How can a driver figure out what type of coverage they will need on their auto insurance policy? No one wants to get suckered into purchasing more than what is needed, but so many people advise drivers to carry as much as possible because it’s better to be safe than sorry. These conflicting recommendations leave drivers spinning in circles as they try to figure out what they should do. Here, we won’t discuss what each individual driver must purchase because that decision should be made based on the driver’s circumstances. However, we will offer information on which types of coverage are offered and their purpose, as well as offer some tips in how to choose what is necessary for each driver.

Bodily Injury Liability: A requirement for almost every state, bodily injury liability comes in two forms. The first is coverage for each individual, or per person as it’s commonly referred to. The second type is per accident, or the total of all of the “per person” amounts. Often the per accident amount is double the per person amount. For instance, bodily injury liability could be required in the amount of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident. To further describe it, this means that the insurer will cover up to $15,000 of the medical bills per person with a total payout of no more than $30,000 for all of the injuries combined. Sometimes this coverage can apply towards funeral expenses or lawyer fees. In all cases, this coverage only goes towards the other party of the accident, not the policyholder and their passengers. It is a way to pay for damages caused by the policyholder or members of the policy.

Property Damage Liability: This liability coverage enables the policyholder to pay for any damages they cause to another person’s property, be it a fixed structure, another vehicle, etc. The insurer will pay up to the amount that is purchased in the policy to fix the broken property. This is another required coverage in almost every state.

Medical Coverage: There are a few different forms of medical coverage, such as personal injury protection and medical payment. Both of these are forms of insurance that work similar to a healthcare insurance plan. Depending on which types and the amounts that are purchased, the insurer will cover the policyholder’s injuries (as well as the policy member’s injuries) up to the purchased amount. Unlike bodily injury liability, these coverage options are gear specifically towards the policyholder, members, and sometimes also the passengers that were in the policyholder’s vehicle at the time of the accident. Also, for these coverage options, it does not matter who caused the accident. The insurer will pay the medical bills even if the policyholder was at fault. In some cases, lost wages are paid under a medical coverage on an auto insurance policy. Some states require a form of medical insurance.

Uninsured/underinsured Coverage: It’s no secret there are drivers who do not carry car insurance. When these drivers cause an accident, they have no way to pay for the damages done to the other driver and their vehicle. When uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage is purchased, the policyholder’s insurer will pay for the damages that are done by a driver who is not insured or has very little insurance. Whether or not the policyholder takes the other driver to court for damages is obsolete in this example, but policyholders know their property and medical bills will be taken care of as soon as possible because of this coverage.

Comprehensive and Collision: These are actually two different types of coverage, but they are usually paired together. Between the two of these, a policyholder’s vehicle will be covered no matter what or who caused the damage. Property damage liability only covers the other person’s vehicle, but comprehensive and collision can pay for the policyholder’s damaged vehicle even if it was stolen, vandalized, or a tree fell on it. Every insurer has their own fine print in the terms, so be sure to understand exactly what is covered. These are not required by the state, but they are usually required by a bank if the vehicle is on loan. It is worthwhile to carry both coverage types if the cash value of the car is high, but if the cash value is low or nothing, comprehensive and collision coverage might not be worth the cost.

Additional Options: Other types of coverage that are often offered by insurers are ones that will make life easier in the event of an accident. Towing services and car rental services are available so that when a policyholder finds themselves in an accident and their vehicle needs repairs and towing, it can be arranged through the insurer without cost at that time. These additional options, and others, should be thought through by the policyholder and weighed on their value to the policy.

How To Choose
When a policyholder is looking to purchase a new policy or add to their current policy, they should first look at their situation including their current savings account or extra money and how they would be able to pay for the different aspects of an accident if there should ever be one. Next, they should look at the cash value of their vehicle and decide whether or not it would be worth having full or partial coverage. Finally, they need to know the state laws and what is required of them.

When the state requirements are known, policyholders can then add to their policy according to their financial abilities. Paying for damages of a major accident is very costly and the policyholder might want to look at the costs of paying for more insurance. If more insurance doesn’t fit into the budget, look into what discounts can be applied to the policy to save money and other ways to cut back on insurance expenses. It may come down to finding a better, more insurance friendly vehicle to help save on better coverage.

We are happy to offer our ideas of recommended auto insurance to every driver, and we understand the importance of finding the right policy for each driver. Feel free to use our quote comparison tool to get a feel for what different coverage options on your policy will cost.