through a bank or another financial institution,” Barry added.

Almost every state requires you to buy a minimum amount of liability coverage. Chances are that you will need more liability insurance than the state requires because accidents often cost more than the minimum limits. In today's litigious society, buying only the minimum amount of liability means you are likely to pay more out-of-pocket — and those costs may be steep. The insurance industry and consumer groups generally recommend a minimum of $100,000 of bodily injury protection per person and $300,000 per accident.

In addition to liability coverage, drivers should also consider buying collision and comprehensive coverage when purchasing an auto insurance policy. Following is a quick primer on each optional coverage:

Collision coverage reimburses you for damages to your vehicle caused by potholes. It also pays for damage to your car resulting from a collision with another car, object or as a result of flipping over. Even if you are at fault for an accident, your collision coverage will reimburse you for the costs of repairing your car, minus the deductible. If you're not at fault, your insurance company may try to recover the amount it paid you from the other driver's insurance company. If your insurance company is successful in this regard, you'll also be reimbursed for the deductible you paid your insurer. Collision coverage is generally sold with a deductible of $250 to $1,000 — the higher your deductible, the lower your premium.Comprehensive coverage generally covers you for damages caused by something other than a collision with another car, although potholes are an exception.  It reimburses you for vehicle losses incurred by floods as well as perils such as fire, vandalism and windstorms. Even damages to your car that are caused by earthquakes, falling objects (e.g., trees), an explosion, hail and riots are covered under comprehensive policies. In addition, if your car is damaged as the result of a collision with an animal, such as a deer, comprehensive coverage also kicks in. Some companies offer glass coverage as part of their comprehensive package and will repair or replace a cracked or shattered windshield. Some insurers have separate glass coverage, which can be purchased with, or without, a deductible. So check with your insurer. Comprehensive insurance is usually sold with a deductible ranging from $100 to $300.  Despite the economic advantages offered by auto insurance policies with collision and/or comprehensive coverage, purchasing both might not be a prudent expense for the owners of older cars. Review your coverage at renewal time to make sure your insurance needs haven't changed. Auto dealers can tell you the market value of your vehicle. Or you can look it up online at Web sites such as Kelley Blue Book

For additional information on auto insurance premium trends, log onto the I.I.I.'s Facts and Statistics section. The I.I.I. also has a section on its Web site offering the Consumer Basics on purchasing auto insurance.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT INSURANCE: www.iii.org

SOURCE Insurance Information Institute

Confuse on which California car insurance provider to pick? The State mandated drivers to secure insurance. Getting an online quote will help you find an insurance company. Pick one that meets the State’s requirement. Include Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury. Read this article for more insurance information.

You can get a California car insurance quote online. Quotes are now quite common on the internet. There are a variety of different types of quotes that you can get. Some types are just a single quote from particular insurance company. Other quotes from a website can come from several different sources.

Having California car insurance is critical, so if you don’t have it, go get an online quote right away. But before you start your quote, get some basic information on the insurance cover you want and list your vehicle information. Do always go for the cheapest insurance, but get the insurance you can afford.

You do not really need to spend a fortune just to get auto insurance regardless of its nature. There are different kinds of car insurance for you to choose depending on your needs and your budget of course.

Before you can actually get the best car insurance in California you need to know California car insurance requirements. This will help a lot in getting the California car insurance quotes that is right for you.

You must know that the state of California follows a Tort system in its automobile insurance. This means there must be someone found to be at fault for the accident. Hence, that person and his or her insurance firm should be responsible for all the damages caused by such an accident as stipulated in the policy.

In getting California car insurance quotes, it is important for you to know that the tort system varies for each States. State Law in California, in particular, requires a minimum of $15,000 per injured person up to a total of $30,000 per accident for Bodily Injury Liability limits. It also requires a minimum limit of $5,000 for Property Damage Liability coverage. This is most often referred as 15/30/5 coverage.

Residents in California had an average auto insurance premium of $1,650 in 2009. Since the national rate is $1,735, people have this feeling that the state has been collaborating with insurance companies to fix the rates so that there would be no need to look for better California car insurance quotes. This is why it is really important for you to look around to find the cheapest California car insurance.

You should always make sure you get Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury coverage. This will cover whatever bodily injuries that you might endure from an accident caused by an uninsured and/or underinsured driver. This is just one of the many car insurance quotes you can choose. Hence, you need to shop around to make sure you will get the best deals on this matter.

In selecting automobile insurance, you need to consider and know in detail every bit of information about the insurance. You should also look for insurance firms that can offer you only the best California car insurance quote.

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Do you need a California car insurance quote? Visit us at http://www.dmv.com . Get two online quotes at our site. Choose the best coverage with the lowest price. Discover also the other services we offer for all states. Go to California car insurance quote, and get California car insurance with good coverage.

Kate

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

For most Oklahoma drivers, getting a low cost auto insurance quote is close to impossible. However, this is not entirely true. There are still many ways that you can do in order to get low cost auto insurance quote. When you try to get it, you may not think of increasing your deductibles or skipping some coverage. You still have other possible options for you to obtain low cost auto insurance quote without sacrificing a lot.

The quickest way to do it is to search online. You can type various keywords like low cost auto insurance in Oklahoma, low cost car insurance quote and the likes on the search bar of some well known search engines like yahoo and google. Expect a number of insurance companies to pop up on your search, pick the one that you know or is recommended by friends and insurance experts and acquire quotes from them.

Do not also forget to read about discounts that some of these companies can give in order to reduce the amount on your insurance quotes. One of the best ways to reduce the rate stated on the quotation is by stating the type of car you drive. Expensive luxury cars are at high risk for theft and robbery thus people driving this type of cars have to pay expensive automobile insurance policies. If you drive an average car then expect some discounts on your policy.

You can also get low auto insurance quote based on the mileage of the car you drive. If you drive less than 5000 miles a month, then some companies can grant you low mileage discounts which is a great way to reduce the amount on your insurance quotation.

Your driving record can also help you with the insurance quotation as well. A clean driving record and history is a good testament that you are a responsible driver. With this some insurance company can grant you discounts as well. Remember that the lesser the risk for accidents, the lesser the premiums.

If your car has safety features like airbags, seatbelts, anti-lock brakes and anti-theft devices, do not forget to mention it when you are getting quotations. Safety features like those mentioned can certainly get you some discounts. The discounts can range from 10 to 25 percent depending on the company.

Sarah

Lawton OK

If you need proof of insurance and you do not own a vehicle nor will you be residing in a residence where there is a vehicle in which you could place automobile insurance on, then a non-owners car insurance policy is an option for you.

The Oklahoma driver’s manual states that all OK drivers and/or car owners are required by law to carry the minimum limits of liability for this state which include: $25,000 for injury or death per person up to $50,000 per accident and property damage of $25,000.

The car owner’s insurance provider or an individual’s non-owner car insurance policy will provide the proper security verification form that the person should show as proof of insurance.

The non-owners car insurance cost will depend upon the rating system of the automobile insurance provider and rating factors such as your driving history, age, location etc.