The most basic type of car insurance that you can get is liability insurance. In most states you are required to have at least liability insurance to operating any vehicle on the road. This type of insurance doesn?t cover your vehicle only the damage done to other property and people.
When people speak of the basic limits of liability they are referring to the lowest insurance policy a company has to offer. Although it varies from company to company, the minimal amount of coverage is usually $25,000 for property and $50,000 for injuries. This is usually displayed in a policy as $25,000/$50,000. This means that the insurance will cover up to that much in property damage and injury however if the accident causes more damages then your policy will cover you are at risk of being sued for the rest.
If you want to cover your vehicle as well as the others you can choose a different type of insurance known as full coverage. If you have an expensive car or you want extra coverage in case something does happen, you can get a full coverage plan. Even though they are more expensive they may be a better solution depending on your situation. Plans can range from as little as $25,000 in coverage up to millions.
By having full coverage and higher coverage limits, you will have less to worry about in the event of a serious accident. In most small accidents basic liability will cover the property damage. However if you get into a serious accident with only the basic limits of liability then you will be liable to pay the difference. Thus it pays to have higher insurance coverage so that you don?t end up owing tens of thousands of dollars in damage and hospital bills.
As you may expect the price for your premium will go up with the higher coverage plans. However there are some other factors that can increase the price of your plans as well. If you?re a young driver, have a bad driving record, or a sports car you are likely to pay higher premiums. Likewise if you?re the parent of someone who has one of these three items and he or she is on your plan you can expect to pay higher rates as well. You should also remember that the medical coverage is always the larger number and is usually double the amount of the property damage coverage due to medical bills being so expensive.
Some states don?t require drivers to have insurance at all. However it?s definitely a good idea to have at least the basic coverage of liability to protect yourself from being sued. This is because even a small accident from driving without insurance can put you in thousands of dollars in debt. In some situations you will want to have higher limits and a lower deductable. If you have an expensive car then you will most likely want to get collision and comprehensive insurance. This will protect your car in the event of an accident. The comprehensive insurance will protect your car in the event of vandalism or weather conditions that can damage your vehicle such as golf ball sized hail.
Acquiring the right type of insurance for you and your vehicle is important. If you can afford more than basic liability insurance you should take the higher coverage. If you?re unsure about policies and finding the best rates you should check with various insurance agents to help you get the coverage you need.
Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator for
Carinsurancesa.co.za. South Africa's leading
car insurance portal.